《The Villain’s Cheat Code: When a Gamer Becomes the Evil God’s Sidekick》 Chapter 1：Transmigrated into a Villain: Hellish Beginning "Viktor, you''ve really made a name for yourself!" From the study came a woman''s angry shouts. A beautiful woman with short black hair held up a newspaper, pointing at the portrait printed on it by magic stone, fuming with anger. "Are you trying to completely disgrace the ''Kravina'' family name?" Slap! The newspaper was thrown into the man''s face. He remained expressionless as he removed the paper. His obsidian-like bright eyes quietly scanned the contents of the newspaper. The man in the newspaper had well-defined features. Even on this black and white printed paper, one could see the man''s excessive handsomeness. It was a face capable of captivating thousands of young girls. But this didn''t include the girl in front of the man. The man''s gesture seemed to be inviting the girl, but in the picture, the girl declined with a smile. The smile seemed to carry a hint of disdain. Bang! A sound pulled him back from his thoughts. The woman in front of him Lia Kravina slammed her hand on the desk. "I asked you to represent the family at the banquet, and you publicly confessed to the Duke''s daughter at the party!?" "She''s still underage! Have you lost your mind?" Yes, the content of the newspaper read: Shocking! Viscount Kravina Does This at the Duke''s Daughter''s Banquet! I must say, this newspaper knows how to grab attention. If he had seen such a headline himself, he might have spent a few coins to buy a copy as entertainment for afternoon tea. Unfortunately, the subject of this newspaper headline''s entertainment was himself. Viktor Kravina. He looked at the mirror on the desk, and the reflection matched exactly with the handsome man in the newspaper. But as someone who had just transmigrated today, without any memories, Viktor didn''t want to take the blame for this. Although, faced with the woman''s angry shouts, he could only remain silent. If a mentally ill person kills someone and claims they did it because they were mentally unstable, can they avoid the death penalty? They actually can. The premise is that you need to have such a certificate. Viktor didn''t have one. He could only listen to her insults while lowering his head in silence. But this attitude of seeming to let the words go in one ear and out the other seemed to raise her anger level even more. Finally, ending with the phrase "I must be crazy to think you would actually listen," she concluded this one-sided scolding. Viktor was also able to sort out the information he could gather during this lengthy scolding that lasted for dozens of minutes. The arrangements in the study, as well as the appearance of the short-haired beauty in front of him, all matched 100% with a game he had played in his previous life. It was an adventure-type MMORPG game, or "Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game." In this world of swords and magic, players could create their own faces, play different races, experience different professions, and enjoy various storylines and challenges. And his previous profession in the real world. Used to be a top-tier game booster.This makes him extremely proficient in most aspects of the game. This game also required levels, and if you weren''t a pay-to-win player, you needed to grind for various resources and materials. If players don''t want to spend too much money but also don''t have extra time to level up and gather materials, they''ll need to find someone like Viktor to help with game boosting. At the same time, in some PvP (Player vs Player) ranking matches, when players needed to rise to ranks that didn''t match their actual strength, they also needed the help of power levelers. This was what he did in his previous life, and he had quite a reputation in the power leveling circle. Just yesterday, he had spent seven days without eating or sleeping to finally complete the seventeenth order he had taken on this month. Just as he was about to collect the payment. Bam, he died suddenly. His transmigration was just that plain and unremarkable. Back to the point, the character he had transmigrated into was named Viktor Kravina. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. His status was that of a viscount. In a country like the Kingdom of Carencia, which allocated power and status based on a title system, his position as a viscount was more of a symbolic identity. Apart from having a territory, he didn''t have many other special privileges. In the eyes of commoners, Viktor was naturally a powerful and influential figure. But... getting involved with the Duke''s daughter? A viscount was no match for a duke. "As expected of a villain boss, starting at hell difficulty," Viktor muttered to himself. "What did you say?" Lia''s voice rose a few degrees, as if confused, or perhaps expressing dissatisfaction with his nonchalant attitude. This naturally drew Viktor''s gaze to his nominal sister. Lia Kravina. In the game, she was Viktor Kravina''s sister. Due to her extremely high appearance stats, she was one of the few female characters in the game that players chased after, calling her ''wife''. Lia''s high popularity was also inseparable from her having a "villain brother". Viktor Kravina was a boss character that players had to defeat in the early to mid-game. Due to a series of actions by Viktor Kravina, the political power of the Kingdom of Carencia was overthrown. The current Empress issued a quest, seeking help from players to defeat Viktor Kravina. And this villain character, with various tags such as High attack and speed, difficult to defeat, High appearance, Scumbag Mage, inexplicably gained quite a bit of popularity. Overall, transmigrating into a familiar game should have been a happy thing. But he wasn''t feeling too good. Because... Viktor''s enemies were truly numerous. Perhaps it was because the tall tree catches the wind, or maybe it was the malice of the plot designers towards handsome guys. In the game, any NPC the player encountered could potentially have a grudge against Viktor. It could be a teacher from the magic academy, an elderly man in the village. Even a dog by the roadside might have been kicked by Viktor. More ridiculously, even a series of main storyline characters wanted to kill him. This included Viktor''s fiance, Viktor''s sister, and the Duke''s daughter. This was also the origin of Viktor''s title, Scumbag Mage. There are only a few female characters who are both well-known and attractive, but as the game progresses, most of them have been offended by Viktor. This also indirectly proves that in the future, Victor''s formidable strength allows him to constantly make enemies while still surviving. And now, he had replaced the original Viktor, becoming the current Viktor... Just the hatred accumulated by his original self was enough to give him a hard time. ''I wonder what time it is now.'' After Lia''s earlier inquiry, he didn''t mutter this out loud this time. He just thought about it a little in his heart. But Viktor''s pondering once again made Lia in front of him feel that he was deliberately not speaking to humiliate her. Her anger immediately maxed out. "Enough! Viktor, do you have any idea what situation you''re in?" She angrily pulled out a contract from her designer handbag and threw it on the desk. "If I hadn''t used my connections to contact the academy and have them immediately draft a professor title for you, the Duke''s private army would have been at your mansion door by now!" "But you''re sitting leisurely in the study, drinking coffee and reading books! Even now, you don''t even want to say a word of thanks!" "Thank you." "I hate you like... Eh?" Lia''s words faltered slightly, she blinked, even forgetting how to vent her anger. Viktor sat in his seat, took the contract, and while looking at it, said, "Thank you for handling these things for me. Next time in public, I''ll be more careful with my words." "..." Seemingly unaccustomed to her notoriously infamous brother suddenly saying a word of thanks, Lia''s finger restlessly twirled a strand of her hair. Her mood became a bit complicated. "Anyway, I did this just to avoid bringing shame to the family, and I can only solve it temporarily. You''ll have to go and apologize to the Duke''s side yourself." "Also, don''t just thank me, think about how to deal with Miss Gwen." "Gwen Delin?" "Yes, my nomination alone naturally wouldn''t be enough to make the academy agree, so I asked Miss Gwen for help." At this point, Lia''s eyes cooled a few degrees, looking at Viktor as if looking at a worm. "Having a fiance, yet still trying to flirt around." "As expected of you, Mr. Viktor." Viktor actively filtered out the latter part of that sentence. "Although I don''t know if you''ve misunderstood something, I will thank her." In his mind, he recalled this character. Gwen Delin. The second daughter of the knight family guarding the northern border, and also Viktor''s fiance in the game''s plot. She was a true righteous knight, and a righteous knight was destined to stand in opposition to a villain mage. In the game, although this justice-filled knight was Viktor''s fiance, the two never stood on the same side. Even in the final plot to defeat Viktor, it was Gwen who arrived and ended Viktor''s life with a single spear thrust. The relationship between these two seemed more like a forced family alliance marriage, without a hint of affection. The fact that the great knight Gwen personally stabbed Viktor to death seemed to indirectly confirm the players'' speculations. Unfortunately, the dog plot writers never mentioned the backstory between these characters, and until the end, the relationship between them could never be confirmed. ''Another dangerous character has been added.'' Sighing slightly in his heart, Viktor felt that life was extremely difficult. Gwen Delin was no small character. As the strongest knight in the Kingdom of Carencia, even in the late stages of the game during the chaos of gods and demons, her combat power remained amazingly strong. In the late game, Gwen Delin would even become a boss that players had to face, and during that time, the formidable strength of the great knight Gwen was clearly imprinted in the hearts of every game player. Regarding her combat power, Viktor had a clear understanding. This woman absolutely could not be provoked. Otherwise, he would really die. Although he had transmigrated, it seemed he didn''t have any cheat abilities he could use. As if seeing that Viktor was a bit at a loss, Lia felt inexplicably pleased in her heart. She thought it was his arrogance not allowing others to help, but in reality, Viktor was just pondering how to protect himself in this seemingly inevitable deadly ending. "Hmph, there are still some matters to handle in the territory, I have to go back." Lia laughed coldly, picked up her handbag, and prepared to leave. "Oh, by the way." As she was about to leave, Lia turned her head back and glanced at Viktor with a pitiful look. "To keep a crow as a pet, and one with only one eye at that." "Your aesthetic taste is still as terrible as before." Bang! The study door was closed. The voice of the maid could still be heard from outside. ''Miss Lia, do you need me to prepare a carriage for you?'' But at this moment, Viktor''s thoughts couldn''t focus on the departing Lia. He turned his head and saw a pitch-black creature in the corner of the desk. It looked like a crow, but slightly larger. And just as Lia had said. It had only one eye. That eye seemed to be full of humanity, rolling about inquisitively. Finally, its single eye met Viktor''s gaze. Then, it displayed a humanlike smile. "Hello, I am the dark god Habika." [news]Besides"I tried to create an image using AI, and I finally learned how to insert images into articles. I will periodically create some story images in the future, hehe."[/news] Chapter 2: Will You Sign a Contract to Feed and House Me? ''Habika?'' Viktor was slightly startled as memories from the game began to surface in his mind. This was one of the many deities in the game''s background. It only appeared in the game''s lore, mentioned only in story books for collection quests. No one had ever seen its true form. According to the records in the game''s story, Habika''s appearances always brought either natural disasters or human calamities. The most severe recorded incident was when Habika''s appearance once reduced the world''s human population by half! This was a very sinister and terrifying deity. "Of course, you can also call me by my current name, Vega." The crow, which called itself Vega, politely placed its wings on its chest and bowed. Unable to grasp the other''s intentions, Viktor didn''t respond. Seeing Viktor''s silence, Vega flapped its wings once and straightened its posture. "Interesting. It seems you''ve heard of me." Viktor: "I don''t know you." He understood very well that being entangled with a god was no good thing, a fact universally acknowledged among players. Especially this kind of evil god existing in the background story, it looked very dangerous. But why would an evil god that had never appeared in the game''s plot seek out Viktor in advance? Vega opened its beak, and a hoarse voice like a crow''s spoke before him: "You''re not Viktor. Your soul isn''t filthy enough." Its single eye stared at Viktor, trying to see a trace of ''panic'' on his face, but Viktor''s ever-present poker face disappointed it. "Gods can see through souls," it said. "But it doesn''t matter. I came here for you." Vega shook its feathers, and a long black feather fell onto the table. Black mist condensed, turning into a black paper. White streaks began to twist and form a bunch of words, like a demonic contract. Viktor looked at the contents on the paper, feeling a bit of a headache. He had just arrived in this world, hadn''t done anything, and ended up being handed two contracts in one day. I''m a professional game booster! Not some poor wage slave. He took the paper, reading while mockingly saying: "Aren''t you a god? Fallen on hard times?" He hadn''t thought that even gods would have to go out and sign clients. This contract stipulated that if he signed his name, he would have to provide food, clothing, and shelter for the crow, and even help it establish a church to cultivate followers for this evil god. The contract said that the more followers, the stronger its power would become. And then, nothing else. Viktor: "......" Even a slave contract isn''t this outrageous. You provide food, shelter, and find followers for you, and after you gain all the benefits, I get nothing? He silently looked at this crow, which was elegantly pecking at its own feathers, like a noble bird. If one could ignore its single eye. "Most of my power is sealed, I can only seek the shelter of others. If you take this deal, you''ll gain the friendship of a deity." "It''s worth it." Vega called out while continuing to peck at its feathers. Viktor was speechless. The friendship of a god? What use is that? The crow glanced at him with its single eye, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, and said flatly: "It can save your life." "Deal!" Viktor promptly signed his name on the contract. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. He wasn''t too worried about being tricked, because deities were known to always keep their word. Even evil gods. After being handed the contract, he felt a very subtle connection form between them. It seemed that with just a thought, he could find where this crow was. The crow flew to Viktor''s shoulder and pecked at its feathers again. Just as Lia said, keeping a crow as a pet really wasn''t a sign of good taste. But he was new here, and the contract was already signed, so he might as well treat it as keeping a pet with no taste. After all, he only had to provide food and shelter. As for the church, he could just spend money to build one later. He turned his head to look at the other contract nearby, which also needed his signature. This was a contract from the Advanced Magic Academy, sincerely inviting the protagonist to become a teacher at the academy, promising him the title of professor. He suddenly remembered that although Viktor was a villain, he was also a magical prodigy. Countless aged wizards were stuck at the second tier, but Viktor had already reached the third tier at the age of twenty. And in terms of the game... Viktor silently recited in his mind, and a game panel appeared before his eyes. [Name: Viktor Kravina] LV: 39 HP: 1000/1000 MP: 4900/4900 A standard glass cannon mage. This confirmed his guess C he had indeed transmigrated into the game. A third-tier mage corresponded to levels 30-39 in the game, and so on afterwards. According to the background story, Viktor hadn''t progressed in nine years, and his reputation as a genius had long been forgotten by the world. Only after transmigrating into Viktor''s body did he realize that he had been hiding his true abilities. The experience bar for leveling up had accumulated who knows how much, and he could easily cross the threshold of the third tier and leap to the level of a fourth-tier human saint mage. But Viktor had never done so; he had always been planning a scheme. Although his character wasn''t good, his reputation as a genius was well-deserved. This contract needed to be signed. Not to mention that this professorship was obtained through the efforts of his sister and fiance. Having a professor title was equivalent to having the protection of a magic academy, so the duke''s side couldn''t easily cause trouble for him. At least, on the surface, he needed a reasonable pretext. An underage daughter being confessed to by a scumbag? That reason wouldn''t hold water. The desire for beauty is common to all. Was your daughter never going to marry? Viktor picked up the pen and signed his name on the contract, then had a servant send it to the magic academy. He stood up and walked towards the mansion''s backyard. Vega finally stopped pecking at its feathers and asked him what he was going to do. Without turning his head, Viktor told it: "I''m going to teach at the school tomorrow. I need to practice some magic so I''m not out of practice." "Take me with you." Vega stood on his shoulder, chattering incessantly. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the training ground where several huge stone targets stood. Viktor looked up at these towering stone statues, somewhat surprised. In the game, players'' backyards also had such magic stones for improving skill proficiency. The giant stones would display damage numbers, and based on the different damage numbers, one could distinguish the skill proficiency and attribute levels. Now seeing the same thing in Viktor''s mansion''s backyard, he couldn''t help but feel emotional. Vega saw him pause for a moment and thought he was intimidated by the targets after not practicing for so long. Then it really started chattering like a crow. "Magic, you know, requires a lot of skill..." It went on and on, telling Viktor many things, such as how to cast efficiently and how to increase power. The crow shook its well-groomed feathers: "If I had my power, I''d show you some powerful high-level magic." Viktor didn''t say anything, letting it continue to ramble. He glanced at his skill list, and the result was quite satisfying. Some of the magic Viktor could use, he was already proficient in. As the final boss of the second chapter [Kingdom Chaos] in the game, he was a hurdle all players had to overcome. As a former top-level game booster, he was well aware of Viktor''s skills. When the boss raised his hand, he knew exactly what move was coming. Vega was still chattering: "There are many things to pay attention to with magic! Drawing magic circles, chanting speed..." Before it could finish speaking, Viktor raised his hand, and with a bang, a black lightning bolt burst forth. [First Tier Spell: Black Lightning Spear] Viktor''s face didn''t change at all, as if casting magic was as simple as eating, drinking, or using the bathroom for him. Then, various second and third-tier skills bloomed like fireworks, constantly leaving marks on the giant stones. It was like a wild bombardment, the entire backyard dazzlingly bright. Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder and fell silent. Viktor looked at his now depleted MP, feeling unsatisfied. The current boss''s constitution was just too weak, running out of mana after casting just a few skills. If a player wore a bunch of equipment, their mana would easily exceed ten thousand. Who would worry about conserving mana then? "You cast spells without drawing magic circles?" Viktor ignored it. The mage class was known among players as a spell machine gun. Because in the game''s settings, players didn''t need to operate the magic circles at all. They just needed to click a hotkey, read a short incantation, and the skill would shoot out in an instant. And for someone like him who had played all classes as a booster, he was proficient in the skills of any class. Casting a spell? That was child''s play. Seeing that he could now perfectly control the release of skills, Viktor prepared to leave. Vega suddenly spoke up: "Don''t be in such a hurry to leave. Your method of casting spells interests me. Can you cast a few more?" Viktor didn''t want to entertain it. You think this is fireworks? Cast whenever you want? Just as this thought crossed his mind, he glanced over and saw Vega''s single eye light up with a dazzling blue, enveloping his body. He felt as if a rope had been tied between himself and the crow. Viktor brought up the panel and looked again. MP: 995099/999999 He looked down at Vega. I want to report this! This guy is cheating! Chapter 3: You’re Quite the Craftsman, Aren’t You? Several hours later, Viktor, seeing that he still had nine-tenths of his mana left, finally gave up on the idea of exhausting his mana pool. Now, he truly believed that Vega was a god. Vega nodded with satisfaction, perhaps Viktor''s series of actions had satisfied its curiosity. ''Truly interesting. Perhaps I should let you continue for a few more hours, so I can further ponder the mysteries of your spell casting.'' Viktor silently protested to Vega. Seeing Viktor''s expressionless face, Vega tactfully changed the subject. ''Let''s stop here. What do you plan to do next? Are you going to stay in this backyard all day?'' Its deep eyes stared at Viktor, seemingly trying to discern other secrets from him. "I''m going to the market to buy some things." Viktor tossed out the words nonchalantly, but the crow still refused to fly off his shoulder. ''I''ll continue to follow you, to see what you''re going to buy.'' Hearing Vega''s words, Viktor sighed and called for a servant to prepare a carriage. [...] Viktor entered the shop, looking at the dazzling array of materials. He walked straight to a counter. "What would you like to buy? The shopkeeper, seeing a potential customer, hurried out to greet him. Viktor tapped the table and said softly, "Lizard dragon tail, Harpy feather, beetle shell... I want a bag of each of these thirty materials." "Certainly! This customer is truly generous." The shopkeeper responded while counting out all the materials Viktor had ordered. "There are a full thirty bags of various materials here. Would you like someone to deliver them to your home?" Viktor waved his hand, rubbed the ring on his finger, and suddenly all the materials disappeared. Seeing this, the shopkeeper''s smile grew even more exaggerated. "Haha, the customer truly possesses a treasure." "Please come again next time!" After Viktor left, an employee approached the shopkeeper and asked, "Boss, who was that person?" The shopkeeper smacked him and said sternly, "Don''t ask. Anyone carrying such a high-level storage ring must be someone extraordinary!" Only Viktor knew that he didn''t have any storage ring. The ring on his hand was purely decorative. He had directly put everything into the player-exclusive inventory, a move that even Vega couldn''t understand. Vega spread its wings, its voice mixed with the characteristic hoarse tone of a crow, cawing in Viktor''s ear. Viktor just listened quietly, his full attention focused on the various items that could be crafted flashing before his eyes. The reason for buying such a large amount of materials was to craft the items needed in the early stages of the game. In the original game setting, every player, regardless of their profession, had an extremely rich and specialized crafting book. Viktor, as a player, could naturally bring up these screens at will. Viktor returned to his residence with all the materials, satisfied. He went into the basement of the mansion and dug out a pile of glass bottles from some corners. ''What are you planning to do?'' Vega, perched on his shoulder, felt uneasy. Its instincts told it that Viktor was about to do something again. The god''s instincts were very accurate. It then saw Viktor gradually kneading various materials together with his hands, his palms continuously releasing light, with crackling sounds gradually growing louder. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ''What are you doing? Stop it!'' Vega felt like it was going crazy. What was he doing in the basement? Making gunpowder? Viktor didn''t listen to a word it said, but instead became even more enthusiastic. After a flash of bright light, the empty bottles on the table were filled with red liquid. Vega, looking at so many healing potions before its eyes, couldn''t help but complain: ''You really are unlike ordinary people. How can making healing potions be as dangerous as making bombs?'' Viktor chuckled softly, looking at the pile of red potions in front of him and nodding at their description. [Minor Healing Potion]: Restores 300 health points in one use. Indeed, the materialization of item stats in numerical form was the best way to make Victor feel secure. Vega looked at the pile of healing potions on the table, its single eye flickering with a blue light. The red potions were a slightly dark hue, the deeper the red, the stronger the healing effect. Vega jumped off his shoulder, flew to the table, uncorked a bottle and poured it into its mouth. It felt a moment of dizziness, smacked its beak, and looked back at Viktor: ''Did you really make this potion yourself?'' Viktor admitted it, but Vega fell into deep thought. ''What''s the deal with this guy? The potency and effect of these healing potions are completely comparable to the low-level healing magic of the Goddess of Healing. Could this guy be hiding some divine power?'' On second thought, it wasn''t a bad thing that Viktor had such abilities. After all, they had already signed a contract, and at the very least, it meant having a relatively powerful craftsman. Vega suddenly asked him: ''Have you considered selling some? This quality would definitely make a fortune.'' Viktor shook his head and refused. These things were all for his own use. He wasn''t short of money at the moment, so there was no need. His hands instantly released a dazzling blue light, and he produced a pile of mana potions in the same manner. Every time Vega saw Viktor create an item, it felt a little shock in its heart. Creating items with bare hands was something that even master-level craftsmen couldn''t do. Could it be that what he had awakened was actually the one-in-a-million creation-type magic? It had only been attracted by this human''s soul, but now, it was finding Viktor increasingly incomprehensible. As a mage, mana potions were certainly more important than healing potions. Although Vega had an unlimited mana cheat, helping out wasn''t without its costs, and Viktor didn''t know exactly what the price would be. It was better to have some mana potions on hand. It''s better to rely on oneself than on others. After a while, a voice sounded: [''Crafting'' skill has leveled up, current level: lv2] With the breakthrough in level, Viktor stopped hand-crafting potions and saw some new things appear on his item crafting panel. He looked up at Vega on the table, saying nothing. The crow felt a bit uneasy under his gaze, until Viktor spoke: "You should count as a crow, right?" Vega: "Huh?" Viktor successfully plucked a dark feather from Vega, ignoring his resentful gaze, and continued with his work. [Magical Creature Hair and Six Magic Stones] "Need magic stones, huh." He remembered quite clearly that magic stones were a relatively rare item, capable of recording video and storing some words, and even storing magic. However, the magic within the stones would gradually dissipate. Someone had tried to use magic stored in magic stones as bombs, but it failed. Magic stones were extremely expensive to produce. If one had that kind of wealth, it would be better to make a few real bombs. Having accumulated enough materials, he prepared to start synthesizing items. The materials instantly turned into threads of liquid, mixing together, and began to solidify at a visible speed. The embryonic form of a glove appeared, with several transparent magic stones embedded in it. A single fingerless glove appeared in front of Viktor. The crow shuddered again: "Kid, you can even synthesize equipment with your bare hands?" Viktor didn''t want to respond to it, he just stared at the glove in front of him. It was inlaid with several transparent magic stones, clear and flawless. [Mage''s Hand]: Level 2 crafted item, can store six different types of magic, capable of quick activation and release without preparation time. This item could deal with some emergency situations and was essential equipment for mage players in the early stages. He used his mana to slowly infuse various types of magic into the magic stones on the glove. With each infusion, the transparent magic stones changed color. As Viktor continued to infuse various types of magic, the magic stones all took on different colors, and he finally stopped. Vega, watching this scene, was no longer surprised and said to him: "Able to store various types of magic? And no need for incantations? Why don''t you tell me how you made such a good thing?" Its single eye flickered with crazy blue flames, but Viktor just shook his head at its eager look. "It''s a secret." "How stingy." Vega complained, not expecting that it, a mighty evil god, would have to inquire about knowledge from a human. If this got out and its colleagues found out, wouldn''t it be laughed to death? Viktor ignored it simply because his secret as a player couldn''t be exposed. If his ability to create items with bare hands were to spread, it might attract the investigation of some ill-intentioned people, and then things would get troublesome. Even if it was for his own sake, he had to consider it carefully. "Lord, Lady Gwen has arrived." Chapter 4: How Could You Make a Move on an Underage Girl ！ Gwen approached, surrounded by servants. Viktor, ever the gentleman, extended his hand and invited her into the meeting room. They walked side by side. Along the way, Gwen observed Viktor, catching a glimpse of the pitch-black one-eyed crow perched on his shoulder. After entering the meeting room, Viktor directed a pointed look at the servants, who discreetly left. Once the door closed, Gwen and Viktor took their seats. Gwen asked coldly, "Did you receive the academy''s invitation?" Viktor tapped his fingers on the table and replied, "I did." After his answer, the air in the room suddenly chilled. At this moment, Viktor couldn''t guess what this woman''s attitude towards "him" truly was. Although they were engaged, it was also she who ultimately killed Viktor. Viktor felt that Gwen had no feelings for him whatsoever. And yet, Gwen had helped him. The academy''s invitation to become a professor was naturally aided by the Delin family''s recommendation. The more Viktor thought about it, the more confused he became. In any case, if he could improve his relationship with Gwen, he might be able to avoid a fatal ending. Viktor waved his hand, and five bottles of blood-red life potion appeared on the table in front of Gwen. "Please accept these." Gwen merely glanced at them, showing no intention of accepting. Viktor sighed at her proud demeanor and continued: "This is a thank-you gift for your help. Lia told me about it, and I don''t want to owe you any favors." He looked into Gwen''s eyes with his ink-black ones. Gwen turned her head away, biting her lip. After a moment of internal struggle, she asked: "Yesterday, did you really confess to the Duke''s daughter?" Viktor remained silent. Whether he had done such a thing yesterday... he himself didn''t know. That was done by yesterday''s "Viktor," not the same soul as today''s Viktor. Seeing his continued silence, Gwen truly believed he had done such a thing. Her cheeks flushed red as she scolded: "Viktor! How could you do such a thing? The Duke''s daughter is only seventeen! You actually confessed to an underage girl! Viktor: ... Now it seemed everyone knew about his failed attempt to flirt with an underage girl. Gwen, being a knight with an extremely righteous heart, naturally couldn''t stand such behavior towards an underage girl. If he couldn''t resolve this issue properly, it could very likely be the spark that would lead to a complete fallout between Viktor and Gwen in the future. He had to handle it carefully. Viktor felt a heaviness in his heart as he spoke to her: "I hope you understand, I don''t have feelings for the Duke''s daughter." Gwen glared at him and continued, "This matter has already become public knowledge." Viktor looked into her eyes, which betrayed anger and helplessness, and responded gravely: "I will handle this matter. I won''t let rumors continue to surround us." Viktor was well aware that this incident would not only bring shame to his Kravina family but also to the Delin family, to whom he was engaged. The Delin family''s help was also helping themselves. Gwen opened her mouth but couldn''t utter a word. Looking at Viktor, she felt he had changed somewhat, but she couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was different. Gwen stood up, accepted the potion bottles, and turned to leave. As she opened the door, she said to Viktor: "If you have any difficulties, come find me. I''ll help you." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. With that, she pushed the door open and left. Viktor breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing his reaction, Vega couldn''t help but croak in his ear: "Who was that?" "My fiance." Viktor shrugged, feeling somewhat helpless. The one-eyed crow gave him a pitying look, preening its feathers with its beak: "She''s very sensitive, with a frightening gaze. It''s as if she could see right through me. Luckily, I just look like an ordinary crow." Viktor was at a loss for words. "A one-eyed crow is anything but ordinary." ... The next day arrived, and Viktor went to the academy as agreed. The Royal Magic Academy lived up to its name; those who could study here were all young masters and ladies from wealthy or noble families. There was also a special group of people who possessed magical talents above others. They could study magic here without paying tuition fees. The free tuition wasn''t without strings attached. As a prize, these talented individuals would naturally have to work for the royal family in the future. Viktor looked at the magnificent magic academy, recalling scenes from the game: He remembered there was a huge library here, where mage players could learn magic of various ranks. Viktor planned to go there to study. He urgently needed some powerful skills to support his magical abilities. Although Viktor''s own magic was already sufficient, as a player, having a larger repertoire of spells would naturally provide him with a greater sense of security. The contract had been delivered to Viktor yesterday, and he was now a senior professor at the Royal Magic Academy. On his first visit to the academy, he took the initiative to meet with the dean. After a brief greeting, the dean asked him to teach the best class in the entire academy to prove his abilities. After leaving the dean''s office, he followed the memories in his mind and arrived at the Mage Tower. The Mage Tower, also known as the Trial Tower, was where players could undergo a daily trial. Passing the trial would grant a large amount of experience points. The tall tower was imposing, reaching into the clouds. Various magical arrays covered its walls. Looking up further, a hazy ripple obscured one''s vision, seeming to contain some kind of mystery. Viktor approached the Magic Tower and touched the barrier. The magic in his body trembled slightly. [Identity verification successful. Welcome back to the Mage Tower, Professor Viktor.] A slowly rotating black mist appeared before his eyes, and when he came to, he was already inside the tower. "So that was a teleportation array." After climbing the stairs, various ores containing powerful magic were scattered throughout the tower. Books were neatly arranged, making it look like a completely different place from what he had seen outside the tower. Looking at the spotless floor, Viktor immediately realized that someone had already cleaned the place. He heard a gasp behind him and turned to look. A young woman with shoulder-length hair appeared before Viktor''s eyes. Her glowing yellow eyes stared at Viktor. Perhaps because Viktor was staring at her, her cheeks turned red, and she asked in a slightly trembling voice: "Are you Mr. Viktor?" Viktor turned back and acknowledged it. The young woman continued, her nervousness not diminishing one bit: "I... I''m Henie, your teaching assistant," she said, handing Viktor a speech script. "You just need to memorize this before the afternoon class. Then you can teach according to the content in this script." Viktor took the script, glanced at it lightly, and nodded: "Thank you." Henie suddenly became flustered and ran out of Viktor''s office. Viktor thought to himself: "The academy has really thought of everything." At present, no one in this school knew Viktor''s true level of knowledge, even though he was a very powerful third-rank mage. Even though the school had given him a professorship, it was only based on his magical talent. If Viktor were just a waste, even with the nominations from two families, this professorship wouldn''t have fallen to him. What he needed to do now was to give a speech based on the school''s script. As long as he did this flawlessly, at least when outsiders saw it, they couldn''t find any fault. Our Royal Academy''s professors are definitely not incompetent half-baked experts! Viktor picked up the speech script again and looked at it for a while. After all, since there was a ready-made script to use, why not take advantage of it? The noon hours passed in an instant, and the afternoon weather became even brighter. People from all walks of life were waiting for the young professor of the Royal Magic Academy to appear and give his speech. They were equally curious about whether this genius professor who had been dormant for many years was just a gimmick created by the academy. Viktor arrived at the classroom. He had already memorized the speech content thoroughly. He only needed to present part of it to easily get through this challenge. That was what Viktor had originally thought. But when he scanned the classroom and saw a blonde girl sitting in the front row, he changed his mind. At 17 years old, she was the most talented student the Royal Magic Academy had seen in recent years. Her family background was also particularly distinguished. Second only to one, the Duke''s daughter. Erica du Cloye. He hadn''t expected that the person he had offended the day before yesterday would become his student. Erica naturally noticed him too, her beautiful eyes sparkling with an unreadable emotion. ''So this is the little beauty from yesterday''s newspaper headlines. She''s quite pretty. Let me see... tsk tsk, so young, yet already a second-rank mage. She''s got something.'' Vega whispered secretly to Viktor from his shoulder. The reason Vega could come to the classroom with Viktor was that the Royal Magic Academy never prohibited pets, nor did they restrict the types of pets. The dean himself kept a watermelon with eyes. Compared to that kind of thing, a one-eyed crow wasn''t particularly unusual. Viktor cleared his throat and addressed the students in the classroom: "I am Viktor Kravina, a professor at the Royal Magic Academy, and now your teacher." "Today''s lecture topic is: ''The Influence of Formation Composition on Advanced Magic Systems.''" ... After speaking for a while, Viktor gradually became more proficient, fully engaged, and time passed quickly. About forty minutes later, he looked at his watch. It was already four in the afternoon, and he waved his hand. "Class dismissed." He couldn''t help but feel relieved. Great, there were no issues with this class, and no one asked questions. It went very smoothly. Viktor was about to leave when Erica, sitting in the front row, suddenly raised her hand, smiling. "Teacher, I have a question. Could you answer it for me?" Upon hearing this, Viktor''s expression darkened slightly. Sure enough, the troublemaker had arrived. Chapter 5: How Dare You Morally Coerce Me? Ericas attempts to make things difficult for Viktor were entirely expected. Viktor quickly realized this and had no intention of taking it lying down. Just then, the bell rang, and Viktor smiled at her. "If you have any questions, we can discuss them in the next class." He had finished teaching, and his performance had been quite satisfactoryat least, no one could find any fault with it. There was no need to create additional complications at this point. However, Erica wasnt about to let him off so easily. She pressed on, unrelenting: "As far as I know, when a student asks a question, the professor is obliged to answer." "Of course, if youre just a gold-plated professor here to put on a show, then you dont have to answer me." Her aggressive stance didnt draw any disapproval from those around them; instead, it only heightened their anticipation of how Viktor would respond. "How rude." Viktor sighed, rubbing his forehead. In a place filled with "insiders," his grudge with Erica was well-known. Everyone knew about his scandal involving the young girl, and naturally, they were eager to see the conflict between the two unfold. After all, catching this drama firsthand could provide the material for tomorrows headlines. But Viktor wasnt about to let these people have their way; otherwise, he would become the new laughingstock of the academy and society. Of course, that wasnt going to happen. However, he also wasnt willing to let Erica make him lose face in front of so many people. At the very least, she deserved a small lesson. Facing Ericas questioning, Viktor didnt back down. His expression darkened, and he tapped the table in front of him, enunciating each word clearly: "This is my classroom, and my rules apply here. I make the decisions." "And if you think you can use the title of ''professor'' to morally coerce me, youd better give up on that idea." Viktor raised his head, his cold gaze laced with disdain. "I refuse to answer you." With that, he was about to leave the classroom, but as soon as he took a step, the surroundings started to blur, flashes of blue light streaking across his vision. When he regained his bearings, he found himself back at the podium. Viktor focused his gaze and noticed a faintly glowing blue magic circle beneath him. "A teleportation array..." "I didnt expect her to set something like this at the door." Erica stood before him, her face a mixture of pride and contempt, as if she was trying to provoke a look of panic or fear from Viktor for her own amusement. She then addressed him, "This is the question I wanted to ask." "If Professor Viktor cannot answer, you wont be able to leave." The onlookers were stunned by what they had just witnessed, their eyes wide in shock. What the hell? Was that... teleportation magic!? "A student at the Royal Magic Academy can secretly set up a teleportation array?" "Is this the power of the academys top students? A Second-Order Mage is this formidable?" "To set up teleportation magic so mysteriously and quickly?" "This level of magical proficiency is terrifying!" Viktor had avoided answering directly because he had inherited Viktor''s level and magic but not his knowledge. He knew how to use magic but didnt understand its principlesmuch like knowing how to use a lighter without understanding how it produces fire. Unexpectedly, Erica had stumbled upon his weak spot. Vegas voice echoed in his mind: "Do as I say." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hearing Vegas voice, Viktor felt his confidence surge, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Well then, Ill add an extra lesson." Pointing at the dismantling sequence of the teleportation magic, he addressed Erica from the podium: "All you need to do is disrupt the weak links between the various small formations. Its quite simple." He then extended his finger and began inscribing a series of runes. The runes instantly connected with the core of the magic array, their glowing lines reaching out to the smaller formations. The array began to destabilize, its light fading. Ericas face grew tense as she saw her teleportation array being effortlessly unraveled by Viktor. Sweat started to bead on her forehead. She could clearly feel the weakening connection between herself and the array. No matter how much magic she poured into it, she couldnt slow down the arrays collapse. She was already too weak to sustain it, and the connection was entirely severed. Viktor snapped his fingers, and a hairpin from Ericas head suddenly flew into his hand. "Ill borrow your hairpin for a bit." Erica was stunned, watching helplessly as her hairpin was taken. Her teleportation magic had been hijacked. The others continued to stretch their necks, eager to watch the unfolding drama. The dimmed teleportation array began to glow again, but it seemed to be under Viktors control. He started casually teleporting objects around the roomone moment, a flowerpot from the window was transported to the podium, and the next, the clock on the wall was shifted to the ceiling. It seemed as though Viktor could freely teleport anything within the room at will. Finally, he decided to give Erica a new seat, teleporting her from the front row to the very back. Having made his point, Viktor performed a few more actions with a series of runes, restoring the teleportation array to its original state. He gently placed Ericas hairpin on the podium and addressed her at the back of the classroom: "Alright, you can try activating it again." Erica glared at him with a resentful look, attempting to activate the array once more. The hairpin on the podium suddenly disappeared, neither returning to Erica nor being transferred to Viktor. Viktor maintained his poker face and said nonchalantly, "Congratulations, your hairpin has been teleported to another dimension." Erica was left dumbfounded, no matter how she tried to manipulate the array, the hairpin never returned. Viktor, not yet finished, continued speaking: "Theres another way to solve this array." He snapped his fingers, and the magical hand on his right hand emitted six beams of light, simultaneously forming six magic arrays in the air. The crowd gasped in amazement: "Multi-casting? Six spells at once?" "How is this possible?" "Nothings impossible. Viktor is a Third-Order Mage!" "The showdown between the genius professor and the genius student of the Royal Magic Academythis is totally worth it!" Viktor waved his hand, ignoring their praises, and calmly said, "You can simply suppress it." With that, the magical hand gently squeezed the air, causing the six arrays to glow simultaneously. Boom! Under the immense magical pressure, a crack appeared in the teleportation array, and then it vanished. Ericas hairpin was gone for good. She lowered her head, her body trembling slightly. It was impossible to tell what expression she had on her face. Viktor chuckled softly and turned to leave. "Erica, remember, this is the answer from your teacher, along with a small lesson." "Your teacher is busy and likes to end class on time." He didnt care what repercussions might follow and walked straight out of the classroom. As soon as he stepped outside, a wave of chatter erupted behind him, but that was no longer his concern. ... Viktor returned to his office, passing the time. When the final bell of the day rang, he thought of the library and decided to see if there was anything new to discover. He teleported directly from the Mage Tower to the library, and the sight before him was just as he remembered it from the game. He randomly picked up a book and began flipping through it when a dialog box suddenly appeared before him: [Do you wish to learn First-Order Magic: Rolling Fireball?] [Required Materials: Flameflower, Habika Feather] This explained why Viktor had purchased so many materials. They could be used not only for crafting items but also for learning magic in the library. Learning magic naturally cost money, but Viktor, being a lord, was wealthy and didnt mind the expense at all. This was a loophole in the game. The materials required could only be obtained by defeating neutral monsters outside. But Viktor could simply buy them in bulk thanks to his wealth. Seeing that it was still early, Viktor went on a learning spree in the library, mastering many of the basic spells available on the first floor. He continued until he exhausted all his materials and half of the money in his pocket. By the end, he had learned nearly everything there was to learn. As the evening approached, the golden light of dusk filtered into the library, casting a yellow hue on the floor. Though it was getting late, a sudden, incongruous light shone from deep within the library. It seemed he wasnt the only one ''studying'' hard in the library. Curious to see who it was, Viktor followed the light. When he saw who it was, he was slightly taken aback. "Henie?" It was his assistant, who was currently seated at a desk, pen in hand, writing furiously. He could even hear her muttering under her breath. "Tomorrow, Ill have Professor Viktor lecture on this topic..." Chapter 6: Young Lady, You’ve Made a Mistake Seeing Henie working so hard for him, Viktor couldnt help but walk over. Henie noticed someone approaching and, on instinct, looked up warily. Professor Viktor? Once she recognized him, she hurriedly stood up, adjusting her glasses nervously. Viktor, who rarely showed any emotion, broke his usual poker face and asked her with concern, Arent you tired? He knew Henies work was assigned by the school, but her level of knowledge clearly qualified her to be a new teacher at the Royal Academy of Magic. Keeping such a talented individual as his assistant wasnt just something that might later be exposed by society; it was something even his own conscience couldnt bear. Not at all! Henie shook her head resolutely, her attitude firm. Its an honor to prepare lessons for you, Professor! A naive and somewhat adorable young lady. If it were the old Viktor, he probably would have squeezed this little lamb dry until there wasnt a drop left. He would extract every bit of benefit and then discard her without a second thought. That was the kind of person Viktor was. If something benefited him, he would hold onto it tightly. In reality, with Vega around, he didnt need an assistant to help him prepare lesson content at all. Since there was no one else around, Viktor decided to let this silly little lamb off the hook. He considered his tone carefully and, in a voice that tried to mirror Viktors usual coldness, said indifferently, You dont need to write speeches for me anymore. Henie froze at those words, her body swaying as if she could barely stand. She thought she must have made a mistake somewhere, a mistake so severe that Professor Viktor wanted to fire her. Professor, I can spend more time perfecting your speeches Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice trembling as she pleaded with Viktor not to abandon her. Please dont abandon me; I promise Ill do a good job as your assistant! Viktor frowned slightly. He hadnt expected Henie to react this way. He merely wanted her to get more rest and then fully utilize her talents independently at the academy. But all she could think about was hoping Professor Viktor would give her a chance to correct herself and continue being his assistant. It was as if she was about to lose her job. Vega ruffled its wings and softly explained in Viktors ear: Why do you think that is? This child is merely an apprentice, unable to even cross the threshold of becoming a mage. Viktor suddenly realized this, feeling a pang of regret for Henies wasted potential. In the game, the level of a magic apprentice was within the 1-9 range. In other words, she was a novice. The Royal Academy of Magic didnt keep idle people around. To become a teacher here, the minimum requirement was to become a mage. Only then would the academy evaluate a candidate based on their teaching ability. No matter how knowledgeable Henie waseven if she was capable of preparing lessons for the academys most gifted studentsif she hadnt become a mage, she wouldnt be qualified to become a teacher. From Henies perspective, Viktor now understood how hurtful his words had been. Henie was just an assistant. Even if he didnt need her, only two outcomes awaited Henie: waiting for the next professors assistant position to become available or leaving the Royal Academy of Magic and facing unemployment. If she became unemployed, no one would blame the academy. They would only think it was her own inadequacy that led to her dismissal. She was highly knowledgeable and had devoted her entire life to learning, only to end up with nowhere to go. But Viktor wasnt one to offer comfort because he was a notorious, petty villain. So, he merely left her with one sentence: Alright, I take back what I said, Henie. Youve done well and made no mistakes. Ill keep using you until youre completely worn out. So until then, dont overwork yourself. Henie was overjoyed, nodding excitedly. Professor! I wont let you down! Viktor was curious why someone as capable as Henie would willingly serve as an assistant. So, he asked her. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Surprised that Viktor would inquire about her background, Henies eyes briefly dimmed, but she still calmly replied, I graduated from the Royal Academy of Magic, but I didnt become a first-level mage by the time I graduated, so I volunteered to stay as an assistant. The rest of the story became clear. Other professors naturally had their favored assistants, while she, despite her abilities, lacked the talent to catch anyones eye. Until the academy hired a new professorViktorshe had no chance to work for this infamous genius mage. After hearing her explanation, Viktor nodded and patted her shoulder. Work hard. The academy wouldnt keep you around if they didnt see potential in you. Im new here. Would you mind giving me a tour of the academy? Henie was flustered by his request but quickly agreed, hastily tidying up her desk. I havent had much of a chance to explore the school myself. Lets take this opportunity to look around. Viktor said this, but he knew the place like the back of his hand. In the game, hed been here countless times, and he even knew about the secret garden behind the headmasters office. He only said it to avoid overburdening her. Especially seeing her writing lessons in front of him made him feel guilty. It was his job, yet he was letting someone else handle it entirely. Of course, alongside the guilt, he also felt a certain satisfaction. Who doesnt enjoy slacking off? Henie led him around the academy, tirelessly explaining various buildings to him. Gardens, lawns, training grounds. Viktor nodded along to everything, even though he knew the place was like his own backyard. When they reached the Arcane Hall, he paused. This was the place where players engaged in PvP battles, and they could also practice their magic skills here. But at that moment, a commotion came from inside, sounding like a student argument. Viktor frowned, suddenly understanding why school principals liked to patrol noisy classrooms during their campus years. Troublesome kids need to be disciplined, and unruly students even more so. So, he pushed the door open and entered. ... Ericas mood was at an all-time low. She had intended to teach Viktor a lesson but ended up being lectured instead. On top of that, she lost her most cherished hairpin. It was a gift from her mother, which she had inadvertently sent into the void of a teleportation array. To retrieve the hairpin, Erica came to the Arcane Hall to practice teleportation magic, hoping to undo the modifications Viktor had made to her teleportation array. But it was clear she couldnt do it. After numerous failed attempts, each accompanied by an explosion from the array, Erica nearly lost her composure, ruffling her golden hair in frustration. This is so annoying! Why did it fail again? Growing more agitated with each attempt, Erica made a critical error. In her frustration, she failed to cancel her teleportation spell, and the arrays endpoint landed in the middle of the Arcane Hall. A student in uniform happened to step into her array. The array activated automatically, emitting a bright red light Whoosh! In a flash of red light, the student vanished! Erica watched as the student disappeared before her eyes. Jack? Jack!? Damn it, hes been teleported! The faces of the accompanying students turned pale. Panic flashed in Ericas eyesshe had made a grave mistake! Damn it! Did I just send him to another dimension!? She frantically tried to retrieve the student using magic, but no matter what she did, there was no response from the teleportation array! The unfortunate student, like her unlucky hairpin, was lost and unrecoverable. The scene eerily mirrored what had happened in the classroom earlier. Everyone now noticed Erica, who was in a panic, continuously casting magic. The teleportation array in the center bore her magical signature. And today, rumors had spread that Erica had already mastered teleportation magic. At that moment, the students in the Arcane Hall erupted in anger! Erica du Cloye! You did this! You teleported Jack away! You did it on purpose! The students at the academy were divided into two factions: the nobles and the commoners. The noble faction and the commoner faction were always at odds, with the nobles viewing the commoners as mere dogs who would one day serve their families. Disputes between the noble and commoner factions were common, though they rarely escalated due to the academys emphasis on skill over status. But now, in the eyes of the commoner students, Erica du Cloyethe star student of the noble faction and the dukes daughterhad publicly humiliated them with her actions. Noble families rarely visited the Arcane Hall, preferring to continue their studies at home under the tutelage of private family mages. Only the commoner students, who relied on their average grades to gain admission, would come to the Arcane Hall to practice diligently. Unable to surpass the nobles in wealth, they could only strive to surpass them in the path of magic. But who would have thought that Erica, in her bad mood, would attempt to retrieve her hairpin and end up making such a grave mistake? At this point, no one cared about the truth anymore; the commoner students only wanted an outlet for their grievances, a way to vent their frustrations. Erica, you need to apologize. "Apologize! And bring Jack back!" Erica stood alone, unable to defend herself against the accusations from the crowd. She lowered her head, remaining silent. All she could do was keep trying to teleport the lost student back. But with the students'' angry shouts filling her ears, her mind grew more muddled, making it impossible to stay calm. She finally snapped, replying angrily, "I cant do it!" "It was a mistake with my magic! I dont know how to bring him back!" Her words only further infuriated the commoner students. "You made our friend disappear and you wont even apologize?" "Nobles are despicable! Theyve finally shown their true colors!" "Your noble lives matter, but what about ours? What do you think we are?" Erica bit her lip and remained silent, her fists clenched as a wave of frustration surged within her. Viktor! How am I any less capable than you? What you can easily accomplish, I should be able to do too! She knew she shouldnt blame others, but after meeting Viktor, she realized she couldnt measure up. Viktor outshined her in every way, whether in knowledge or magical talent. It was a talent so exceptional that even her own family praised it, something passed down through the noble ranks. Once the seed of jealousy was planted, it was hard to uproot. "Are you all so free?" A cold, indifferent voice suddenly echoed from the doorway. The last rays of the setting sun cast a crimson glow on Ericas exquisitely beautiful face. Viktor leaned against the door, a strange raven perched on his shoulder. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his coat, and his expression was indifferent, as if he didn''t see anyone there. "If youre all eager to write an apology letter, feel free to continue arguing in front of me." Chapter 7: Brother, We’re Out of Money Viktor''s imposing presence subdued everyone in the room. The students held their breath, not daring to make a move. Seeing that the situation had stabilized, Viktor asked, "Now tell me, what happened?" A commoner student at the front spoke up, "Erica came here flaunting her noble status, deliberately humiliating us. One student has vanished under her spell!" The other commoner students immediately chimed in, while Erica hurriedly tried to defend herself. The scene descended into chaos once again. "Silence!" The noisy space fell quiet once more. Viktor rubbed his temples. Indeed, no matter which world, arguments were always so annoying. "Is that so, Erica?" Viktor questioned her impatiently. Erica gradually calmed down and continued to explain, "I wasn''t trying to humiliate them. I was practicing magic here, and that unfortunate person entered my faulty teleportation spell, which is why he disappeared." The surrounding students naturally didn''t believe her words, but with the professor present, they didn''t dare voice their doubts. Vega whispered in Viktor''s ear, "I''ve checked. The teleportation array sent the person to another dimension." "No matter, I''ll handle it." Vega''s single eye flickered, and a wisp of black energy slowly drifted out from under its wings. Viktor understood its meaning and activated his Mage Hand. Immediately, six magic circles appeared in the air. "Six-fold spellcasting again?" Seeing this scene once more, Erica was only surprised. She hadn''t expected Professor Viktor to handle such a difficult technique as multi-layered spellcasting with such ease. Behind him, Vega gently added some runes to his magic circles. Six thread-like black runes gradually joined the array. The entire array emitted a red glow. Mixed with the light of the setting sun, it illuminated the entire Arcane Hall. The light was so bright that everyone present had to shield their eyes. As the light faded, a sudden exclamation startled everyone present. "This is... the Arcane Hall? I''m back?" The student looked around in amazement, tears of excitement welling up in his eyes. "I''m back! I''m really back!" The crowd gradually opened their eyes. Seeing the long-lost face, the commoner students burst into cheers upon seeing their classmate return. Erica stood there stunned, not expecting Viktor to reverse her faulty spell so effortlessly. "Is this... a third-tier mage?" Erica muttered. Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Viktor coldly said to her: "Erica, apologize." Hearing this request, Erica became defiant. She had resentment in her heart, how could she possibly listen to Viktor? Why should she? She admitted that Viktor had rectified her mistake, but it wasn''t intentional. It was that unlucky fool who blindly entered her magic circle! Moreover, her innate status and environment told her: ''Since when do nobles apologize to commoners?'' Viktor noticed her unwillingness to comply and frowned slightly, unable to help but mock her. "Making mistakes and refusing to apologize, lacking in academics and character." "Is this the upbringing of the du Cloye family?" These words struck a chord with the commoner students, who despised those arrogant nobles who oppressed them with their family backgrounds. Seeing this professor speak up for them, their eyes seemed to light up. However, these words truly ignited Erica''s emotions, but she knew she shouldn''t lash out. As Viktor had said, she was in the wrong. She shouldn''t bring shame to her family because of her own issues. Erica''s not-so-small chest heaved as she took a deep breath, calming herself. She gracefully bowed to the unfortunate student. "I apologize for my negligence." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Seeing the once-proud noble lower her head, the students couldn''t find any words of mockery. After all, they were all of the same age. The unfortunate student, Jack, recovered from his shock and awkwardly accepted the apology. "I was at fault too. If I had paid more attention while walking, this wouldn''t have happened." Viktor raised an eyebrow, somewhat satisfied. This peaceful atmosphere was what a beautiful campus environment should be like. But an apology alone wasn''t enough. Since a mistake was made, one should lead by example. He glanced at Erica and calmly said, "Come with me to my office." Erica lowered her head in silence but still followed him. The two left under the gaze of everyone present. Immediately after, the students erupted into discussion. "My goodness, he''s so handsome! Do you know who he is?" "He looks like a teacher? Must be new here!" "Wow, that was multi-layered spellcasting, and six layers at that! That''s the most I''ve ever seen! How can he be just an ordinary teacher?" "I''m from Class 1. That''s the new Professor Viktor. He just taught us this afternoon!" "A professor already! No wonder he''s so powerful, but he''s so young!" "I wonder when Professor Viktor''s lectures will start. I''ll definitely sign up when they do!" ... Viktor, who had left, naturally couldn''t hear the students'' chatter. Erica followed behind Viktor, with his assistant Henie beside them. They arrived at the Mage Tower, and after identity verification, the three were teleported to Viktor''s office. Viktor lightly drew a magic circle in the air, and Erica''s hairpin suddenly appeared in his hand. He handed it back to her. Erica was stunned, never expecting him to return her belongings. "Keep your own things safe, and don''t do this again in the future." Erica pursed her lips and lowered her head as she accepted the hairpin. Viktor naturally sat down in his chair, while the ''defiant'' Erica stood before him, clearly in a position to be lectured. Viktor''s fingers tapped on the desk, and then he slowly began to speak. "Listen, Erica, regardless of what conflicts we''ve had before, this is now the Royal Magic Academy, not a place for you to act recklessly. I am a teacher, and you are a student. Adjust your attitude accordingly." "Magic is dangerous. If you can''t control it perfectly yet, don''t cast spells randomly in public areas. This time it was just a simple teleportation spell. What if you were practicing some powerful area-of-effect spell?" Erica didn''t speak, but from the slight trembling of her body, it was clear she was afraid. If she truly lost control, it would be a disaster. Viktor''s lecture continued. "You said something very correct in class, Erica. As a teacher, I indeed have an obligation to answer students'' questions." "But the premise is that you come to genuinely seek knowledge, not to deliberately make things difficult." Having said this, Viktor began to demonstrate the principles of teleportation magic and more advanced upgrade arrays in front of her. "Watch carefully, I''ll only teach this once." Runes and magic circles danced at Viktor''s fingertips. Erica came to her senses, focused her attention, and watched the scene intently... He showed Erica how to teleport objects to another dimension and bring them back. After the demonstration, he left Erica with an assignment: "Master this, write a report, and send it to my assistant tomorrow morning. She will pass it on to me." Erica didn''t speak, just nodded and left the office. Henie, who had been watching from the corner, couldn''t help but say after Erica left, "Professor, you''re really kind, not at all like the rumors. As for Erica, I don''t like her." She had heard about what happened in class today and naturally knew about Erica''s deliberate provocation. Fortunately, Viktor had calmly resolved it and even turned the tables on her. Viktor didn''t look at her, simply saying, "If you were underage and got confessed to and flirted with by a man nearly thirty, I estimate your resentment would be no less than hers." Henie was startled and asked in surprise, "That incident... Was it true?" Viktor just smiled lightly, stood up, patted her head, and left with these words: "Bring Erica''s notes and speech draft together tomorrow." With that, he turned and teleported out of the office. ..... Erica got off the carriage, and a man was standing at the gate of the courtyard. He had the same blonde hair and eyes as Erica, sharing the same bloodline. It was her father, Duke Rivi, whom she took pride in. The years hadn''t left many marks on his face. "Dear, why are you back so late?" Duke Levi greeted her with a smile, but upon seeing Erica''s gloomy expression, his smile gradually faded. "Erica? What happened? Did someone bully you at school?" "Tell daddy, and I''ll make them pay!" Erica stopped him, saying, "Enough, Father. No one bullied me." "I just saw Viktor. He''s become a professor and started working at the academy today." Upon hearing this, Levi Straightened up abruptly and said viciously, "That bastard! I''ll have the Royal Magic Academy fire him tomorrow!" Although he was just saying this to cheer up his daughter. Levi understood that Viktor was exceptionally talented and a third-tier mage. Especially now that he had become a professor at the Royal Magic Academy, he was considered to have fully aligned with the royal family. Unless the king personally spoke up, no one would dare to openly move against him. But Erica didn''t know this and hurriedly advised, "Don''t!" She recounted what had happened today, and the Duke''s expression softened slightly after listening. Erica continued, "I indeed can''t compare to him." She didn''t tell her father about the conflict with the commoners today, only about the dispute in the lecture hall. After listening, Levi nodded understandingly and comforted her, "If that''s the case, then study magic well under him." "For Viktor to become a third-tier mage at twenty, he naturally has his exceptional qualities." "But you are my daughter, and I understand your talent better than anyone." "Learn from his strengths, then defeat him. I believe you can definitely do it." Hearing the Duke''s words, Erica nodded obediently and quietly returned to her room, followed by a servant. Seeing his daughter leave, he sighed. No matter how much grievance Erica suffered under Viktor, he couldn''t intervene. Ultimately, he was a duke. His actions should all be for the benefit of the country. In this position, Levi couldn''t afford to act childishly. The empire wouldn''t allow it, and his role as a duke demanded better. "I''m sorry, Erica." By the time Viktor returned home, it was already late at night. As he stretched his body in the garden, he saw a servant approaching him. "My Lord, your sister has summoned you to study." After saying this, the servant hurriedly left. Viktor frowned. So late at night, this couldn''t be good... Pushing open the door to the study, Lia was sitting in a chair, having waited for some time. "What''s the matter?" Viktor asked his sister, but was met with Lia''s angry gaze in response. "See for yourself!" Lia slammed an expense report on the table in front of Viktor. The table shook from Lia''s forceful gesture. "So angry?" Viktor glanced lightly at Lia and picked up the report. It detailed Viktor''s spending records, showing a large sum spent on purchasing materials, and another significant amount that had mysteriously disappeared. Of course, Viktor knew where this money had gone. Buying materials, learning magic... The former was explainable, but the latter was a privilege only players could enjoy, so naturally, Lia couldn''t trace it. However, was the family really that short on money? "The domain''s income hasn''t been very smooth lately, and you''re still spending so lavishly? Are you trying to drain the last drop of blood from our lands?" Lia stood up, poking Viktor''s chest with her finger, harshly criticizing him. "Explain yourself!" Chapter 8: My House is Big, You Can Sleep Here When Tired Viktor calmly reviewed the bill and placed it gently on the table. "Lia, what are the sources of income for our domain?" Hearing Viktor''s question, Lia tilted her head and squinted at him. She chuckled lightly, her tone tinged with mockery, as if looking at an idiot. "As a lord, you don''t even know your own domain''s income sources?" Although Viktor truly didn''t know, this didn''t stop Lia from mocking her ''unworthy'' lord brother. "Listen up, our Kravina domain''s main income comes from grain and mineral trade!" As Lia explained, Viktor gained a general understanding. The Kravina family owned a domain named ''Kravina''. The land was fertile, surrounded by lush forests. It was about a hundred kilometers from the capital, reachable by carriage in just one day. As a result, the empire''s second most prosperous town was located here. The Kravina domain had a rich vein of minerals, sufficient for mining for over fifty years even now. With its proximity to the capital, fertile land, bountiful harvests, and a mine at home, it would be hard for the Kravina family not to be wealthy. "But recently, mineral production has decreased significantly, and it''s not yet the harvest season for crops. The grain we''ve been selling was stored in granaries from last year," Lia said, facing Viktor with an angry tone. "We need to ensure our domain''s consumption of grain; we can''t sell it all. Now the domain''s income is very low, and at this critical moment, you dare to spend money like this!" Viktor nodded after listening, his face expressionless but calm. "Don''t you have any sense of remorse?" Lia looked at Viktor in disbelief. She knew her brother was irresponsible, but surely he couldn''t be this clueless. Viktor thought for a moment, stroking his chin before responding: "Go hire a few mages, then acquire a storefront in the busiest part of the capital and open a magic item shop." Hearing Viktor''s suggestion, Lia immediately bristled, exclaiming: "Viktor! Haven''t you listened to a word I''ve said?" "Do you think such shops are rare in the capital?!" "Even if you open a shop, so what?! Do you think your name carries more weight than all other merchants?" "Viktor, do you even know how to do business?!" Lia became increasingly agitated as she spoke. She thought about how, after their parents'' death, she had started learning to manage the domain from a young age, maintaining it for over ten years until now, with the domain still having some surplus. No matter how much Viktor squandered, she had never complained. But now, this clueless Viktor was trying to meddle in the family''s business! What was he trying to do? As she spoke, she felt increasingly wronged. Seeing that he couldn''t calm Lia''s emotions with words, Viktor didn''t want to say much more. He simply waved his hand, and dozens of blue magic potions appeared on the table in front of them. Lia was stunned, looking at the sea-blue colored potions on the table. Her about-to-erupt emotions suddenly paused. "What is this?" She blinked. Currently, no one had seen such magic potions before. Items for restoring magic power did exist, but they all had one thing in common: they were rare and extremely expensive. And only potions for healing injuries had appeared on the market, their effects quite different from the [Health Potions] used by players. One was like drinking medicine for slow recovery, the other restored life values immediately upon consumption. This was the difference between reality and game items. Simply put, bringing game items into reality would be a pure bug. Even a small instant recovery magic potion could become a god-tier item. So Viktor didn''t explain; coming from his mouth, it would still be too hard to believe. Seeing is believing. Viktor calmly instructed, "Go find some mages and have them cast spells until they''re exhausted, then have them drink a bottle. You''ll know what to do then." Lia was extremely skeptical, but she still took all the potions. "By the way, do you have any helpers?" Viktor asked. Hearing Viktor''s question, Lia sneered, "Oh, our great lord has learned to care about his subordinates?" Viktor paid no mind to her sarcasm. After all, the poor relationship between the siblings was partly due to Viktor''s inaction. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. So, he simply repeated his question. "Seriously, have you hired bodyguards or helpers for your merchant convoy?" Lia snorted coldly. "No, I don''t trust others." This meant that the Kravina domain''s business had always been handled by Lia alone. "Don''t you encounter dangers on the road? Although the domain isn''t far from the capital, it''s still a full day''s journey." Lia was surprised that her unreliable brother actually cared about her for once, but this concern made her somewhat uncomfortable. She leaned against the table, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, and turned her face away awkwardly. "Um... no, we have our own trade routes. If we encounter any bandits or robbers, we just need to show our Kravina family crest, and they''ll leave us alone. We generally don''t have any problems." "At least we haven''t encountered any danger so far." After saying this, she didn''t look at Viktor, but instead took out a potion and examined it carefully. Viktor nodded, then took off his right-hand Mage''s Hand. "Lia, listen carefully. This shop opening in the capital is no ordinary matter. Such precious items are likely to attract others'' covetousness. Wear this; it can help you deal with some unexpected situations." Lia looked at the glove Viktor handed her, put down the potion bottle, and hesitated. "Don''t worry, it''s just a small mage''s tool. It will automatically adjust to fit your hand size." Lia thought that wasn''t what she was concerned about, but she didn''t explain. She reached out and took the fingerless glove, which still retained the warmth of Viktor''s hand. She felt the gems on the glove, and suddenly felt a surge of resentment. As a merchant, she naturally understood what these were. Magic stones, gems that could transmit magic, each worth millions... He actually installed six of them on a single glove! She grumbled internally, but surprisingly didn''t attack Viktor. Lia put on the glove, and as Viktor said, it automatically adjusted to fit her hand. "Open your palm towards me, and focus your thoughts on the gems of the glove, any one will do." She followed the instructions, opening her palm towards Viktor. There was a green gem in the center, and she thought its color was very pretty. ''Is this enough?'' As the question flashed through her mind, suddenly, the green gem began to glow faintly, and then... Whoosh! Like a ripple exploding, a magic array rapidly formed in Lia''s palm! Almost instantly, violent winds filled the entire study, papers fluttering noisily. The whirlwind above the magic array kept growing! Viktor''s finger lightly tapped the desk, and a teleportation array quickly formed in the air. After the whirlwind grew to a certain size, it was sucked into the teleportation array. Immediately, the storm subsided. A few seconds later, a shocking cracking sound was heard nearby. Lia was stunned. "Just now... was that?" "Second-tier magic: [Fierce Gale], powerful enough to level a mountaintop." "Don''t be so surprised." Seeing Lia''s bewilderment, Viktor tapped the desk, and the magic array lingering in the air dissipated. How could Lia not be surprised? She wasn''t a mage; she had only seen others cast spells before. And that magic just now was released from her own hand. She was still in a daze. "So this is what it feels like to cast magic." She stood there blankly, even forgetting to lower her hand. Viktor recharged the glove with magic and continued speaking to the shocked Lia: "Be careful. This demonstration wasn''t just to let you grasp the knack, more importantly, it''s to prevent accidents. You''ve seen how powerful it is." "Pay attention to the number of uses. Each gem can only be used once." "When they''re used up, come back to me, and I''ll replenish them." Lia knew the preciousness of what Viktor had given her. It was priceless; at least in all her years, she had never seen equipment that allowed ordinary people to use magic. She was about to say that selling it would surely make a fortune, but suddenly remembering Viktor''s solemn attitude, she held her tongue. This was something that could save lives. Lia hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly said to Viktor: "Thank you." Then she hurriedly left with the magic potions. After the study door closed, the crow on Viktor''s shoulder spoke: "Aren''t you reluctant to give this to others?" "It''s just an item, I can make it anytime I want, and besides, I don''t really need it much." The Mage''s Hand didn''t have many opportunities for use normally, except in PvP situations where it was very effective. As a tool for multiple instant spell casts, it was used to gain the upper hand or for emergency defense. It was basically essential equipment for mage players during PK. He didn''t need it much at the moment. Hearing Viktor''s words, Vega didn''t say anything more, but started calculating in his mind. ''I need to think of a way to persuade him to make one for me to play with.'' ...... Early the next morning, Viktor had just finished breakfast and was about to leave for the academy. He had just tidied up his clothes when he saw a servant enter. "My Lord, there''s a lady outside who claims to be your teaching assistant. She says she''s here to deliver notes and lecture drafts to you." Viktor paused in the act of putting on his clothes. Henie had come? He didn''t remember telling Henie to deliver things to his doorstep. However, he still asked the servant to invite her in. The result was seeing Henie''s haggard face with dark circles under her eyes. "Why do you look like this? Didn''t you rest well?" Henie seemed to wake up suddenly and said to Viktor: "No, Professor, I forgot to sleep last night and wrote drafts all night." This reason left Viktor at a loss for words. "After Erica delivered the notes, I remembered you said to bring them to you, so I brought the lecture drafts along." Looking at the drowsy Henie, Viktor really couldn''t find it in himself to scold or educate her. Should he say she was a bit foolish? He was silent for a moment, then asked. "Have you had breakfast?" Henie shook her head. She had rushed over early in the morning, hadn''t slept, and naturally hadn''t eaten either. Viktor waved his hand, instructing the servant to take her for breakfast and then arrange a room for her to rest properly. Henie stammered an "Eh" and was about to say it wasn''t necessary when she heard Viktor''s tone that brooked no refusal. "Fill your stomach, then rest." Henie immediately wilted. She didn''t dare to defy Viktor and lowered her head like a frost-bitten eggplant as the servant led her away. As for Viktor, he had originally planned to go to the academy in the morning, but seeing Henie arrive, he changed his mind. The class was in the afternoon, so he decided to look over Erica''s homework and his lecture notes, spending the morning in the study. Viktor was grading Erica''s homework when, without turning his head, he asked Vega: "What do you think of that child?" Caught off guard by his question, Vega hesitated for a moment. It knew Viktor was referring to Henie. "What do you mean?" "Didn''t you say you wanted me to gather followers for you?" Viktor stretched lazily, his fingers tapping on the lecture notes on the desk. He turned his head to look at Vega, his squinting eyes revealing both shrewdness and danger. "This kind of naive and innocent person is the easiest to deceive." Chapter 9: This Time It’s a Big Act! "You think gathering followers is just lip service?" "Followers must be sincere for it to work." Viktor listened to Vega''s explanation while tapping on the table. Looking at the morning sunlight falling on the book, Viktor smiled softly in the study: "It''s just sincerity, right? No worries about deceiving them." Vega narrowed its eyes and made a cooing sound, expressing its dissatisfaction with Viktor. "Perhaps you''re more cunning than the previous Viktor." "You flatter me." Viktor didn''t say much more, just continued reading the speech draft. He always felt that since this stinky bird bonded with him, it had gradually started to forget about its mission of reviving as an evil god. Thinking this, Viktor glanced at Vega. At this moment, the crow was standing on the desk, nodding off sleepily. Vega had always eaten during the day and slept at night, barely exercising. It was like a useless ornament. In just a few days, Vega''s body had grown quite plump. When it stood on Viktor''s shoulder, Viktor could feel the added weight. However, if the other party wasn''t in a hurry, then he didn''t need to care too much either. So he spent a quiet morning in the study looking at the speech draft and Erica''s homework. ..... By noon, Viktor had finished grading Erica''s homework. As for today''s teaching content, thanks to Henie''s diligent preparation, he quickly memorized the key points. When Viktor walked out of the study, he saw Henie the teaching assistant rubbing her eyes as she came out. "Awake? Get ready, we should set off." Viktor casually reminded Henie, who startled like a frightened deer, immediately becoming more alert and quickly responding: "No problem, Professor. I''m ready." Viktor nodded and instructed the servants to prepare the carriage to head to the Royal Magic Academy. He invited Henie to sit in the carriage together, but Henie was extremely nervous and could only obediently sit down. As a result, the two sat face to face, with Henie keeping her head down the entire time, not daring to look up, only sneaking glances at Viktor. Henie felt her heart was about to jump out, pounding non-stop. Her mind was in chaos like a volcanic eruption, frantically thinking: ''I''m actually sitting in the same carriage as the genius Professor Viktor!?'' ''Oh my god!'' Henie felt hot, realizing her forehead was sweating, and she couldn''t even sit still. Viktor saw how tense she was and wanted to say something. But speaking rashly might make her even more nervous. If so, it was better to let her indulge in her own wild thoughts. The more nervous she was, the more likely she was to overthink, and then realize that she had actually slept at this notorious nobleman''s house this morning. Viktor found her wide-eyed shock amusing. He just looked at Henie, while Henie looked down at her shoes, maintaining this posture. There was not a single conversation throughout the journey, quietly waiting for the carriage to reach its destination. ..... As the carriage gradually came to a stop, Viktor spoke first: "We''re here." Only after hearing Viktor speak did Henie slowly raise her head, her expression immediately relaxing. "Finally here." She let out a long sigh, not expecting this journey to be so long. After getting off the carriage, Henie kept walking beside Viktor. Seeing him about to go to the office, Henie mustered up the courage to say to Viktor: "Professor Viktor, the Dean said to visit him when you arrive at the academy." Viktor nodded, then walked straight towards the Dean''s office. Henie followed behind Viktor like a timid deer again. Bang bang! After being teleported through the Mage Tower, Viktor knocked on the door of the Dean''s office. "Come in." After the Dean''s permission, he entered with his teaching assistant. Standing in front of the Dean, Viktor got straight to the point: "Dean, I heard you were looking for me." The Dean was an elderly fat man, wearing a bunch of mage accessories. He looked just like a traditional wizard. At the same time, he was also the strongest in this academy, a fourth-tier mage. An existence known to the world as a ''Saint Mage''. Almost legendary. Twenty years ago, he had already reached this level. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Seeing Viktor, he pushed away his water cup, capped his pen, and gently placed the pen on the book. It seemed his body had aged to the limit, feeling tired from even the slightest movement. Exhaling, the Dean leaned back in his chair and said slowly, "Professor Viktor, I heard about what happened in class yesterday." Viktor frowned, not expecting that Erica''s challenge would reach Dean''s ears. "You did very well," the Dean smiled at him, then continued, "But... wasn''t it too strict?" "Given time, it might cause dissatisfaction among the students." Hearing the Dean say he was too strict, Viktor shook his head and replied: "If I don''t do this, they won''t understand the importance of respecting teachers." Viktor''s tone was calm, he didn''t feel there was any problem with his handling of the situation. Besides, he was Viktor, and Viktor was a person who always sought revenge for the slightest grievance. Fortunately, the Dean quickly agreed with his point of view, nodding and saying: "Hmm... respecting teachers... good point, as expected of a mage called a genius." "Oh right, I called you here today because of this." The Dean pulled out a piece of parchment from the desk and handed it to Viktor. "This is our academy''s invitation for an external lecture. Take a look and see if there''s anything that needs to be added." Viktor gently took it and carefully read the contents. "I suppose you already understand, Professor Viktor." The Dean showed a kind smile and said. "In our academy, lecturers with professor positions are required to give a lecture once a month." "We plan to promote your lecture course externally in a month, inviting various mages and industry professionals to attend, and broadcast your lecture via magic stone recording." Hearing this, Viktor already understood his meaning. "So, I hope you can refine the content of the lecture within this month. At that time, the academy will provide you with a lecture hall that can accommodate thousands of people." "Professor Viktor, do you have any suggestions?" Listening to the Dean''s explanation, Viktor understood that it wouldn''t be long before it was time for the academy to recruit new students. The academy wanted to attract students with excellent qualifications, and students would also consider the faculty strength of the academy. If a youngest third-tier mage professor suddenly appeared at this time, it would undoubtedly be a very powerful way to attract new students. Although Viktor had a bad reputation, he had ability and strength, so no one would care about his reputation. And if he really made this lecture beautiful and successful. Then that news would naturally be debunked. Viktor recalled the contents of the newspaper from a few days ago, as well as his promise to Gwen. No one would care about the love life of a powerful professor, even if he really did flirt with the duke''s daughter. At the same time, if this was really done, then his position as a ''professor'' would be directly tied to the Royal Academy. With this relationship, he would obviously be able to do more things before the death outcome arrived in the next few years. So Viktor nodded and agreed. "I have no problem, everything will be done according to the academy''s wishes." Seeing Viktor agree, the Dean smiled and looked at Henie beside him. "How about this teaching assistant? Are you satisfied with her work?" Viktor glanced at Henie beside him, then replied: "It''s my honor to have such a competent assistant." With that, Viktor turned and left with Henie. Henie followed behind Viktor, feeling extremely flustered. The more she thought about the professor''s evaluation of her in front of the Dean just now, the more she felt her efforts had not been in vain. She unconsciously started walking more cheerfully. In the afternoon class, Viktor taught a very normal lesson. This time there were no ''industry insiders'', after all, after yesterday''s incident, no one would think they could see any entertainment from Viktor. Viktor continued to lecture on knowledge points as usual, and the students were all diligently recording key points and taking notes. This time Erica didn''t continue to find fault either, seriously taking notes and writing a lot. The bell rang, and Viktor organized his teaching materials. "Class dismissed." "Erica, remember to come to my office." ..... Viktor returned the corrected notes to Erica and pointed out some errors. "For you now, it''s still too early to easily use teleportation magic, but your direction is not wrong." Viktor taught, Erica listened, the two looked so harmonious as if they had forgotten that Viktor had flirted with her at her birthday party before. He didn''t mention this, and naturally Erica swallowed this matter and didn''t mention it either. After Viktor imparted knowledge to Erica, he nodded and said: "That''s enough for today." Hearing this, Erica tentatively asked: "If I have questions in the future, can I still come to consult you?" She indeed hated Viktor in her heart, but she had to admit that his knowledge was absolutely top-notch. Even the private tutors her father hired for her couldn''t reach Viktor''s level. Any difficult points became simple and easy to understand under Professor Viktor''s explanation. How could Erica know that those were actually told to him by Vega, and then passed on by him. With such an evil god comparable to an encyclopedia, teaching a student was a piece of cake. Viktor thought for a moment and said: "It depends on the situation. I have a lot of work to do, but if I have time, of course I can." Of course, this was just lip service. He, Viktor, never dawdled and always left work on time! As soon as he finished speaking, Viktor felt a twinge in his heart. The Mage''s Hand had been activated. If Lia used the Mage''s Hand spell, Viktor, as the source of magic, could feel it. He had just given it to Lia yesterday, and she used it today? What a coincidence? Viktor wasn''t too worried about Lia, but the source of magic wasn''t far from the capital, so he decided to go take a look. So he stood up and said to Erica. "I have some things to deal with. Remember to close the door when you leave." Then he drew a teleportation circle on the spot and left. Erica: "...?" Everyone in the academy knew that the Mage Tower had no doors, and entry and exit all relied on the teleportation magic inside the Mage Tower. ..... Suburbs. Lia looked at the group of people burned to charcoal in front of her, her expression slightly frozen. Several mages beside her trembled. They all saw that the powerful second-tier magic was released from this woman''s hand. Second-tier magic was not something they, as small fry, could face. She had such powerful magic, why did she still need other mages to help? We are just first-tier small fry mages in front of her. Lia scratched her head and looked at the carriage behind her. She had hung the Kravina family crest, but why was she still attacked? Forget it. She had already notified Miss Gwen, and it wouldn''t be long before she arrived. The group just stayed in place waiting for the knights to arrive. Ten minutes later, a group of knights riding white horses and wearing cold iron armor arrived. The leader was naturally Gwen, who immediately found Lia. "Lia! Lia!" Seeing Lia sitting alone on a stone lost in thought, Gwen got off her horse and ran over. Lia returned a smile to her. "Lia, are you alright?" Gwen grabbed Lia''s hand, her eyes showing some concern. "Me? Of course I''m fine." "But those bandits who attacked our merchant group are not doing so well." She shrugged and gestured with her eyes for Gwen to look to the side. Gwen blinked. When she first arrived, she was only concerned about Lia''s safety and naturally didn''t see the pile of charred corpses. Now seeing them, she frowned. As a great knight, she was used to seeing corpses, but even so, this kind of horrific death made her scalp tingle. However... Was this done by the mages Lia brought? But thinking about it, she didn''t quite believe it herself. The weak magical power on those mages was not enough to support the power to burn a large group of people. Then who could it be? An absurd thought flashed through her mind, and she couldn''t help but joke with Lia. "Were these bandits killed by you? Don''t mind, Lia, I''m just joking." Lia: "If I say yes, would you believe me?" Gwen: "?" Chapter 10: Why Don’t We Just Call Off the Engagement? "I Did It." Gwen turned towards the voice. It was Viktor. Hearing Viktor claim responsibility, she naturally believed him. After all, Viktor''s reputation as a third-tier mage was well-known. Dealing with these bandits would be child''s play for him. "What are you doing here?" Gwen asked, turning her head back. She was curious why Lia had called her over if Viktor was already here. She pocketed a crystal flowing with seven-colored light and leaned against Lia. As the colors gradually faded from the crystal, Viktor noticed Lia had a similar one at her waist. The two women communicated through these magic crystals, functioning similarly to a two-way telephone. Viktor maintained his cold poker face and explained unhurriedly: "My family''s merchant convoy was approaching the capital. I came to assist and took care of these bandits along the way." Hearing his explanation, Gwen didn''t doubt him. She turned to the knight squad and ordered: "Check the bodies. See if you can identify any of them. Conduct an identity investigation and report back to me." "Yes, ma''am!" The knight squad sprang into action upon receiving the order. "Lia, be careful. Contact me immediately if you''re in danger next time." After giving these instructions, Gwen prepared to leave with her knights. Once she left, Lia puffed up her cheeks, her face resembling a steamed bun. She had dealt with these bandits herself and wanted to show off in front of Gwen. She didn''t expect Viktor to suddenly appear and steal her glory. "You understand better than I do the principle of not flaunting wealth," Viktor said nonchalantly. Lia immediately calmed down. It was fine for the people in the convoy to see, as they were her own. But if anyone found out her magic came from an artifact, she could be in danger. As a merchant, she never underestimated human greed. "Hmm... I understand," she nodded. Viktor was satisfied, feeling a sense of accomplishment as an older brother for successfully educating Lia. He walked up to Lia and extended a finger. The dull gem flashed with a red light as he recharged the magic. After finishing, he prepared to leave. However, Lia asked him somewhat shyly: "Why did you come here? I don''t believe what you told Gwen earlier." "I sensed you using magic, so I came to check out of curiosity," Viktor turned and answered flatly, his eyes devoid of any spark, maintaining his icy demeanor. Hearing Viktor''s words, Lia felt a complex mix of emotions. In all her years, Viktor had never shown concern for her. But what happened today? Has someone rewired his brain? Did he suddenly develop a conscience? Lia''s rapid-fire thoughts soon got an explanation. Viktor looked at her calmly and continued: "The attack on the convoy might be related to my enemies, though I''ve lost count of them and don''t know exactly who. You should be more careful." Lia finally found a chance to retort, sneering: "Huh, so you''re aware that you''re disliked." She had some guesses about the origins of today''s bandits, but she didn''t tell Viktor. "Have you tried the potion''s effects?" Viktor asked abruptly. "All the mages have tried it. They all say it''s good," Lia nodded, surprise evident in her voice. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The exhausted mages became instantly energized after drinking just one bottle. Even though she wasn''t a mage, she could understand how astonishing this effect was. "This convoy trip isn''t just for ore trading. I''ve already scouted a shop location in the capital," she explained. "There are many adventurers, especially mages. Selling this in the bustling districts will definitely be a hit." Viktor listened to Lia''s description, secretly admiring her executive ability. He didn''t show it, though, as Viktor never praised anyone. "If you encounter any difficulties in the capital, I might not be able to help. You should contact Gwen more often." Lia tilted her head, drawing out a long "Oh~?" She looked at Viktor suspiciously: "Don''t you know?" Viktor frowned, telling Lia not to speak in riddles. "Gwen is going on a mission in a few days. She probably won''t be back for at least half a month." "And you''re supposed to be her fianc? You don''t even know this. I think she should start preparing to remarry." Lia mocked Viktor while secretly observing his facial expression. Viktor naturally didn''t know about this. He and Gwen barely had any contact, and to be honest, he couldn''t even figure out what their relationship was supposed to be. "Where is she going?" Lia''s hope of seeing a change in Viktor''s expression was dashed. He asked as casually as if inquiring about a stranger''s whereabouts. Feeling bored, Lia lowered her head and fiddled with the Mage Hand for a while before answering half-heartedly. "She said she''s going to Mount Vesuvius." "Although it''s supposed to be a dormant volcano, locals reported some strange sounds from the mountain. The emperor sent her to investigate whether the volcano might erupt and to formulate a contingency plan." Viktor paused slightly upon hearing this name. Memories flooded his mind. That place wasn''t really a dormant volcano. Behind the layers of magma at the bottom of the crater lurked a massive monster - the neutral world boss that appeared in the first chapter of the game''s storyline. Its power was not to be underestimated. In the game, world-class bosses were challenged by players from the entire server. They had extremely high levels and much more HP compared to ordinary bosses. After defeating it, a dungeon would be generated for players to challenge repeatedly. If Viktor remembered correctly, that boss would awaken in a year and a half. At that time, players were generally low-level. The game had only been open for half a year, and most players were only around level 20. But this boss was an astonishing level 50! Players could barely break through its defense. He remembered when the boss awakened from the volcano, it burned all the surrounding towns to the ground. The empire dispatched armies and knight squads to suppress it, but they were easily crushed. In that critical moment, the empire had to seek help from adventurers like the ''players''. This world-class boss was finally defeated after players died countless times, grinding away its last bit of HP over three full days. Viktor had the fortune to participate in that battle. He remembered staying up for three nights, logging in every day just to chip away a tiny bit of the boss''s HP along with other players. Every time he recalled it, he felt a surge of excitement. Their efforts paid off, and generous rewards were given to every player who contributed to the battle. Although he later challenged that dungeon again with various classes, he could never recapture that initial sense of despair. However, Viktor was curious to see what it looked like before it awakened. The Furnace Beast - that was the name players had given it. True to its name, it was like a giant celestial furnace, striking fear into hearts and devastating all life. Its appearance even turned the earth into charcoal. Viktor decided to visit Gwen tonight to probe for information. If he could tag along on Gwen''s mission, that would be even better. Seeing Viktor standing there lost in thought after she finished speaking, Lia felt he must be thinking of something unpleasant. She waved her hand at him dismissively. "Are you that free? Wandering around outside when you''re supposed to be a professor at the Magic Academy?" "If you have nothing to do, can you just go home?" Viktor looked down at her, nodded without refusing, and a magic circle appeared under his feet. With a ''whoosh'', he disappeared. Seeing Viktor leave, Lia held her forehead and sighed: "This guy..." "He really just leaves without a second thought." But it''s fine that he left. Now she could attend to her real business. She began directing her subordinates to inventory the goods. The mages who were curled up in a ball were dumbfounded. They had just witnessed Viktor teleport in and then teleport out. Was that the legendary head of the Kravina family? Casually using teleportation magic, even more powerful than their own boss! Soon after, the inventory was complete. Not a single item was missing, which made Lia breathe a sigh of relief. Lia called over a subordinate behind her, gesturing for her to come closer, then whispered in her ear. "Contact our people below. Investigate the recent movements of the du Cloye family." Her eyes suddenly turned cold. "Since when has anyone dared to rob a Kravina family convoy?" She had long suspected the Duke. Because recently, only his little daughter had made an enemy of Viktor. As for Viktor''s other previous enemies? Those who could be buried were buried, those who could be exiled were exiled. Even those who couldn''t be dealt with wouldn''t be so blind as to mess with their family''s convoy. Except for the Duke, she didn''t believe anyone else would be so ignorant of the rules. It had always been them collecting protection fees from others. Even in the capital, they couldn''t let these locals bully them! ....... Viktor teleported back home and immediately went to his bedroom to prepare another set of clothes. He called for the servants to ready a carriage, preparing to visit the Delin family mansion. The servants quickly carried out his orders upon receiving them. Meanwhile, Gwen had just finished her day''s work. Returning home, she immediately took off her armor and shed her cumbersome clothes. The maid at home had already prepared hot water for her. Gwen soaked in the bathtub, comfortably stretching her limbs, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation. "Mmm~ah!" A contented sound escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, letting the gentle water envelop her entire body. At this moment, a maid knocked on the bathroom door. "Miss, you have a visitor." Gwen was enjoying her bath. Hearing the voice, she let out a small "hmm" and lazily surfaced. Her white back leaned against the edge of the tub, water droplets rolling down her skin, creating ripples on the water''s surface. "Ha... Who is it?" she asked, having just yawned. Then she heard the maid suddenly say from outside the door. "It''s Mr. Viktor." ''Splash!'' Gwen''s body slipped, and she fell completely into the water. Chapter 11: A Night Knock on His Wife’s Door Viktor sat in the carriage waiting for the servant''s notification when he heard Vega''s low, chirping voice. "Are you interested in that dead volcano?" The one-eyed crow was once again preening its glossy feathers, its body perhaps too fat to reach the back with its beak. Viktor glanced at Vega. "How did you figure that out?" Vega raised its head confidently. "Otherwise, you wouldn''t have come to see this fiance." Viktor didn''t respond, which was as good as an admission. Not long after, while Viktor still had patience, Vega was the first to lose its cool. "Why hasn''t anyone called us in yet?" The sound of flipping pages stopped as Viktor closed his magic book and said flatly, "Imagine this: if you were a beautiful woman, alone at home, and late at night someone wanted to see you - this person being your fianc - what would you do?" Vega tilted its head, pondered for a moment, then rasped, "Dress up beautifully and meet in the most exquisite manner?" "I get it, she''s putting on makeup specially because you''re here! And you''re patiently waiting for her." "Wrong. She''d only think such a person is sick and find it annoying." Viktor expressionlessly denied Vega''s assumption, but clearly, the crow was unconvinced. "Why? I''ve seen it written like this in those romance novels. Is it that you don''t understand women?" "It''s you who doesn''t understand Gwen." Viktor turned his head, his gaze fixed on the main gate of the Delin family courtyard. This holy Grand Knight had never considered herself a ''woman'' in the conventional sense. Well, to be fair, Viktor himself didn''t quite understand the current Gwen either. However, he believed that at this point in time, Gwen probably despised him. After all, no woman would like a man who wore a sour face every day, was petty, and even committed numerous misdeeds. The relationship of the engaged couple was likely to remain a lifelong stain for Grand Knight Gwen. That''s why even after Viktor''s death, she never married. "Get ready, we should go in now." He reminded the crow on his shoulder, which quickly assumed a ''I''m just a pet'' posture, standing lazily and motionlessly on his shoulder. After a while, a maid came to the carriage and respectfully informed him that Miss Gwen was ready and invited him in. Viktor alighted from the carriage and, led by the maid, passed through the main gate and was brought to the meeting hall. As soon as he entered, he saw Gwen. She was sitting on a soft sofa, not dressed up, wrapped in a modest bathrobe that didn''t reveal an inch of skin. It seemed she had just finished bathing. However, she didn''t need to dress up. In Viktor''s eyes, even with just her bare face, this exquisite and perfect visage was enough to captivate any man. "It''s so late, what are you here for?" Gwen''s tone was neither warm nor cold, with a hint of detachment. Viktor sat down unceremoniously across from her, his tone equally flat as he got straight to the point. "I heard you''re going on a mission and won''t be back for half a month." Gwen didn''t question where he had heard this from, and nodded honestly. "Yes, departing in a week." "Can you take me with you?" Gwen: "..." Hearing these words, her reaction was... somewhat peculiar. First, she seemed confused, then furrowed her brows, as if repeatedly confirming what she''d heard. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Finally, she leaned back, her face gradually showing an expression of disbelief. Gwen put her hand to her forehead, lowered her head, and asked again. "Repeat what you just said." "Can you take me with you?" Without any hesitation, Viktor repeated. "Huff..." Gwen let out a light breath. She felt as if he had damaged his brain. "And the reason?" "Without a proper reason, I can''t possibly take you along." Viktor: "I''m very familiar with the terrain of the surrounding mountains, including the weaknesses of the monsters distributed around. If you take me with you, including the round trip, you''ll only need seven days to return." Hearing his words, Gwen didn''t even look up, it was unclear whether she was weighing Viktor''s value or simply not caring. Viktor wanted to say more to elevate his value in Gwen''s eyes, but Gwen spoke first, cutting him off. "What I want is the truth." Viktor''s gaze cooled a bit as he looked at Gwen and slowly said, "...You used your ability on me." As a naturally righteous knight, Gwen Delin had exhibited her unique talent from a young age. She possessed a heart of justice. As long as she wished, she could clearly discern whether the person opposite was lying or not. Gwen could control this ability freely, so when unnecessary, she wouldn''t use it. However, she didn''t trust him. Viktor didn''t feel particularly angry, rather, it was somewhat expected. Because this indirectly proved how much Gwen despised him. When talking to him, Gwen would even use her heart of justice to gauge whether he was lying. "I don''t trust you." Gwen was straightforward and offered no further explanation. Suddenly, Viktor smiled with resignation. He thought for a moment, then spoke again: "There''s a type of monster on Mount Vesuvius that produces a unique crystal. I need that to create magical artifacts." As he finished, Viktor''s eyes revealed a strong desire. [First-tier Magic: Self-Suggestion] Effect: Hypnotize and suggest to oneself, temporarily allowing any one ability to randomly increase by 1 level. Dealing with Gwen''s heart of justice was simple; he only needed to tell the truth. Even if this truth was fabricated on the spot, as long as Viktor himself believed it, it was the truth. Mages also have their own methods, which are flexible morals and a wise mind. Gwen finally raised her eyes to look at Viktor. "It seems you do know that volcano well, otherwise you wouldn''t say such things." "To achieve your own goals, you''d even use the Royal Knight Order as your personal guard." "As expected of you, selfish Viktor." For once, Viktor didn''t maintain his poker face, but nodded with a smile. "I''ll take that as a compliment." Gwen wouldn''t doubt Viktor''s selfish motives, because that''s exactly the kind of person he was. She also knew that to achieve his goals, Viktor would only become more persistent with her. If that was the case, she might as well agree. "I''ll apply for a request for an accompanying mage. You can come see me on that day." Seeing Gwen agree, Viktor smiled and replied, "Thank you. Even for a selfish person like me, Knight Gwen is willing to help selflessly." "I''ll arrange everything this week. No need to see me out." With that, Viktor stood up to leave. Gwen nodded, watching him go. However, in her mind, Viktor''s smiling face when he flattered her lingered. Has Viktor ever smiled like that before? Back in the carriage, Viktor calmly leaned back in his seat, his pitch-black eyes staring at nothing in particular. "Are you angry?" the crow inquired curiously. "What makes you think that?" Vega: "I''ve seen that poker face of yours for so long, it''s just intuition." "If you didn''t have any strong emotions, you wouldn''t smile like a blooming chrysanthemum." Angry? Hearing its words, Viktor pondered for a moment. Perhaps the education ingrained in his bones made him want to be a good person, but being called so selfish by her righteous demeanor. And he could only gain her approval by pretending to be what she thought he was. He wasn''t angry per se. It just made him feel somewhat nauseated. ..... Over these days, Viktor taught at the academy during the day and buried himself in researching magic potions in the basement at night. As long as there were enough materials provided, he could make about a hundred bottles a day, all of which would be handed over to Lia for sale. Lia said that once the shop renovation was complete, these potions would be put on the shelves, and for now, they would only sell this one type of potion. They needed to establish the shop''s reputation first before considering stocking other magical items. Of course, Viktor knew that once these consumables hit the shelves, they would definitely trigger a buying frenzy. So he told Lia not to sell them all, but to limit it to fifty bottles per day. Hunger marketing. Lia, being a merchant herself, understood immediately. At the academy, Viktor wasn''t idle either. On one hand, he was considering topics for lectures, and on the other, he made a decision. Every time he taught, he would have Henie audit the class on the side. Under the pretext of gaining experience. Erica would come to his office every night, often with many questions to ask, and her visits became increasingly frequent. Although Viktor found it somewhat annoying, Vega tirelessly answered each question. To prevent Vega from constantly chirping in his head, he had no choice but to relay everything to Erica. Incidentally, he could also brush up on his magical knowledge from Vega. After secretly learning from Vega, he realized that Erica was truly a genius. He couldn''t understand Vega''s abstruse and complex content at all, but Erica would grasp it as soon as she was taught. Even at this level, she seemed to have countless questions waiting to be asked and answered. Viktor couldn''t help but sigh. With a student like Erica, who was both talented and hardworking, who else could be first in the exams if not her? Everything was progressing smoothly, and soon, it was the sixth day of his appointment with Gwen. Henie quietly followed behind Viktor. Today, she would still be auditing behind Professor Viktor. She didn''t quite understand why Professor Viktor would let her audit, since it was originally her course. Until they reached the door, she finally understood Professor Viktor''s intentions over these past few days. "Today, I want you to go in by yourself and use your knowledge to teach a class for these students." Henie: "???" Chapter 12: Because I Can Make Money "Professor Viktor, I... I can''t do it." Henie shook her head hurriedly, lowering her gaze, not daring to look at Viktor. "Listen to me, Henie." "These past few days, I''ve had you audit the classes for a reason - to learn how to teach a good lesson." Viktor placed his hand on Henie''s shoulder, clearly feeling her petite frame shiver slightly. Henie looked up, her eyes filled with indescribable worry. "Professor, I''m afraid I won''t do well... it might affect your reputation." "Reputation?" Did he have a reputation? While this might sound self-deprecating, he truly didn''t care much about reputation. Viktor gently patted Henie''s back, calming her trembling body slightly. The reassurance had its effect, and he spoke again. "Go on." He knew that no matter how much he said to Henie, this naturally timid little lamb wouldn''t agree. So Viktor chose to use a commanding tone rather than a negotiating one. Henie knew she couldn''t refuse the professor. The professor would be... displeased... Henie took a deep breath, steeling herself as she pushed open the classroom door. The previously noisy room quickly quieted down, but when the students saw Henie walk up to the podium, they couldn''t help but feel confused. Where was the professor? Why was his teaching assistant standing at the podium? Feeling the students'' gazes wandering over her, Henie felt immense pressure. "Um..." "The professor has something to attend to today, so... I''ll be teaching in his place..." Her voice grew softer and softer, the last two words barely audible even to herself, like the buzzing of a mosquito. As her words fell, it was as if a bomb had been dropped into calm waters. Following the explosion in the water, the fish began to chatter. "No way..." "She''s just a teaching assistant, how can she substitute for the professor?" "Forget about whether the professor allowed it, does she even have the professor''s ability?" "We want Professor Viktor to teach! If our grades drop, can you take responsibility?" Henie was berated by many students, one sentence after another, until she could barely lift her head. She lowered her gaze, like a punching bag. Her eyes darted around frantically, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. Wuwu... Professor Viktor, I can''t do it, I really can''t... Professor, please come back quickly... "I''m... I''m sor-" "Silence!" The sudden voice startled Henie, and she quietly lifted her head. At some point, Erica, sitting in the front, had stood up. Magical ripples surrounded her, with an intricate and complex magic array floating before her. Henie had seen that array before. It was a silencing spell. Except for the user, no creature within the controlled range could make a sound with their mouth. "Assistant Henie, please continue." Wuwu, Erica, thank you! She was immensely grateful for Erica''s help, while also feeling a bit guilty. On the day the professor first arrived, she had spoken ill of Erica. Who would have thought that this time, she would be the one to come to her rescue. Next time during the exam, I''ll definitely tell you the exam scope in advance! Henie had already thought of how to repay Erica. "Not bad." Viktor was leaning against the door outside, fully aware of every move inside the classroom. Erica''s assistance surprised Viktor and left him quite satisfied, while Henie''s fear was understandable. He had originally thought to use the pressure from the students to help Henie grow quickly, but now it seemed the effect might be counterproductive. But having Henie teach was also a necessary measure. He was to leave the city with Gwen tomorrow, for up to half a month, or at least a week. No matter what, if he wanted to keep his position as a professor, he couldn''t abandon these students'' courses. So Viktor thought of Henie. His course was originally written by Henie, so there was absolutely no problem with her ability. The only concern was her timidity. He needed Henie to overcome this on her own, to understand that she was capable of teaching these students well. With Erica''s help, the classroom environment quieted down. Henie took a deep breath to adjust her emotions, and finally mustered the courage to start teaching. She lectured on the content written in the speech draft, material she had long since memorized by heart. Soon, Henie found her rhythm, becoming increasingly at ease as she taught. Viktor, who had been secretly observing the whole time, nodded. When it came to teaching, Henie undoubtedly had talent. The students also transitioned from initial doubt to confusion, and finally to surprise. They realized that Henie''s teaching rhythm was perfect, giving them a feeling. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. It was as if Professor Viktor himself was teaching. In the end, they were all immersed in Henie''s class. In the classroom, only Henie''s lecture and the sound of pens scratching on paper could be heard. As Henie was lecturing, she suddenly paused. Because this part required the teacher to demonstrate a spell. Second-tier Magic: [Star Shatter] Since Professor Viktor was a powerful third-tier mage, when preparing the course, she had written the content from Professor Viktor''s perspective. Unexpectedly, she had set herself up for a stumble. She herself was only a magic apprentice. Even if she knew the theory of this spell, she didn''t have the magical power to support its use. Though panicked, she quickly calmed down. "Erica, could you demonstrate this spell for everyone?" She knew she was gambling, betting on whether Erica would help her once more. Fortunately, her gamble paid off. Erica calmly walked up to the podium, taking the magic book from Henie''s hand, which clearly recorded the magical principles of [Star Shatter]. The level of detail was such that she barely needed to think, only needing to conceptualize the magic array path to easily release it. She raised one hand, attempting to use this spell for the first time. "[Star Shatter]!" A mysterious ripple stirred up waves. In the air, brilliant morning stars appeared one after another. Like a painting, they formed the patterns of a magic array. Just as it was about to take shape, it abruptly disappeared into thin air. Just as many students were puzzled. Tut-tut-tut! Suddenly, from an unknown time and direction. Countless tiny spikes, as if instantly generated, all pinned themselves to the wooden dummy in the classroom. Seeing the training dummy riddled with holes from the shattered stars, the students'' hearts skipped a beat in unison. What a treacherous attack spell! But with Erica''s demonstration process, they learned much faster. "So that''s how it works!" They began to discuss excitedly, not even realizing that Erica''s silencing spell had long since worn off. Henie also breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging a smile with Erica as their eyes met. The class ended quickly in a focused yet relaxed atmosphere. As the bell rang, none of the students showed any dissatisfaction. This class had once again proved immensely beneficial to them. At the same time, they developed a considerable amount of admiration for Henie. As expected of Professor Viktor''s assistant, even ordinary lecturers might not teach as well as her! "Professor Viktor''s assistant is also so excellent!" "Yes, indeed!" Henie walked up to Erica, wanting to properly thank this girl who was willing to stand up for her in class. "Thank you, Erica." "If it weren''t for you, I would have surely embarrassed myself in this class." Erica smiled at her privately and waved her hand, continuing: "It was nothing." Henie whispered softly in Erica''s ear: "I really don''t know why the professor insisted on having me teach, when it''s clearly his own job." Hearing this, Erica also felt somewhat puzzled. But curiosity alone couldn''t solve the problem. Erica had originally planned to go to Viktor''s office to ask about today''s questions, and seeing the situation, the two decided to go together to get some clarity. Meanwhile, Viktor sat at his desk in the office, sipping coffee while flipping through a magic book. As soon as he saw that Henie had adapted, he had secretly come back to slack off. The leisure time in the twilight, mixed with the sound of pages turning. It was quite pleasant. But peaceful moments are always fleeting. With the reminder from the Mage Tower, he granted Henie and Erica permission to teleport. As the residual light of the teleportation magic gradually faded. The next second, these two young and beautiful girls appeared before him. "Professor..." Henie''s voice was still so timid, as if he might inadvertently eat her at any moment. The sound of pages turning didn''t stop. Viktor didn''t look up, casually mentioning as if in idle chat: "Today''s class went well." "How did it feel?" Henie stroked her chest, hurriedly taking a few breaths of relief. "Thanks to Erica, it went smoothly." "If there''s a next time, I definitely won''t be so scared." Erica, who was feeding Vega, turned her head and returned an eye signal to Henie. Only then did Henie remember her purpose for coming. She wasn''t here to seek Viktor''s praise. "Professor, why did you want me to teach this class for you?" Snap. Viktor closed the book, placing the exquisite bound volume on the table. He looked at Henie, responding as calmly as ever. "I need to go on a trip, and it will take some time to return." Hearing this, Henie didn''t think much of it. But Erica, who was feeding Vega, trembled slightly, spilling bird food on the table. ''Hey, little girl, if you''re going to feed me, do it properly!'' Vega protested dissatisfied, but Erica certainly couldn''t hear it. She ignored Vega''s chirping and pricked up her ears to listen carefully. "So I wanted to test if you have the ability to be a teacher for our class." Henie froze on the spot. "Professor, you... were testing me?" Viktor gave an ''mm'' and returned a faint smile to her. Even though the upward curve of his lips was barely noticeable. "Well done, I believe you can definitely become an excellent lecturer." "Professor, wuu... wuwuwu!" Seemingly receiving unexpected recognition, Henie finally couldn''t hold back her emotions and burst into tears. But Erica was still in a daze. Eh? What? Viktor is leaving? How long until he comes back? Somehow, hearing that Viktor was going on a long trip, Erica felt a bit lost. In this twilight after class, she could learn so much knowledge from Viktor. But if Viktor left. It seemed she would have no reason to come here anymore. Although Viktor wasn''t really leaving, just going away for a few days, her mood was still somewhat low. However, another voice echoed in her mind. ''Great, this jerk is leaving!'' "It''s good that he''s gone, if I don''t see him, I won''t be annoyed!" She quickly adjusted her emotions and shrugged. Even without Viktor''s education, she was still that genius mage. "Oh, right." Viktor turned his head and looked at Erica. "What questions did you bring today?" "Hurry up and ask, once I finish teaching you, I can clock out." "..." He even remembered that she would come to ask questions. As if with a ''crack'', the psychological barrier Erica had just built up developed a fissure. She lowered her head and walked towards Viktor with the questions she had prepared long ago. But for some reason. She seemed to become a bit absent-minded. ....... In the evening, Lia walked into Viktor''s study. "The shop renovation is complete." These days, Lia has been handling shop matters in the royal capital. So recently, she hadn''t returned to the estate, but was staying here directly. However, she already had her own room here. Viktor closed his book, wanting to discuss the price issue with Lia. Lia said to him: "One thousand Geo." This price, for consumables sold in the royal capital, was not cheap, but very reasonable. This potion was definitely worth this price. If they could sell fifty bottles a day, it would directly bring in fifty thousand Geo. The cost was just one fruit, though uncommon, at most ten Geo. This was truly a high-profit business. Viktor nodded, this price was also within his expectations. Any more expensive wouldn''t be worth it, any cheaper wouldn''t match its miraculous effect. "Oh, remember to limit it to two bottles per person per day." "Why?" Lia was a bit puzzled. This magic potion was already expensive to sell, and it was questionable whether anyone would buy it at first. Why limit the quantity? Wasn''t he afraid the stock would pile up unsold? Viktor gave his explanation: "It''s better to earn less money in the early stages, but spread the effect of this potion." "Later on, the more people who know about it, the more we''ll earn." Listening to his explanation, Lia''s beautiful eyes sparkled with admiration, marveling. "I now feel that you''re more like a merchant than I am." It was as if she was getting to know Viktor for the first time in these ten-plus years. She yawned, seemingly remembering something, and casually asked. "Oh right, are you really going with Gwen to that... What volcano?" "Mm." Viktor nodded. "Alright then." Lia muttered, waving her hand. "Don''t die out there, so I don''t have to spend money to collect your corpse." "I''m going to bed." With that, she patted her cheeks and turned to leave Viktor''s study. Seeing Lia leave, Vega raised its head, its eyes regaining a humanized light. "Your sister, is she worried about you?" "I thought your relationship wasn''t good." "Indeed, it wasn''t good, but it has improved in recent days," Viktor tapped the table, a blue potion appeared in his palm which he began to fiddle with. "Why, how did you manage that?" Vega asked curiously. Victor placed the blue potion on the table and explained with a single sentence. "Because I can make money." Chapter 13: Are You Deliberately Picking a Fight? Early in the morning, Viktor leaned against the carriage, bored, waiting for Gwen to come out of her house. Gwen had just pushed open the door, holding a slender silver sword in her hand. She was going for her morning practice. As soon as she stepped out, she looked up and saw Viktor''s carriage. Gwen was momentarily stunned. At the same time, Viktor, leaning against the carriage, nodded at her. Gwen: "..." He came so early? Feeling it would be impolite to let him stand outside, Gwen thought for a moment and said to Viktor: "Want to practice?" "I''m a mage," Viktor replied flatly, staring at the thin silver sword in her hand. Gwen''s face turned bright red. She turned her head away and let out a small "Oh." "Come in first, then." With that, she ran off to the training ground to begin her morning practice. Viktor, feeling a bit bored, stood by the training ground, watching her intently. A knight''s morning practice was nothing more than swinging and chopping with a sword to train the body. And practicing various combat techniques, repeating them over and over. Gwen swung her sword for a while, feeling a bit embarrassed under his gaze, and couldn''t help but explain: "Knights need to train every day, day after day." "I didn''t ask you," Viktor replied. Gwen: "..." So one person watched while the other practiced, in wordless silence. After her morning practice, Gwen wiped the sweat from her forehead and was about to pick up the water pouch beside her to take a sip and replenish her fluids. A leisurely voice came from the side. "Drinking water immediately after intense exercise isn''t good for your body." "..." Gwen put down the water pouch, feeling that if she drank the water, Viktor would probably nag her again. What was wrong with him today? Was he having some kind of episode? After the morning practice came breakfast time. Gwen looked at Viktor, hesitated for a moment, and asked: "Have you eaten?" "No," Viktor answered her concisely. Gwen: "... Then let''s eat together." Hearing her invitation, Viktor immediately set off, walking into the mansion a step ahead, his face unruffled and his heart unperturbed. Gwen: "..." She tried to scrutinize Viktor with her sense of justice, but all of his actions and words were honest. "Strange," Gwen muttered, shaking her head to rid her mind of those unfounded thoughts. In the dining room, Viktor elegantly cut his food with a knife and slowly brought it to his mouth with a fork. Gwen ate while watching Viktor eat. Although she didn''t want to admit it, Viktor was truly pleasing to the eye. Even just sitting beside him watching him eat gave her a feeling of increased appetite. His behavior and manners were the epitome of elegance. If Viktor didn''t count as nobility, then perhaps there were no true nobles in this world. Comparing herself, despite being a girl, she seemed somewhat rough when eating. Gwen felt a bit dejected, yet also puzzled. How could such a proper and elegant nobleman do such a foolish thing that showed no understanding of propriety? She was, of course, referring to his confession to the underage daughter of the Duke. "..." Well, it had nothing to do with her anyway. Viktor had said he would handle these matters. After they finished breakfast, Gwen put on her knight''s armor. The silver-white armor made her skin appear even more snow-white and delicate, and her exquisite, perfect face carried a cold, aloof quality. She looked like a Valkyrie who had stepped out of the ice. As for Viktor, looking at the white horse Gwen was leading, he asked a question. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Do I need to ride a horse too?" Gwen suddenly remembered that Viktor was a mage, and it wouldn''t be possible for him to walk such a long journey. How careless! She hadn''t considered this point. In Gwen''s memory, Viktor had never ridden a horse before. What should she do? Did they have to share a horse? While Gwen was struggling internally for quite a while, Viktor had already asked a servant from Gwen''s household to go to the stable and bring out a horse suitable for long-distance travel. A knight''s family never lacked for excellent horses. Gwen saw him preparing to mount another horse and was about to speak, but then she saw Viktor very skillfully flip onto the horse''s back in one smooth motion. "So you can ride a horse. You don''t look like a novice." Viktor didn''t respond to her, after all, Gwen could discern the truth in words. The less said, the better. However, Gwen was quite right. Viktor indeed wasn''t a novice. He was a professional player. In the game, he had even ridden dragons before. The two of them set off on the road, one in front and one behind. Gwen had to report to the Knights'' Order first, so Viktor just followed behind her. The two didn''t say a word on the way, but Gwen felt it wasn''t very natural. She looked back at Viktor, who still had his usual calm poker face. Feeling Gwen''s gaze, he turned his eyes to meet hers. Gwen quickly turned her head back. Seeing her look away, Viktor continued to admire the scenery along the road. When they arrived at the Knights'' Order, the knights for this expedition were already prepared and waiting for orders. Dozens of people stood in a row, awaiting Gwen''s command. At this moment, Gwen standing at the front reminded him of the powerful and perfect Grand Knight he had seen in the game before. Equally spirited and valiant. Gwen, as usual, first had the Knights'' Order drill, and after the drill, Gwen stood on the platform and addressed the knights: "The accompanying mage we applied for last time has been found. I believe some of you already know him." Gwen stepped back, gesturing for Viktor to come up and show his face. Receiving the invitation, Viktor unhurriedly walked onto the viewing platform. Viktor Kravina! At this moment, almost all the knights flashed this name in their minds. His infamous reputation was well-known, and there wasn''t a single self-proclaimed righteous knight who didn''t know of him. Everyone hated this villain, and if possible, they would all like to give Viktor a good fight. But undeniably, after seeing him in person, the knights all became a bit flustered. They took back their previous arrogant words. That was a third-level mage! If he were to suddenly start killing people here, who could stop him? Perhaps Grand Knight Gwen could try. But rumor had it that Knight Commander Gwen was engaged to him... The knights became even more reverent towards Viktor. Viktor, seeing these knights showing him great respect, although his face remained expressionless, felt a bit stifled inside. He had thought there would be some face-slapping scenes, such as the knights disrespecting him, causing controversy, and then he could reasonably teach them a lesson, demonstrate his power, and establish his authority. Now it seemed he had thought too much. As a villain who struck fear into people''s hearts, his mere existence was enough to command respect. Vega, perched on his shoulder, was silent for a moment before commenting: "You were really looking forward to such an outrageous development?" "Just wanted some fun, otherwise it''s too boring," Viktor replied. Gwen recounted the number of people once more, and finding no issues, was about to announce their departure. Suddenly, a childish voice rang out, and a small boy in armor, clearly young in both height and age, came running over carrying a sword. "Sister Gwen! You forgot your sword!" he shouted as he ran. The sword was about the same size as him, and the hilt covered his eyes. As a result, unable to see the path, he tripped over a stone. Thud, he fell. "Ah!" The silver sword flew out, its tip pointing directly at Viktor. All the knights were startled. If that thing couldn''t be dodged, it could be fatal! They were about to warn him when they saw Viktor extend his hand. What was he doing? Was he going to use magic? "Don''t! It has strong magic resistance," Gwen shouted urgently. However, Viktor still didn''t move. Under everyone''s terrified gaze, Viktor''s outstretched hand suddenly grabbed one end of the sword. At the same time, his body made a nimble turn. The silver sword, which should have flown far, was easily pulled back. This movement was so smooth and fluid that it left all the knights on the scene stunned. Viktor casually twirled the sword, leaving the members of the Knights'' Order dumbfounded. What the hell? Grand Knight Gwen''s precious sword was being casually played with in his hands? Was he really a mage??? Gwen was equally stunned, her body still in the position of reaching out to stop him. She blinked, looking at Viktor, unable to speak for a long time. Viktor played with the silver sword in his hand for a while, then returned it to Gwen, very humbly saying "Sorry" in front of her. "It''s been a long time since I''ve touched this thing, so I played with it a bit." Gwen looked directly at Viktor, suddenly remembering their conversation from this morning, and said with some resentment: "You know how to use a sword." Viktor shrugged, his face expressionless. "I''m a mage." Of course, in his heart, he added another sentence. "A full-time mage." Seeing the collective shock among the members of the Knights'' Order, Vega turned its head to glance at Viktor. It seemed to understand Viktor''s intention. Because... showing off really felt good. Gwen snatched back the silver sword and sheathed it, no longer paying attention to him, and issued an order to the Knights'' Order: "All knights! Mount up! We''re setting out!" ...... Today was the first day of the prop shop''s opening, and Lia was very excited, so she personally presided over the shop today. At the same time, she had invited many ''industry insiders'' to promote it. However, the effect was not very good. She sat in the store, watching the mages passing by outside. Some people saw the few bottles of magic potions displayed on the cabinet outside the door and were quite tempted, but when they saw the prices, they inevitably balked. "So expensive." Almost all the passing mages said such words. Lia wasn''t anxious. As long as someone discovered the value of these potions, everything would be fine. However, things didn''t go as smoothly as she had thought. Instead, it attracted many uninvited guests. "Is this the shop?" Lia looked towards the voice and saw several fierce-looking, tattooed thugs outside the door. She yawned. Here they come again, troublemakers. Lia touched the Mage''s Hand she wore, a gift from Viktor. Somehow, at times like this, she actually thought Viktor wasn''t so bad. At least when doing business in the territory, no one ever dared to have designs on the Kravina family''s business. A cold female voice came from behind: "Do you need me to drive them away, Miss Lia?" "Better not," Lia said, looking at the menacing ruffians with some pleasure on her face. "If we drive them away, who will help us make a name for ourselves?" A voice sounded from outside. "Start smashing!" Chapter 14: Are Your Goods Made of Gold or Something? The burly men outside raised their weapons and started smashing Lia''s shop indiscriminately. Even the magic potions displayed at the entrance weren''t spared. Everything was smashed to pieces. The azure potion flowed onto the ground, filling the air with the scent of money. Lia watched their violent actions impassively, appearing remarkably calm. "Miss Lia, shouldn''t we stop them yet...?" The voice behind her grew anxious. She knew the value of those potions; even breaking one bottle was a significant loss. Lia sat calmly in her chair, watching the thugs continue their rampage with composure. "It''s fine. Let them smash." "The more they break, the more they''ll have to compensate." Of course, Lia was well aware. These people were likely just a bunch of ruffians sent by someone else. How could they possibly compensate? Feeling that enough time had passed, she touched the Mage''s Hand on her right hand and was about to stand up and go outside. "What are you doing?!" A voice of rebuke came from outside. Lia was slightly startled. Someone intervening? She stood inside, looking out. A golden-haired young lady exuding noble aura stood by a carriage, angrily scolding the tattooed thugs. Who was that? Lia raised her head, carefully examining the familiar face of the blonde girl, and already had an answer in her heart. The Duke''s daughter? Why was she here? Just passing by? Or... was it intentional? The Duke''s daughter, Erica, had been renowned for her exceptional talent since childhood, and her reputation remained illustrious to this day. Some believed her future achievements would surely surpass those of the once-genius Viktor. Including last time, if Viktor had flirted with a girl from any other family, it wouldn''t have been worth making the news headlines. But Erica''s public influence was simply too great. Lia thought to herself: I''m afraid her appearance here, showing kindness, will spark another wave of news hype. ...... In reality, Erica hadn''t thought too much about it. Although it was a day off, after Viktor left, she didn''t have much interest in studying at the academy. Because apart from Viktorthe level of other teachers was really too poor, even worse than her own. Taking advantage of today''s break, she decided to give herself a day off, go shopping, and relax a bit. It was also a way to ease her mind. As a result, she overheard the servants at home chatting privately about the Kravina family opening a prop shop in the eastern part of the capital. Kravina, that was Viktor''s surname, of course she remembered. However, the eastern district... Erica was very interested, but the shop was in the eastern district, quite far from where she was. She lived in the central district, which was full of nobles like Erica. The capital was so large that she couldn''t even explore the entire central district in a day. But she still decided to go and have a look. What would a shop owned by Professor Viktor''s family sell? After spending half an hour riding in a carriage to get there, she saw a group of people causing trouble in front of the prop shop. The Kravina family crest hung above the shop, confirming it was indeed Viktor''s property. The scale wasn''t very large; compared to other bustling shops, this alone was enough to lose quite a few points. But she wasn''t here to score it. Seeing people smashing the shop, Erica instinctively became angry. "What are you doing?" Her shout rang out as she got off the carriage, looking like a young lady surrounded by stars. Many passersby saw her figure and couldn''t help but exclaim. "It''s Erica du Cloye!" Simply put, there was no one who didn''t recognize this beautiful and kind-hearted young lady. Stolen novel; please report. She would always send food and coins to help the poor and needy through difficult times, and she wouldn''t back down when facing villains. "It''s the Duke''s young lady! Run!" The leader of the thugs, seeing Erica, shouted to the others around him, and they hurriedly left, seemingly "frightened." Lia gave a look to the shop assistant behind her, and immediately, she felt a gust of wind pass by her back. When she looked back, there was no one there. After doing this, she finally put on a smiling face and went out to greet Erica. "Miss Erica, thank you for your help!" "As a weak woman, I was really scared when this happened. If you hadn''t come, I really wouldn''t have known what to do." While listening to Lia''s tearful account, Erica was sizing her up. The woman before her was very beautiful. Tall and slender, with features that could be described as exquisitely perfect. Especially those mature charms about her made even this underage girl feel a bit inadequate in comparison. She was about to say it was nothing to thank her for, but as her gaze moved downward, it suddenly paused, lingering on Lia''s hand. Was that Viktor''s glove? Erica clearly remembered seeing it on the first day Viktor arrived. Because it had many magic stones, she had particularly noticed this kind of glove on Viktor''s hand for the first time, and hadn''t seen it since. This glove appeared on this woman''s hand? Erica couldn''t be certain it was the same pair, after all, their hand sizes were completely different. "So, is she Professor Viktor''s family member?" she thought. Thinking of this, Erica felt a bit sorry for the woman before her. Those people must have come seeking trouble because of Viktor''s bad reputation, but the consequences had to be borne by the girl in front of her. Looking at the shattered pieces on the ground and the spilled potions, she thought for a moment and decided to compensate the woman before her to soothe her emotions. "I''m very sorry that such a thing happened here in the capital. I will compensate you for all your losses today in the name of du Cloye." "Please tally up the losses of these props, and if there are any left, I will buy them all." "Oh my?" Hearing Erica''s generous offer, Lia cupped her chest with one hand and touched her face with the other, smiling. The du Cloye''s ingrained ability to win people over, as expected of the Duke''s daughter. Although, she was only seventeen. "Miss Erica, let me confirm, do you really want to compensate for my losses?" "You should know, the price is not cheap." Before Lia could respond, Erica had already called over her accompanying maid, ready to pay. Lia smiled and quoted the price: "One thousand geos." These losses, one thousand geos? In the eyes of ordinary people, this was already a very expensive price. But Erica thought it was reasonable and signaled her maid to take out the money. However, she then heard the other party add a sentence. "One thousand geos, per bottle." "What?" The maid''s hand paused slightly as she was taking out the money. Even Erica felt like she had misheard. Not just Erica, even the passersby felt it was bizarre. What kind of joke was this, selling a potion for one thousand geos? Is the water in your bottles made of gold or something? The maid calculated the price and was slightly stunned. Erica also showed a difficult expression at this point. This amount of money was just about a month''s pocket money for Erica. But money shouldn''t be spent so carelessly. Now she understood a bit why Viktor was so resented. He was completely a profiteer! Before she could respond, Lia added with some difficulty: "Although I''d like you to compensate, the head of the family said that one person can only buy two bottles per day, no more." There''s even such a rule? It was the first time Erica had heard of limiting sales like this. Especially when trying to compensate, the other party actually didn''t want to take more. She thought for a moment, realizing that the "head of the family" the other party mentioned was obviously Viktor. However, being able to purchase only two bottles made Erica very interested. Could this thing really have some miraculous effect? So, she picked up a bottle of potion that was still undamaged and asked Lia: "What effect does this have?" Lia looked at her and smiled, explaining: "It''s used to restore magical power." Erica could hardly believe it. She had never heard of such an item that could restore magical power. She wanted to buy a few to take back for research, but the shattered pieces on the ground made her hesitate. However, Erica quickly firmed up her resolve. Words spoken and water spilled can''t be taken back, and besides, Viktor had taught her so much knowledge. What if she spent this money on compensation today? It would just be settling accounts with Viktor! So, she said directly. "I am a student of Professor Viktor Kravina, and since I''ve witnessed his shop suffering losses, I can''t just ignore it." "I will compensate based on the cost of the potions plus the labor cost for making them, but on one condition." Lia raised an eyebrow upon hearing Erica''s words. "I want to buy all the remaining potions as well." She cared more about things related to magic than anyone else. So, she planned to take them back for research. Hearing this, Lia looked back at the remaining goods on the shelves. There were only ten bottles left intact. Seeing this, she didn''t care about those rules Viktor had mentioned and nodded. Viktor had said he wasn''t afraid of anyone figuring out the potion''s ingredients because no one but him could make it. Lia believed this was some special magic that could only be made by him, and since the other party had said so, she naturally wouldn''t worry about any business secrets being revealed. "Since Miss Erica is so generous, I won''t refuse." "So, including labor and cost price, each broken potion will be three hundred geos, and the remaining ones will still be at the original price." Hearing this, Erica readily agreed. "Deal." Lia handed the ten bottles of potion to Erica''s maid and reached out to receive the compensation money and the regular payment for the potions from the maid. Looking at Erica before her, Lia marveled, spending thousands so freely, just because she was Viktor''s student? She wondered what kind of love potion that black-hearted fellow, who would cut open his own chest, had given this young lady. After Erica left, Lia took out another fifty bottles of potion from the shop, still priced at one thousand geos each, and continued selling. The mages passing by saw her take out fifty more bottles, and half of them nearly fainted. So you still had stock. ...... In a small alley. The thugs who had earlier smashed the shop were sprawled in corners, half-dead. Their bodies showed various wounds, presenting an extremely gruesome scene. "Who ordered you to do this?" A masked person in a cloak, only revealing the upper half of their face and emerald green eyes. She held a wooden sword, pointing it at the head of the lead tattooed thug. He lay on the ground, all four limbs broken. The pain made him wish he could pass out on the spot. But the wooden sword hanging over his head still made him panic and cry out hoarsely. "It''s... it''s Duke Levi! It''s Duke Levi!" He hastily reported the mastermind, hoping to gain a glimmer of hope for survival from the masked person. Bang! The wooden sword came down, and the tattooed thug finally got his wish and passed out. Then, she grabbed this person''s foot and, step by step, dragged him out of the alley. Chapter 15: Aren’t You Two a Couple? Sharing a Room Shouldn’t Be a Problem, Right? Splash! Cold water was thrown onto the man''s face, instantly waking him up, his eyes wide open. "Huff! Huff!" The man gasped for air desperately. He tried to move his body but found himself in pain all over, his limbs fixed to a frame. Unable to move - that was his condition. The masked person in front of him put the water basin on the ground and leaned against the wall with arms crossed. She still wore the same outfit, a cloak covering her entire body, only revealing emerald green eyes that stared at him, quite frightening. He clearly remembered that his gang of brothers had all been taken down by her agile and skillful techniques. "Awake? Now that you''re awake, let''s have a chat." The man looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice. This was a dark and damp basement. Soon, he saw the woman sitting in a chair, guided by the sound. She was playing with her nails, the table in front of her filled with torture instruments that couldn''t pass censorship. Vaguely, he saw a peculiarly shaped glove on the woman''s hand, embedded with several gemstones - he couldn''t count how many. "There''s a saying: ''The wise adapt to circumstances.''" "With all these torture instruments before you, I think they''ll surely be able to pry open your mouth." Cold sweat instantly soaked the man''s body. He frantically tried to move, attempting to escape his restraints through struggle, but in vain. He couldn''t budge. He hurriedly shouted: "I''ll talk! I''ll talk! I''ll tell you everything!" Slap! The masked person in front of him suddenly slapped him hard across the face. "I haven''t even asked anything yet. What do you want to say?" Lia played with the pliers in her hand, looking at him and laughing. This crisp slap woke the dazed man up completely, and at the same time, anger took over his rationality. "Do you know what you''re doing?!" "Kidnapping! Illegal punishment! You! You''ll be arrested!" "So what? When you die like a stray dog on the roadside, who killed you, do you think anyone will care?" Lia stood up, her eyes cold, looking as if she had done this many times before. The man struggled desperately again. "Damn it! Damn it! How dare you do this, what gives you the right!?" Lia looked at him as if he were an idiot: "Because I have money." The man: "..." One sentence silenced him completely. "Just because you have money, you think you''re great? Just because you have money, you can..." "My brother is Viktor, he''s a noble, a third-tier mage." The man: "..." He stopped talking. Lia tapped the table with the iron pliers and continued: "Since you know you''ve provoked our Kravina family, you should have been prepared for this." "Now speak, who ordered you to do this?" "The Duke, it was the Duke who made us do it!" He still didn''t change his previous statement. Seemingly to make Lia believe him, he voluntarily gave an address. "That''s our base, you can go there, you can go there to find out!" "The Duke gave us a large sum of money to smash your shop today! I''m not lying, you have to believe me!" Seeing the man''s hysteria, the masked person approached Lia and lowered her voice. "He said the same thing before. Could it really be the Duke''s doing?" Lia clicked her tongue, seemingly unconcerned. "A clumsy attempt to frame someone." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "If you hadn''t said this, I might have had some suspicions about the Duke, but your insistence on pinning it on him actually reduces his suspicion." The man was stunned for a moment, and in that brief instant, Lia immediately noticed. Seeing this, she couldn''t help but laugh again. As her charming laughter subsided, she held her stomach, raised her alluring eyes, and said with a smile. "You really believed that? I was bluffing you." "But seeing your reaction, it seems it really wasn''t the Duke''s doing. I thought a duke wouldn''t use such low-level tactics." The man opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something more, but Lia simply waved her hand. "Alright, deal with him, Leanne." "Don''t forget to remove his organs, we can still sell them for some money. Oh right, and his accomplices, dispose of them all, don''t leave a single one." Lia patted the man''s face, smiling like a devil. The man''s body trembled continuously. He struggled in fear, wanting to say something. But in the next second, Lia''s palm gently turned over, and a vial of potion appeared in her hand. The azure potion shimmered with a dazzling glow under the lamplight. "What a pity, even if we sell all your organs, your value still can''t compare to a single item from our shop." She smiled at him, swinging the potion back and forth in front of his eyes. "Of course, this thing worth a thousand geos, in my eyes, is just like you." "Worthless." Crash! The next moment, the vial smashed against his face, shattering with a ''bang''. He only felt numerous liquids flowing down his numb face. Red and blue potions intertwined, making it impossible to distinguish whether it was blood or potion flowing. "Madwoman... you''re just a madwoman! Let me go, let me go!" The man''s voice trembled, his eyes wide open. Under the dual torture of mind and body, he was already beyond recognition. Lia saw the expression on his face and couldn''t help but laugh again. A beautiful smile, yet it penetrated the heart like a demon''s. Under the man''s bloodshot gaze, she yawned, turned around, and said indifferently: "Finish it quickly." "Yes." ....... A few hours later, Leanne had dealt with everything. She secretly climbed through the window into Viktor''s study. Now that Viktor wasn''t here, Lia sat at the desk, handling recent accounts. There was no one else in the room. Leanne took off her hood, revealing short pale golden hair and long, pointed ears. Just these ears, different from ordinary humans, were enough to prove her identity. An elf. "Miss, everything has been cleaned up." Lia didn''t raise her head, but already knew who had come, and smiled. "Thank you for your hard work." "It''s my honor, Miss Lia." Leanne continued: "I collected quite a bit of money from those people, and also went to raid their base. These people had recently received a considerable sum of money, about five thousand geos." Lia took the money bag Leanne handed over, weighed it, and put it aside. "Quite a lot indeed. That man wasn''t lying after all." Leanne looked up and couldn''t help but ask: "Was it really not the Duke''s doing?" Lia''s hand paused, and she couldn''t help but laugh. After closing the account book, she looked at her with a smile: "You believed it too?" "What?" She said with a chuckle: "Even if the Duke''s suspicion is reduced to the minimum, it doesn''t mean he''s cleared of suspicion." "We''ve just added another direction of suspicion, but the fact that the Duke still harbors enmity towards us hasn''t changed." "Perhaps someone is stirring up trouble, deliberately provoking conflict between us Kravinas and the Duke, while the person behind it all reaps the benefits." "Or maybe the Duke simply dislikes us, after all, there''s no need for two of the youngest third-tier mages in the capital." Leanne didn''t understand these noble calculations. After a pause, she asked the question she most wanted to ask. "Why didn''t you continue to interrogate him?" "He wouldn''t have talked, because he doesn''t know who the instigator really is." Lia flicked the money bag with her hand, making the geos inside jingle. "Using money for the transaction is enough to show that the person isn''t an important member, so he could only insist it was the Duke''s doing." Lia continued: "Why do you think the Duke''s daughter came to the eastern district? And happened to encounter those shop-smashers?" "And finally, spent a large sum to compensate for our broken potions?" Hearing her words, Leanne frowned. She had heard that Erica spent over ten thousand geos just for compensation, which still seemed incredible. Can a person be that kind-hearted? "I don''t trust her explanation." Lia shrugged and said helplessly. "I''ve lived with Viktor for over a decade, I know what kind of person he is better than anyone." "Although he has a talent for learning magic, it''s still half a lifetime too early for him to teach others. Probably during his time at the academy, he relied on teaching assistants to write his lecture notes, and he just casually lectured in front." "Erica actually said she was his student, what could Viktor possibly teach her?" ...... Meanwhile, far away in Sancher Town, Vega sneezed. Viktor glanced at him. Can crows catch colds? But he didn''t have time to care about a crow that might catch a cold right now. They had arrived at a town at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. The town wasn''t big, and they could only find one in here. The knights didn''t need to worry too much about where to stay; they could even sleep at the post station leaning against their horses for a night. But Gwen was a woman, and also their respected Knight Commander, so the knights insisted that Gwen must spend the night at the inn to rest well. Similarly, Viktor was a mage. He also needed a good sleeping environment to replenish his spiritual power. So the two had to come to the inn together. They had originally agreed on two separate rooms, but... "Innkeeper, is there really only one room left?" Gwen looked somewhat anxious, which Viktor found amusing. It was the first time he had seen such an unstable side of her. At this moment, she looked as if she wanted to build a new room on empty ground right away. The innkeeper was also very helpless. "Sir Knight, how dare I deceive you? There really is only one large bedroom left." "Moreover, seeing you two together, a man and a woman, you should be a couple, right? Sharing a room shouldn''t be a problem." Gwen anxiously wanted to say something more, but Viktor interrupted her in advance. "This room will do, it''s fine." Hearing Viktor''s words, Gwen immediately widened her eyes, looking at him in disbelief. Chapter 16: Playing Both Father and Mother Viktor and Gwen stood at the doorway, looking into the room. "Why did you agree to this? We should have asked more questions or waited a bit longer..." Gwen said. Viktor glanced at her and replied, "Remember why you''re here. You didn''t come here for a vacation or to sleep." Hearing Viktor''s words, Gwen shook her head and calmed down. However, it was clearly awkward for a single man and woman to stay in one room at night. Moreover, there was only one bed, albeit a large one. Gwen furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment before volunteering, "I''ll sleep on the floor." Viktor nodded and agreed, "Alright." Gwen was taken aback. As a knight, she was used to sleeping anywhere in her armor. However, Viktor''s reaction... made her feel somewhat displeased. Gwen couldn''t quite understand why she felt this way. In her mind, there was no concept of being courteous or not. Viktor was a mage, more fragile than her, so he should naturally sleep on the bed. However, after a long day''s journey, Gwen felt sticky inside her armor. To be honest, Gwen wanted to take a bath. She had been on long missions before and had always managed to endure. But perhaps because there was now a man in the room, she suddenly became conscious of whether she might smell or not. She patted her cheeks, trying to shake off these unnecessary thoughts. Gwen wasn''t one to impose on others. Given the size of the inn and the current time, it was clear that they couldn''t provide her with a hot bath. But with all the sweat on her body, what if she really did smell? What should she do? She was so preoccupied that she forgot she was still wearing her full armor, which made noise with every slight movement. Viktor, while magically examining their surroundings, didn''t forget to set up a sound-blocking barrier at the door. After ensuring there was nothing unusual around, Viktor heard the scraping sound of armor and frowned. He turned to see Gwen, looking extremely troubled. She was biting her finger, her face full of worry. "Why haven''t you taken off your armor yet?" Viktor asked. Hearing his words, Gwen became a bit shy, lowering her head as her cheeks turned slightly red, almost imperceptibly. ...... "You mean you want to take a bath? In a place like this?" Viktor sat in a chair, holding his forehead. There were no partitions here, let alone a ready-made bathroom. The entire room only had one large bed, two chairs, and a table. It was too rudimentary. Under these conditions, Gwen actually said she wanted to take a bath... "What a willful request," Viktor remarked. Hearing Viktor''s words, Gwen felt even more embarrassed. She had only mentioned it casually and was even prepared to sleep in her armor. It would just be uncomfortable. She was a knight; even if she smelled a bit, she could endure it until she got home. She missed the warm bathroom and comfortable bed in her own home. Suddenly, a bright green light flashed in front of her. Gwen looked up to see Viktor''s suspended hand constructing a mysterious magic array on the floor. The green light rings began to overlap, and the carved paths gradually merged. [First-tier Magic: Wood Carving] Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. As soon as the magic array formed, vines and wooden tendrils sprouted from the floor array. They automatically bound together, forming the shape of a bathtub. The magic simultaneously polished the exterior of the tub, making it smooth and gleaming with a dark luster. Gwen blinked, seeing the bathtub she had been longing for suddenly appear on the floor. Viktor hadn''t stopped his actions. Blue and red magic arrays alternately spun and combined between his left and right hands, flashing alternately. The air in the room gradually became hot. Viktor clasped his hands together, and the two arrays converged, forming a brand new formation. A double magic array? This was the first time Gwen had seen such an advanced technique of multi-casting, as she wasn''t a mage herself. But what did Viktor intend to do? It became evident. The air grew humid, and water materialized from the array, coming into contact with the heat from the red array. Almost instantly, the water temperature rose sharply. Scalding hot water, as if squeezed from an air sponge, poured into the bathtub. Gwen was completely stunned by the scene before her, blinking her eyes, feeling utterly amazed. "This... this was done by magic?" she asked. She had seen mages before, but never one who could do things as effortlessly as Viktor. For the first time, she realized how convenient magical abilities could be. "If you trust me, then please, go ahead," Viktor said while snapping his fingers. A small black array appeared on the ring on his hand, and black mist curtains surged out from the array, isolating the space between them. This side couldn''t see that side, and that side couldn''t see clearly here. Seeing Viktor complete all this, Gwen suddenly felt emotional. Having a mage by your side during a mission... Perhaps it wasn''t so bad after all? She wasn''t a fussy person, and Viktor had already done so much. Moreover, she had her sense of justice activated. So Gwen removed her armor and undergarments and sank into the bathtub. Now, she felt nothing but bliss all over her body. Vega raised its eyelids, looking at Viktor sitting in the chair reading a book with a hint of disdain in its eyes. "I find it hard to imagine you wasting your spiritual energy just to do such trivial things." Viktor took out a bottle of blue potion and gulped it down. The small amount of mana he had just consumed was replenished. Being away from home, he needed to remain vigilant at all times, keeping himself in the best condition. Putting down the empty bottle, he replied to Vega: "You don''t understand." "Fine, fine, I don''t understand," Vega mimicked him, deadpanning a retort. "It''s the first time I''ve seen you care so much about a woman." Viktor shook his head, remembering the Valkyrie Gwen from the game. That mage of her, unstoppable whether facing gods or demons, was still deeply etched in his mind. She was undoubtedly the most difficult boss he had ever encountered. If one could avoid being her enemy, who would want to become her opponent? As he thought this, the rustling sounds from next door reached Viktor''s ears. Viktor: "......." In some ways, he was a normal man. The sounds from next door disturbed his thoughts. The content of the book seemed impossible to remember now. At this moment, he just felt incredibly irritated. Would it be too late to set up a sound-blocking spell now? Gwen would notice. But... he lowered his head slightly. [First-tier Magic: Self-Suggestion] His eyes flickered briefly, then dimmed. Gwen, freshly bathed, poked her head out from the other side of the curtain: "Um, I also washed my clothes. Could you..." Before she could finish, Viktor''s hands were already activating another array. [First-tier Magic: Hot Wind] A bright red magic array lit up on Gwen''s side. She looked back, feeling warmth behind her. "Thank you, I can dry them now..." Gwen said, somewhat embarrassed as she pulled her head back. "Phew." Viktor kept his eyes cold, maintaining the last shred of rationality in his mind. "By the way, don''t you need to take a bath?" Gwen asked Viktor from the other side. He held his forehead with one hand, his face showing an irritated expression. "...I have a wind-repelling spell on me. I don''t get dirty from dust and wind." "Also, if you''re suggesting I use the water you''ve just bathed in, I''ll come over right now." Viktor spoke coldly to Gwen. Right now, he just wanted Gwen to get dressed and come out quickly. "I''m sorry... I got carried away," Gwen apologized. Calm down, calm down. This phrase kept echoing in Viktor''s mind. "I''ve been thinking, perhaps I need a bed. Otherwise, the clothes I just washed will get dirty," Gwen suddenly remembered and made another request to Viktor. "Gwen! I''m not your parent! Listen carefully! I can''t cater to your every need!" Viktor exclaimed. ...... Gwen, now dressed, was sleeping soundly on the only large bed. As for Viktor... He sat quietly in the chair, expressionless. He had acted after all... First, he used magic to put Gwen to sleep, then used magic to move her to the bed. "That Gwen should have been cold and heartless," he thought. The Gwen he knew always coldly executed the royal family''s orders, like an emotionless killing machine. But the current Gwen hadn''t reached that level yet. Although she was still aloof towards others, she still existed with unnecessary emotions like an ordinary person. She would continuously question the innkeeper about having only one room left. Even after he had helped her, she carefully continued to make requests of him, yet didn''t dare to cross his bottom line. When she made mistakes, she would apologize, and her attitude wasn''t as unyielding as he remembered. Certainly, she was still strong, but... "She''s not the Gwen I knew," he thought. He turned his head to look at the sleeping Gwen and shook his head. But this thought lingered in Viktor''s mind, impossible to erase. ...... Gwen stood at the front of the line, directing the knights on how to proceed. "Today we''re investigating the volcano. If you notice any unusual activity, don''t act rashly. Report immediately!" The knights looked at Gwen, feeling that she seemed in particularly good spirits after waking up. And she seemed... cleaner? The knights didn''t know what had happened last night, and Gwen was already looking towards Viktor beside her. The knights seemed to have an "Oh~" expression on their faces. Viktor, seeing that Gwen had organized the troops, turned to leave. "Viktor, where are you going?" Gwen asked. "We can escort you to a designated location, or you can directly accompany the knight squadron." "No need," Viktor replied. He raised his eyebrows, looking towards the dormant volcano in the distance. He knew that a huge monster lay dormant there, and his mood was a mix of heaviness and excitement. "I''ll be acting separately from you for now." Chapter 17: Quarrel at the Head, Make Up at the Foot Chapter 17: Quarrel at the Head, Make Up at the Foot "Why?" Gwen asked, puzzled. Viktor had come with the knight squadron, but now he was proposing to separate and act alone. She didn''t understand. If Viktor didn''t need the protection of the knight squadron, why had he accompanied them in the first place? Or rather, what was his real purpose for coming to Mount Vesuvius? "I need to go to the volcano''s crater first," Viktor said. Under Gwen''s sense of justice, all lies would be exposed. But he wasn''t lying, which meant Viktor truly intended to go to the crater. Gwen recalled Viktor''s initial reason for accompanying them. "Could it be that the magical creature you mentioned is at the crater?" "Hmm..." Viktor fell silent for a moment, the image of that colossal magical beast flashing through his mind. So, he answered, "Something like that." ...What did he mean by "something like that"? Yet he wasn''t lying. Gwen was curious but wasn''t the type to pry into others'' privacy. This was, after all, a dormant volcano, and Viktor had said he was very familiar with Mount Vesuvius''s terrain. There shouldn''t be any problems. Gwen nodded, agreeing to his request to leave the group. "I''ll come find you once I''ve finished my business," Viktor said. As soon as he finished speaking, a blue magic array sparkling with tiny stars appeared beneath his feet. With a flash of blue light, his figure vanished without a trace. Seeing a living person disappear right before her eyes left Gwen feeling dazed. A knight who had witnessed their entire exchange approached Gwen, who was still in a daze, and asked, "Knight Captain? Did you two... have a quarrel last night?" Gwen turned her head, opening her mouth. "No, it''s not what you think..." Before she could finish, the knight continued: "Ah, it''s normal for couples to have conflicts. I often argue with my wife too, but our son is already eight years old." "Quarrel at the head of the bed, make up at the foot. How can there be overnight grudges between husband and wife?" The more Gwen listened, the redder her face became. "Stop talking nonsense! Let''s move out!" she scolded the knight and hurriedly left. "Huh? Knight Captain Gwen! I didn''t say anything wrong... Sigh, young ladies these days are so sensitive. It''s clear I hit the nail on the head." Gwen couldn''t hear clearly what the knight said afterwards. Her face was slightly red, like a little girl whose secret had been exposed. But in reality, she knew better than anyone. There was no relationship between her and Viktor. Just as she would never fall in love with Viktor, Viktor would never fall in love with her. Gwen mounted her white horse, thinking somewhat gloomily. If nothing unexpected happened, she might end up marrying Viktor after all. After all, the engagement between their two families had been decided long ago. Gwen was the second daughter of the family. She could only comply with the family''s decisions, unable to change them. Gwen didn''t want to get married, let alone to the Viktor she knew before, who made her feel terrible. ''How could I possibly marry such a jerk?'' As this thought flashed through her mind, she suddenly recalled the events of last night. He had been like an elegant nobleman, every action that of a gentleman. He had even given her the only bed, though she didn''t know when. When she woke up, she found Viktor quietly sitting in the chair, reading that abstruse magic book, having sat there all night. She felt guilty, but Viktor told her in return that mages had their own ways of resting, only needing quiet surroundings. Was he... really a jerk? Gwen couldn''t help but wonder. Dedicated to becoming an absolutely righteous knight, Gwen had never truly dislike anyone. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Not even Viktor. ''I should have been quite quiet last night...'' Shaking off those unnecessary thoughts in her mind, she raised her silver sword and swung it forward. "Move out!" ...... A shower of blue light fell from thin air, forming a teleportation array in mid-air, revealing Viktor''s figure. He opened his eyes, and the scenery around him had changed dramatically. The surroundings were so desolate that there was almost nothing left, only a few scattered charcoal-like stones standing on the hill. He was now positioned halfway up the volcano, quite a bit ahead of the knight squadron. This was the maximum range his teleportation magic could reach. Trying to teleport directly to the summit in one go was still unrealistic. Seeing that there was no one around, Vega, perched on his shoulder, spoke to him in a loud voice: "Why did you choose to separate from them?" "The knight squadron''s route should align with yours. If you had stayed with them, you would have reached here eventually." Viktor patted its head and explained: "I don''t need their company." "There are some things I need to investigate on my own. There''s no need for others to know." Vega found this strange. Viktor seemed as if he had been planning this for a long time. Recalling how interested Viktor had been upon hearing about Mount Vesuvius, Vega couldn''t help but suspect that he knew something. The man and the bird walked on Mount Vesuvius, which had erupted once before. However, after that eruption, Mount Vesuvius had lost its eruptive power and became a dormant volcano. The residents at the foot of the mountain had established towns, and now, several hundred years of history had passed. After centuries of weathering, the ground here had formed into charcoal-like limestone, full of cracks and weathered volcanic rocks. Hoping to see any plants here? That would be a bit difficult. But after hundreds of years, no one worried anymore that this volcano would erupt again. The volcano was about several hundred meters high, and Viktor quickly reached the summit area. The closer he got to the summit, the more clearly Viktor could feel that extremely rich fire element. It wasn''t just him; Vega had the same feeling. It turned its head, glancing at Viktor with a somewhat peculiar look. "Interesting. I really want to open up your head and see how you thought of coming here." "You''ve actually discovered a ''Calamity''." Viktor''s expression remained very calm. Vega understood that he had known all along that something was here. Calamity. To be precise, this was the specific name recorded in history for the Furnace Beast. There were six Calamities in the world, corresponding to six magical elements. Wind, Wood, Fire, Earth, Water, and Thunder. And what was sealed in this Mount Vesuvius was the Fire Calamity, Guledon. Its form was as vast as the sky, its entire body bathed in furnace fire, like a demon god in flames. The reason they were called Calamities was that once they appeared, they would cause natural disasters and chaos in the land, to a degree that struck terror into people''s hearts. Their existence was only harmful, never beneficial, to any living being. This was the ''Calamity'', true to its name. "I''m curious. It''s ''sleeping'' so well here, what do you want with it?" Vega asked Viktor, looking down at Guledon below the volcano''s crater. "To collect some interest in advance." Viktor stood at the volcano''s mouth, looking down from above. It was so deep that the bottom couldn''t be seen, making one wonder if anything existed down there at all. Hot air shot out from the mountain''s mouth, the astonishing heat hitting their faces. His gaze suddenly became very determined. The cold wind and scorching air intermingled, blowing his coat. At this moment, standing at the highest point of the volcano, even Vega''s voice beside him was hard to hear clearly. "Hey, hey, what are you standing here for? Don''t tell me you''re going to jump down from here?" Viktor didn''t respond. Vega fell silent for a moment. "You''re not really going to jump, are you?" Its word-by-word inquiry had no effect whatsoever. Because Viktor had already said to it: "Hold on tight!" With that, he leapt towards the hundred-meter-deep volcano. "You could at least ask for my opinion!!!" The scenery of red-hot rocks around them kept falling, and Vega used its beak to grip Viktor''s clothes tightly. At this moment, it even forgot that it was a bird with wings. The scene before their eyes kept shaking, and finally... After a flash of white light, the figures of the two disappeared in mid-air. ...... "Having been a god for so long, this is the first time I''ve felt so crazy." When Vega opened its eyes, it seemed to have arrived in another space. It was pitch black all around, with only the floor visible to the naked eye. "It''s so dark. Viktor? Viktor?" Viktor was right behind it. Seeing that the crow had woken up, he picked it up and placed it on his shoulder. Vega was about to ask Viktor to light a fire to illuminate the surroundings, but before it could speak, a huge snoring sound erupted from the darkness in front of it. It almost deafened the crow''s ears. "Damn, who''s snoring... uh..." Vega stopped talking. It saw the source of the snoring, or rather... At this moment, it was right in front of Vega, eyes closed in deep sleep. How should it be described? Like a towering pillar reaching to the sky. It was as tall as a mountain, inspiring awe and fear. The Fire Calamity, Guledon, had appeared before them. A cold sweat broke out on Vega''s head, making its feathers seem to shine brighter. "Kid, you''re not thinking of challenging it, are you?" "Don''t joke around! I''m just an ordinary bird now, I can''t help you with anything!" Viktor didn''t look at it. He conjured a flame at his fingertips, illuminating the path ahead. It also illuminated the true form of this giant beast. "Don''t say that." "You are my greatest asset in defeating it." The next second, the wind-like snoring stopped. Huge red eyes opened, like enormous lamps. "ROOOOOAAAARRR!!!" It looked down at the two ants from its towering height, its roar echoing throughout Mount Vesuvius. Chapter 18: Daring to Show Your Health Bar in Front of Me? Scorching lava dripped from Guledon onto the volcano''s interior, splashing magma several meters high. Guledon''s appearance shrouded the volcano''s sky with burning black clouds, with ash and sparks floating in the air. Long-term exposure to high temperatures had turned its hard armor a dazzling red. Its thousands of fangs seemed ready to devour everything on the volcano. The magical beast roared to the sky, causing Mount Vesuvius to tremble. "Vega! Establish a link with me!" "What? Establish a link? Are you joking? Do you really intend to fight it?" "I don''t want to die!" Vega flew in the air, screaming at Viktor with all its might. Inwardly collapsing, if it had known Viktor was this crazy, it would never have made a contract with him. One day, following Viktor might lead to its sudden death. Still thinking about rising again? Dream on! "We''ve come this far. I guess there''s no other way but to establish a connection with you." Vega reluctantly extended a wing to touch Viktor''s forehead. Instantly, a clearer connection appeared in Viktor''s mind. [Establishing link with Evil God ''Habika'', synchronizing.....] [Synchronization successful] Viktor saw a crow icon appear under his status bar, immediately realizing the link had been successfully established. "Why don''t you use this connection to enhance your teleportation magic and get out of here? Don''t say I didn''t warn you!" Vega flew back and forth by his ear, chattering incessantly. Viktor ignored Vega''s pleas to escape, instead feeling excited despite the scorching heat at the volcano''s mouth. "Run?" Viktor''s face showed an arrogant smile. To Vega, he had definitely gone mad. But Viktor wasn''t crazy. He had long wanted to challenge this ''Calamity''. Ever since he heard the name Mount Vesuvius, he knew he had to come. Just as he had imagined, the Furnace Beast Guledon was sealed at the bottom of the volcano''s crater. This was a separate dimension. No matter what scale of battle they engaged in here, it would hardly affect the outside world. It was a perfect natural arena. After Guledon was first defeated, it was resealed in this space, becoming something like a dungeon for players to challenge. So its current sealed state wasn''t much different from its dungeon version in terms of strength. Looking at the beast that blotted out the sky, Viktor felt extremely confident. He had defeated this creature countless times before. And now, he was using Viktor''s even more powerful body, with superior skills. Moreover, he had Vega as a cheat code. He wasn''t lying when he said Vega was an indispensable and powerful aid for Viktor. Infinite mana - this cheat was advantageous for any class, but none more so than a mage. Vega''s single eye began to flicker with a blue glow. Viktor felt his body filled with magical energy vast as an ocean, his status bar''s mana value skyrocketing. Ten thousand... twenty thousand.... completely breaking the limit. Viktor knew this was the maximum mana value the game could handle. [Viktor] lv39 hp: 1000 A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. mp: 999999\999999 With this much mana, it should work. Guledon was still moving its body. The long sleep had covered it with a layer of giant rock armor, but this also restricted its movement. It would take a long time for it to break free from its constraints. This was the perfect moment Viktor had been preparing for. He raised both hands, constructing magic arrays in the air. Layer upon layer of intricate magic arrays filled the surroundings. Vega, watching from above his head, saw endless formations begin to revolve and arrange themselves, amazed at Viktor''s arcane prowess. Viktor didn''t stop after setting all this up. Instead, he threw out several transparent crystals, embedding them in six directions around the volcano''s mouth. "Viktor! Are you planning to use this entire volcano as your formation site?" Viktor didn''t speak, but when Vega saw the smile on his face, it knew it had guessed correctly. The volcano was covered with abstruse runes, countless array wheels revolving in the sky. The six crystals gradually linked up, runes beginning to appear on them, countless patterns starting to connect, bend, and leap. A huge magic array covered the volcano''s mouth like a lid. With a flick of his fingers, various colored and differently shaped spells formed wheel-like formations surrounding Guledon. Viktor glanced at the status bar below Guledon. Frozen, Poisoned, Vulnerable, Agitated..... Countless negative status effects began to attach to the magical beast. He lightly stomped his foot, and dozens of faint lights burst from the formation, injecting into Viktor''s body. Attack increase, Water attribute attack enhancement level 7, Fire resistance..... Viktor felt various powers coursing through his entire body. "So this is the effect of the buffs....." He felt his muscles grow stronger, his reactions more nimble. He could even clearly see the lava dripping from its body. Having done all this, Viktor looked up. At this moment, Guledon, already towering to the clouds, now had a health bar appear above its head. But its length would make ordinary people despair, easily over a hundred meters long. Viktor, with his enhanced perception from the buffs, could see the end of the health bar. lv50! In the gaming world, there''s a saying often used to praise top gamers: As long as you dare to show your health bar, even if you''re a god, I can kill you. A red light flashed in Guledon''s eyes, illuminating the horizon. It had activated. Everything around became even more perilous. The heat rose dramatically, flames could even intermittently self-ignite in the air, and heat waves swept across everything on the volcano. "This is the natural disaster caused by Guledon! Scorching Earth!" The crow warned from Viktor''s shoulder. Viktor naturally knew what was happening, but he still nodded symbolically to Vega. Ten identical blue magic arrays appeared on his ten fingertips, moving slightly. An azure castle slowly flickered into existence in mid-air, waves of energy bursting forth from its center, sweeping across heaven and earth! "[Third-tier Magic: Tidal Sanctuary!]" ...... Gwen led the knight group up the mountain path, casually cutting down a monster. She looked at the fallen monster''s corpse. It looked like a crab, carrying a scorching rock shell on its back. Even after death, its two pincers kept snipping at the air. Soon, the shell suddenly cracked open, and a red crystal rolled out. Gwen, quick-eyed and quick-handed, picked up the glowing red crystal and examined it carefully. She immediately recalled that Viktor had mentioned needing these crystals to make magical items, which piqued her interest. "Everyone, when you encounter these monsters, remember to collect these crystals!" She displayed the red crystal for the knights to remember its appearance. "Yes!" The knights responded in unison. After all, Viktor had helped her quite a bit last night, and she didn''t want to owe him any favors, so she thought of helping Viktor collect some items. A rumbling sound from the mountain top reached every knight''s ears. Gwen suddenly raised her head, looking towards the volcano''s mouth. A plume of black smoke slowly rose from the summit. Suddenly, a terrifying roar came from the mountaintop, echoing across the land. She looked seriously at the summit and asked: "Did you... hear that? That huge roar?" Gwen couldn''t be certain; it just sounded like a roar. The knights looked at each other and shook their heads. "Knight Commander, you must have misheard. It''s probably just the noise of the volcano spewing ash." Gwen shook her head at his words, disagreeing. She thought to herself: "Could it be that only I could hear it?" "What on earth was that?" As Gwen pondered, a sudden flash of insight struck her. Viktor had said he was going to the volcano''s mouth. Could he have discovered something there? "All knights! Quickly head to the volcano''s mouth! Find Viktor!" Upon receiving the order, the knights quickly organized their ranks and advanced uniformly towards the volcano''s mouth. But even after the knights had circled the volcano''s mouth, they found nothing. The knights told Gwen that the surroundings were getting increasingly hot, with temperatures rising to abnormal levels. "Split up and search!" Seeing this, Gwen immediately ordered the knights to divide into five teams and begin searching for Viktor. After a long time, the knights gradually returned, one by one exhausted and drenched in sweat. "Knight Commander! All five teams couldn''t find a trace of him! The horses can''t stand the temperature anymore and are resting on the mountainside." Gwen, her forehead covered in sweat, was also feeling dizzy. How had this dormant volcano suddenly become so scorching hot? "Could this dead volcano really be about to erupt?" She shook her head, not having the energy to think further. Neither the horses nor the knights could withstand the rising temperature any longer and had to retreat down the mountain to rest. Even though her own armor was specially crafted with a level one heat resistance effect, it was still unbearably hot. Gwen waved her hand, just about to lead the knights away, when she saw a pillar of fire suddenly shoot out from the volcano''s mouth towards her. "Everyone, get down!" The knights, not knowing why, quickly laid on the ground upon receiving the order. Even the horses obediently knelt on the mountainside. Gwen turned her head. The fire pillar gradually dispersed into sparks, falling to the ground. The shocking temperature made everyone present feel chest tightness, their breathing labored as if their airways were burning. The volcano''s mouth? How could it spew out such a thing? The more Gwen thought about it, the more confused she became, but there was no time for further contemplation. "The volcano is likely to erupt. Quickly go and evacuate the people at the foot of the mountain!" She waved her hand, issuing the order. The knights hurriedly descended the mountain, rushing towards the town. Gwen looked at the increasingly agitated volcano, her heart filled with worry: "Viktor... where on earth have you gone!?" Chapter 19: That Year, I Stood with My Hands in My PocketsViktor was now at the bottom of the volcan Chapter 19: That Year, I Stood with My Hands in My Pockets Viktor was now at the bottom of the volcano, in the sealed alternate dimension. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his coat fluttering in the hot waves. A phrase automatically flashed through his mind. That year, I stood with my hands in my pockets, not knowing what a worthy opponent was. A shocking pillar of fire rushed towards him. Viktor calmly watched as a curtain instantly rose from the magic array at his feet, easily blocking the attack. Empowered by countless magic arrays, he teleported and maneuvered, with waves surging all around. The enormous boss in his eyes was like nothing more than an oversized, entertaining toy. Guledon''s body gradually rose, surprisingly carrying a small mountain on its back. Lava gushed out from its body, kicking up sand and stones in its wake. The sand and stones passed through his body, but it was as if they had hit a water screen. A stream of water fell, and the original Viktor disappeared. [Second-tier Magic: Water Phantom] The next second, the real Viktor appeared behind the magical beast, condensing a tidal spear made of water in his hand, thrusting it towards Guledon''s rear. Due to elemental weakness, Guledon felt the damage from the water spear intensely. In pain and anger, it spewed lava towards Viktor once again. Seeing Guledon''s increasingly fierce output, Viktor easily dodged those lethal attacks, relying on his invincible evasion. Whenever Guledon raised its hand, Viktor knew exactly what it was about to do. Guledon thrust both palms into the ground, and a towering pillar of fire erupted from beneath Viktor''s feet. Viktor instinctively waved his hand. [Second-tier Magic: Water Curtain] An instantly generated blue water membrane blocked the fire pillar''s assault. Guledon narrowed its eyes at Viktor''s easy response, feeling utterly frustrated. It let out a long roar to the sky, venting its discontent. After a long battle, Viktor remained as relaxed as he was at the start. However, Guledon''s health had only decreased by about a few dozen points. Seeing Viktor handle the situation so easily, Vega fell into self-reflection. Being able to fight toe-to-toe with a calamity, is this guy really human? Unable to figure it out, it simply gave up thinking and shouted at Viktor: "Hey, it''s been hours! Are you going to keep fighting?" Hearing Vega say this, Viktor pondered for a moment. When he first saw Guledon in the game, he and the player alliance fought it for three days and three nights. So then... "Let''s fight for another three days." Viktor rubbed his hands together, eagerly anticipating this exhilarating battle. ...... [Second-tier Magic: Gale''s Ice Storm] [Second-tier Magic: Death Ritual] [Second-tier Magic: Still Water] ...... Countless techniques were used at Viktor''s fingertips, magic arrays flashing one after another in the air, like stars under dark clouds. Vega, watching Viktor pour out spells, was completely stunned in mid-air. "Damn, this guy is really a freak." "This is nowhere near the power of a third-tier mage." Numerous colorful wave attacks continued to wear down the towering monster. The surrounding rock was also dissipating under the intense pressure. Guledon, under attack from so many spells, felt as if countless thorns were pricking its body. Though not fatal, it was painful. Its tail whipped violently, suddenly shearing off half of the narrow volcano mouth. It crashed into the magma with a thunderous boom, splashing thousands of meters high. Viktor, stepping on a black array at his feet, instantly vanished into black mist. Reappearing on the intact side of the volcano mouth, he seized the gap in the attack to continue his output. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Guledon opened its fangs, a fireball as bright as the sun forming in its throat, ready to unleash. Boom! The fireball suddenly burst forth, striking the nearby mountainside. Rocks shattered, dust billowed to the sky. Viktor formed a magic array, swapping places with an ice shell he had buried nearby. The ice shell took the point-blank magical sphere in his place, vaporizing into the air. [Second-tier Magic, Ice Substitute] With his remaining long-distance teleportation still cooling down, Viktor had precisely calculated the maximum evasion distance of the ice substitute. Flying sand and stones lightly grazed his clothes. He hadn''t taken a bit of damage; the boss''s skill had just barely missed him. Viktor clasped his hands together, and a giant gate glowing with white light appeared behind him. [Third-tier Summon: White Spirit''s Evil Tongue] As Viktor gave the command, the huge white marble gate behind him slowly opened. Billowing mist instantly engulfed the entire volcano. Vega''s vision was instantly obscured by white fog. It shouted at the top of its lungs, "Viktor! Viktor! I''m still here! Don''t let whatever you summoned attack me!" With Vega''s knowledge, it certainly knew what Viktor had summoned. White Spirit''s Evil Tongue, indiscriminate in its attacks. Guledon, enveloped by this white mist, constantly waved its giant claws trying to dispel the fog. But the white mist clung to its surroundings like a spider''s web, impossible to tear away no matter how it tried. A pair of thin, pale arms, as if withered, slowly extended, reaching for Guledon. Guledon''s head was grabbed by the hands, forcefully being pulled towards the gate. But due to the Lava Demon God''s immense weight, the White Spirit couldn''t budge it no matter how hard it pulled. So the white gate began to sway precariously. The first part of the White Spirit''s body to emerge was a head, or something resembling a head. Seven eyes were spread around its head in a circle, each gaze causing Guledon intense dizziness. Its body continued to stretch out, the lower half intertwining like three sky-covering pythons, covering the magma at the volcano''s bottom. It tore open the skin at the back of its neck, forcibly producing a third arm. Pulling out its own spine, it transformed it into a blade, cleaving open Guledon''s rock armor. Seeing the white gate collapse, Viktor could only hold his forehead and sigh. "This guy is still so reckless." The summoner''s strength wasn''t as great as his, its only advantage being that it was tougher than him. With the White Spirit entangling Guledon, Viktor freed himself up to cast dozens more weakening spells on the magical beast, preparing for the next round of magic. Viktor pulled some materials from his backpack, crafting some magical items on the spot, casually tossing them at the boss. The effect was minimal. "Still better than nothing," Vega consoled himself, watching him. Soon, after Guledon''s health bar had emptied by about ten percent. The flames in Guledon''s eyes became more vivid, and the lava on its body flowed away rapidly. Its hands were enveloped in an intensely violent flame. Rock spikes also gradually formed on its tail. Viktor''s eyes lit up, a sense of excitement rising in his heart. He had regained the feeling of battle from the past. That excitement made his brain flush with blood. In this form, Guledon''s defense increased significantly, and its skills were also greatly enhanced. This was the true reason it was called the Furnace Beast. The flames turned into lava, leaving Viktor nowhere to stand on the lava-covered ground. Even the White Spirit screamed in pain from the enhanced environment. "Since there''s nowhere for me to stand, I''ll make a place myself." As Viktor said this, he drew a regular square in the air. With a snap of his fingers, a block of water vapor turned into a high-density ice block floating in the air. The battle continued, with Viktor standing on the ice block to continue casting spells. Meanwhile, outside, Mount Vesuvius was showing an alarming state. Most of the knights had already gone to evacuate people from the towns at the foot of the mountain, leaving only Gwen and a few knights who had retreated to the middle of the mountain, constantly monitoring for any special anomalies in the volcano. Just as Gwen''s intuition had predicted, it really happened. They looked up, staring at the gradually reddening surface of the volcano, with streams of water vapor rising from the crater, as if the true color underneath was revealed after the outer shell had fallen off. "Knight Captain, the volcano mouth is as hot as an iron plate now!" one of the knights warned her. Gwen''s expression was grave as she turned to notify the few knights: "Quickly! Report to the capital immediately! Request reinforcements!" The knights nodded and ran towards the town to contact the capital using magic crystals. ...... At the Duke''s mansion. Erica was in her room, holding a bottle of blue potion, sitting on the bed with a blank stare. She felt like all the knowledge she had learned in her life had been for nothing. Previously, she would have thought spending so much money to buy these few bottles of potion was definitely a loss. "Just this one bottle of potion can sell for a thousand Geo?" But now all she could think was: "This thing only sells for a thousand Geo?" She stared at the bottle of potion in her hand, lost in thought, her mind in a jumble. The Duke had gone out on business and hadn''t returned home yet, but she was already eager to tell her father about this discovery. "Your Grace, do you need me to inform the young lady that you''ve returned?" Hearing the servant''s voice outside the door, she darted out like an excited fawn. However, Duke Levi''s response left her at a loss. "No need, tell her I''m going on a long trip and won''t be back for a few days." Standing at the door, Erica had heard everything and stopped in her tracks. Seeing his beloved daughter had already heard, Duke Levi showed a bitter smile. "Erica, the Emperor has issued a mission, urgent support is needed." She was very confused and couldn''t help asking the Duke: "Father, you''re a Duke, why do you need to go personally?" Duke Levi beckoned her to come closer, and Erica obediently walked over. He stroked Erica''s head, gently explaining: "My dear daughter, this is no small matter. All third-tier mages in the capital are required to go, and naturally, second-tier mages are in the lineup as well." "Because you''re relatively young, you won''t be summoned by the royal family." Erica suddenly remembered Viktor, who had gone on a mission a few days ago. He was also a third-tier mage. Now that her father was also being summoned, could they be going to the same place? "What exactly has happened there? Why do they need so many mages?" Erica asked her question, but before the Duke could continue explaining, she eagerly said: "I want to go too!" Hearing Erica say this, Duke Levi immediately became serious and refused. "No, you''re still young, and you need to go to school." "I''m not young anymore, I''m a second-tier mage now. If all second and third-tier mages in the capital are leaving, naturally the academy is no exception. Am I supposed to go find the principal to teach me personally?" She knew the principal wouldn''t easily leave the capital because he was the only fourth-tier Holy Mage within the capital''s borders, needed to personally guard the capital and deter those hidden lawbreakers. As for others, Erica arrogantly and confidently believed that besides Viktor, no one in the academy could teach her anymore. "Even if you say so..." The Duke thought carefully for a while, hesitating. As Erica said, she was no longer young. At seventeen, next year would be her coming of age. He couldn''t keep Erica protected in his hands forever; that way, she would always remain a fledgling. Erica had her own dreams, so when necessary, he also needed to let her go. He couldn''t let his excessive fatherly love clip his daughter''s proud wings. "Alright, Erica, I allow you to accompany me." "The place we''re going to is Mount Vesuvius. The Royal Knight Order has sent out a distress signal." "To be precise, Mount Vesuvius might be about to erupt." Chapter 20: The Dignity of a Power Leveler! (Big Chapter!) Only mages could prevent natural disasters like volcanic eruptions. Especially this time, the scale of Mount Vesuvius''s eruption might be extraordinary. After all, a hundred-zhang-long pillar of fire shooting out from the volcano''s mouth was not normal in any era. Once the lava from the volcanic eruption spread for hundreds of li, villages and crops could be destroyed. Not only would it cause enormous economic losses to the capital, but it would also threaten the lives of many creatures near the volcano. The capital took this matter very seriously, immediately gathering all available mages in the city. The empire''s army dispatched batch after batch of mages, continuously heading towards Mount Vesuvius. Duke Levi and Erica were no exception. After nearly a day of travel, the overnight long-distance journey had left everyone somewhat exhausted. In the early hours of the morning, the team finally reached their destination, and everyone rested on the spot. Due to the collective evacuation by the Knight Order, all the people of Sanchez Town had gathered outside the town. Even chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, and other livestock, including cats and dogs, were driven out without exception. Outside the town, it was a scene of utter chaos, like chickens flying and dogs jumping. The villagers watched as large numbers of troops and mages entered the town, no one knowing exactly what was happening. At this moment, the atmosphere around the camp was extremely tense. Duke Levi was among the last batches of mages to arrive. When he got off the carriage, many mages from other noble families greeted him with smiles, actively approaching him. "It''s been a long time, Duke Levi." A white-haired nobleman walked towards Duke Levi, leaning on a cane, with other noble mages closely following around him. "Long time no see, Mr. Beck." Duke Levi responded politely. "We probably haven''t met since the last kingdom gathering." Beck reminisced, speaking to the Duke. The Duke nodded, smiling in agreement. "This must be your daughter, she''s truly graceful." "Oh, you''re too kind." Beck noticed the badge symbolizing a second-tier mage on Erica''s chest. Pushing up his glasses, he continued: "Indeed, your daughter has already reached the second-tier stage." "It seems the academy wasn''t exaggerating." Erica knew these were just pleasantries among adults. But hearing her evaluation from other renowned mages still made her a bit happy. No one dislikes praise, and Erica, who had grown up surrounded by compliments, was no exception. Duke Levi smiled at his daughter, she was his pride. "Haha, your daughter''s magical talent truly makes us old men envious." The adults exchanged pleasantries, gradually calming down. In the mage circle, almost everyone knew each other. Duke Levi was one of the few third-tier mages, and the remaining few third-tier mages were also nobles. In the Carencia Empire, high-level mages were almost monopolized by the nobility. It was rare for even a single second-tier mage to emerge from the commoners. At this moment, a silver-white figure appeared before everyone''s eyes. Duke Levi glanced at her, knowing this was the second daughter of the Delin family. She currently holds the position of Captain of the Royal Knight Order in the capital. "Gwen Delin reporting." When the mages saw Gwen approach them with a solemn expression, their hearts tightened. Was the volcano''s current situation not optimistic? "Esteemed mages, since the volcano showed abnormal changes yesterday, it has remained in a relatively stable state until now." Gwen gripped her silver sword tightly, sweat dripping from her forehead. The mages breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her news. The white-haired mage patted his chest, his hand holding the cane also relaxing considerably. This way, they only needed to take preventive measures here, rather than expending a lot of energy to directly confront a natural disaster. At this time, Erica was standing quietly beside Duke Levi, observing everything. "Father, who is this...?" Duke Levi whispered in Erica''s ear, "This is the current Captain of the Royal Knight Order." Erica nodded. It was her first time seeing the Captain of the Knight Order, and she was somewhat shocked to learn that the Captain was a woman. She didn''t know Gwen, much less that Gwen was Viktor''s fiance, but Gwen knew her. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The magical prodigy student known throughout the country, Gwen had naturally heard of her. Not to mention that because of Viktor''s incident last time, it made her remember Erica clearly. Gwen looked at the blonde girl before her, thinking to herself: ''So this is Duke Levi''s daughter? She''s really beautiful, no wonder Viktor impulsively confessed.'' Previously, she had only seen Erica in newspapers. Meeting her in person this time, Gwen was also momentarily stunned by her aura. Just one look at her would make people feel like they were falling in love. "Well then, Knight Captain Gwen, what exactly happened at the volcano?" Gwen briefly explained to Duke Levi about the Knight Orders investigation after arriving at the volcano. ..... "What? You say you heard a huge roar when you were halfway up the mountain?" "After the Knight Order investigated the summit, the volcano''s temperature suddenly rose? And it even shot out a hundred-meter-high pillar of fire?" Beck and the other third-tier mages listened in shock, asking each other: "What''s going on?" "I don''t know, do you?" "I don''t know either, never heard of such a thing." The mages looked at each other, standing there not knowing what to say. Duke Levi also fell into deep thought as he listened to Gwen''s account, just as clueless as the other mages about what was happening. Gwen remembered something else and said: "This time we requested an accompanying mage. He went to the summit ahead of us, saying he was going to investigate something, but then he disappeared. We still don''t know his whereabouts." "What?" Now they were all stunned, after all, such words were too easy to arouse suspicion. Erica also froze upon hearing this, as if realizing something. For the first time, she actively spoke up from the side to ask: "Who was that mage?" Gwen looked at her puzzledly, then answered: "You should all know him, it''s Viktor Klayvenna." The moment this name was mentioned, it immediately caused a stir among the mages. Several mages who harbored resentment towards Viktor seized this opportunity, righteously declaring: "It must be Viktor''s doing!" "That''s right! He''s done other bad things before, this must be his handiwork too!" Everyone present knew of Viktor''s ''notorious'' reputation. Once there was a chance to slander him, they showed no mercy. Duke Levi was also perplexed, but still tried to persuade the other mages: "Everyone, let''s not rush to conclusions. The most important thing now is to prevent the volcanic eruption and minimize potential damage!" Hearing the Duke speak, the mages stopped arguing. As Levi said, at this point, finding the mastermind behind this wasn''t important. Getting through the immediate crisis was the top priority. "ROAR!!!" As they were speaking, a furious roar suddenly came from atop the volcano. This time, everyone heard it loud and clear. The mages collectively looked towards the volcano''s summit, unable to utter a word. Was that sound... from a living creature? "Ma''am! You can''t go through!" The voices of surrounding knights attracted everyone''s attention, and all eyes turned in that direction. It was an old woman, trying to push past the knights'' blockade to enter the base. "Someone has angered the Volcano God! Someone must have angered the Volcano God!" She shouted from behind the guarding knights: "It''s all over! We''re all doomed!" The mages looked at each other. Duke Levi waved his hand, saying to the knights. "Let her in." "Yes, sir!" The knights stopped obstructing her, and the old woman quickly broke free from their grasp, limping over with her cane. "Grandmother, what is the Volcano God?" Duke Levi asked her kindly, but the surrounding mages, seeing the old woman''s earlier frenzied behavior, started chattering: "What can we learn from this crazy old woman?" "What Volcano God? I''ve never even heard of it." "She''s probably here to cause chaos. Duke Levi, we should quickly send her away." Duke Levi didn''t heed the mages'' advice, instead looking kindly at the old woman and asking. "Grandmother, if you have something to say, please feel free to tell me." The old woman looked the Duke up and down, suddenly changing from her previous frenzied demeanor to a mysterious tone: "Hundreds of years ago, someone sealed a flame-burning demon god under the volcano. That sealing angered the Volcano God, causing an eruption here." "But after that eruption, the volcano remained silent for hundreds of years." "Now that the volcano is stirring again, it must be because the sleeping Volcano God is angry once more. It''s about to break through the seal and burn the sky and earth to ashes." The many mages present listened in bewilderment, quickly interjecting: "Duke, don''t mind her, it''s just some folk mythology." Duke Levi''s expression, however, was extremely grave. He smelled a familiar scent in this story. At this moment, Erica glanced towards the summit. She touched her chest, as if in thought, then turned to Duke Levi and said. "Father, I want to go to the summit to take a look." "I feel... there''s something up there." "Absolutely not!" Hearing Erica''s request, the Duke waved his hand, his attitude extremely firm as he exclaimed: "Erica, I can agree to many things, but on this matter, there''s no room for discussion!" Erica, unwilling to give up, continued to plead for her father''s permission: "Father! I''m already a second-tier mage, I have the ability to handle things on my own." "Unless your strength surpasses mine, I absolutely won''t allow you to set foot on the volcano''s crater!" Seeing Duke Levi''s stance, Erica could only fall silent. This was completely unreasonable. Her father had been immersed in third-tier magic for over thirty years. Everyone said that if a new fourth-tier Holy Mage were to appear, it would definitely be Levi du Cloie. Erica thought about how she couldn''t even surpass Viktor, how could she possibly jump two tiers to reach the fourth tier? But... Erica felt a tightness in her chest. In that roar just now, she had heard a voice speaking. ''Some voice is saying it hurts.'' Meanwhile, Duke Levi had already started issuing orders to the mage squad. The volcano''s abnormal activity was becoming more apparent. The third-tier mages took formation, with second-tier mages taking turns to supply magic as support. They needed to draw magic arrays to summon powerful war magic to cover the entire Mount Vesuvius before the eruption. When the time came, whether it was lava erupting or something jumping out of the volcano. They would eliminate it all! ...... "Finally... injured?" Vega stared blankly, looking at Viktor in disbelief. His current state couldn''t be described as good. Half of his coat had been burned away, and flames continuously burned at the wounds where magma had attacked his body. However, this was actually the first time Viktor had been injured after an entire day of intense battle... Monster, it could only describe him as such. Even though he was facing a calamity-like disaster, he had been able to fight against it for a whole day, and even wounded it. During this time, he had only been injured once. This was because he was momentarily distracted and grazed by that shocking pillar of fire. Just this one hit had caused him considerable damage. If he had been struck directly by the fire pillar, he probably wouldn''t even have bones left now. "It''s still too much of a strain after all....." But being injured was definitely not good news. It meant Viktor''s energy was declining, and he was falling into fatigue. The continuous battle was gradually making it difficult for him to concentrate. "Why don''t we just give up? While you still have enough magic power, quickly teleport away." Vega persuaded him, although he knew Viktor wasn''t the type to give up easily. But his condition wasn''t optimistic. Viktor didn''t answer it, instead casting magic to buff himself with fire resistance, stopping the burns, while dodging another shocking pillar of fire. "If I leave now, this magical beast will instantly break out of Mount Vesuvius." "At that time, it would truly be a catastrophe for all living beings." "Vega, do you understand?" Vega was stunned. After saying this, Viktor remembered that Vega was an evil god, so he continued: "I''m sorry, I forgot that you probably don''t care about these things." "But I do." Viktor threw away his shattered, completely ruined coat. He let it flutter in the wind, falling into the magma. The coat turned into sparks in the air, completely dissipating. "I''m not trying to be a good person, but I also don''t want this unstoppable giant beast to break out of its cage, and then have people put a hat labeled ''world destroyer'' on my head." He had already reduced Guledon''s health by a third, which was his proud achievement. As long as he could break through the magical beast''s defense, there was no boss he couldn''t kill. Viktor still looked at the enraged Guledon with the same determination as at the beginning, becoming even more excited. Only in such high-intensity battles did he feel like he had found himself again. "It''s just one injury, I haven''t lost yet." Because this was a battle that staked his dignity as a power leveler! Chapter 21: Duke, Your Daughter Is Incredible The mages summoned from the capital gathered on the mountainside of the volcano, encircling it completely. They raised their arms high, their magical power interconnecting and gradually forming a massive magical array surrounding the volcano. Streams of light flowed, magnificent for hundreds of li. Many magical steel nails embedded in the volcano were affected by the formation, their magical chains beginning to jingle and rattle, penetrating deeper into the volcano. Runes were inscribed upon the formation, making the enormous array increasingly substantial, spreading outward for hundreds of li. Second-tier mages stood at a lower level than the third-tier mages, continuously supplying them with magical power. When the first batch of second-tier mages became exhausted, the second batch took over. Once the earliest batch of second-tier mages had rested and recovered, they returned to the field, rotating in cycles. Over a dozen third-tier mages concentrated, beginning to chant towards the center of the magical array: "The God of the Abyss weeps! Gather the world''s cold!" "The God of Mercy begs! Sing the tears of the underworld!" ... Although Erica was the duke''s daughter, she received no special treatment. She was assigned to the ranks of the second-tier mages like everyone else. After evacuating the civilians, the knights stood guard nearby to protect these mages from disturbance. Magic attracts magical beasts, so they guarded the mages, slaying any creatures that approached. "This magical array covering the entire Mount Vesuvius becomes more powerful the longer the spell is maintained," said Duke Levi, a third-tier mage, as he strained to adjust the formation. He only hoped that the volcano''s eruption could be delayed further. If this grand array could be maintained for a day, it would definitely be able to intercept the entire eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This continued for an hour. The first batch of second-tier mages descended the mountain, and another batch took their place. Erica was among this batch of mages. She stood behind Duke Levi, beginning to chant softly, transferring her magical power to her father. While chanting spells and drawing the array, Duke Levi observed Erica''s every move. Seeing Erica able to hold her own, he felt somewhat proud. "Erica, you''ve grown up." The second round of mages went down, and the third batch was about to come up, but Erica didn''t leave. She secretly drank a bottle of blue potion she had purchased from Lia, instantly feeling her spiritual power replenished. Duke Levi was surprised to see Erica still continuing, and at the same time, he was very pleased. "I didn''t expect Erica to possess such an abundance of spiritual power." "When I was her age, I was far from her level." Another hour passed, and after the third batch of mages went down, the fourth batch had already come up. Erica was still standing on the magical array, continuing to supply magical power to Duke Levi. She secretly drank another bottle of potion, fully restoring her spirit once again. If Duke Levi was merely surprised before, now he was completely shocked! Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Is Erica''s talent really this terrifying!?" "This astonishing spiritual power has already surpassed many third-tier mages." And he, as Erica''s father, only now realized how powerful his daughter was! Soon, the fourth batch of mages also depleted their magical power and went down to rest successively. Erica secretly drank another bottle and continued supplying power. All the third-tier mages around Duke Levi noticed Erica. It had been four hours already, where did she get so much magical power from? Could it be that within the chest of this genius girl, there was an ocean called ''magic''!? These mages couldn''t help but ask the duke: "Duke Levi, is your daughter a monster? To have such terrifying spiritual reserves." "Indeed, I''ve never seen anyone''s ox plow for so long without rest." Duke Levi began to worry. He feared his daughter was pushing herself too hard, potentially causing irreversible damage to her body. But seeing that his daughter still seemed quite relaxed, he held back what he wanted to say. What was really going on? He couldn''t figure it out. Until five hours later, when the first batch of the second round of mages had already gone down to rest again, the second-tier mages who should have been in the same group as Erica once again climbed to the mountaintop. To their surprise, they saw the duke''s daughter. She was still standing on the magical array below Duke Levi, like an astonishing lamp, her whole body radiating magical light. ??? Don''t you need to rest? Indeed, after each batch of mages went down, Erica would secretly drink a potion to keep her magical power at a relatively comfortable level. Erica sensed the shock and surprise in their eyes and felt very proud of her actions. ''Thanks to the potions made by Professor Viktor, I can continue to persist like this!'' ''Father will surely look at me with new eyes!'' While she was still feeling elated, Duke Levi''s roar came like an iron hammer, jolting her back to reality. "Erica! Go down and rest right now!!!" Erica: "....." It was the first time she had seen her father so angry with her. For a moment, she felt scared and shrank back, lowering her head as she went down. However, her reputation had already spread throughout the ranks of the second-tier mages. "Who understands? She''s just a freak! When I went down for the first time, she hadn''t left, and when I returned for the second time, she was still up there!" "You mean Duke Levi''s daughter? I saw it too, her spiritual power must already be comparable to a third-tier mage..." "Even Viktor might find it hard to compete with her." Erica had good hearing and heard these secret praises about her, feeling somewhat proud. Some even compared her to Viktor, and when she heard this, she couldn''t help but feel jubilant. But Erica was also very clear that without those potions, she could never have sustained for such a long time. Those magical potions were made by Viktor... Thinking of this, the praises she heard suddenly felt incredibly ugly. Indeed, she was no match for Professor Viktor. Perhaps, in her entire life, she would never be able to catch even a glimpse of his back. "Roar!!!" Another earth-shaking roar came from the mouth of Mount Vesuvius. Rocks began to crumble, and ash flew towards the ground. The dark clouds above the volcano seemed to be shattered, with cracks appearing, burning red within the gaps. The mountain began to tremble, and magma started to stir restlessly inside the volcano. "Look! What''s that!?" A knight pointed at the high-temperature raindrops falling from the sky. Countless fire rains fell near the volcano''s mouth, and rocks exploded like bombs when touched by the raindrops. All the mages and knights became alert. The mages immediately began to draw temporary magical arrays to deal with the crisis, while the knights started to enchant their armor and silver swords with magical items. Was the volcano about to erupt now? Suddenly, Erica heard a voice in her heart: ''It hurts, it hurts so much...'' "That voice again! What exactly is happening?" She clearly heard this voice coming from the volcano''s peak, and she really wanted to go up there to see. Moreover, perhaps... Professor Viktor was there! Erica remembered the mages'' slanderous words about Professor Viktor. She didn''t want to consider Viktor as the mastermind behind the volcanic eruption. But in this situation, anyone would suspect Viktor. The disappeared Viktor, and the imminent volcanic eruption. "No! I must find a way to get to the volcano''s mouth and take a look." Thinking this, Erica noticed the Knight Order guarding the formation nearby. There was the only woman in the Knight Order, She was beautiful, the second most beautiful woman Erica had ever seen apart from her mother. The first was the sister in the Kravina store. Completely different from that sister''s aura, she was like a knight who had walked out of ice, with a cold presence. Just standing there made people feel a sense of distance. Unapproachable. Erica had heard that this knight was the current Captain of the Royal Knight Order Gwen. She decided to approach this sister and ask for permission to leave. "If I directly say I want to go to the volcano''s mouth, it definitely won''t work." Erica paced on the spot, thinking, when suddenly an idea popped into her head. She pretended to be anxious and rushed in front of Gwen. As she had hoped, her behavior indeed caught the other''s attention. "Um, Knight sister, I need to use the bathroom. Could you let me leave here for a while?" "No." Gwen answered decisively. "I''m here to ensure the safety of all of you. Miss Erica, please endure it." "Ugh... Cold and rigid knight, only knows how to follow orders." Erica muttered, returning sulkily. But she felt increasingly anxious inside. The voice from the mountaintop, the disappeared Viktor, all seemed to be reminding her of something. She must leave here and go to the peak! At this moment, Duke Levi suddenly appeared beside her, patting her shoulder. "Eep!" Erica''s body trembled, like a startled little rabbit. Duke Levi said sternly: "Dear, give me an explanation." Chapter 22: We’re Both Girls, You Must Understand Duke Levi appeared behind Erica, his hand on her shoulder, his face extremely stern. Seeing her father suddenly appear behind her, Erica felt a bit nervous. She thought her plan to sneak away had been discovered. Her eyes wandered as she pondered her next move, but then she heard Duke Levi ask: "Explain to me, how were you able to persist on the magical array for so long earlier?" Hearing Duke Levi''s question, Erica immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Her tense smile also relaxed. "Oh, it''s about that." Erica moved behind the duke, saying mysteriously: "It''s because I have a treasure!" "A treasure?" Duke Levi was puzzled. What kind of treasure could have such an astonishing effect, making Erica''s spiritual power so strong? Erica proudly told her father: "It''s something from Professor Viktor." "What? Viktor''s?" Hearing this name, Duke Levi was truly bewildered. He certainly knew Viktor was a genius, having become a professor at such a young age. Has Viktor already created an item that could increase spiritual power? No, that''s not the point! The point is, why did Viktor''s item end up in Erica''s hands? Did Viktor give this kind of thing to Erica? Was it to curry favor with her? Duke Levi suddenly became furious, feeling a fire ''whoosh'' up inside him. "Damn Viktor, you''re still thinking about Erica!" He wished he could wring that bastard Viktor''s head off right now! Daring to covet his precious daughter, he must be taught the meaning of consequences! But then, he suddenly felt something was amiss. Didn''t Erica really dislike Viktor? How come she now seemed so proud when mentioning Viktor!? The more Duke Levi thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. Viktor was deceiving his daughter. Seeing Duke Levi like this, Erica took out a small blue potion from her bag. "What''s this?" Duke Levi curiously asked, seeing the potion she took out. He had never seen a blue potion like this before. "This was bought from Professor Viktor''s item shop, and it only cost 1,000 Geo per bottle!" Duke Levi: "....." Misunderstanding cleared. He had thought Viktor was seducing Erica at the academy. Now it seemed it wasn''t as he had imagined. He looked at the potion in Erica''s hand and suddenly froze. "Wait!" "Erica, how much did you say this thing costs?" Duke Levi doubted if his ears were playing tricks on him. 1,000 Geo, he must have heard wrong. Erica puffed out her chest, proudly repeating: "1,000 Geo!" Duke Levi: "....." When did he raise such a spendthrift daughter? Never mind, never mind, this is his daughter, his own flesh and blood, his own flesh and blood. Duke Levi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and forced out a smile, saying to Erica with a stiff expression: A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "Daddy doesn''t remember ever teaching you to waste money like this." Hearing her father say this, Erica immediately retorted: "I''m not wasting money at all!" "Your spiritual power is no longer sufficient to sustain the array, right?" Duke Levi nodded. Just as Erica said, although countless second-tier mages were providing magical power, his own spiritual power was already largely depleted, and he could only come down to rest. This was something no mage could avoid. Even with a body full of powerful magic, if spiritual power was insufficient, magical power couldn''t be mobilized, arrays couldn''t be arranged, runes couldn''t be carved, and magic couldn''t be released. If someone could continuously cast magic for three days and three nights without collapsing... Well, there''s nothing more to say, just challenge them to a duel right away. Even boasting shouldn''t be so far-fetched. Although that''s what he thought, Levi still remembered Erica''s heroic figure continuously supplying magical power on the array for five hours. Could it be related to this thing? "Try this." Erica opened the potion''s cap and handed it to her father. Duke Levi frowned at the small bottle of blue potion, feeling somewhat resistant. It didn''t look like anything good. "This... liquid... looks like industrial wastewater full of dye." Could this possibly taste good? "Hurry up and drink it!" Erica urged him impatiently. Hearing his daughter''s urging, Duke Levi swallowed it down, suppressing his resistance. Whoosh! A faint blue light appeared on his body. Almost instantly, his internal spiritual power recovered by a small half. It was enough to support him to continue casting spells. He felt his fatigued spirit instantly become much lighter. Duke Levi rubbed his forehead, the previous fatigue almost entirely dissipated. As a high-level mage who had been immersed in the third tier for over thirty years, he naturally understood how astonishing the effect of this thing was. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was around, he quickly pocketed the now empty bottle, lowered himself to protect Erica, and whispered in her ear: "Don''t let this get out, at least, not now!" "Tell daddy, how many bottles do you have left?" Erica counted on her fingers. She had bought ten bottles in total, wasted one at home to test its effect, consumed four while continuously releasing magic on the array, and her father just drank one to restore his spiritual power, so there were... "Four bottles left." Duke Levi grabbed Erica''s shoulders, lowered his head, and said seriously. "Keep this a secret until we return to the capital." "If this gets out now, it might attract the covetous eyes of ill-intentioned people." "You can''t handle this thing, give it to daddy, daddy can handle it!" Hearing her father speak like this, Erica sighed and shook her head: "No way, I spent a lot of my pocket money to buy these." "I''ll double your pocket money when we get home!" "Deal." Erica thought to herself: ''Anyway, this was made by Professor Viktor. When I see him at the academy, I can just ask him to make some more.'' ''Professor Viktor should agree to my request... right?'' Feeling like she had made quite a profit from her father, Erica was in a very good mood, so she readily handed over three bottles to Duke Levi. If it weren''t for her father saying that she should keep one bottle with her just in case, she would have given them all away. Duke Levi hugged the potions and carefully left. Seeing her father''s somewhat comical appearance, Erica couldn''t help but laugh. Duke Levi quickly returned to the mountainside and stood on the grand array again, continuing to release magical power to construct the formation. Several third-tier mages who were still resting saw Duke Levi climb the mountain again. They couldn''t help but ask: "Lord Duke, don''t you need to rest?" Duke Levi turned to look at them, showing a kind smile: "Hmm, my spiritual power is still sufficient. You rest first, I can maintain the grand array myself." ??? Again? The several third-tier mages whose magical power was exhausted were stunned on the spot. Just now it was your daughter standing there for five hours without budging, and now you''re up there and won''t come down? Is your entire Du Croy family full of freaks? At this moment, Erica was extremely happy. If it weren''t for getting the duke out of the way, she wouldn''t have given away the potions even if her pocket money had increased tenfold. She wanted to go to the mountaintop, and at this point, she could only try her luck with Gwen. So, Erica returned to Gwen, pretending to be shy as she said: "Sister, I can''t hold it anymore!" "We''re both girls, sister, you must understand me." Erica looked at Gwen with teary eyes, pleading. Gwen thought for a moment, and suddenly, her face turned slightly red. She seemed to understand what Erica was talking about. However, had that time of the month come for her today? This kind of thing concerns a girl''s dignity. Gwen thought about it and had to agree to Erica''s request. Erica''s reason was indeed hard to refuse. Erica was very happy at first, almost jumping up, but remembering what she had just said, she could only pretend to still be in unbearable pain. Then she heard Gwen say: "For your safety, I will accompany you." Erica immediately deflated. With such a powerful knight captain by her side, her chances of escaping under her nose were slim. But Erica hadn''t given up yet. As long as she found an opportunity, she could still get away! Soon, the two came to an uninhabited area. The volcano''s surface was all flat ground, with hardly any cover to be found. They finally found a rock that could barely provide some cover. Erica''s eyes darted around, and with a red face, she asked Gwen to move away a bit, saying she was a bit shy. Gwen was puzzled for a moment, then said: "We''re both girls, what''s there to be shy about?" Nevertheless, she stepped back a few paces. Erica crouched behind the rock, about to make the motion of taking off her pants, when she looked up and met Gwen''s eyes. She felt somewhat indignant and said to Gwen from afar: "Can you turn your head away and not look at me?" Gwen: "....." She silently stepped back a few more paces, then turned her head away. If she didn''t want to look, fine, it''s all the same anyway. In this brief moment of turning her head, a blue light shone on the volcano. Gwen just caught the edge of the faint blue light and instantly turned her head back. The teleportation array had already formed, and Erica''s body stepped into it, smiling and waving at Gwen. "Tell my father I''ll return safely." Gwen rushed forward, reaching out to stop her, but the distance was too great, and she couldn''t make it in time. Whoosh! Erica''s figure instantly disappeared. Gwen grasped at empty air, lowering her head to look at the ground, muttering: "Teleportation... magic?" Where could she have gone? Gwen recalled Erica''s initial inquiry. "Who was that mage?" Viktor Kravina. This name suddenly flashed in her mind, and her gaze quickly turned towards the mountaintop. The next second, it was as if a whirlwind had risen beneath her feet, and she sprinted towards the summit at an extremely fast speed. Chapter 23: The Boss Has Unleashed Their Ultimate Move! What? We Have One Too! "Phew~ I''ve finally managed to escape successfully." Erica was overjoyed. She knew that under normal circumstances, she would never be able to shake off Gwen. To prevent being caught, she had deliberately prepared a teleportation spell well in advance. Waiting for the moment when Gwen wasn''t paying attention, she activated it instantly! She was very fortunate that Professor Viktor had taught her how to use teleportation magic correctly when he first came to the academy. Although she couldn''t teleport dozens of kilometers away like a third-tier mage, she could still manage a range of a few kilometers. "Gwen probably thinks I''ve teleported far away." Instead of teleporting to the mountaintop, Erica had moved several kilometers across the mountainside, essentially reaching the other side of the mountain. The surrounding scenery was still somewhat desolate, with little change. Erica began to walk towards the volcano''s peak. As she went higher, she could feel the temperature rising significantly. She hadn''t gone far before feeling unbearably hot. The surrounding rocks were emitting steam, as the moisture in the air was being evaporated by the high temperature. Further up, she could even see various rock fragments that had burst due to the extreme heat. Looking at the scenery around her, Erica felt apprehensive, but she continued to climb the mountain despite the scorching heat. At the same time, she didn''t forget to add a few heat-resistant status effects to herself. As a mage, she knew this phenomenon was caused by the abundance of fire elements on the volcano. "I knew it, this isn''t a simple volcanic eruption." "How could a normal volcanic eruption bring out so many magical elements?" Erica confirmed her suspicions. Only by going up the mountain could she see more. Her father and the others only knew how to use magic to isolate everything, without ever thinking about solving the problem from its root. "Those old mages with their rigid thinking." She muttered to herself, then suddenly thought of Viktor, who was also a third-tier mage. The youngest third-tier mage, whose record no one had been able to surpass until now. ''The volcanic disturbance... Was it really caused by Viktor?'' Crack As she was thinking, the sound of a stone being crushed came from behind her. "What''s that!?" She whirled around to look. A red hedgehog had burrowed out of the ground, its body wrapped in faint flames, charging straight at Erica. "Level two magical beast! Fire Hedgehog." Erica casually conjured a magic array, aiming it at the creature. [Second-tier Magic: Water Cannon] As she spoke, a huge water bullet began to spin rapidly in Erica''s hand, then burst forth in an instant. The Fire Hedgehog was knocked back tens of meters, landing on the ground with its four legs in the air. The flames on its body had completely evaporated, leaving it looking like charcoal. It was clearly dead. Naturally, the strength of a level two magical beast was no match for an elite mage who had been training for years. An instant kill was to be expected. "That was so easy." Erica could hardly believe it. This was her first time defeating a magical beast in the wild. It turned out she wasn''t weak at all. She felt proud of her bravery. Mount Vesuvius was inherently a rather dangerous place. Fire-type magical beasts were quite widespread. The higher one went, the more numerous the magical beasts became. Not only that, but their strength also increased in proportion to their numbers. At first, she could handle them easily, but later on, it started to become more challenging. The closer to the summit, the more powerful the monsters became. Erica could barely manage to defeat them, but she felt something wasn''t right. "I recognized all these magical beasts from the academy, but why is there such a big difference between their actual strength and what we were taught in class?" You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Another Fire Hedgehog sprang out of the ground. This time, Erica had to use several spells before she could completely defeat it. Compared to the previous magical beasts, its claws had become sharper, and the flames on its back were more intense. Naturally, its aggressiveness had also increased. "These magical beasts, have they been enhanced?" This thought flashed through Erica''s mind. "The dense fire elements in the surroundings have made them stronger." The increase in fire elements wasn''t a coincidence. She wanted to climb further up the mountain, as Erica felt that she would find the answers she was looking for at the summit. However, the terrifying temperature was starting to make Erica feel dizzy, and the increasingly powerful magical beasts were also making her hesitant. Even her magic was gradually failing to withstand the high temperature of the flames. Erica stood still, deciding to rest and think of a way to reach the summit. Suddenly, she remembered the last magic potion left in her bag. She looked at the magic potion, then raised her head to gaze towards the summit. A flash of inspiration struck her. "I''ve got an idea!" Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain. Gwen was sprinting non-stop towards the summit, even though the surrounding temperature was so hot that she was sweating profusely. The silver sword in her hand was as cold as ice, cutting down one magical beast after another that tried to block her path. "First Viktor, and now the Duke''s daughter." "Why do they all like to cause trouble?" Didn''t she want to find Viktor? No, of course she did. To be precise, she wanted to find him so badly she was almost going crazy. She wanted to find Viktor and confront him face to face about whether he was really the cause of the volcanic disturbance. If he said yes, her fist would land on Viktor''s face the next second. However, Gwen had to obey orders. She had to protect all the mages and the residents. "Viktor... you just wait." Gwen swiftly cut off the heads of the magical beasts blocking her path, running towards the summit as if there were no obstacles. Soon, she too encountered a barrier. In front of her, astonishing amounts of lava were gushing out from the cracks in the volcano''s surface. It was as if the volcano was wounded and bleeding. This made it impossible for her to continue forward. The scorching heat of her armor was unbearable, forcing her to step back and look at the summit, pondering for a solution. ...... "Severely wounded... It must be severely wounded." Vega kept marveling. Before it, the shell of the Fire Calamity had fallen off, and an astonishing amount of lava was flowing out from the wounds on its body. This was the Fire Calamity, with vast amounts of lava flowing out from within its body. That was its "blood". "What a terrifying creature." Vega kept exclaiming. It was referring to Viktor. [Third-tier Magic: Torrential Rend] [Third-tier Magic: Sandstorm Mudflow] Various magical arrays swirled in the sky, with five arrays continuously outputting magic in the air. Below, the volcano was constantly churning with lava, and spots of magma were bursting out from the surrounding rock walls. Viktor kept casting spells, adding various negative enhancements to Guledon''s body. After the damage accumulated to the point of severe injury, Guledon''s movements became extremely slow, and even the chance to scratch Viktor no longer existed. This battle was enough to change Vega''s perception. It didn''t even blink its eyes, ignoring its burning feathers. "It can''t be, is he really going to win?" If Viktor won, Vega would be willing to call him the strongest human it had ever seen. No, that''s not right. Even if Viktor didn''t win, his strength was already beyond imagination. To be precise, what he possessed wasn''t overwhelming power. The gap between Guledon and Viktor was like an unbridgeable chasm. Guledon''s form was enormous, so powerful that it only needed to hit Viktor once to kill him completely. However... It couldn''t do it. Even though Viktor needed to defeat it countless times, it only needed to win once. Yet in this battle with such a huge disparity, Viktor had turned the impossible into possible with his own hands. After nearly three days and two nights of intense fighting, Guledon had only managed to scratch Viktor once. As for Viktor? In battle, he was as calm as a stroll in the park, completely at ease. Guledon''s attacks seemed to be in slow motion in his eyes. For some unnecessary attacks, he didn''t even need to teleport to avoid them. Just a few steps were enough to dodge them perfectly. The damage he had taken earlier didn''t seem to affect his condition. Instead, it had ignited his fighting spirit. In the time since he was injured, his magic use had become even more fluid! Finally! Someone fell into a weakened state first. The weakened one wasn''t Viktor, but Guledon. The Calamity, which humans were supposedly unable to defeat, was for the first time driven into a corner by a single human. Its health had dropped to thirty percent, an absolute state of weakness. Its shell no longer glowed, and its power and speed had decreased significantly. Vega was dumbfounded. In that amazing state earlier, it couldn''t even scratch Viktor. And now, it has fallen into a weakened state. Doesn''t this mean Viktor was sure to win? Vega looked towards Viktor, but found that he didn''t seem to think so. Not only had he not relaxed, but his expression was solemn, on high alert. He was even muttering to himself. "That attack is coming." That attack? Which attack? Vega was stunned. Then, a terrifying tremor resonated in the air, almost causing it to lose control of its body balance. The volcano shook violently, and even the ground began to tremble. The earth gradually disintegrated, the lava slowly ceased to flow, and a giant object began to surge upwards from beneath the layers of magma in the volcano. The entire volcano teetered on the brink of collapse, and Guledon''s eyes shone like two suns, emitting scorching light. A pillar of fire broke through layers of lava, melting rocks, covering the sky and the earth. Countless fiery rocks wrapped in lava fell everywhere, like a shower of meteors. "[Wrath of the Flame Rift]." Viktor knew exactly what this was and slowly spoke the name of Guledon''s final move. Vega, while dodging the rapidly falling fiery rocks in the air, looked at the pillar of fire that was about to break through the constraints of the volcano''s crater diameter, and cursed: "Fire Calamity! You fucking sore loser!" How could anyone dodge this? "Dodge?" Viktor sneered. He had never thought about dodging! Almost at the last moment, Viktor''s eyes lit up with an astonishing azure color. Terrifying magical elements enveloped the entire base of the volcano! In an instant, a massive phantom castle appeared in the sky, as if it would completely suppress the entire mountain mouth. The castle lit up with multiple enormous magical arrays. HumHumHum One... Two... Three! A total of three barrier arrays began to construct rapidly. The arrays interconnected, and the patterns of the three layers gradually intertwined, forming a heaven-reaching ark at the center of the giant array, like a sacred tree bud suddenly blooming. The endless power made Vega feel the danger even from mid-air above the volcano. The sun-obscuring array slowly descended, breaking through layers of gloomy clouds. For a moment, it seemed to reveal a vast expanse of azure sky. A powerful pressure enveloped all creatures except Viktor. The gigantic Guledon''s feet sank into the ground, its head barely able to lift. Vega was also knocked down by this pressure, coincidentally landing on Viktor''s shoulder. "War magic!? Damn it, when did he set this up!?" Vega looked at the enormous array falling from the sky. Those fiery rocks carrying lava vanished instantly like pebbles in the face of the war magic. Once again perched on the shoulder, it could no longer utter a word. It could only inwardly grumble: ''Isn''t war magic supposed to require a group of mages to cast?'' ''This freak can cast it alone, isn''t that too much?'' The next second, the pillar of fire rising from the ground collided with the ark from the sky. As the two world-destroying attacks clashed, Vega could no longer hear the surrounding sounds. There were only dazzling light waves and a sky-piercing momentum. The powerful collision of attacks even tore the sound apart completely, and the airflow shattered the mountain body, causing it to collapse frantically. In a daze, it seemed to hear Viktor''s chant entering its ears. "[Magic Imperial Capital Fall of the Ark of Apocalypse]" Zing!!! A white light shot into the sky, enveloping everything Chapter 24: I Understand the Logic, But Why Can a Crow Talk? A blue array appeared out of thin air at the volcano''s peak, and a figure gradually materialized from within. It was Erica. Without interrupting the array, she had also increased its casting range. Undeniably, this was the most effective method she could think of right now. The biggest difference between second-tier and third-tier mages when using teleportation magic was their mana reserves. And the mana reserve also determined the teleportation distance. Erica took a sip of the potion, restoring some mana, barely managing to release a teleportation array with sufficient range. And now, she has reached the volcano''s summit. Before her was the crater. The temperature at the peak was already beyond human tolerance. As soon as Erica stood on the ground, the scorching heat instantly caused her head to throb. If she hadn''t used some fire-resistant magic in advance, she would have likely fainted immediately in this astonishing temperature. She patted her chest, looking at her feet, appearing shaken. Clasping her hands together, a white array began to rotate in her hands, with wisps of coldness seeping out. She applied the magic to herself, barely managing to keep her body at a constant temperature. After doing this, Erica finally looked around. Nearby, there was nothing. Only the volcano''s crater, as if it had just erupted, with the surrounding heated rocks glowing red like burning iron blocks. In the scorching heat, even the air became distorted. Erica had hoped to find some answers at the summit, but the scene after reaching the top was not as she had wished. The sweltering heat made her dizzy, and a feeling of weakness had spread throughout her body. "This won''t do... I might have to leave here." She still had enough mana to support herself in casting a teleportation spell to leave, even if she could only go down the mountain a short distance, it would be better than just standing at the summit. Her hands lit up with a faint glow, and an array began to form in her hands. Suddenly, Erica''s heart violently contracted. The newly formed array instantly dissipated. A low, mournful cry came from the volcano''s crater. The pain seemed to transmit to Erica''s heart, and she fell to her knees, unable to bear it. Her knees were also instantly severely burned due to the high temperature of the ground. "What''s... happening..." Erica struggled to utter these few words, feeling as if her heart was being gripped by something, causing excruciating pain. The mournful cry that only she could hear continued. In a daze, the volcano began to shake, and a sky-high jet of lava burst forth from the crater. Looking at the slowly flowing red-hot lava, to Erica, it was like blood spurting out when the volcano was in pain. And now, it was about to become the weapon that would take Erica''s life. Erica gritted her teeth. Between life and death, she quickly made a judgment. The remaining magical power surged out, forming a barrier to separate her from the flowing lava. She didn''t want to die yet, at least, not in such an unclear and frustrating manner. But her remaining magic was not enough to sustain this barrier. The lava seeped through the barrier, soon about to flow to Erica''s legs. Her body had already begun to tremble uncontrollably. Almost the next second. Within her field of vision, a white light seemed to burst out from the volcano''s crater. Erica, as if forgetting the impending crisis, fixed her gaze on that white light from the volcano''s crater. "What is... that?" ...... The mages and knights in the town of Sanchez and on the volcano''s slopes all noticed the intense disturbance the volcano was producing at this moment. "This is a sign that the volcano is about to erupt!" A mage suddenly shouted, but everyone could see it now. The lava bursting from the crater was the most powerful evidence. All the third-tier mages had solemn expressions, on high alert, ready to instantly release this terrifying war magic under Duke Levi''s command. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The powerful war magic was enough to completely suppress this volcano! Duke Levi was very confident, just about to cast the magic, and even planned to have Erica continue to supply him with magic. "Erica, can you still hold on?" He asked out of habit, but no one answered him. When Duke Levi turned around, Erica was nowhere to be seen. "Erica!? Erica?" Now Duke Levi became anxious, he searched left and right at the base, but couldn''t see Erica anywhere. "How could she disappear at a time like this!?" Duke Levi became agitated, at this crucial moment when they were about to activate the war magic, she had vanished. If she had run up to the volcano, wouldn''t it be extremely dangerous? Duke Levi didn''t want to believe Erica was so reckless, he could only continue searching on the mountainside. All the mages waiting to release the magic were stunned, why had Duke Levi suddenly stopped the operation of the array at this critical moment? Many third-tier mages looked at Duke Levi, anxiously saying: "Your Grace! If we don''t activate the great array now, the volcano will erupt completely!" "It''s going to be too late!" The Duke almost shouted, commanding them: "No! We absolutely cannot activate the array!" "Your Grace! What exactly has happened?" Everyone was confused and could only hurriedly ask. "Erica is missing!" When Duke Levi told everyone this news, they all stood there dumbfounded. If Erica was at the summit right now, then the moment the magic array descended, she would likely be instantly torn to pieces by the powerful magical pressure. But if they didn''t activate the magic. The volcanic eruption would evolve into a massive disaster. Duke Levi''s eyes were bloodshot at this moment. If he had to make a choice, he would rather sacrifice all his honor and status, even not save those innocent lives. He wanted to exchange it all for Erica''s return. At this critical moment, everyone was trying to persuade Duke Levi. Even if they could beat the volcano by one second, they could prevent the disaster from coming! But if Duke Levi, as the magic leader, didn''t give the word. The array would just keep standing there. Suddenly, a sky-piercing white light instantly burst out from the volcano''s crater, shooting straight into the clouds! Everyone looked at this white light tearing through the black clouds and illuminating the sky, attracted by this scene. In an instant, the sky revealed its true face, shining upon the earth, and the gentle moonlight pierced through the vast gloom, falling on everyone''s shocked faces. Drip, drip! Soon, raindrops, like sprites after a disaster, began to fall one by one from the sky. The rain poured down, hitting the mountaintop, striking the flowing lava. As if possessing magical power, it fell on Mount Vesuvius. At this moment, the volcano lost all its power. That astonishing temperature dropped rapidly. The entire volcano was like a high-temperature molten iron doused with a bucket of clear water, emitting violent steam. No one felt hot anymore. On the contrary, in this sudden downpour, they actually began to shiver. The flowing lava was now gradually solidifying, those fiery rocks slowly turning back to their original black color. "...Has the eruption of Mount Vesuvius... stopped?" A mage voiced the shock in everyone''s hearts. The rain wet Duke Levi''s hair, he squinted at the sky, not knowing what he was thinking, his expression incredibly complex. Near the summit, feeling the raindrops falling, Gwen raised her head, looking at the sky revealing its clear moonlight, and let out a sigh of relief. She had been very close to that white light just now, clearly feeling that terrifying power. The lava blocking the way had now cooled. She stood up, picked up her silver sword, her will determined, and rushed towards the summit. ...... Erica stood there in a daze, looking at the sky, her mind blank for a moment. When that magical power appeared, she was closest to it. That was definitely not magical power that humans could possess. She knelt in the rain, closing her eyes, letting the rain soak her. At this moment, any crisis no longer existed. Under that astonishing magic, it seemed as if all crises had been completely resolved. The eruption of Mount Vesuvius was like a wonderful joke played by heaven on everyone. Its erratic state made everyone believe it was about to erupt, and at the last moment, when everyone was on edge, on high alert. When the atmosphere had been built up to its peak, the volcano ceased. Its prank had succeeded, attracting everyone''s attention. Two streams of tears flowed from Erica''s eyes, and even she herself couldn''t tell at this moment whether what was flowing down her face was rainwater or tears. She was scared. She had almost died on this volcano. She had almost been unable to preserve even her bones. She had almost paid the price for her pride and arrogance..... The sound of crying attracted a Fire Hedgehog. In this astonishing rain, its body emitted steam from being soaked, blending perfectly with the environment. It bared its fangs. The distance between it and Erica was very, very close. It only needed to explode with power in its legs, a short sprint, and it could bite through her throat. And Erica, at this moment, had completely exhausted her magic power, and even her spirit was extremely fatigued, leaving her without any ability to resist. She had been crying there non-stop, unaware that danger was approaching. The next second, the Fire Hedgehog pounced towards her, letting out a terrifying cry. Erica reacted, but her weakness no longer allowed her to make any resistance. She was going to die. "Dad......" Boom!!! A fire snake, as hot as lava, grazed Erica''s cheek and struck the Fire Hedgehog. All this happened in the blink of an eye, the Fire Hedgehog instantly turned to ashes, leaving not even a trace behind. Erica stood there stunned, forgetting to cry, staring blankly at this scene. Then she heard a familiar voice from behind. "I should have taught you." "A mage should always prioritize their own safety above all else." She whirled around, seeing Viktor swaying unsteadily. "Professor! You..." She was overjoyed, but before she could say anything more, she suddenly saw that Viktor''s body was flowing with astonishing lava. The lava fell to the ground, rapidly cooling, with misty steam rising. The next second, Viktor fainted, falling straight at the edge of the volcano''s crater. Erica was stunned. She quickly ran to Viktor''s side, reaching out to touch his body. "Ouch... it hurts." The astonishing temperature of Viktor''s body would cause burns just from touching. "Viktor! What''s wrong with you? Viktor!" Disregarding the risk of severe burns to her hands, she used her last bit of magic to cover her hands with a thin layer of ice, intending to lift Viktor up. The scorching heat made her hands hurt, but she recklessly tried to lift Viktor up. The next second, Erica''s burned legs couldn''t bear the pressure. With a thud, both of them fell to the ground. Fortunately, the volcano had now completely cooled down, otherwise, they would have been seared into meat patties. In an instant, a resentful emotion rose from the bottom of Erica''s heart. She hated herself. She hated her own arrogance, and even more, she hated her current helplessness. Everything she had learned at the magic academy seemed to have become a burden. But she stubbornly tried again and again to lift Viktor, even though her whole body was being burned by his temperature. Erica utterly hated her own weakness, but she didn''t regret climbing to the summit. If she hadn''t been there, who would have noticed the severely injured Viktor? He would certainly have died here. Erica tried again and again, getting up, falling, getting up, falling. Even though the distance she could move was barely two meters, she still continued. Without magic power, she could only rely on her own body. Viktor had saved her, so now, she had to save Viktor too. "Little girl." A sudden voice sounded in her ear, causing Erica, who was once again struggling to lift Viktor, to suddenly freeze. She looked left and right, trying to find the source of the voice. But no matter how much she searched, there was no one on the summit. Except for a one-eyed crow standing at the volcano''s crater. It was Viktor''s pet, inseparable from him. Erica had even fed it before. Suddenly, Erica''s eyes widened. No matter how heavily the rain fell. Not a single raindrop seemed to touch the crow''s feathers. Its feathers seemed as if they had been polished, smooth in this rain, making it seem like a unique existence. The one-eyed crow opened its ugly beak, its single eye flashing with blue light, revealing an air of wisdom. "Do you really want to save him?" Chapter 25: I Understand the Logic, But Why Is the Crow So Big? Erica stared blankly at the crow before her, unable to react for a moment: "The crow... can talk?" Vega folded its wings across its chest, bowing politely. Its gentlemanly demeanor left Erica somewhat dazed, but she couldn''t ignore the fact that it was still a crow. "Allow me to introduce myself briefly, young lady." "I am the evil god Habika." "Evil god Habika?" Erica murmured the name, but clearly, she had never heard of it before. She knew the empire''s history well, and there had never been any record of such a deity. "Of course, it doesn''t matter if you don''t recognize me. You can call me by my current name, Vega." "Now, allow me to ask again." "Do you truly want to save Viktor Kravina?" Erica finally snapped back to reality. At this moment, she didn''t care who or what the being before her was, nor did she care about its identity or capabilities. Like grasping at the last straw on the edge of despair, she nodded repeatedly, only wanting the evil god before her to save Viktor. Vega closed its eyes and chuckled softly. "The ritual is not yet complete. To save him, you need your own power." "Believe in me, become my follower, and I will help you fulfill your wish." Black magic arrays, like venomous snakes flicking their tongues, spread across the ground, gathering beneath Erica''s feet. Dark mist began to rise from around the array, enveloping Erica. She had never seen such magic or such an array before, and it made her feel extremely uneasy. Was it because... it was an evil god? Erica had no other choice. She could only nod and agree to its terms. As long as she became its follower, she could save Viktor. This was Erica''s only thought at the moment. Without any hesitation, she quickly said: "I agree. I will believe in you and become your follower." Vega looked at the devout Erica, its single eye radiating arrogant triumph. "Very well, I acknowledge your sincerity." Its gaze shifted to the unconscious Viktor. It mused inwardly. ''To think a girl would go to such lengths for you, Viktor.'' ''You''ve truly gained something precious without even realizing it.'' In an instant, mist spread from Vega''s body, as if injecting some magical power into the array on the ground. The black array began to writhe frantically, its edges extending tiny tentacles that danced upon the earth. Then, a burst of light enveloped both Vega and Erica. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The next second, the light shattered like a mirror, and the array vanished. Erica opened her eyes, trying to find any changes in herself. However... nothing had happened. There wasn''t even a mark on her body. Was this... the contract-signing ritual? If Vega knew the young girl''s thoughts, it would surely laugh its beak off. Because it had no teeth. Signing a contract was never just a matter of words, and this dark array was merely a one-way connection for followers. To sign a contract with it? At the very least, one would need to sign a formal contract like Viktor did! "Is this... enough?" Erica asked, looking at it with confusion and obvious urgency in her voice. Was this enough to save Viktor? That was undoubtedly what she was thinking. Vega looked at her, smiling without speaking, then narrowed its eye and asked: "Before saving him, I need to ask you a question." "Why are you here?" Why are you at the volcano''s summit? Erica paused for a moment, considering her words carefully before finally telling the truth. "I heard it, the volcano, crying out in pain." "It said it was hurting." "Oh?" Vega glanced at Erica with interest. Suddenly, it understood everything. It narrowed its eye and chuckled lightly, as if using words to guide her step by step. "And then? What can you hear now?" Hearing Vega''s question, Erica frowned and shook her head. "I can''t hear anything anymore," she said. This was to be expected. Vega turned its head, thinking to itself: ''Because the Fire Calamity has been put to sleep by this terrifying man...'' It would perhaps never forget that scene. When the final ''Magic Ark'' fell into the depths of the volcano. The surging, boiling pillars of fire and lava seemed to freeze and stagnate. The ''Ark'' devoured everything, including Guledon. In fact, Guledon should have been able to withstand that kind of attack. If it had been at full strength, such war magic wouldn''t have even scratched it. But at that time, Guledon was already severely wounded, its body flowing with lava, its proud defense reduced to almost nothing. Guledon ultimately crumbled into lifeless rock within the volcano, forced into a deep slumber. As for why it was slumber rather than death. Because Calamities do not die. As long as magical elements exist in the world, Calamities will continue to live. And Viktor''s current state, to put it bluntly, wasn''t due to injury at all. Having witnessed his battle with the Fire Calamity firsthand, Vega didn''t think there was anything that could hurt Viktor now. At this moment, he had fallen into a state called "magical overload." Viktor had used magic borrowed from it to fight Guledon continuously for three days and two nights without any restraint. But that power ultimately wasn''t Viktor''s own. The magic Vega allowed him to use wasn''t infinite; there was bound to be a threshold. Normally, the consumption wouldn''t reach that threshold. But Viktor was far from normal. So, at the last moment when his magic was depleted, the link between it and Viktor was forcibly severed. Yet this still wasn''t enough to make Viktor faint. Even more insanely, before Guledon fell asleep, he had torn off a piece of Guledon''s ''magical essence'' and forcibly fused it with himself. This was why Viktor''s body seemed to be flowing with lava. Because his body was digesting Guledon''s magical essence. Viktor had already exhausted his own magic, and then forcibly accepted an astonishing external magic source. If he didn''t faint, who would? But it wasn''t a big deal; he''d recover after resting for a few days at most. Right now, what interested Vega more was the girl before it. ''Interesting, how interesting...'' ''A girl who can communicate with Calamities, I fear even if she doesn''t know how incredibly valuable she is!'' This was quite a windfall. As it was rejoicing, suddenly, it heard hurried footsteps. ''Someone''s coming?'' Vega smiled and looked towards the slope, its extraordinary vision spotting a silver figure. It naturally recognized who it was, but now wasn''t the time to reveal itself. To avoid trouble for itself and Viktor, it flapped its wings and moved in front of Viktor. Its beak grasped Viktor''s collar. Yet its voice continued to sound in Erica''s ear as usual. "You saved Viktor. I''ll make sure he knows about this." "Little girl, we''ll meet again." As soon as the words fell, before Erica''s eyes, Vega''s body suddenly began to expand. The jet-black crow instantly transformed into an astonishing black-feathered giant eagle. It grasped Viktor''s collar in its beak, flapped its wings, and instantly took flight. A gust of wind blew, scattering all the surrounding debris. In almost an instant, it disappeared from Erica''s sight. "Viktor..." The black silhouette in the sky grew smaller and smaller, more and more blurred, until it faded from her vision. Gwen, arriving too late, missed her chance. She hadn''t been able to catch Viktor and question him thoroughly as she had hoped. Instead, she saw the gradually disappearing black dot in the sky, her expression extremely grave. "Viktor? What on earth is going on..." Then, she noticed Erica. Erica''s body showed numerous burn marks. She knelt on the ground, trying her best to force a smile. As if using the last of her strength, with a thud, she fainted and collapsed to the ground. Gwen: "..." She walked forward and slowly picked up Erica. When she looked up at the sky again, all that remained was the endless downpour of rain. Chapter 26: I’m Not a Medicine God To everyone''s relief, the volcano did not erupt. A villager stood still, quietly watching large raindrops fall from the sky above Sanchel Town. "The volcano... didn''t erupt..." "Thank goodness! It didn''t erupt!" From somewhere in the crowd, a joyous cry erupted, instantly igniting the villagers'' emotions of delight. "Great! There''s no disaster!" "Oh my God! Oh my God! The gods have blessed us!" "No, no, no! It was the mages from the capital who saved us!" This rainfall seemed like a miracle, wiping away all danger. The mages and knights returning to Sanchel Town relaxed their furrowed brows, but their mood didn''t lighten. Instead, they felt incredibly heavy. Everyone remained silent, like walking marionettes. The uninformed townspeople left the safe zone and returned to their town, thanking these ''heroes'' who had ''saved'' them. However, not a single mage could proudly say "You''re welcome" when facing them. They hadn''t saved these innocent residents. In fact, they themselves had nearly perished on the volcano. Yes, it was a close call. The magic array was never activated in the end. If the volcano had fully erupted at that time, All the mages sent from the capital would have perished under that apocalyptic lava. Under this heavy rain, residents gradually returned to their homes. The army began to send the mages back to the capital. Duke Levi stood in the downpour, allowing the storm to beat against his face. Until the last batch of mages left, Count Beck glanced at Duke Levi from afar and shook his head. "Farewell, Duke." He almost forced himself to say these last words, his tone clearly dissatisfied, his hand on the cane somewhat unsteady. "Duke Levi, I understand your love for your daughter." "But before acting recklessly, please consider your position." "After returning to the capital this time, you may face impeachment from many ministers. Please take care of yourself." With that, the noble mage boarded his carriage and left under the army''s escort. Throughout, Duke Levi never raised his head to respond. The surrounding knights worried that Duke Levi might fall ill in this heavy rain, as mages'' bodies weren''t as robust as theirs. So they called out to him: "Your Grace, please get in the carriage and wait. Knight Commander Gwen is searching for your daughter." Duke Levi didn''t respond, standing in the wind and rain, silent for a long time. His eyes were blank and lifeless. Suddenly, a silver figure appeared in the stormy night sky, like a dawn suddenly breaking through the darkness. She was carrying a golden-haired girl in her arms. Duke Levi saw this, and in an instant, hope rekindled in his eyes. Gwen brought Erica to Duke Levi and handed her over. "Mission accomplished, Your Grace." Duke Levi''s trembling hands received Erica, holding her in his arms, his eyes full of shock and pain. "Erica, Erica..." If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Perhaps it was the faint call that woke Erica. She slowly opened her eyes, saw her familiar father, and managed a weak smile. "Dad, I''m back." At this moment, this man of high rank and power in the Valencia Empire shed tears. He had once stood tall and proud, yet failed to protect his own daughter. He was filled with shame. Duke Levi hugged his daughter tightly, but was met with her pained whimper. Only then did he notice the many burns on Erica''s body. Panicked, he tried to heal his daughter with magic, but to little effect. Not all mages could be as abnormal as Viktor, mastering hundreds of spells and using them proficiently. Duke Levi''s healing magic could only cure minor injuries; he was utterly powerless against his daughter''s severe burns. He looked around anxiously, trying to find a mage skilled in healing, but around him, apart from the knights standing at attention, where were there any mages? Seeing Duke Levi''s anxious state, Gwen hesitated for a moment, then took out a vial of crimson potion. The potion looked almost like blood, red with a hint of black, emitting a faint glow. This was a healing potion Viktor had given her, but she had never used it. She didn''t know how effective it would be. But if Erica wasn''t treated promptly, her injuries might leave permanent after-effects. They had to take a chance. She gritted her teeth. At this moment, Gwen believed Viktor wouldn''t deceive her. "Your Grace, why don''t you try this?" "If anything goes wrong, I''ll take full responsibility." Gwen handed over the potion. The anxious Duke took it quickly, then paused when he saw the color of the potion. Could a potion the color of blood really be drunk? But there was no other choice now; Erica''s injuries couldn''t wait. He opened the cork and gently brought it to Erica''s lips, casually asking: "Where did you get this potion?" "It''s... from my fianc." As the potion flowed into Erica''s mouth, Duke Levi''s hand trembled slightly. Gwen Delin''s fianc? "Viktor Kravina?" "Yes." Gwen lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly. She knew there was some friction between the Duke and Viktor, but now wasn''t the time to worry about that. Just then, a miracle occurred. Erica, having drunk the potion, seemed to be blessed by the Goddess of Healing. The burns on her body healed at a visible rate. It was as if new flesh and skin were growing, her skin returning to its previous creamy smoothness. The Duke was completely stunned. First the blue magic potion, and now this crimson healing potion... What was this terrifying effect all about? Gwen likewise stared wide-eyed, amazed at what was unfolding. She had never used that potion before, never imagining its effect could be so astonishing. With such a terrifying recovery effect, one could probably be revived even after losing half their life, right? However, despite her injuries healing, Erica didn''t open her eyes. Her spirit was utterly exhausted; it had already been a miracle that she woke up once in the Duke''s arms. As the pain disappeared, she could finally fall into a peaceful sleep. Duke Levi personally put Erica in the carriage to rest. When he came out, he bowed deeply to Gwen. "I sincerely thank you, Knight Commander Gwen." "Please allow me to properly thank you and your fianc when we return to the capital." Hearing the Duke''s words, Gwen felt somewhat overwhelmed by the honor. She watched as the now composed Duke Levi boarded the carriage. The carriage slowly moved off, gradually leaving with the surrounding troops. Gwen took a deep breath, turned her head, and looked at the unclaimed white horse in the stable. It was still quietly eating grass at the post station, completely unaware that Viktor, who had ridden it here, had disappeared. ''Viktor, where on earth did you go?'' The heavy rain showed no signs of stopping. She put on her helmet to shield herself from the wind and rain, then mounted her horse. Before leaving, she took one last look at the lone white horse. ''If you still have a conscience, if you still remember me, then ride that horse back to find me.'' ''It won''t die, at least not before seeing me again.'' She turned her horse around and led her knights forward. After the clanking of armor and the noise of hooves trampling through mud faded away, Sanchel Town returned to peace. ....... After the baptism of a heavy rain, the sun broke through the gloom, leaving a clear sky for miles. In a few days, the residents of Sanchel Town returned to their normal lives. It seemed everyone had forgotten those terrifying days from before. However, it wasn''t so peaceful at the entrance of the post station. "Hey, that white horse looks really good. Why don''t you give it to me, huh?" A burly man with a potbelly stood at the front of the post station, glaring fiercely at the station manager. They had had their eyes on that white horse for the past few days. Several days had passed, and no one had come to claim it, so they assumed the horse had no owner. But the manager was stubborn, completely refusing their unreasonable demands: "A knight paid a hefty price for us to take good care of this horse." The big man laughed loudly: "Those people from the capital left four or five days ago. This horse has been abandoned." "That''s right! Our boss definitely didn''t misjudge!" Several lackeys around him chimed in. "If you offer a higher price than her, I''ll agree." The manager made a suggestion, looking contemptuously at these reckless troublemakers. The big man and his cronies looked at each other, then asked, "How much did she pay you?" "This many." The manager waved five fingers in front of them. "Fifty? Hahaha! I''ll give you a hundred!" The manager shook his head. The big man hesitated for a moment and continued asking: "Five hundred?" The manager said nothing, continuing to stare at them. "It''s five thousand." When he said this number, the men exploded in anger. "You bastard! You want to sell us a fucking horse for five thousand geos?" "Are you trying to extort us?" With that, they rolled up their sleeves, ready to fight. The manager covered his face with his hands and shrank back. The fist didn''t land on him. Instead, he heard a scream. He moved his hands away and widened his eyes in disbelief. He saw a giant hand wrapped in lava lifting up their leader. The big man suddenly found himself airborne, completely bewildered. He didn''t even know what had happened. The lackeys were terrified. They followed the giant hand with their eyes to its source: a man wearing a trench coat. There was also a strange one-eyed crow perched on his shoulder, chirping away. Behind him extended an arm seemingly made of lava. The black trench coat was decorated with red patterns, within which lava seemed to flow constantly. "That''s my horse. Do you have a problem with that?" Chapter 27: Are You Hiding Someone? The burly man who had been lifted up hadn''t yet grasped the situation when, almost in the next second, he was instantly thrown by that giant hand. Thud! The sound of his landing rang out sharply, causing everyone present to shudder inwardly. Before they could say anything, Viktor slightly raised his head, his cold eyes seeming to pierce their hearts like steel needles. "Scram." The moment the word left his mouth, the lackeys fled in panic. From start to finish, they didn''t even dare to resist. After they had all escaped, Viktor withdrew the lava giant hand. This astonishing arm seemed to retreat into Viktor''s trench coat, completely merging with it. Having done this, he turned around, glanced at the trembling manager, and said coldly, "I''m here to collect my horse." The manager immediately understood Viktor''s intention. He shakily straightened up from behind the counter and looked the man before him up and down. "How... How can you prove this is your horse? Prove... prove your identity!" Viktor looked at him approvingly, seeming to acknowledge the other''s courage, and said calmly, "Viktor Kravina." "The person who left this horse should have left this name." Hearing this, the manager carefully checked the register and quickly nodded, "No... no problem. You can take it away." Then, he took out a money pouch from under the counter and handed it to Viktor. "That knight left five thousand here. This is what''s left after deducting the feeding costs. Take it." Viktor didn''t stand during the ceremony. He took the money pouch, weighed it in his hand, and put it away directly. Five thousand geos... It could only be said that Gwen had no concept of money. Spending so much to board a horse was enough to feed it for half its life. Viktor walked into the stable and patted the strong white horse. "Looks like you''ve been treated well these past few days." The white horse stretched out its head, nuzzling Viktor''s hand affectionately. He stroked the horse''s smooth coat for a while, then led it out and skillfully mounted it. Vega looked down at Viktor and said softly from his shoulder: "With your current power, you could return to the capital with just a few teleportation arrays, couldn''t you?" "Why insist on riding a horse?" Vega wasn''t exaggerating. Now, Viktor could use teleportation magic to move freely within a hundred kilometers. Because he had now entered the ranks of ''Saint Mages''. Twenty-nine years old, fourth tier. Has anyone in the empire''s history ever achieved such a feat? Hearing Vega''s question, Viktor chuckled. "This horse isn''t mine." "What''s borrowed must be returned." After the battle with the Fire Calamity, Viktor had gained an enormous amount of experience points. Although his previous experience was basically enough to make him a fourth-tier mage, Viktor had been controlling his experience points, not rashly advancing. Until he fought with Guledon, gaining too much experience, causing the player''s own experience bar to burst uncontrollably. It exploded. [Viktor Kravina] lv41 HP: 2000/2000 MP:14800 /15000 Leveling up twice consecutively, his maximum mana increased by ten thousand compared to before. This seemingly powerful attribute didn''t make Viktor arrogant. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Level forty was just the beginning. His current strength still couldn''t compare to the original game''s second chapter boss Viktor. But at least, in the capital''s public eye, he no longer had to worry about being at anyone''s mercy. Moreover, his gains weren''t limited to leveling up. A red stripe flashed across Viktor''s trench coat. That was the symbol of Guledon''s power. He had absorbed Guledon''s fire origin, gaining some of Guledon''s abilities. One of these was the solidification of fire elements. Viktor could turn fire magic into lava-like substantial heat, even solidifying it into magma. The lava giant hand from earlier was casually formed by solidifying magic in this way. At the same time, he could also attach the fire origin to himself, greatly enhancing his resistance to fire elements. Most importantly, he could freely shape it into any form he wanted. His favorite trench coat, which had been destroyed in the battle with Guledon, Now, Viktor used Guledon''s fire origin, attaching it to himself, forming the trench coat he was now wearing. This was practically a waste of a heavenly treasure. But for Viktor, this appearance was just right. Power is a matter of version. But being cool is a lifelong pursuit. "I can understand your obsession with the trench coat, but..." Vega dropped a small, exquisite hourglass pendant from its wing and said to Viktor: "Can you explain to me what this thing is?" Viktor took it and glanced at it. [Item Name: Banished Abyssus (World-class Item)] [Nature: One-time consumable item] [Effect: Causal disorder, able to convert specific time causality that should occur in time.] Viktor just looked at it once, and the item''s information appeared before his eyes. A world-class item, only obtainable by players who have achieved world-class feats in the game. Of course, Viktor had never obtained one before. Each world-class item has its unique and astonishing effect. They are items that exist regardless of world rules. World-class items can only be used once, disappearing immediately after use. Moreover, world items are bound, only usable by objects they recognize. Even if others get their hands on them, they can''t operate them. This is also why Vega couldn''t understand it at all. First kill of the world boss Guledon, in the game, this would definitely be considered a world-class achievement. Not to mention he did it solo. It wouldn''t make sense for the world not to give him a world-class item. After Viktor woke up, this item automatically appeared in his player inventory. Out of interest, Vega borrowed the pendant, saying it wanted to research it. But clearly, it hadn''t figured out anything. Viktor took the hourglass pendant and wore it around his neck. "Did you already know what this thing is?" Vega looked at Viktor suspiciously, but he maintained a poker face and replied: "I don''t know." Hearing Viktor''s perfunctory answer, Vega was so annoyed its teeth itched. To be honest, it now envied Gwen''s ability to see through people''s truths and lies. It wanted one too. Viktor glanced at it and said sarcastically: "Don''t even think about it, you''re not righteous at all." Vega wished it could peck Viktor''s head to pieces, saying discontentedly: "No wonder you''re so annoying." ........ The capital was particularly quiet at night, with moonlight silently crawling onto the rooftops. Outside the balcony of Viktor''s study, however, a figure passed through the moonlight and climbed in through the window. Lia leaned against the desk, looking at tonight''s moonlight, lost in thought. Lian jumped in, flipped back her hood, revealing pointed ears. "Miss Lia, I''ve been following Duke Levi''s butler for a week. I can confirm that the money transaction was done by the butler of the Duke''s mansion." "The butler has no motive to provoke the Kravina family. I believe this was on Duke Levi''s orders." After hearing Lian''s report, Lia smiled lightly, her lips carrying a hint of disdain. The moonlight shone on her face, making her look particularly cold. "Duke Levi is already in trouble himself now. Whether he did it or not doesn''t matter anymore." Lian was confused by this and asked, "What? What happened?" Lia stroked the black wood desk, saying slowly: "The mages who went to Mount Vesuvius recently collectively petitioned the Emperor, impeaching Duke Levi." "The reason is that the Duke wanted to kill all the mages present." Hearing her explanation, Lian couldn''t make heads or tails of it. How could Duke Levi do such a rash thing that would affect the royal family''s credibility in plain sight? "But that''s exactly what he did." "Duke Levi has admitted that, as the leader of war magic, he stopped maintaining the magic array." "If the volcano had fully erupted at that time, all the mages present would have died." Lian was puzzled: "But didn''t the volcano end up not erupting? Why are they still impeaching the Duke?" Hearing her words, Lia could only shake her head with a smile, saying helplessly: "You really don''t understand the human world, do you?" "In the eyes of these noble mages, life is only secure when it''s in their own hands." "And Duke Levi, whom they trusted most, betrayed them at the most critical moment. Regardless of whether the volcano erupted or not, Duke Levi''s failure to maintain the array was already a grave offense." "This time they were just lucky, the volcano was stopped from erupting by some supposedly special force, but what if the volcano had really erupted?" A glint flashed in Lia''s eyes. "At that time, it wouldn''t have been just the mages who died, but thousands of innocent civilians at the foot of the mountain." Lian suddenly understood, but at this moment, Lia still had the leisure to joke. "It''s just a pity that these mages are all busy impeaching the Duke, not one of them came to buy potions from me." "I was hoping to make a good profit before Viktor returned." Lian noticed Lia''s lowered eyelids; it seemed she really felt it was a shame. Lian opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but then stopped. So Lia reached out her hand, tapped her head, and said with a smile: "Were you going to say, don''t wait anymore? Viktor definitely won''t come back?" Lian covered her head without speaking, but her eyes had already betrayed her thoughts. "There''s a saying among humans: good people don''t live long, but pests last a thousand years." "Viktor is the latter type. Unless someone personally brings his corpse to me, I will never believe he''s dead." "Never." Lian wanted to say something more to persuade Lia when suddenly, she sensed a powerful and familiar aura appearing at the door. Her ears twitched, which Lia noticed. This was a signal that someone approaching had been detected by the elf. "It''s Viktor''s aura! He''s back!" "See?" Lia smiled brightly. "I told you he wouldn''t die." Lian lowered her head, put her hood back on, and nodded to Lia. Concealing her presence, maintaining an aura that absolutely wouldn''t be detected, she jumped straight out the window. At this moment, the surprised voice of a servant sounded from outside the door. "Master, you... you''re back?" "Mm, take this horse down and feed it well." "Yes! I''ll do it right away!" As the footsteps got closer, they suddenly stopped, and then the study door was pushed open. Lia leaned against the desk, smiling at Viktor. "Welcome home." Viktor nodded expressionlessly, just entering the study, then looked around left and right. Finally, his gaze locked onto Lia. "Are you hiding someone?" "........" Lia''s smile froze, then gradually crumbled. Chapter 28: Do I Look Like the Kind of Bad Guy Who Knocks on Girls’ Doors at Night? "Viktor!!! Do you just want to be scolded that badly?!" A roar that echoed throughout the courtyard came from inside the mansion. The servants outside the door, hearing this, shrank their necks in fright. They whispered to each other secretly: "Mr. Viktor is arguing with the young miss again." "It''s been a while since we''ve heard them argue..." The two shook their heads; they were long used to this. As long as Viktor was home, Miss Lia would definitely have an argument with him. Lia angrily pointed at Viktor''s nose and scolded, "I''ve been waiting for you for so long, yet your first words upon coming home are to ask if I''m hiding someone in the room?" "How narrow-minded are you to think of such a thing!" Viktor stood at the doorway, his expression still a poker face, listening to Lia''s scolding without retorting. After ranting for a while and venting her displeasure, Lia sighed, touching her head. She had thought it wouldn''t matter even if she didn''t explain, but as if possessed, she still added an explanation. "It was a subordinate from the territory, who just came to report some things. When you came back, they had already left." Viktor nodded. "I see." From the moment he entered the room, he had smelled a faint fragrance. That obviously wouldn''t be a man''s scent. He had intended to add a couple of sentences after saying "Are you hiding someone?" to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings from Lia. Unfortunately, Lia''s speed in starting to scold him was too fast, like an instinctive reaction. He didn''t even have time to react before he was scolded. And then? Then he just let Lia scold him. If she could vent her anger by scolding him, Viktor naturally didn''t mind being scolded a bit. This was also a way of communication between the two; he was long used to it. Viktor sat back down at the desk, not asking Lia if she had encountered any difficulties recently. He believed Lia could handle everything well. If there were problems she couldn''t solve, Lia would speak up on her own. Sure enough, although Viktor didn''t ask, Lia brought up the shop''s situation somewhat embarrassedly. "The item shop isn''t doing very well." "The explosive popularity you expected didn''t happen." "Oh? What''s going on?" Viktor tapped the desk; this was somewhat unexpected. He was interested in hearing Lia''s explanation of the reasons. Lia reported on the financial income of the item shop. "Except for selling some on the first day, there haven''t been any customers in the following days." Viktor was a bit puzzled. According to his marketing strategy, theoretically, this situation shouldn''t occur. Because there should always be discerning people coming to buy. Lia also said that potions were sold on the first day. Word of mouth from those who used the potions should have created a viral effect. Was there a problem with the player''s potions? That was almost impossible. Issues with shop management? Also impossible. If Lia couldn''t even manage such a shop, she wouldn''t have been able to develop their territory so well. So, there must have been unexpected circumstances. "So, what happened?" Lia began to explain: Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "On the first day of opening, the Duke''s daughter bought some potions." Hearing this title, Viktor''s eyes slightly raised. "Erica du Cloie?" Lia glanced at Viktor, sneering. "Oh, still thinking about your little sweetheart?" "Even remembering her name so clearly." "That joke isn''t funny. Continue." Viktor actively stopped Lia''s mockery. Lia crossed her arms, pouting. "I thought that with Erica''s fame, the effects of the potions would soon be revealed, and a large number of mages would naturally come." "But on the second day, something happened at Mount Vesuvius." At this point, Lia noticed Viktor''s hand tapping on the desk paused. She got some answers to her guesses. However, she still patiently explained to Viktor. "A large number of mages went to the volcano, leaving only some ordinary first-tier mages in the capital." "Let alone whether these people could afford it, even if they could, these things would be too wasteful for them." In simple terms, first-tier mages didn''t deserve to use these things. "A few days later, these mages all came back, but then they started to unite and collectively impeach the Duke." "Even the Emperor personally stepped in, summoning the Duke and those noble mages, preparing to make a final decision." Saying this, Lia sighed helplessly. The main target audience for the potions was mages, and with the recent chaos in the capital, the mages were all busy. Who had time to visit the shop? Viktor listened to all this with an expressionless face. He had been fighting with Guledon inside the volcano, naturally unaware of what had happened in recent days. No wonder, after fighting with Guledon, when he appeared at the volcano''s mouth, the first person he saw was Erica. He thought he was hallucinating, especially since he had no subsequent memories after that. When he woke up, it was Vega who told him why he had experienced symptoms of fainting. ''Vega''s ability should be used as little as possible in the future.'' Viktor thought to himself. After this battle, he had been unconscious for a full four days. Adding the three days of fighting with Guledon, it was exactly a week. However, the battle with Guledon affecting the real volcano was something he hadn''t anticipated. Although the volcano didn''t erupt, the impact of this incident spread to the capital. At this moment, Lia was still complaining on the side: "Others are saying that Duke Levi stopped the release of the magic array because his daughter went missing." "This is ridiculous. Let''s not even mention whether war magic would tear his daughter apart, if the volcano erupted, wouldn''t Erica, who was still on the mountain, die anyway?" Viktor didn''t speak, but in his heart, he agreed with Lia''s words. During that time, Erica climbing the volcano was undoubtedly seeking death. The difference is that under the war magic, only Erica herself, who appeared at the mountaintop, would die. But if the volcano erupted, all the mages and residents at the foot of the mountain would have to die with Erica. He didn''t believe the Duke didn''t understand this logic. Lia finished speaking and shrugged. "Oh, one more thing." "The Emperor''s decree has already been sent to our doorstep. On the day of the summons, you also need to go to the palace." "You came back just in time. If you had come back a day later, you would have missed it." "Why?" Viktor was a bit curious, although he already had a guess in his heart. "You want a reason? Alright." "Before the volcano erupted, who was the only accompanying mage who disappeared without a trace?" Just as expected. Viktor''s expression remained unchanged after getting the answer. Seeing this, Lia didn''t ask further. She yawned and walked to the door. "Looks like you already have a plan. I''m going to bed then." "I''ll lock my room door well. Don''t sneak into my room in the middle of the night just because we haven''t seen each other for a long time." With a bang, she slammed the door shut. Viktor: "......." Do I look like the kind of bad guy who likes to knock on girls'' doors at night? Thinking carefully, he had actually done this before. Maybe Gwen said something to Lia. Viktor didn''t pay much attention to this. Compared to this, he was more curious about why the Duke would do such a thing. Suddenly, Vega''s voice abruptly sounded. "If the volcano had erupted, everyone there would have died, including Duke Levi himself." "Only that little girl, only she could have survived." "But if the magic array had fallen, she would definitely have died." Viktor narrowed his eyes and asked calmly: "If I had failed, the volcano would have erupted, and Guledon would have been released." "Do you think a second-tier little girl who was also seriously injured could survive under the natural disaster caused by the Fire Calamity?" Vega looked up, gazing at Viktor with deep eyes: "She can talk to Calamity." Hearing Vega''s statement, Viktor was slightly stunned. This time it was his turn to be confused. Vega quickly caught Viktor''s reaction, and was pleased. "This is the first time I''ve seen you so surprised." Vega obviously knew something, because it was certain that Erica wouldn''t die. "Actually, I''m very curious about what kind of being that Duke had her with." "By the way, have you ever seen that little girl''s mother?" Viktor became even more silent. Once in the game''s storyline, this Duke''s daughter was also an astonishing genius. If nothing went wrong, she wouldin two years, at nineteen years old. After Viktor''s death, she would enter the ranks of third-tier mages, breaking Viktor''s genius record and becoming the youngest third-tier mage in imperial history. It was also because of this that when the imperial regime changed and the new emperor ascended the throne, Erica du Cloie, because of her talent, protected the Duke''s family who supported the Crown Prince. For now, Viktor could only think of these plot points. But hearing Vega say this, it was indeed the first time he had noticed. For such a fairly well-known NPC, no player had ever seen her mother. There wasn''t even a trace in the background story. Was she dead? Or... The information Viktor could gather was too little; he couldn''t guess either. Vega looked quite satisfied seeing him like this. So there were things even Viktor didn''t know. It opened its beak and chirped: "So, what do you plan to do?" "Tomorrow''s summons, not only the Duke but you also have to go. Why not think about how to get through this difficult situation first?" "No one can help you." Viktor looked out the window, the moonlight falling on his cold, handsome face, looking somewhat worried. "Those who follow the right path have many helpers, those who don''t have few. This is normal." "All in all, as a father, Duke Levi is quite remarkable." That''s right, he stopped the great array, willing to let himself and the mages all perish in the natural disaster, even able to abandon innocent civilians. All to let his daughter survive. Apart from this, the Duke''s actions were indeed infuriating. "The Emperor won''t let the ministers who have followed him for a long time feel disheartened, but he also needs to give everyone an explanation." "The worst outcome would be nothing more than stripping him of his title and retiring him from office." "And that''s if I don''t intervene." Hearing Viktor''s last sentence, Vega let out an interested ''Oh?'' "You want to help him?" "This is called sending charcoal in snowy weather." In Viktor''s eyes, a cunning light like that of a merchant flashed. Chapter 29: Duke, You Wouldn’t Want Your Daughter… Early in the morning, the capital seemed a bit chaotic, like a baby whimpering after waking up early. One carriage after another lined up in formation, advancing uniformly towards the palace. People opened their shop doors to see carriage after carriage speeding by, kicking up dust as they went. Passersby retreated to the sides, only able to enter shops to look around casually, avoiding the carriages. "What''s happening?" "Not sure... but it looks like something big is going on." Soon, the last to stop in front of the castle gates was an exceptionally luxurious carriage. Duke Levi lightly stepped down from the carriage, looking around. Most of the mages had already arrived, but without exception, all of them were staring at him with hostile gazes. If looks could turn into bullets, Duke Levi would probably have been riddled with holes. Duke Levi''s reputation had plummeted to the extreme in mage circles after that volcano incident. There were no rumors, no slander; everyone had seen it with their own eyes. No one came forward to greet the Duke, not even Baron Beck, who had a relatively close relationship with him, could only shake his head helplessly. He stood alone at the entrance, neither humble nor arrogant. After a while, the towering gates of the castle slowly opened, and a strong wind burst out from within, making the clothes of all the mages present flutter loudly. Like a ferocious beast, it seemed to want to devour the pride of everyone present. A knight escorted a noble man with silver-white hair out. The man looked to be under thirty, still quite young, dressed magnificently and with an extraordinary bearing. Seeing this face, many recognized him, and all bowed in salute. The Duke, standing at the forefront, faced this man, one of the most noble in the empire, and likewise bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, the Second Prince." The Second Prince nodded to the Duke, raising his hand to indicate that everyone should rise and not be overly formal. "Since everyone has arrived, please enter first." After receiving permission, the mages gradually entered. When it came to the Duke''s turn, however, he was stopped by the Second Prince. He smiled at Duke Levi and said: "Duke Levi, shall we chat somewhere else?" Duke Levi looked at the Second Prince''s insincere smile and responded: "Your Highness, I don''t want to keep His Majesty waiting." The Second Prince shook his head and continued to persuade Duke Levi: "Father Emperor is elderly and needs more rest." "If you go in now, you''ll have to wait for a while anyway." "Besides, I really do want to talk with you." The Second Prince leaned closer to Duke Levi. He covered his mouth with one hand and whispered in his ear: "Perhaps I can help you out of your current predicament." Duke Levi listened to his words expressionlessly, without replying. At this, the Second Prince relaxed and smiled. The Duke''s lack of response naturally meant agreement. He said to Duke Levi: "Duke, please follow me." Under the protection of the knights at his side, the two didn''t enter through the main gate, but instead took a side path to a palace. "This is my place, Duke. You can speak freely here." The Duke glanced at the guards beside the Second Prince. "These guards are naturally our own people." He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to bring a seat for Duke Levi. The Duke didn''t stand on ceremony and sat down directly, the two facing each other. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Hearing this, the Duke laughed and said: "Your Highness, isn''t it a bit inappropriate for you to start developing your own confidants so early?" "His Majesty... isn''t dead yet." The Duke''s inquiry carried a hint of chilling coldness, making the Second Prince shudder slightly. He put on a helpless expression and smiled in response: "Duke, I don''t want to die inexplicably at some point." "Sitting in my position, whether to compete or not isn''t something I can decide on my own." The Duke fell silent, not replying. The atmosphere between the two suddenly dropped to freezing point, both silent. The Second Prince was the first to break the deadlock: "Let''s not talk about that. Duke, the current situation is unfavorable to you." "There are too many people impeaching you, Father Emperor might not be able to withstand the pressure." "To be frank, this is what I wanted to discuss with you." Before Duke Levi could respond, the Second Prince picked up a teacup, took a sip, and continued: "I hear the Duke''s daughter will come of age in a year." Hearing this, the Duke slowly raised his head, his eyes somewhat cold, with a hint of mockery. "So what?" The Second Prince put down his teacup, looked at the surrounding guards, and smiled elegantly. "Duke, you really want me to speak plainly." "If I were to be betrothed to your daughter, the Duke would have a kinship with the royal family. Then, Father Emperor would naturally have reason to protect you..." Crack! Before the Second Prince could finish speaking, the teacup in his hand suddenly shattered. The knights panicked, drawing their swords and pointing them at Duke Levi. The Second Prince wasn''t afraid, but clapped his hands, brushing off the fragments, and quietly looked at Duke Levi, his eyes carrying a hint of amusement: "Duke, this is the palace." "You wouldn''t want your daughter to lose all her prospects because of your rashness, would you?" Duke Levi stood up, the powerful magical pressure dissipating instantly as he rose. The smile in the Second Prince''s eyes faltered slightly, inwardly marveling. What precise control of magical power. Suddenly, Duke Levi spoke up: "Your Highness, how old are you this year?" "Twenty-nine, why? For your daughter, my age is quite suitable." "Is that so? Twenty-nine, huh." Duke Levi muttered this number, as if comparing something. Soon, he suddenly asked: "Your Highness, I''ve watched you grow up. But in these twenty-odd years, have you made any progress?" The cold words pierced the Second Prince''s heart like daggers. He suddenly felt vexed, his head feeling as if pressed by a huge stone, his smile freezing on his face. "Indeed, you''re very clever, knowing how to utilize surrounding resources, and understanding how to gauge people''s hearts." "But you''re not strong. The resources you can utilize are merely reflected in your bloodline advantage." Duke Levi didn''t say it explicitly, but the Second Prince understood. The implication was that he was relying on his father''s protection. Without this blood relation, you would be nothing. The Second Prince''s smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a cold and mocking expression. "So what? I''m a prince. Besides me, is there anyone more suitable, more excellent?" Suddenly, he froze, because he thought of someone. There really was. Duke Levi also smiled and looked at him, his eyes carrying obvious contempt. "I suggest you say that to the head of the Kravina family in person." The Second Prince slammed the table and stood up, waving his hand and shouting: "He''s just a viscount! And he''s already dead! Do you understand? He''s dead!" The Second Prince became more and more agitated as he spoke, finally almost wanting to grab Duke Levi''s collar fiercely, pointing at his nose to tell him the truth harshly. But he didn''t do so. As the Second Prince, he had to maintain proper etiquette. Even if he wasn''t calm, he couldn''t act like a beast. This was the last dignity of being a member of the royal family. He took a deep breath, then said to Duke Levi: "He has disappeared forever in that volcano. This is something everyone knows." "Dead?" Duke Levi laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke, shaking his head and looking at him with pity in his eyes: "In my eyes, your arrogance doesn''t match half of his excellence." Having said this, Duke Levi walked out the door without looking back. The Second Prince''s face darkened. He smoothed his silver hair, took a deep breath, and adjusted his emotions. "Let''s go, we''ll also go to the great hall." "I look forward to seeing if he can remain so calm when everyone is pointing at him." ...... The palace was already full of people, with knights in heavy armor holding long swords, guarding the surrounding order. Gwen stood near the throne. As the captain of the Royal Knights, the person she needed to protect was the Emperor. Kneeling at the forefront was Duke Levi. Seeing the Duke, Gwen''s expression was somewhat complex. She certainly knew the experience this high-ranking minister had today. It definitely couldn''t be called good. But it had to be said, he really loved his daughter. Gwen quickly averted her gaze, scanning among the mages. He hadn''t come. She couldn''t find Viktor''s figure anywhere. "He... hasn''t returned..." For some reason, her heart felt a bit heavy. Perhaps because Viktor was someone she had been familiar with since childhood. Suddenly, amidst the announcement of the eunuchs, the Emperor, surrounded by his entourage, sat on the throne. Aubrey Sol, the eighth Emperor of the Carencia Empire. He looked very old, with a full head of white hair. Although this Emperor was only sixty years old, not much older than Duke Levi. Seeing the Emperor, all the mages knelt on one knee, showing their highest respect to the Emperor. Emperor Aubrey waved his hand, allowing everyone to stand up. Only Duke Levi didn''t move, still kneeling in place. The aged king looked at Duke Levi, closed his eyes, and sighed. Quietly looking at him, he asked: "Levi, did you stop the magic array when the volcano was about to erupt?" "Yes." Duke Levi answered without any hesitation. The Emperor asked again: "Levi, they say you wanted to kill all the mages, including the residents at the foot of the mountain, to accompany your daughter in death. Do you have any explanation for this?" "Your Majesty, I have no explanation." The Emperor silently looked at him, sighing heavily, "Ah..." He looked at Levi, his gaze full of reluctance. Once, they were the best of friends, comrades. And now, Levi still looked so young, while he had already stepped into the journey of life and death. He had wanted to protect his old companions who had been with him for so long in his last few years. But Levi''s actions had affected the credibility of the royal family. If he didn''t punish him severely... it would only dishearten others. "Levi, understand me, forgive me." He closed his eyes, preparing to make the final judgment on Levi. Suddenly, all the knights outside the door drew their swords. A towering flame vortex rose from outside the hall out of thin air, attracting everyone''s attention. The intense heat wave made them unable to open their eyes. After the heat wave dissipated, The mages present slowly opened their eyes. A figure appeared from the light. Gwen stared at that spot, a glint flashing in her eyes. "Viktor!?" Viktor appeared before everyone, his red-striped trench coat moving with the heat wave. He looked towards the Emperor, not kneeling, merely bowing in salute. "My apologies, Your Majesty." "I''m late." Chapter 30: You Say My Power Is Insufficient? Viktor appeared amidst the astonishment of everyone, his deep red coat adding an extra layer of danger to his presence. "Your Majesty, Viktor Kravina has arrived," the eunuch reminded Emperor Aubrey Sol. The surrounding mages exchanged glances, asking each other: "Viktor Kravina? The head of the Kravina family?" "Wasn''t Viktor supposed to have died inside the volcano while trying to trigger an eruption?" "He''s not dead, but actually came back?" Suddenly, one mage spoke up, addressing Viktor directly: "Viktor! You criminal! How dare you come to the palace to see His Majesty!" Hearing this, Viktor replied coldly, "Criminal? What crime have I committed?" He turned his gaze towards the source of the voice. His cold eyes pierced into the mage''s heart like an ice spear, making him feel as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. However, soon after, a surge of burning hatred spread throughout his body. As if transported there, the next second, he found himself at the bottom of Mount Vesuvius. The intense heat made him start to gasp for air... Was that magic? How could someone cultivate such a terrifying sense of magical pressure! Suddenly, Viktor withdrew his gaze and turned back to the king. "Ha! Huff..." The mage clutched his neck, breathing heavily, desperately craving the mild air. Revenge, that was Viktor''s revenge! His heart was in chaos, drenched in cold sweat. Even so, he felt compelled to stand up and question Viktor here. "You... you nearly caused a volcanic eruption, you criminal!" "Even if you didn''t die, you''ve committed the grave sin of fleeing from justice! How dare you return!" "Heh." Viktor sneered contemptuously, not sparing him another glance. "I came at the Emperor''s summons, yet you repeatedly question why I dare to return?" "Are you saying... you have more authority than His Majesty?" The mage hurriedly shut his mouth. Some things required him to be the instigator, but this was not something he dared to respond to. However, his purpose had been achieved. Some things, others would say for him. The other mages quickly picked up the thread, their words filled with hostility towards Viktor. "Your Majesty, the head of the Kravina family is simply talking nonsense!" "He doesn''t mention his crimes at all, and even slanders us and Your Majesty!" "We implore Your Majesty to pass judgment!" Emperor Aubrey Sol waved his hand, and the surrounding eunuchs immediately called out. "Silence!" In the hall, everyone obediently closed their mouths. But they still glared at Viktor with hatred in their eyes, wishing they could flay him alive and drink his blood. There was no help for it; he was Viktor Kravina after all. He was naturally the target of resentment. The Second Prince, standing among the crowd, shook his head. It was a pity that Viktor hadn''t been driven into a corner. But... he hadn''t died in the volcano after all. The Second Prince still remembered the descriptions from the many mages at that time. An astonishing energy had burst from the volcano''s mouth, instantly suppressing the trend of eruption. If Viktor had truly been inside the volcano at that time, attempting to cause an eruption, There was no possibility he could have survived under that energy. "Tsk, what a pity." The emperor extended his hand, beckoning to Viktor, and the eunuch beside him immediately called out in the great hall: "Viktor Kravina! Step forward to hear your judgment!" Viktor walked to the closest position to His Majesty, waiting to be questioned. The emperor opened his eyes, staring at Viktor, and asked, "Did you trigger the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?" Hearing this question, everyone present couldn''t help but crane their necks, curious about how Victor would answer. Or rather, what they hoped for more was Viktor''s sophistry. Gwen was equally curious, but she hoped more that Viktor could tell the truth. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The truth that this matter had nothing to do with him. Gwen''s position by the emperor''s side was not merely as His Majesty''s guard. Her role was crucial; with her heart of justice, she could easily discern truth from lies. So, when the emperor questioned Viktor, Gwen''s gaze remained fixed on him. Her heart of justice had already been activated. "The volcano''s anomaly was indeed caused by me." "Hiss" Viktor admitted frankly. Hearing this truth, everyone couldn''t help but draw in a sharp breath. Gwen''s heart also skipped a beat. She couldn''t believe this was true, but her heart of justice told her the reality. "Viktor is not lying," Gwen spoke up, pronouncing judgment on Viktor''s truthfulness. This statement almost ignited the emotions of everyone present. They were like volcanoes suddenly erupting from silence, pointing at Viktor and beginning to unleash a torrent of abuse: "Bastard! Do you know what you''ve done!" "You''re the culprit who nearly killed everyone!" "A volcanic eruption, a disaster of this magnitude, do you know how great your responsibility is!?" In Gwen''s heart, there was also an unbearable emotion. Viktor had become the culprit who nearly caused a volcanic eruption, and she was the one who found it hardest to accept. Gwen felt incredibly guilty. If a natural disaster had occurred, she would have been the greatest sinner. She hadn''t refused to accompany Viktor, and in the end, it had nearly caused a catastrophe. "But, the person who stopped the volcanic eruption was also me." Suddenly, Gwen raised her head, a flash of obvious shock passing through her eyes. "Viktor is not lying..." Duke Levi, who had been kneeling expressionlessly on the ground, suddenly raised his head. Just as Viktor had aroused everyone''s anger, his next sentence suppressed everyone''s mouths once again. Accompanied by the judgment of Gwen''s heart of justice, this sentence was like a thousand-year-old ice sealing off a volcano, plunging everyone present back into boundless silence. All the mages present had clearly witnessed that scene. At the moment when the volcano was about to erupt, that shocking white light had shot into the sky, mercilessly suppressing the volcano. That was definitely not a power that humans could possess. And now, Viktor actually said that he had stopped the volcanic eruption. Even the volcano''s mother wouldn''t dare to think such a thing! But, Gwen actually said that Viktor wasn''t lying? Aubrey looked at everyone''s reactions, then turned back to Viktor and asked. "Viktor, what was your reason for doing this?" Viktor knew that if he lied, Gwen would detect it. He didn''t want to think too much, so he simply decided to tell the truth about the volcano. Sincerity was the ultimate killer move. "Your Majesty, beneath the volcano, a terrifying magical beast named ''Guledon'' was sealed." "If this magical beast isn''t dealt with now, in a year and a half, it will break through the seal, causing the volcano to erupt completely." "At that time, the scale of the natural disaster would be enough to swallow heaven and earth." The emperor narrowed his eyes, staring at Viktor and asking: "So, you dealt with that magical beast?" Viktor placed his hand on his chest, bowing slightly. "I was fortunate enough not to disappoint." At this moment, even without Gwen standing up to confirm his truthfulness, The mages all became anxious. "Your Majesty! Don''t believe Viktor''s lies! This must be a fabrication to shirk responsibility!" "Pure fabrication! How could there possibly be a magical beast under the volcano! Even if there were, how could such a powerful creature be dealt with by Viktor alone?" "We all saw the magic at that time, that kind of magical energy is simply not something humans can possess!" "At least not something a third-tier mage like Viktor could achieve!" The surrounding mages once again aimed their spearheads at Viktor. "In our opinion, Viktor is lying!" Only a few third-tier mages remained silent, including Baron Beck. He looked down at the few mages he was friendly with around him, and similarly, they were also looking at Beck at the same time. They simultaneously recalled the mad old woman in Sanchel Town. ''The legend of the Volcano God... is true.'' The king turned his head to look at Gwen, and Gwen nodded, indicating that Viktor was not lying. "Knight Commander Gwen, if I remember correctly, you have an engagement with Viktor, right?" the Second Prince said as he walked out from the crowd. Gwen heard his question, paused for a moment, then nodded. "Even when investigating the volcano, Miss Gwen requested Viktor as the accompanying mage." "And Viktor disappeared for seven or eight days, do you really not know what he did?" The Second Prince spoke with a smile on his face, but his words were clearly intended to strike at the heart. At this, many mages reacted. Gwen also didn''t back down, staring firmly at the Second Prince, saying, "Your Highness, are you questioning me?" Hearing this, the Second Prince smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Please understand, this is a reasonable doubt." The emperor spoke up at this point, saying, "Gwen''s heart of justice has never been wrong." The Second Prince bowed to the emperor: "Father, please allow me to speak frankly. The heart of justice can indeed discern truth from falsehood in others'' words." "But who can discern the truth and falsehood in Gwen''s words?" The other mages'' eyes lit up when they heard this. "That''s right! Gwen is Viktor''s fiance!" "We almost got deceived by this cunning couple!" "The Second Prince makes sense, how can we discern the truth in Gwen''s words?" The mages were overjoyed, if it weren''t for the Second Prince suddenly appearing to save the situation, they would have almost been outmaneuvered by Viktor and his wife against the odds. Indeed, the Second Prince was brilliantly clever. Gwen opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but faced with the questioning of the surrounding mages, she was so flustered that she couldn''t say a word, and her eyes even reddened with anger. As a knight, she could protect the country and fight enemies. But when it came to verbal sparring, she could never match these eloquent mages in her lifetime. "Then, Your Highness, are you questioning my abilities?" At this moment, Viktor spoke up. He didn''t turn back to look at the Second Prince, and none of the mages behind him could see his expression at this time. The Second Prince narrowed his eyes and smiled, with a composed demeanor. "Lord Viktor, I think everyone present is aware of your talent." "But for you to fabricate a so-called magical beast to hide your actions." "Lord Viktor, you are but a third-tier mage after all." "Isn''t it a bit thoughtless to make such boasts?" His words resonated deeply. With so many third-tier mages present, no one would believe that Viktor alone had stopped the volcanic eruption. They couldn''t do it, so Viktor, also a third-tier mage, couldn''t possibly do it either. Because the pride of these mages wouldn''t allow Viktor to be stronger than themselves who were at the same level. So they wouldn''t believe it. But at this moment, Viktor, who had been standing still, suddenly disappeared. Everyone widened their eyes, trying to find Viktor''s whereabouts. Instead, a ball of flame rose into the air. "Where did Viktor go?" In an instant, countless intricate magic arrays formed above the Second Prince''s head, rotating ceaselessly. There were so many that none of the mages present could clearly see a single pattern. "What... What kind of formation is this?" "The patterns are so chaotic... no! The patterns are too complex, it''s impossible to comprehend!" "What''s going on here?" All the mages present were shocked. They wanted to stop it, to see through it, but the temperature in the room suddenly rose sharply. At this moment, they couldn''t even calm down enough to release their magic power. Suddenly, a voice rang out. "Quick... look! Is that, is that Viktor!?" A mage pointed at the sky in terror. They saw Viktor''s figure bathed in flames, gradually forming a fiery magical image that touched the ceiling, burning like the sun, dazzlingly bright. The intense heat caused the walls around the hall to start burning, and even the floor of the great hall began to crack due to the high temperature. His eyes coldly stared at the Second Prince, the pressure from above making the Second Prince not dare to even breathe. "You say my power is insufficient?" Out of nowhere, a flame ignited on the Second Prince''s clothes. Smoke gradually rose, but under the intense heat, he couldn''t even feel that he was burning in the flames. Gwen stood in front of the king, using her enchanted armor to block the scorching light emitted by Viktor. "Then let''s let power speak for itself." Hum Hum Hum Countless magic arrays rang out with complex sounds, drowning out the confused voices of everyone present, gradually merging. Suddenly, a mage looked at the sky in terror and shouted at the top of his lungs: "That is... fourth-tier magic!" Chapter 31: Duke, I Already Have a Fiancée "That is... fourth-tier magic!" The old mage pointed at Viktor floating in the air, uttering these words in terror. Instantly, the great hall fell silent. "Fourth-tier magic!?" "Has Viktor already become a fourth-tier mage?" "Impossible!" None of the mages present dared to believe this moment. Baron Beck rubbed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the red sun was still in the sky. "This is not an illusion..." If Viktor alone had stopped the volcanic eruption, it would have only affected their mindset. But now, Viktor being able to use fourth-tier magic made them feel desperate. In the long history of the Empire, no one had ever achieved such an accomplishment. Twenty-nine years old, a fourth-tier mage. The richness of this magical energy and the astonishing magical strength forced them to believe. Viktor had become a fourth-tier mage; this had become reality. The Second Prince narrowed his eyes, looking up at Viktor in the sky. That posture, like a fire demon, seemed as if it would completely devour him the next second. The terrifying temperature was still rising rapidly. Before him was an already prepared grand magic array. If Viktor just moved his finger, all the mages present and the Second Prince would be burned to ashes. Such powerful aura was definitely not something third-tier magic could possess. Suddenly, the Second Prince smiled with relief. He reached out and extinguished the flame on his body. Then he bowed towards Viktor. "I believe you now." "I''m sorry, Mr. Viktor, for doubting you both." "I hope you and Knight Commander Gwen can understand that in this situation, all doubts were quite reasonable." The temperature in the great hall suddenly dropped. Viktor withdrew his magic array and landed back on the ground, his body''s flames transforming back into a coat. His effortless control of magic further shocked all the mages. At this moment, Viktor''s strength was recognized by everyone. Even the emperor gave him an appreciative look. Many mages seemed to realize something, and the clever ones quickly apologized to Viktor with smiles. "Mr. Viktor is truly incredibly talented! A fourth-tier mage at twenty-nine, I''m afraid it''s unparalleled even outside the Empire." "The Empire''s Holy Mages, until now, are only those few, right?" "With this, our Empire has gained another Holy Mage, our national strength is flourishing!" The mages who had just been questioning quickly changed their tune, all flattering Viktor. Only some proud old images remained, looking at Viktor without a word. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. These people, without exception, had stagnated at the third-tier mage stage for decades. "Meeting at the peak." Only to find out they were at the foot of the mountain. Even if Duke Levi had reached the fourth tier, they wouldn''t be jealous, only offering sincere congratulations. But who was Viktor? The infamous genius mage. To think that the person they resented had surpassed them first, becoming a Holy Mage. These old mages were so angry they could almost grind their back teeth to dust. "How infuriating!" Gwen also watched this unfavorable situation suddenly reverse before Viktor, blinking her eyes. ''How... did he suddenly become so strong?'' She wanted to go forward and ask Viktor properly. But now was not the time. With the Second Prince''s concession, the outcome of this court session was basically settled. After nine years, Viktor once again made everyone in the world aware of his genius reputation. "Owiser, you may leave," the emperor waved his hand, calling the Second Prince by his real name, indicating for him to leave. The Second Prince glanced at Viktor one last time, turned and bowed: "Yes, Father." He swished his robe and left the hall. "Viktor." The emperor beckoned to Viktor, "Let me have a good look at the appearance of the Empire''s youngest Holy Mage." Viktor stepped forward, confidently meeting the king''s gaze. Even though standing before the emperor was a powerful fourth-tier mage. The emperor''s gaze didn''t waver in the slightest. Viktor bowed respectfully: "Excuse my rudeness, Your Majesty." "It''s fine." The emperor spoke, asking: "You just said you defeated a magical beast, so does that mean the volcano won''t erupt?" Hearing the emperor''s words, Viktor shook his head and explained: "I couldn''t kill that magical beast, I could only defeat it and reseal it inside the volcano." "At least for a certain period, the volcano won''t erupt again." "Of course, if it breaks through the seal again, I will still defeat it." The emperor nodded, a joyful expression appearing on his face. "Good!" "You''ve dealt with a huge hidden danger for the Empire, I must reward you well." "Tell me, what do you want? Status? Power? Or wealth?" Now that Viktor was a fourth-tier mage, such a powerful mage shouldn''t just be a viscount. He should rightfully have a higher status. But Viktor shook his head and said: "I haven''t thought it through yet, so I hope Your Majesty can let me reserve this reward." The emperor nodded, agreeing to his request. The more he looked at Viktor, the more he admired him, blurting out: "You''re even more outstanding than your father." Viktor was indifferent. His father had long since died, and even if he were still alive, that wasn''t his real father anyway. Viktor lowered his head and saw Duke Levi kneeling on the ground. He was still kneeling there, head bowed, like a criminal awaiting judgment. Just like at the beginning. Viktor said: "Your Majesty, there''s one more thing." "I want to speak up for Duke Levi." The duke suddenly raised his head, looking at Viktor in disbelief. The emperor also let out an interesting "Oh?" "Viktor, say what you want to say." After getting permission, Viktor nodded and said: "In this matter, Duke Levi was also aware." "The duke and I had already agreed, I would fight the magical beast inside the volcano, while Duke Levi would lead the magic array outside." "If I failed, Duke Levi would then release war magic to suppress the magical beast." The emperor raised his head, giving him an approving look. "So, you succeeded." This statement was not only answering Viktor but also speaking to all the mages present. But there were still mages who hadn''t discerned the situation, shouting from the crowd: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" "You have no relation to the duke? There''s no way you could have communicated!" Viktor turned his head and looked at him contemptuously, saying coldly. "Erica du Cloyer is my proudest student." "Do you have any more questions?" The mage was immediately speechless. At this moment, everyone realized that Viktor had another identity, that of the youngest professor at the Royal Magic Academy. Viktor''s plan was watertight, flawless, everything had been woven together long ago. No, there was still a turning point. The mages who still wanted to step on the duke looked expectantly at Gwen. But they were disappointed because they heard an icy sentence from Gwen''s mouth: "Your Majesty, Viktor is not lying." The emperor smiled. He sat spiritedly on the throne and announced the final judgment: "Levi, not guilty." ....... Viktor walked out of the palace expressionlessly, during which no mage dared to disturb him. A black crow was perched on the railing at the entrance, waiting for him. Viktor went up and stroked the crow''s head. "Viktor Kravina." Duke Levi came out and called Viktor''s name at first sight. Viktor heard someone call his name and turned around to return a look to Duke Levi. Duke Levi was usually kind to people, but at this moment, even facing Viktor who had helped him, he seemed somewhat cold. "State your purpose." Viktor''s hand stroking the bird''s head paused. He placed Vega on his shoulder and faced this old father who somewhat resembled Erica. "What purpose does the Duke hope I have?" Levi looked at Viktor''s eyes, somewhat dangerously. Viktor sighed and said: "Duke, being overly protective of your daughter isn''t a good thing either." "Rest assured, I already have a fiance." Duke Levi thought of that knight who dared to lie in front of all the mages and the emperor. He himself hadn''t expected that the powerful knight renowned for justice would actually lie for Viktor. The outside world often said their relationship was terrible, but now it seemed that wasn''t the case. He relaxed a little. "However, since you put it that way, Duke..." As he was pondering, Viktor''s voice suddenly sounded. The duke looked at Viktor, only feeling that in his eyes, there seemed to be some... calculation. "It seems inappropriate if I don''t do something about Erica..." Chapter 32: Oh No, He Can’t Like Me, Can He? Duke Levi glared at Viktor and left without a word. As for Viktor, He never intended to explain anything from the beginning. Helping Duke Levi was merely a convenient act. Although he indeed needed the Duke''s family''s power to do something, there was no need to tell Duke Levi about it. Viktor had a better candidate in mind. He waited for a while at the city gate and soon saw Gwen running towards him. Gwen was in such a hurry, as if she was chasing someone. She only stopped when she saw Viktor. "I''ve been waiting for you," he said to Gwen, as if he knew she would come looking for him. But Gwen didn''t have a pleasant expression for Viktor. "Don''t you have anything to explain to me?" Viktor noticed many mages who hadn''t left yet were looking in their direction. "We''ll talk later." Viktor hinted to Gwen that they were in a crowded place, and it would be better to tell her some things in private. Gwen received his hint and nodded. "Get in my carriage." "Alright." Gwen agreed without much thought. They walked side by side to the carriage, and Viktor extended a hand towards Gwen. Gwen didn''t understand the gesture and hesitated for a moment. Seeing her reaction, Viktor shook his head and explained, "When inviting a lady, this is a necessary basic etiquette." "Troublesome etiquette," Gwen complained, not even noticing the strange looks from those around them, and placed her hand on Viktor''s. Under Viktor''s guidance, they both got into the carriage. The door closed, and the carriage quickly drove away. Viktor looked out the window, satisfied with the various complex expressions on people''s faces. Then, he drew the curtains. Surely, after this meeting, tomorrow''s public opinion will have a new direction. He turned his head to look at Gwen again. Gwen, however, was the first to take out a bag from her waist. "This is what you wanted." She handed the bag to Viktor, who was a bit confused but still accepted it. Opening it, he saw various red crystals of different shapes inside. He suddenly remembered the reason he had mentioned to Gwen before. Viktor was surprised, not expecting Gwen to remember such things. He did indeed need these to make some special magical items, but it was just a side task. When leaving the volcano, he felt a bit regretful for not collecting some, but it didn''t matter anymore. Unexpectedly, Gwen had collected some for him. A warm feeling rose in Viktor''s heart, but he wasn''t the sentimental type. He put the bag into his player inventory. "Thank you." Gwen looked at Viktor with some amusement, her tone slightly mocking. "I didn''t expect you to actually say thank you." "Now, it''s time for your explanation." Viktor nodded and said: "I''ve already explained everything in front of the Emperor." "You were there, you should know if I was telling the truth." Gwen suddenly spoke to him coldly: "You should understand, that''s not what I want to ask about." She had grown up with Viktor since childhood. If Viktor was said to be kind-hearted enough to want to stop the volcanic eruption to save everyone, This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Gwen would absolutely not believe it. Viktor had shown his cold-blooded side since childhood. If necessary trade-offs were to be made, even if it meant sacrificing a town full of people, he would choose to gain his own benefits. "What was your purpose in triggering the volcanic eruption?" "Purpose, huh..." Viktor thought for a moment. Why did he decide to follow when he heard the news of Gwen going to the volcano? He could have gone there alone later. Without the Knight Corps following, perhaps Viktor could have done everything more discreetly. By the time the royal capital discovered it, everything would have been over. It wouldn''t have caused such a commotion, even dragging all the third-tier mages in the royal capital into this muddy water. But... "Perhaps it was because of you." "Because of me?" Gwen was suddenly stunned, even her Heart of Justice trembled a bit. Under the surveillance of her Heart of Justice, Gwen could see that Viktor was clearly not lying. Which means, he really had such thoughts. ''Wait, if it''s because of me...'' He went to the volcano crater alone, just to challenge the magical beast in the volcano. And it turned out to be for her? Gwen couldn''t quite understand. Did Viktor think she would encounter some danger? ''That Viktor, he actually thought like this...?'' Gwen placed one hand on her chest, clearly feeling her heart rate accelerate. Even if she was slow with emotions, she had some guesses in her heart. Could it be that Viktor liked her? How else could all this be explained?! Hearing that she was going to such a dangerous place as the volcano, he came running in the middle of the night just to go with her. Staying in the same room together, and fulfilling so many of her unreasonable requests. To prevent danger on the volcano, he went ahead alone to subdue the magical beast under the volcano. "This, this..." Gwen''s rationality told her that she shouldn''t think like this, Viktor couldn''t possibly like her. He was such a selfish person after all... But her Heart of Justice never made mistakes. ''If he really likes me, what should I do?'' Gwen''s heart was a bit confused. As for Viktor, he was still thinking. ''Hmm... it really was because of her.'' On one hand, Viktor genuinely wanted to fight with the Furnace Beast, to test himself and see how long it would take to defeat it. On the other hand, Gwen going on a mission, leaving the royal capital for a long time, was a very dangerous thing for him. If Gwen was still within the royal capital, he could still understand Gwen''s movements through Lia. But if Gwen went to the volcano. Who could imagine what kind of opportunities she might encounter? Viktor made a bold guess, what if Gwen suddenly fell off a cliff, woke up the sleeping Furnace Beast, and ended up fighting with the Lava Beast, gaining some of its power? This wasn''t impossible. Since Gwen in the game survived until the end, then without his influence, Gwen''s mission this time would absolutely not go wrong. To avoid his own death ending, he needed to suppress Gwen as much as possible. At least keep Gwen acting under his watch, so he could feel at ease. So saying it was because of Gwen that Viktor chose to insist on going to the volcano with her, defeating Guledon in advance, wasn''t just a casual remark. The two had different thoughts. Viktor didn''t know what Gwen was thinking, but this explanation should be convincing to Gwen. After all, he really thought so. "Do you have anything else you want to ask?" "No... wait, where have you been these past few days?" Gwen suddenly asked. This was what she wanted to know the most. During these days when Viktor was missing, almost everyone believed that Viktor had fled due to guilt, and worse rumors spread that he had already died in the volcano. During his disappearance, the Kravina family''s situation was equally bad. Their business was attacked by competitors, and their mansion was blocked by many people every day, throwing various things into the courtyard. One can imagine how much people hated Viktor, to the extent that even after his ''death'', there were still a bunch of people coming for revenge. It was hard for Lia to hold on alone for so long. "I was injured and found a place to recover," Viktor explained. Strictly speaking, this statement wasn''t a lie either. The three-day and three-night battle with Guledon did indeed leave him wounded. Although the injuries weren''t severe, it was indeed a reasonable excuse for recovery. Moreover, after the battle ended, he really was unconscious for three days and three nights. As long as it matched the truth, Gwen''s Heart of Justice wouldn''t judge it as a lie. "Was that magical beast... that strong?" Gwen couldn''t imagine that with Viktor''s strength, he would be so severely injured. Needing so many days to recover, obviously that beast was incredibly powerful. At this moment, she suddenly remembered what the old woman in Sanchel Town had said: A volcano god was sealed within the volcano. Such legendary stories couldn''t necessarily serve as evidence, but since that thing could be called a god, its strength was naturally not to be underestimated. Viktor closed his eyes, using magic to create a visual scene for Gwen. Red magical energy began to swirl around Gwen. Gwen felt the surrounding scenery changing rapidly, and the sky suddenly darkened. "It was very strong." He synchronized his feelings to Gwen. The temperature in the carriage suddenly rose, and at this moment, Gwen seemed to see that magical beast as if she were there herself. Flames raged to the sky, as if a demon god had descended. Viktor dispersed the magic, and Gwen was a bit dazed. Viktor had actually defeated such a thing... for her... "...I have no more questions." Gwen was speechless. "Then, I''ll send you home." Viktor activated a spell. Now, first-tier magic in his hands was as simple as sprinkling water. A strand of green magical energy flew from his fingertips and wrapped around the wheels. The carriage turned in a new direction, heading towards Gwen''s home. This was the advantage of being a mage. Sitting in the carriage, they didn''t even need a coachman to drive. Afterwards, they were silent. They soon arrived at Gwen''s mansion, and Viktor watched as Gwen got off the carriage. "By the way," Viktor called out to Gwen before leaving. "Thank you for covering for me in front of His Majesty." Gwen turned back, about to say something. But the carriage had already turned and left. She watched Viktor leave in a daze, standing at the door, her feelings complicated. The maids, seeing Gwen alighting from the Kravina family''s carriage, were a bit surprised and started whispering: "Didn''t the young lady hate Viktor the most?" "This time she actually came back in Viktor''s carriage?" "Could it be..." They got more and more excited as they talked, even blushing when they reached the crucial point. They completely failed to notice the footsteps coming from behind. "What are you all chatting about? If there''s something good, why not chat with me?" The maids turned around to see a smiling woman walking out of the house, and they quickly lowered their heads. "We''re sorry, Young Mistress." The woman came out still wearing that smile and said: "Mm, don''t slack off during work hours." "Alright, I''m going to welcome my sister whom I haven''t seen in a long time." Chapter 33: Let’s Pick a Good Day and Get Married! Gwen walked through the main gate with her head down, looking anxious and unsure. Lost in thought, she bumped into a soft body. Gwen paused for a moment, then looked up. "Sis... Sister!?" "Long time no see, little Gwen~" The smiling woman in front of her was her elder sisterKevla Delin. She was a different kind of beauty from Gwen, with light purple long hair, delicate features, red lips and white teeth. Her eyes sparkled, and every gesture exuded elegance and nobility. She was as graceful and noble as a violet. Gwen''s impression of her elder sister was still stuck in the past. Back then, Kevla''s hair was the same silver-white as hers. ''Did she dye her hair?'' Gwen wondered curiously. But undeniably, having stayed with the family for so many years, the relationship between the sisters was very close. Even after not seeing each other for a long time, Gwen couldn''t hide her delight. Her face beamed with a smile, her demeanor completely different from moments ago. "Seeing your sister, don''t you want to give me a hug?" Kevla said with a smile, extending her arms. Like the bright moon at night, anyone who saw her would feel drawn to her. Gwen nodded with a blush and gave her sister a big hug. At this moment, Kevla, still smiling, asked: "I just heard from the servants that you came back in someone else''s carriage. Who was that?" "Sis... Sister!" Gwen stomped her foot, looking annoyed. Seeing her like this, Kevla nodded as if she knew everything. "Mm-hmm, you don''t need to tell me, I already know. That was Viktor, right?" Gwen lowered her head, not saying a word. Her mind was in a bit of a muddle. She had just understood Viktor''s feelings, and now her sister, whom she hadn''t seen in years, suddenly appeared to tease her. What was going on today? "Come to think of it, I haven''t seen Viktor in a long time either. I wonder if he''s still that arrogant." "Should we find some time to pay him a visit?" As Kevla Used to herself, Gwen turned her head, curious, and asked: "Sister, why did you come to the capital?" "Oh? Of course, it''s because I missed my adorable little sister~" Kevla pulled Gwen into her arms and ruffled her hair. Gwen pushed her away, a bit annoyed. "You know I can tell the truth from lies." "Well, I guess I can''t fool you after all." "Using your ability on family, how heartless. Little Gwen has learned some bad habits." Kevla stuck out her tongue, then became serious. "Although I was planning to come to the capital anyway, I heard from a friend that something happened here recently, so I came earlier." "Are you alright?" Gwen shook her head and said: "Those most affected were mainly Duke Levi and Viktor." Kevla tilted her head, a clear look of confusion flashing in her eyes. "Hm? Why would Viktor be involved with Duke Levi?" Gwen chose her words carefully and told Kevla about everything that had happened recently. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ... "What, what!? A volcano almost erupted? And there was a volcano god hidden under the mountain? That monster was actually defeated by Viktor?" "Damn, if I didn''t have family matters to attend to, I would have loved to be part of such an exciting event!" "Next time, you must call me if something like this happens!" Listening to Gwen''s account, Kevla''s eyes sparkled with excitement. She bit her lip, clearly disappointed about not being involved in this incident. Gwen saw this and felt a bit helpless. "Sister, how could something like that happen again?" "Even if it did, I wouldn''t want to experience it again." Kevla spoke in a mature tone, seriously educating her: "You don''t understand, Gwen. This is a rare adventure." "Although the risks are high, it also comes with opportunities." Hearing Kevla''s words, Gwen was slightly stunned, suddenly remembering Viktor''s powerful performance and strong abilities in the palace today. "...Opportunities?" "Yes, opportunities." Kevla crossed her arms and nodded seriously, saying: "If you want to become stronger, relying solely on training, I can''t say it''s unrealistic, but slow progress can easily discourage people." "I''m not worried about you giving up though..." Kevla said something more, but Gwen wasn''t listening anymore. Could it be that Viktor suddenly became so strong because he also gained some rare opportunity? Lost in thought, Kevla''s voice reached her ears. "So, the Duke stopped the war magic for his daughter''s sake... Maybe I should thank him." Gwen was a bit confused. From the empire''s perspective, if the volcano had erupted, the damage would have been unimaginable. This was only under the premise that Viktor succeeded, but what if he had failed? Shouldn''t her sister be thinking about the family''s interests and the capital''s benefits? Kevla saw through Gwen''s thoughts, sighed, and lightly hit Gwen''s head with her fist. Gwen winced in pain, holding her head as a few unwilling tears escaped. "Sis, don''t you know your own strength?" "Sorry, sorry, your sister just couldn''t help it." Kevla then affectionately rubbed Gwen''s head to comfort her: "But think about it, you were also on the mountain at that time. If the Duke had released the war magic..." "How would I face your grave afterwards?" Gwen was stunned; she had never thought about this question. At that time, not only was Erica on the mountaintop. She, who had gone to chase Erica, was also there. Just as Kevla said. Fortunately, the magic array was led by the Duke, and he stopped the war magic. If the magic had been released, she wouldn''t have been able to escape unharmed either. At this moment, Gwen thought of Viktor''s words again. He had defeated the volcano god for her sake. Even when she didn''t know about the situation herself. "Viktor... really saved me..." Gwen''s heart became increasingly confused, and she began to lose track of her own feelings, her expression growing more complex. "What''s wrong? Thinking about something?" Kevla looked at Gwen with a smile, her gaze sweeping back and forth over Gwen''s head. Hmm... She shouldn''t have used too much force, right? She shouldn''t be injured. Gwen shook her head. Since she had accepted someone''s kindness, there was no reason not to repay it. Having figured everything out, she wasn''t as conflicted anymore. Kevla nodded with a smile, then suddenly said as if she had thought of something: "Ah! Since little Gwen hasn''t taken off her armor yet, do you want to spar with your sister for a bit? We haven''t crossed swords in so many years!" Gwen looked at Kevla with surprise, some doubt, and a bit of reluctance. "Sister? You?" Before she could say anything more, Kevla grabbed Gwen''s hand and headed towards the training ground. "Come on, come on! Let''s go to the training ground!" "Don''t we need to wear protective gear?" "No need, no need!" ... "Huff, huff..." Gwen knelt on one knee, barely supporting herself with a sword to avoid collapsing completely. She was drenched in sweat, her stamina almost exhausted. In contrast, Kevla is on the opposite side. She held only a standard knight''s sword and wore no protective gear at all. Yet, she looked completely relaxed, as if she hadn''t exerted herself at all. Kevla stretched lazily, sheathed the knight''s sword, and hung it back on the wall. "Mm~ha! It''s been so long since I''ve had such a good workout! That felt great~" Gwen struggled to stand up and suddenly asked: "Sister, why did you choose to give up the path of a knight?" "Hm?" Kevla turned her head, one hand on her chin, as if thinking carefully. "I suppose it was out of necessity." "After all, the family needed my talents." Gwen''s heart sank. Her sister, Kevla Delin. As the eldest daughter of the family, she was gifted and powerful. Even ten years ago, she already possessed strength comparable to the captain of the royal knights. However, her sister gave up martial arts. She started anew with politics as her goal, constantly learning social skills and navigating the political world. This was also a kind of helplessness. As the Delin family, with significant influence in the empire''s military affairs, they needed a leader who could stand firm in the political arena and guide the family to avoid crises. Even though their father had disciples all over the world, there were still people who saw the Delin family as a thorn in their side. And Kevla was cheerful, emotionally intelligent, and socially adepta beautiful woman loved by all. She was practically the opposite example of Viktor. So, Kevla Delin put down her beloved weapons and became a sacrifice for the family''s sake. Beneath her cheerful exterior, perhaps she hid unspeakable pain. "But something''s not quite right, little Gwen." Suddenly, her sister''s voice pulled Gwen back from her thoughts. She blinked, somewhat confused. Kevla looked at her and said with concern: "To be honest, one of the reasons I came to the capital this time was because I was curious about your strength." "You... don''t seem to have made much progress at all." Hearing her sister say this, Gwen gripped her sword tightly. She indeed couldn''t defeat her elder sister, even though her sister had given up the path of knighthood many years ago. But if someone said her strength hadn''t improved in recent years, she couldn''t accept that. Kevla suddenly said: "This won''t do, little Gwen. If this continues, Father might very well call you back home for intensive training. What should we do?" Pretending to look troubled, Kevla''s eyes darted around, constantly observing Gwen''s expression. "I''ve got it!" Gwen looked up at Kevla. Kevla, as if she had thought of a perfect solution, said: "Why don''t you quickly find a good day and marry Viktor right away!" "That way, Father will definitely allow you to stay here!" Gwen blinked. "Huh?" Chapter 34: Come on, Let Me Take a Look! Kevla was still explaining. "Once you marry Viktor, you''ll be part of the Kravina family." "That way, even if Father wants to call you back, you''ll have every reason to refuse." Gwen: "..." Under Gwen''s bewildered gaze, Kevla continued pacing back and forth, muttering to herself. "It''s perfect timing with my return. We can set the date, and I can be your witness at the wedding..." "Hmm, considering your age, you should have been married by now. It''s not right to have delayed it for so long." Gwen finally couldn''t hold back anymore and shouted: "Sister! I''m not planning to get married yet!" Hearing Gwen''s words, Kevla turned her head, feigning confusion. "What? Doesn''t Viktor like you?" "No... that''s... probably not it..." Gwen recalled her conversation with Viktor earlier that day. She had intended to firmly say she didn''t like him, but somehow found herself changing her words. She lowered her head, her voice getting softer and softer. "Well, there you have it!" Kevla laughed heartily, patting Gwen''s shoulder, and said with a smile: "Little Gwen, you don''t want to go back home either, right?" "..." Gwen felt that Kevla''s words were not well-intentioned. But she indeed didn''t want to go back. Thinking of her strict father and her disliked second brother... In this family, only her mother and sister mattered to her; she had no other attachments. Seeing Gwen gradually fall silent, Kevla took a few steps back and said with a light laugh: "Alright, alright, I was just teasing you." "I won''t let you go back." Gwen looked up, eyeing Kevla curiously. Kevla stood there, pondering something: "Hmm... but if you don''t go back, we need to find a reason." "Viktor is not bad, right? I saw you coming back in his carriage together." "I''ll send a message home, saying you''re in the midst of a passionate romance with Viktor. That should do it, right?" Hearing her sister''s frivolous suggestion, Gwen''s face turned red. She wanted to argue, but knowing Kevla was trying to help her, and unable to think of a better reason, she could only close her mouth in a huff. Her sister didn''t know anything. Her relationship with Viktor was far from good. "Oh! Right!" Kevla moved closer to Gwen again, saying with a grin: "Actually, there''s another matter I need to resolve during this visit to the capital. I wasn''t planning to tell you." "But since you seem to be on good terms with Viktor, I thought I''d ask you to seek his help." "Help?" Gwen was taken aback. What kind of help would Viktor require? "Yes, after all, he''s a mage, and from what you''ve said, he''s a super-powerful one at that." "So, I''d like you to pass on a message for me." Suddenly, Kevla turned serious. Her previous playful demeanor vanished completely, as if she had become a different person, reminiscent of a quiet violet. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Deep and mysterious. "Be aware of the ''filth'' that has infiltrated the capital." Gwen was startled by her sister''s reaction. But as soon as Kevla finished speaking, she reverted to her previous playful self, smilingly putting an arm around Gwen''s shoulders. "Anyway, just remind him. If he can find that thing, it would be a great help!" Gwen wanted to know what exactly this ''filth'' was that her sister mentioned, something significant enough to warrant seeking help from a mage like Viktor. But before she could ask more, a hand had already mischievously found its way to the gap in her armor at her waist. Gwen felt a warmth at her waist, her face immediately flushing red. Kevla''s voice was already in her ear. "You''ve sweated a lot, haven''t you, little Gwen?" "How about taking a nice warm bath with your sister? I can check if you''re developing normally while we''re at it~" Gwen, red-faced, firmly refused. "Sister! I''m well past the age of development!" "Come on! Let me take a look!" ....... ''Do you want power?'' The black, twisted letters reappeared on the book, as tempting as a demon. But Henie was merely troubled. This was already the fourth time today. Since morning, these strange black words had been mysteriously surrounding her. On her desk, on the walls, even in the flower beds she passed while walking through the campus garden. She didn''t know who was behind this prank. Yes, she had been treating this as a prank all along. After all, who would take such an ominous, clich thing seriously? Henie had endured it the first few times, thinking the prankster would eventually get bored. But she hadn''t expected them to be so persistent. This time, she finally couldn''t take it anymore. She was sitting at a desk in the library, preparing for today''s lessons. But these words appeared on the page, covering the content she had just written. She was angry but could only fume silently. As an ordinary magic apprentice, she had a wealth of theoretical knowledge but couldn''t cast a single spell. Without talent, she was destined to helplessly watch this annoying prank cling to her. So, she wrote a few words on that page. ''Sorry, I refuse.'' After doing this, she tore out the page that was already filled with content, threw it in a nearby trash can, gathered her books, and left the library. Although she could remember this content in her head, Her cautious nature made her feel far less secure than writing it on paper. Henie planned to return to the Mage Towerto Viktor''s office, to rewrite in peace. Before leaving, Viktor had given her access to his office. So Henie could freely enter and exit the Mage Tower. On the way to the Mage Tower, those black letters rose again from the stone pavement. ''Do you want power?'' "Sorry, I don''t want it! Stop bothering me!" Henie shouted her refusal, hugging her books and running away without looking back. Soon, she arrived at the Mage Tower, out of breath. Having never engaged in intense exercise, even this short run left her feeling oxygen-deprived. After catching her breath for a while, she reached out to touch the Mage Tower. [Identity Verification SuccessfulTeaching Assistant Henie, Welcome back to the Mage Tower.] With a voice prompt, the teleportation array quickly descended. The next second, she appeared in Viktor''s office. The room was fresh and clean, with a small vase of bright flowers on the windowsilla gift she had given to Professor Viktor. Professor Viktor had a bit of a cleanliness obsession; he liked a clean and tidy environment. Henie always kept this in mind, so she cleaned the office for Viktor every day. She didn''t sit in Viktor''s chair, but instead brought another chair to the desk before sitting down. After putting down her books, she began writing furiously. Henie knew her talent was poor, so she constantly strived to improve her knowledge. An hour later, the book was filled with contentall of today''s lessons. Those words hadn''t appeared again. "It really was just a prank." Henie felt proud of her cleverness. No one without authorization could enter the Mage Tower, let alone Viktor''s office. The fact that the words hadn''t reappeared confirmed Henie''s thoughts. "This kind of prank wouldn''t fool even a ten-year-old child." Henie calculated the time; it was almost time for class. She picked up the book full of content, and before leaving, glanced at Viktor''s chair. "......" Henie put down her book and carefully walked to the chair, then She reached out and hugged it. As if imagining something in her mind, her face flushed slightly, yet she greedily inhaled the faint scent left on the chair. After a short while, she let go of the chair, adjusted her clothes, and looked determined. "Professor! I won''t let you down!" With that, she picked up her book again and ran out, teleporting away from the Mage Tower. Walking along the path, Henie''s mood had improved. No matter how bad she felt, returning to the Mage Tower always cheered her up. She hugged her book, happily walking down the corridor. However, at a corner of the academy, her eyes caught sight of a coat tail. Henie wanted to step back immediately, but it was too late. With a ''bang'', she collided with the person. She fell to the ground in pain but never let go of her textbook. In front of her was a fat man with a small mustache, looking down at her with a gloomy expression. Henie quickly stood up, not bothering to dust herself off, and hurriedly bowed to apologize. "I''m... I''m sorry, Professor Devin, I wasn''t watching where I was going..." "Of course you weren''t watching where you were going. If you had seen me, would you have bumped into me?" The man referred to as Professor Devin seemed to be in a very bad mood. He stroked his small mustache with his pinky finger extended and berated Henie: "You cheap, dirty thing from head to toe, I really don''t know why you''re still allowed in this academy." Henie kept her head down without a word. In fact, she had seen him. At the corner, she had intended to step back a few paces to let him pass first. But his waist was so large that she didn''t have time to retreat before he bumped into her. It was clearly his fault, so why did she have to apologize... Henie endured the insults without arguing back. Such things happened often in the past; she just needed to endure it... She couldn''t cause trouble for Professor Viktor. Suddenly, Devin noticed the textbook in Henie''s hands and sneered coldly. "Hmph? What''s this?" "You, a mere teaching assistant, are going to teach the first-year class again?" Chapter 35: Pain Henie hugged her textbook, patiently explaining to Professor Devin: "This is behavior permitted by Professor Viktor." "Professor Viktor is away, so he instructed me to teach the class in his place." However, her explanation was met with a derisive sneer. "You''re just an assistant, you haven''t even crossed the threshold of a first-tier mage. What level of teaching could you possibly offer?" "And you''re lecturing the best class in the academy. Do you know how challenging that task is?" "If the students'' grades drop, can you take responsibility for that?" Most of the main students in the Royal Magic Academy came from noble families, especially in this class of top talents, with very few commoner students. To Devin, the idea of someone like Henie, who couldn''t even be considered a commoner, teaching this class was as ridiculous as a beggar telling an emperor how delicious steamed buns were. Professor Devin shifted his corpulent body, feeling somewhat tired just from these few steps and sentences. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped the oily sweat from his forehead, and stuffed it back into his pocket. Seeing Professor Devin in this state, Henie couldn''t help but step back a bit. However, Professor Devin continued: "Class One should have the best teaching resources. You''re going to teach them magic? A refugee who doesn''t even qualify as a commoner, what right do you have to teach!" "I think you should just scurry out of the academy like before! Don''t let me see you again!" Devin became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his spittle flying. Fortunately, Henie stood far enough away that the saliva didn''t land on her. Henie couldn''t help but retort: "This is Professor Viktor''s course. Since the professor is not in the academy now, it''s my duty as an assistant to prepare for the course. Do you have any problem with that?" When Devin heard Henie mention Viktor''s name several times, his face immediately darkened. He looked at her coldly and said: "You little brat, you seem to know quite a bit." "However, you''d better not mention that bastard Viktor in front of me again." Henie''s face flushed, her heart pounding, with sparks seemingly flashing in her eyes: "Professor Devin! You''re insulting Professor Viktor!" "Professor Viktor is the youngest third-tier mage in the academy! He''s erudite, what gives you the right to speak of him like that?" "What gives me the right to speak of him like that?" Professor Devin''s voice suddenly rose a few notches, saying sarcastically: "You''d better find out what he''s been up to all these days he''s been gone before you talk to me!" As he spoke, he threw out a magic stone. The magic stone stopped in mid-air, turned once, and slowly lit up, revealing a scene before their eyes. In the scene, a volcano was stirring, about to erupt. Countless mages stood on the mountainside, preparing to channel war magic. The volcano suddenly shook violently, like a celestial beast about to unleash its fury. A blinding white light flashed instantly, filling the entire frame. Afterwards, the magic stone lost its luster and fell to the ground, rolling to Professor Devin''s feet. Professor Devin moved his body and saw the magic stone at his feet. He picked it up again. He asked Henie mockingly, "What did you see?" Henie was puzzled. She knew about the recent event of many mages leaving the capital, but as a small figure, she naturally had no access to information about volcanic eruptions. So, of course, she was completely unaware of the recent turmoil in the capital. Now, Professor Devin provided an explanation: "The volcano didn''t erupt naturally!" "It was deliberately caused by someone!" Hearing these words, Henie''s body trembled slightly. "Do you want to know who it was?" Henie looked at Professor Devin''s cold gaze, her heart harboring some guesses, but she immediately denied these thoughts. Devin, however, seized upon her hesitation and said mockingly: "That''s right, it was your esteemed Professor Viktor!" "It was he who angered the natural disaster, causing the volcanic eruption. So, he paid the price for his actions. He died in the volcano!" Hearing this, Henie shook her head, hurriedly refuting: "Impossible! How could the professor do such a thing?" "He''s so powerful, how could he possibly die in a volcano!" Professor Devin shook his head disdainfully and continued: This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Refugees will always be refugees. He nearly caused an unstoppable disaster." "But you? Your first concern is whether he''s dead or not?" "Trash will always be trash! You should stay in the garbage heap where you belong, not come to the magic academy and pollute the environment!" Henie''s eyes glazed over. She stood rooted to the spot, repeatedly muttering the word ''impossible''. Devin shook his head, completely disregarding Henie''s shock, and continued: "This is a fact acknowledged by all mages." "Soon, the Emperor will pronounce Viktor''s crimes." Henie suddenly realized that Professor Devin before her was one of the few second-tier mages who hadn''t left during the recent period. So he hadn''t witnessed it firsthand. Her voice trembling slightly, she asked: "So you didn''t actually see Professor Viktor die with your own eyes, did you?" "What difference does that make? The crimes he committed are irreparable! Even if he''s not dead, he wouldn''t have the face to stay in the capital!" Professor Devin, thinking about the consequences for Viktor, couldn''t help but get excited, his whole body breaking out in sweat, his thin clothes becoming damp. "Heh, I''ll apply to the dean. Tomorrow, Viktor''s course will be handed over to me." "As for you, pack up your things and get out of the academy soon!" Professor Devin, like a proud rooster, raised his head and looked down on Henie, swaggering away. Henie was left alone, hugging her textbook and standing silently at the corner. Her mind was in chaos, and she could only instinctively walk towards the classroom. As soon as she entered Class One, the already subdued voices quieted down further. The students saw the familiar Assistant Henie, and no one reacted much. In the days since Professor Viktor''s departure, Assistant Henie''s teaching ability had generally gained recognition from all the students. But today, the assistant seemed a bit off. Her usual ease and friendliness had disappeared, replaced by absentmindedness and a worried expression. Henie walked heavily to the podium, placing the thick textbook on it. Her gaze swept over the students below, deliberately looking at a seat in the very front. That was Erica''s seat, and at this moment, it was empty. Like Professor Viktor, Erica hadn''t been to school for a long time since the mages left the capital. The two seemed to have disappeared together as if by agreement, leaving Henie without anyone to talk to. She desperately wanted to know the truth, including whether Viktor was really dead. But with Erica absent, she had no source of information. So Henie could only force a smile and begin the lecture. No matter what, these students'' courses couldn''t be neglected. "Alright, in this lesson we''ll be discussing ''The Composition of Traditional Imperial Magic Circuits''..." Soon, Henie was back in her element, and the students below listened attentively. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Halfway through the class, as Henie was reading the literature, she suddenly froze. The content on the book was covered by a line of black text, wriggling on the page as if alive. Henie was startled, and the book fell heavily on the podium. The black text continuously extended tendrils towards the surroundings, as if it would entangle Henie the next second. The scattered text on the book gradually became frenzied, desperately craving something. The text remained unchanged ''Do you want power?'' Henie couldn''t bear it anymore. She suddenly slammed the desk and angrily shouted: "I don''t need it!" At this moment, the classroom fell silent. The students were all stunned, not knowing what had stimulated Assistant Henie to become so agitated suddenly. After venting, Henie realized what she had done. She could only bow her head to the students and apologize. Then she picked up the book and absent-mindedly finished the lesson hastily. After the bell rang, Henie didn''t even announce the end of class, but rushed out the door with her book first. Walking on the road, Henie kept her head down, not saying a word. She felt that many people around were staring at her, making her feel uncomfortable in an unusual way. Henie suddenly turned her head to look back, but the passersby were either hurrying on their way, looking down at books as they walked, or chatting and laughing in pairs. No one was staring at her. Perhaps Professor Devin''s words earlier had affected her state of mind. Henie tried very hard not to think about Viktor, still hoping that Professor Viktor wasn''t dead. In this academy, Viktor was the only one who cared about her. "Stop right there." A cold and arrogant voice suddenly sounded from behind. Henie''s body trembled, and she turned around. What she saw was Professor Devin. Professor Devin arrogantly waved a contract in front of Henie''s face. Henie took it and looked, unable to believe what she saw. It clearly stated: ''Due to Professor Viktor''s prolonged absence from teaching at the academy, Class One''s courses will henceforth be taken over by Professor Devin.'' Seeing this, Henie''s body trembled slightly, and her face turned pale. She looked at Professor Devin in disbelief. Professor Devin, with a triumphant look on his face, said to Henie: "As a professor, I have the right to dismiss an assistant who doesn''t even qualify as a mage like you." "Starting tomorrow, you don''t need to come to the academy anymore!" Suddenly, a shocking flame rose from the book in Henie''s hands, like a venomous snake, frantically devouring it. No matter how Henie tried to pat it out, the pain of her hands being burned couldn''t extinguish it. She was so anxious she was almost crying, her voice tinged with sobs as she cried out: "No! No!" But magical fire is not so easily extinguished. Finally, Henie, unable to resist, knelt on the ground in grief. She was covered in dust, and the book filled with her knowledge had turned to ashes. It was her only labor of love, her knowledge, her dream. All of it had been burned to nothing in this fire. More and more people gathered by the roadside, but no one came forward to comfort her. No one would care about a small assistant, especially one looking as disheveled as she did. Professor Devin had publicly humiliated her and left satisfied. From beginning to end, he had never taken Henie seriously. This was the hostility others had towards Viktor. After Henie became Viktor''s assistant, they transferred their hostility towards Viktor onto Henie. Even though she was just an innocent assistant. In others'' eyes, Henie was clearly a punching bag. These people had no psychological burden when bullying her. At this moment, the ground seemed to be possessed as those black words rose again, dark and deep. Unlike before, they became more violent, more distorted, more torn. Like a messenger carrying ill omens, they appeared before Henie once again. ''Do you want power?'' And this time, Henie''s answer was: "I want power. If possible, I want to possess power..." She began to hate her own incompetence, her own weakness. It was she who had held Professor Viktor back. She didn''t want to continue like this anymore. After Henie answered, the black text seemed to freeze and stopped wriggling, dissipating like a gust of wind. So Henie waited. She hoped that some power would suddenly descend upon her. She hoped that she would no longer be so easily bullied by others. She hoped that she could better help Professor Viktor, help those who cared about her. Finally, one second, two seconds, three seconds...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... "Haha! Look, she really believed it!" "I knew it, just as Professor Devin said. A talentless waste like her would definitely believe it if she saw a shortcut to becoming stronger!" "Someone who only dreams of getting stronger without effort. Day after day, only thinking about whether she can become stronger. Yet she won''t put in even a bit of effort!" Mocking voices rose from around her. Several students jumped out from the bushes, holding their stomachs and laughing loudly in front of Henie. The laughter was like a series of mocking daggers stabbing into Henie''s viscera. An indescribable sense of grievance rushed to her throat, leaving her unable to utter a single word. Henie lowered her head, burying her face in her robe. ''Don''t cry...'' The onlookers, the mocking laughter around her. It felt like being cut by a knife over and over again. She couldn''t feel the pain, yet it was as if her heart was bleeding. ''Don''t cry, Henie! Don''t cry!'' The tears she had been holding back could no longer be suppressed. Tears fell like pearls, pattering onto the ground. They watered the ashes, dampening her robe. Sharp, hoarse sobs echoed by the roadside. As if trying to completely cut off the heartless mockery and indifferent disdain. Chapter 36: Viktor, It’s Time for Work! "Viktor, did you not go to the academy today?" "What''s the matter?" Viktor sat at his desk, holding an advanced magic book for entertainment. He flipped through it while responding to Lia''s words. "I''ve already handed over my affairs to my teaching assistant. She can handle it." Seeing his relaxed attitude, Lia was incredibly frustrated. She held her forehead and sighed. "See for yourself." She took out a letter filled with writing from her pocket and tossed it on the desk in front of Viktor. Viktor glanced at the somewhat exasperated Lia, slowly closed his book, and picked up the letter. After reading it carefully, Viktor''s brow furrowed. "Professor Viktor, you have been absent from the academy for over seven days. Have you encountered any difficulties? Or do you find the work of teaching and nurturing students too tedious? If you continue to be unable to return to the academy, The academy will retain your professor title for you, and reassign it when you return to the academy." {''Royal Magic Academy''} Rachel Azure. Rachel Azure was the name of the dean. As the only fourth-tier saint mage in the ''Royal Capital''... well, now the second one. In any case, the dean''s energy was entirely focused on the construction and development of the academy. This kind of official letter was automatically sent by the dean''s ability. [Natural Sparrow] This was a magic created by the dean himself. These natural sparrows were formed from elements in the air. They could be a leaf or a speck of dust in the air. These natural objects, accompanied by the dean''s will, were used as his tools. The dean naturally didn''t have much time or energy to understand the various things that had happened to Viktor recently. He could only sense that Viktor Kravina had not come back to the academy to teach for seven or eight days. So, [Natural Sparrow] automatically activated, bringing him this official letter, which was clearly a reminder. "Viktor, it''s time for work." Lia stood aside, looking at Viktor''s poker face, which still showed no change. Even with his professor title about to be removed, he was still so calm and unhurried. She said from the side: "Before I came back in the evening, this letter had already been delivered to the doorstep." "Which means you attended the morning court session, and for the rest of the time you''ve been relaxing at home? You didn''t even step out of the house once?" "..." Actually, he hadn''t stayed at home the whole time, after all, he had gone to Gwen''s house once. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Viktor was silent for a moment, then put the letter back on the table, arranging it neatly, aligned with the edge of the desk. Seeing Viktor''s leisurely manner, Lia became even more irritated. Was there no concept of work in this person''s eyes at all? She couldn''t hold back anymore and started venting her emotions at Viktor again: "Do you have any idea how much I''ve sacrificed for your professor title..." "I''ve been away from home for too long. I wanted to stay at home a bit longer." Before Lia could finish speaking, Viktor had already interrupted her. "Although it''s impolite to interrupt you, I think an explanation is necessary." "By the way, I wanted to tell you something earlier." "I''ve been gone for too long this time. Thank you for taking care of things at home." "..." This time it was Lia''s turn to fall silent. It was as if half a sentence was stuck in her throat. She felt a bit embarrassed, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly, but it was clear she was trying hard to suppress it. She simply turned her head away, pacing around the room while muttering: "Ha... haha, what''s going on..." At least Viktor showed some self-awareness. Viktor''s disappearance these days had indeed made things difficult for the {''Kravina''} family. But it was also an opportunity. After all, Viktor had quite a few enemies. Although Lia had eliminated some of them, there were still many hiding, who had never shown their hand out of fear of Viktor. When Viktor disappeared, and even news of his death spread, these people emerged one after another, all targeting the {''Kravina''} family. Lia naturally understood that they had come to settle scores. She had been worried about these people hiding in the shadows, who would inevitably become a hidden danger for the {''Kravina''} family in the future. This time, after Viktor left, she finally had the opportunity to deal with all of these people. With Leon''s help, they secretly destroyed countless shops one after another, and as a result, obtained quite a few valuable goods. All in all, in recent days, the {''Kravina''} family had made a small profit, making up for the deficit. Of course, there were still visible hardships. After all, it was an undeniable fact that many businesses took this opportunity to attack the {''Kravina''} family''s business. And for this kind of open attack, Leon and the others couldn''t easily take action, as it involved too much. Especially the recently opened prop shop, which was already doing poorly, and after this incident, no one came to patronize it anymore. Indeed, fantasy is beautiful, but reality is cruel. Who was it that had confidently said they would definitely make money back then? Lia glanced at Viktor, her eyes filled with obvious disdain. "So? What''s the result today? You''re definitely fine, I''m asking about the duke." Viktor looked at her calmly and said: "He kept it." Lia was very confused and asked with a frown: "Wasn''t there a long-standing grudge between the duke and you that was hard to resolve?" She was referring to the incident where Viktor confessed to "Erika". "How could the duke, being such a daughter-doting father, possibly get along well with you?" Lia couldn''t understand. Had Viktor used some means to coerce the duke? It wouldn''t be out of character for him. "For certain reasons, I need to do this." "Anyway, you don''t need to worry about the shop for now." Hearing Viktor say this, Lia had some guesses and asked: "Are you planning to use the duke''s influence to make our products famous?" Viktor tapped the table. "I did have that idea at first, but I don''t intend to use the duke." "After all, he doesn''t have much of a good reputation now." Even though the duke''s charges had been cleared, his actions in front of everyone were an indisputable fact. Under these conditions, the good reputation the duke had accumulated over the years was ruined by half in an instant within the mage circle. And magic potions were mainly targeted at mages as users. If they used the duke''s reputation, they might as well close the shop now. "It''s better to use his daughter." "What are you planning now?" Lia became confused again. She really couldn''t understand Viktor''s actions. She shrugged, not caring too much. After all, she only cared about results. As if remembering something, she said again: "Oh, right, Gwen contacted me today, asking me to pass on some information to you." "Hmm?" Viktor was a bit puzzled, and then heard Lia say with some confusion: "She said her sister told you to pay attention to the filthy things that have infiltrated the ''Royal Capital''." "Her sister? Filthy things? That''s all she said?" "Yeah, nothing else." Lia looked at Viktor''s expression, which had become somewhat complex, and rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, just continue reading your book. I won''t disturb you anymore." With that, she swayed her hips as she left the study. Viktor didn''t even raise his head, lost in deep thought. "Gwen''s sister..." In his memory, there was only one her eldest sister Kayfra Delin. However, this character had never appeared in the main storyline. Because before the main storyline, that is, in the prologue, she was already dead. Died from... "Demon invasion." Viktor closed his eyes. In the first chapter of the game''s storyline, the {''Carensia Empire''} was invaded by demons. A large number of residents turned into mindless zombies, all controlled by demons. There were also countless small demons roaming the streets. They were distributed throughout the {''Carensia Empire''}. In the early stages of the game, the monsters that players needed to kill were not slimes, but these small demons. For players, those small demons were just ordinary experience fodder. It wasn''t until the middle stage, when players defeated the mid-term demon boss of the first chapter, that the {''Carensia Empire''} returned to normal. What was that demon boss called again? "Let me think..." "Demon of Greed Yem." "Hey! Kid, you''ve inadvertently mentioned something not very friendly." Vega suddenly started chirping on his shoulder. Just hearing the true name of this thing made it, as an evil god, get goosebumps all over. "So? A demon? How do you know the name of this thing?" Vega''s single eye stared fixedly at Viktor, asking. "Just mentioned it casually." "I don''t believe you." Vega didn''t believe his lie at all. Casually mentioning something so disgusting? Yes, disgusting, extremely disgusting. As a god in the strict sense, what Vega hated most were those demons full of filth. Viktor looked at Vega curiously. That thing was indeed disgusting, but it was beyond his expectation that it could make even an evil god feel nauseous. "Aren''t you an evil god? I thought you would have a lot in common with other demons." "Why would you associate gods with demons?" Vega raised its head proudly, as if declaring its noble status. I, god, pay up! "So, the filthy thing that little girl mentioned, is it this thing?" Vega said with some disgust: "Why don''t you put me in a cage, deal with it, and then let me out?" Viktor shook his head at it. In Vega''s eyes, since Viktor had uttered the name of that thing, it meant he knew something about it. "I''m not sure yet." To be honest, Viktor also hated this kind of thing. Different demons had different methods, but without exception, they would rely on various human emotions to satisfy themselves. The Demon of Greed, Yem, its method was... "Using others'' greed, giving them what they need again and again." "Until the person can''t repay, it would make the greedy person fall completely into an endless abyss, repaying a myriad times over." Viktor opened his eyes. "How disgusting." ........ "Henie" was in Viktor''s office, sorting out her belongings. She was preparing to leave. Leave this academy and go somewhere else. The only person who cared about her was no longer here. Her dream had also been burned to ashes. "Henie" had no attachments left. "Little girl, you look very unhappy." A deep, magnetic voice sounded in the darkness. "Henie" suddenly turned to look. There was nothing there. "Another prank?" "Henie" thought, at this time someone still had the mood to play pranks, how boring. "Oh~ I''m sorry, little beauty, you don''t look so good." "Is there anything I can help you with?" Chapter 37: Let Me Think About How to Beat You Today A black shadow squeezed out from a crack in the wall, spreading like ink across the floor. It began to rise gradually until it covered the entire room. Startled, Henie took a few steps back, unable to discern the creature within the dark ink. She hurriedly pulled out a box of matches from her pocket, intending to light one. Just as she struck a match, before she could even raise her gaze, the tiny flame was instantly extinguished by the darkness. "Why... again..." "Isn''t one or two times of mockery... enough?" Henie asked, her emotions on the verge of collapse. The inky shadow fell silent, just staring at her quietly. Yes, just staring at her. As if it had seen through Henie''s thoughts, it opened its pitch-black, ink-like maw and spoke. The voice, like demonic sounds, poured into Henie''s ears. "I know what you need, little girl." "Just stay here and wait for me." The voice abruptly stopped, and the darkness in the room dissipated instantly with the cessation of the sound. The entire office once again became utterly silent. Henie raised her head, kneeling powerlessly on the ground, her face devoid of any discernible emotion. ... Soon, the ink shadow that had just disappeared returned. The suffocating black ink once again filled the entire room. It was like a gust of wind, freely entering and exiting the Mage Tower. Henie looked up at the ink shadow and suddenly froze. She just realized that this was the Mage Tower. Only those with proper authorization could enter and exit freely. Why could this ink shadow appear here? Before she could ponder further, the ink shadow before her eyes suddenly took on a more defined form. She couldn''t make out exactly what it was, but she could vaguely see the monster open its large mouth and violently thrust its arm into its own throat, stirring around. After a series of gurgling sounds, the ink shadow extended its giant hand. It pulled out three orbs of light from its stomach, like beacons of hope in Henie''s despair. "Little girl," the ink shadow spoke, followed by a series of strange noises, "Hmm... ugh... smack smack..." "You need power, don''t you?" "I..." Henie trembled slightly, not even knowing what was happening, completely disregarding how disgusting the thing before her was. "Come on, this is the power you need." "Touch it, and it will be yours." Henie felt something was terribly wrong, but every word from the ink shadow seemed filled with intense temptation. As if possessed, she reached out her hand and touched the orb of light. The ink shadow''s smile grew even wider. ... Early the next morning, Viktor got off the carriage and stood at the entrance of the academy. He was back. Back at this academy after a long absence. In fact, if it weren''t for Lia angrily shouting and kicking him out early in the morning, Viktor had planned to stay at home for another morning. ''Should I send her back to the territory?'' Viktor thought to himself, but quickly abandoned the idea. Even if he sent her back, Lia would surely keep traveling back and forth between the capital and the territory for business reasons. She''d still end up nagging him a bit anyway. Viktor entered the academy, feeling a gaze sweep over him. It was the Chancellor''s spell[Natural Sparrow]. When he was a third-tier mage, Viktor couldn''t sense this natural force. After advancing to the fourth tier, he could clearly detect the discordant flow of magic in the air. Viktor looked up at the sky, where countless natural sparrows were darting about the academy. The Chancellor''s gaze covered the entire academy. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The gaze quickly left him, presumably having confirmed his identity. The royal family had already made an announcement, declaring Baron Levi and Viktor innocent. Of course, only a handful of nobles knew about the series of events from the near-eruption of the volcano to its conclusion. So Viktor''s return didn''t cause a stir at the academy. Viktor walked naturally on the path, completely disregarding the gazes around him, fully immersed in thoughts about how to transition into his upcoming classes. The students passing by Viktor, who were originally happily welcoming a new day, suddenly froze in place upon seeing Viktor''s ''deadpan'' expression. They became tongue-tied. Viktor was completely unaware of how his appearance had shaken the cognition of the surrounding students. "Who is that? Such a terrifying pressure..." "Yeah, when he walked past me, I almost felt like he was going to drain all my magic..." One student suddenly pulled the others away and said in a hushed voice: "Are you all crazy!? That''s Viktor Kravina! Don''t let him hear us talking bad about him!" "He... is that infamous bastard mage!?" "So scary..." Viktor walked through the campus, maintaining his poker face, breathing in the fresh air of the school grounds. Soon, he encountered an unpleasant situation. The commotion ahead caught his attention. It was at the student dormitory. A group of students were gathered at the entrance, and three unconscious students with ashen faces were being carried out. "Something''s not right," Vega whispered in Viktor''s ear. "These unconscious students have lost their ''magic power''." Hearing Vega''s words, Viktor needed a source of information, so he spotted someone wearing a white coat. It was the school doctor. The surrounding students felt a chill as they saw a figure approach. "What happened?" Viktor''s voice rang out. The school doctor turned around, saw Viktor, and was startled, his glasses falling off. Viktor bent down to pick them up and handed them back to him. The doctor naturally knew who Viktor was. Aside from his infamous reputation, there was also that highly influential incident recently circulating among the nobles of the capital, which involved him. Yet this person, whom everyone believed to be guilty, had been declared innocent by the royal family. Many mages who didn''t know the truth couldn''t accept it. But life was more important, so they had to be polite to Viktor on the surface. "Professor Viktor... what are you doing here?" "Answer my question." Viktor''s expressionless face made him shudder again. The doctor hurriedly explained, "These students'' physical examinations showed no problems, but they''re in a coma, seeming to be in a state that''s difficult to wake from." "These three are from the same dormitory. No one knows what happened. They were found like this by students from the neighboring dorm." "We''re preparing to take them to the infirmary for a magic power check to see if there''s any problem." Viktor nodded, moving his body aside. The other person left hurriedly, as if relieved of a great burden. ''Obviously, these people don''t know what happened,'' Viktor explained to Vega beside him, with no one else around. "Absorbing others'' magic power, such a dirty method easily reminds me of that filth." "It seems they''ve infiltrated quite quickly." What Vega referred to, of course, was those demons. Viktor was also helpless, encountering such a big issue right after returning to the academy. However. "If demons appear, let''s just deal with them while we''re at it." Not to mention that the demons'' filth would make people feel depressed. This thing, after all, was also worth experience points. Viktor stopped paying attention and returned to his office with Vega. [Identity verification successfulProfessor Viktor, welcome back to the Mage Tower] After verifying his identity at the Mage Tower, with a flash of the teleportation array, Viktor stepped into his office. The office wasn''t much different from when he left, except for the flower pot on the windowsill that was missing. That was the flower Henie had given him. In fact, Henie really liked that pot of flowers and often used helping Viktor water it as an excuse to enter and exit the Mage Tower. "Did she take it back to her dormitory to care for it?" Viktor hadn''t been back these days, so naturally, Henie didn''t need to come to the office to find him. Frequently entering and exiting the Mage Tower was quite a journey, so taking the flower back to care for it would at least save her from going back and forth so much. He sat in the chair, noticing a few books missing from the desk. Similarly, those were Henie''s books left here. In her spare time, she would always hug those books she had read countless times, flipping through them again and again. Viktor didn''t mind, just as with the flower pot, he had found a reason for the disappearance of these books. Henie didn''t need to come to the office, so naturally, she took the books back to read. He took out the magic book he hadn''t finished reading yesterday from his bag, reading while passing the time. He sat like this until noon. The sound of turning pages rustled, very quiet. Vega, standing on the desk, was dozing off when suddenly its head hit the desktop, startling it awake. "What? Oh, she didn''t come..." This time around noon was when Henie most frequently came to the Mage Tower. She would almost always bring that thick book, then happily tell Viktor what kind of lesson she had written today. Each time, she would wake up the sleeping Vega. So waking up at this time had almost become a habit for Vega. This time, Henie didn''t come. Vega glanced at Viktor, who didn''t even raise his head, just turning pages, seemingly immersed in his own world. Vega suddenly remembered that the little girl probably didn''t know Viktor had returned to the academy. It didn''t care, feeling drowsy again, and dozed off once more. Time always passes surprisingly quickly when sleeping. In the afternoon, the faint sunlight slanted through the window, elongating the shadows. "Vega, it''s time to go." "Hm? Where to?" The crow, woken up, blinked its eyes, seeing Viktor put away his book in a daze. "It''s time for class." "Oh, okay." Vega flapped its wings and stood on Viktor''s shoulder. To be honest, I was looking forward to the afternoon. At that time, how would that timid little girl react when she saw Viktor? Would she run away in fear like a startled deer? Or would she shyly avoid eye contact? Or perhaps she would excitedly surround Viktor, happily jumping up and saying: "Professor Viktor! You''re finally back!" No matter which reaction, it all seemed quite interesting to Vega. The teleportation array descended upon Viktor. The man and the bird disappeared from the Mage Tower. When they reappeared, the two were already in the corridor of the teaching building. The corridor was empty, with occasional teaching sounds coming from other classrooms. Viktor''s footsteps were very crisp in this environment. Taptaptap "So, based on this magic array, we..." Suddenly, Viktor''s footsteps stopped. His gaze, deep and unfathomable, looked ahead. That was where Class One was located, and similarly, the voice of a professor lecturing could be heard from inside. Vega also stared straight ahead, its single eye fixed on the front, its voice devoid of emotion. "This is quite troublesome" Taptaptap The footsteps sounded again, but this time, they were heavier than before. Finally, Viktor arrived at the classroom door. The voice inside became clearer. He pushed open the door. Suddenly, the entire room fell silent. "Who dares to enter without knocking during class time..." The voice abruptly stopped, like a duck with its neck wrung, shrill and unpleasant. Viktor looked towards the source of the voice. His gaze locked onto the person standing on the podium. "It really looks like a pig..." Vega quipped in his ear. Viktor didn''t respond, perhaps silently agreeing. His face expressionless, his tone flat. Yet it made people feel the indescribable anger in his voice. "Let me think, your name is Devin..." "Devin Reiser, right?" Chapter 38: So Cool! The man in front of him calmly recited his name and surname. Professor Devin stared blankly at the door, swallowing hard. "V-Viktor? How did you come back?" He knew the royal family had declared Viktor innocent, which meant Viktor hadn''t died. Although he felt somewhat guilty, he remembered that he had taken over this class through proper channels, giving him a bit of confidence. "What''s the matter, Viktor?" "Don''t you know that the Chancellor has already issued a notice? I''ve taken over this class." He deliberately invoked the Chancellor''s name, looking smugly at Viktor. Professor Devin thought that no matter how arrogant Viktor was, he wouldn''t dare to make trouble with the Chancellor, after all, they were in the academy now, not in his territory. So, he deliberately said: "Viktor, remember your place. You''re just a third-tier mage." Viktor''s face remained expressionless. Due to the royal family''s intentional concealment, the news of Viktor preventing the volcanic eruption hadn''t been widely spread. Such events of natural disasters, once spread, could easily cause panic among the people. So this matter was only circulated among a few nobles and the royal family, which was enough. The official explanation merely declared Viktor innocent, stating he had nothing to do with the volcano. Under such public opinion guidance, apart from the mages present at the time, few people knew that Viktor was now a fourth-tier mage. Devin Reiser before him was naturally one of those kept in the dark. "Regarding you taking over my class, I''ll reapply to the Chancellor later." Hearing this, the students below lit up, all thinking the same thing: "Finally, we don''t have to listen to this pig''s lectures anymore!" "His lectures are really boring, and he even gets things wrong. Did he fill his brain with water?" "Letting Devin teach? Don''t joke! I could do better myself!" In the minds of these excellent students, the difference between Devin and Viktor was like that between dog shit and perfection! Professor Devin''s face fell, and he let out a resentful "tch". He had managed to snatch this class only because Viktor had ''disappeared''. Now that Viktor was back, the class would naturally be given to Viktor, who was one tier above him. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Devin had no way to stop Viktor now. Viktor held up two fingers in front of him. "Now, the second matter." "When I left, I entrusted my teaching assistant to substitute for me." "Where is she now?" At this, Devin''s eyes gleamed with smugness. "Oh? You mean that dirty assistant of yours?" "That disgusting bug who doesn''t even qualify as a refugee, fit to teach? Haha! Don''t joke!" "As a professor, I have the right to give orders to assistants when you''re not in the academy." "What''s wrong? I fired her. Do you have any objections..." Boom! Viktor''s coat suddenly lit up with a fiery red glow, instantly engulfing the entire classroom. An intense heat burst forth, and the temperature in the classroom suddenly skyrocketed. Even the corridor felt the scorching heat. A shockingly large molten lava hand instantly gripped Devin''s neck, lifting him into the air. It was like a pig being hung up, ready for roasting. The students in the classroom were frozen in place, not knowing how to react. The water in their cups began to sizzle and evaporate. This was the second time they had seen Viktor take action. This time, he was facing a mage who also held the title of professor. And what did they see? Professor Viktor, with just one move, rendered Professor Devin immobile... This was simply... "So cool!" One student suddenly exclaimed, then quickly realized the surrounding environment might not be quite right, and hurriedly closed his mouth and lowered his head. As a result, Viktor in front didn''t show any reaction, but the surrounding students all nodded at him with approving expressions. Professor Devin struggled incessantly, trying to pry open the lava hand with his fat fingers, but to no avail. Suffocation, he was about to suffocate. A strong sense of panic instantly rushed to Professor Devin''s brain. Like a fat pig about to be slaughtered, he frantically struggled, violently slapping at the lava giant hand, completely disregarding his hands being burned red. Just as he was about to faint, Viktor released his grip. Professor Devin sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, his head drenched in sweat. He looked up at Viktor in terror and shouted angrily: "Viktor! You dare, you dare to intentionally harm someone in the academy!" "Do you really dare to kill me?" A flash of crimson passed through Viktor''s eyes, and the lava giant hand instantly thickened by more than double. "Why do you think I wouldn''t dare?" The giant hand gradually approached Professor Devin. The scorching temperature made him feel as if the air he was breathing in was about to tear his lungs apart. Sweat, indistinguishable whether from fear or heat, rolled down his forehead. The lava giant hand grabbed Professor Devin''s collar, and Viktor brought him directly to his face, his tone grim. "I won''t kill you now." "I hope the truth I see will save your life." An unpleasant smell wafted over, and Viktor looked at Devin''s now dry and shriveled crotch. Whoosh! A flame suddenly rose from his crotch, and Devin let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered. His thing had been charred. Under this unbearable pain, Devin finally fainted. All the students shuddered, especially the male students. The giant hand behind Viktor held Professor Devin like a dead pig. Before leaving the classroom, he turned back and said coldly: "This class, self-study." "Yes, Professor Viktor!" The voices in the classroom rang out in unison. Viktor walked through the academy, the giant hand still holding Professor Devin behind him. He walked aimlessly around the campus, as if publicly executing Professor Devin. Wherever he went, everyone would give him a second look. After all, walking around the academy in this state would attract attention at any time. There was no shortage of students without classes at this time. They looked at this scene one by one, then hurriedly lowered their heads, afraid of being noticed by Viktor for their peeking. "Damn! What the hell is that giant hand behind Professor Viktor? It''s so fucking cool." They had almost forgotten that the fat man being carried was Professor Devin, who just yesterday had mercilessly humiliated a small teaching assistant right here. Of course they wouldn''t remember. No one would care about a small teaching assistant. Even if such a thing happened yesterday, it would only become a topic of casual conversation over tea in the evening. When bored, they would bring it up for a chat. Talk about how pitiful that fired assistant was, how she was humiliated. And then heartlessly sigh that if it were them, they might have long since given up on living in this country. Viktor walked for about half an hour, touring almost half of the academy. A voice came through the air. ''Professor Viktor, you''ve crossed the line.'' The magical ripples in the air made Viktor clearly understand. This was the Chancellor''s [Natural Sparrow]. The Chancellor had actively communicated with Viktor through [Natural Sparrow]. Viktor didn''t respond verbally, but instead established a magical link in the air by comparing the magical ripples, actively connecting to [Natural Sparrow]. ''This is the punishment he deserves.'' ''I respect you greatly, Chancellor, so please don''t interfere with my actions.'' The ripples in the air were silent for a long time. Because just this skillful operation by Viktor made the Chancellor instantly realize. Viktor had detected [Natural Sparrow]. ''A twenty-nine-year-old... Saint Mage?'' ''Lord Viktor. You truly surprised me.'' The ripples of the Natural Sparrow gradually dissipated. ''I understand what you want to know. Natural Sparrow has seen everything for us.'' ''So, please allow me to request again, please don''t get angry, don''t vent your anger on innocent students.'' ''When you''re ready, please come to the Chancellor''s office for a talk.'' The ripples in the air returned to calm. Vega glanced at Viktor. "Did you know that old man would come looking for you?" "You deliberately did this to find out about that girl''s whereabouts from the old man." Viktor didn''t respond to it, just continued carrying Devin towards the Chancellor''s office. "If you see something that makes you angry, what will you do?" Viktor glanced at the unconscious Devin behind him, a hint of killing intent rising in his eyes, calm as a lake. "Very good, I like your approach." "Let''s go, I''m also very interested in what this fat pig has done." Chapter 39: A Talking Watermelon with Eyes is Really Creepy "Chancellor." Hearing Viktor''s voice, the Chancellor closed his pen and rubbed his eyes. "Come in." Viktor entered as requested, the lava giant hand behind him throwing Devin onto the floor. Seeing Devin in this state, the Chancellor shook his head and sighed at Viktor. "Professor Viktor, the academy won''t cover for your actions." Viktor, hands in his pockets, spoke without a hint of emotion: "It''s fine. I don''t need the academy''s protection." "I''ll take responsibility for my own actions." The Chancellor nodded, slowly standing up and leaning on his obsidian cane. "Then, please follow me." Chancellor Rachelle used magical energy in mid-air, a blue light in his hand began to wave like a brush. The air in front of him seemed to be his canvas, beginning to distort at a visible speed. Soon, the Chancellor put away his magic. Vega whispered in Viktor''s ear: "This old man''s magic is interesting." "Let me see, a special kind of teleportation magic. Focus here, insert magic runes here." Viktor followed Vega''s instructions, and the air in front of him produced a sense of distortion. In an instant, Viktor felt the scenery around him gradually blur, blue light falling. When the surrounding scenery became clear again, it was a completely different scene. Here, flower petals of various colors floated in the air, stirring up thousands of waves. The garden was a floating island, with the ground also covered in countless flower petals. A refreshing fragrance wafted over, calming Viktor''s dissatisfaction somewhat. "There''s actually a hidden space here, even I didn''t notice it," Vega exclaimed beside Viktor, but saw that Viktor wasn''t surprised at all. As if he knew about it all along. Indeed, this was the hidden map known as the Chancellor''s back garden among players. It could only be freely accessed after learning magic from Chancellor Rachelle. ''Although I''ve seen it many times in the game, experiencing it personally is still amazing,'' Viktor thought to himself. This place was no different from the game''s visuals. The Chancellor appeared in front of him a few seconds earlier, and upon seeing Viktor''s appearance, looked at him with some admiration. Being able to understand and break through the formation''s usage with just one glance, truly worthy of being called a genius mage. "Welcome to my Sea of Knowledge, Professor Viktor. You are the youngest guest I''ve ever received." The Chancellor''s back garden, the full name of this hidden map was: [Rachelle''s Sea of Knowledge]. It contained all of Chancellor Rachelle''s magical knowledge, and only those truly possessing knowledge could enter. Fortunately, Viktor had Vega, a knowledgeable deity, by his side. However, now was not the time for chitchat. He said directly: "Chancellor, let''s get to the point." The Chancellor said nothing, just silently walked towards an open space, leaning on his cane. Viktor followed, and soon, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly. Although they hadn''t walked far, a wooden cabin appeared in front of them. Dense forests surrounded them, as if it was a cabin hidden in the woods. The Chancellor walked to the door, which opened automatically. He turned his head and nodded at Viktor. "Please come in, Professor Viktor." Viktor followed the Chancellor inside. In the cabin, there was only a table with a watermelon on it. Nothing else. The Chancellor tapped the watermelon''s head with his cane. The watermelon slowly turned around, its two eyes deep and unfathomable, as if possessing wisdom that knew all of history. It opened its thick lips and slowly said: "Azure, what''s the matter?" Vega, looking at this talking watermelon, felt a chill run down its spine. Even a few of its hairs stood on end. This made me feel uncomfortable. It glanced up at Viktor and found that Viktor still showed no surprise. He seemed to know everything in advance, even that there was a talking watermelon hidden here. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ''How strange,'' it thought. Of course, Viktor wasn''t surprised. Because this was the Chancellor''s talking watermelon pet. The Chancellor looked at the watermelon and said: "This young friend wants to ask you some questions." The watermelon reluctantly stared at Viktor. Vega whispered in his ear: "What''s up with this guy?" Viktor didn''t speak. He knew this watermelon was peering into his experiences. Just as he thought, various scenes flashed in the watermelon''s eyes. Towering flames, flying embers, ground covered in lava, and erupting massive magic. A scene of world-destroying devastation. It saw dense fire elements surging on Viktor''s body, lava-like patterns covering half of Viktor''s upper body, like a fire demon. After a moment, the watermelon refocused its gaze on Viktor: "Young people these days are really something." "I know what you want to ask. Azure''s Natural Sparrow will tell us." Soon, waves of magical energy rippled out from around it. The ''Natural Sparrows'' in the alternate space began to move. An immersive scene appeared before Viktor: What was presented was yesterday''s scene. Professor Devin acidly produced the Chancellor''s handwritten letter, arrogantly dismissing Henie. He also burned Henie''s most important ''knowledge''. Black text that seemed to cling like an inescapable misfortune appeared on the ground in front of Henie. Viktor could tell at a glance that it was just a prank caused by ordinary disguise magic. Then, three students jumped out, mercilessly mocking Henie who was slumped on the ground, delivering the final psychological blow. The onlookers'' gawking, the success of the mean-spirited prank, caused this poor child''s emotions to completely collapse. "...She cried," Vega murmured. Crying so hysterically, desperate and helpless. Actually, I quite liked that child. The scene suddenly disappeared, and the watermelon closed its eyes. It seemed that displaying this segment of scenes had made it very, very tiring. After closing its eyes, it turned back into what looked like an ordinary watermelon. Even after seeing everything, Viktor''s expression didn''t change at all. The Chancellor squinted, sighed, his thick white beard blown into disarray. "I''m very sorry, Mr. Viktor." "As for Henie, your assistant, where she went, I don''t know." "The Natural Sparrow acts according to my will, so in places that might involve others'' privacy, the Natural Sparrow doesn''t appear." The Chancellor wasn''t lying, Viktor knew. He hadn''t sensed the presence of Natural Sparrows in the office, and this morning in the student dormitory, he hadn''t felt the flow of Natural Sparrows either. Viktor''s voice rang out coldly: "Chancellor Rachelle, please tell me, why has that fat pig become a professor at your esteemed academy?" Viktor''s direct address made the Chancellor feel helpless. He shook his head and said: "Professor Viktor, you are also a professor at our academy." The implication was, you also got a gilded position through connections, why can''t others do the same? The only difference was that Viktor truly had the ability, while Professor Devin was completely just collecting a salary. So Viktor said: "When I joined your school, I was already the youngest third-tier mage. What about him?" "Professor Viktor, this is precisely the issue I wanted to discuss with you," Chancellor Rachelle said with some difficulty. "The head of the Reiser family married the current emperor''s sister." "As you might have guessed, Sol VIII is Devin Reiser''s uncle." His connections are very strong. Viktor understood clearly that Chancellor Rachelle was advising him that if this person could be spared, he shouldn''t be killed. Otherwise, trouble would cling to him. "I understand your anger, Professor Viktor." "But killing doesn''t solve anything. Perhaps you could talk with Professor Devin. His crime doesn''t warrant death." "I can completely recall Henie in the name of the academy and give her the title of associate professor. Moreover..." Moreover, is it really worth killing a royal relative for the sake of an ordinary person without even talent? Rachelle didn''t say it out loud, but he believed Viktor would understand his good intentions. "Chancellor, I won''t kill him," Viktor''s voice rang out faintly. Rachelle breathed a sigh of relief, thinking his persuasion had worked. But then, Viktor narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly: "But whether he dies at the hands of a demon is beyond my control." When he said this, it was as casual as if he were discussing a very ordinary matter. Rachelle''s mind shook. He didn''t understand what Viktor was talking about. Demons? What did this have to do with demons? However, Vega lowered its head upon hearing these words. "You think that disgusting thing found Henie?" Viktor''s expression didn''t change at all. Just as Vega had said. In the scene, he saw three students playing a prank. Identical to the three students who fainted today. Their condition could only be the result of a demon stealing their power. So, why would a demon steal these three people''s power, and who was given this power? Viktor could only think of the missing Henie. He didn''t respond to Rachelle, but Rachelle''s face already showed difficulty. "Professor Viktor, I''m sure you''ve already figured it out." "The me standing before you isn''t the real me. I''m attending the annual meeting in the City of Mages." "Right now, I''m actually meeting with you in the form of a ''Natural Sparrow''." "So, I wasn''t able to stop such a thing from happening quickly, and instead let it escalate. I''m very sorry." Natural Sparrows can only act on instinct according to Rachelle''s will. The Natural Sparrow thought Viktor hadn''t come to class for several days, so it transferred the course to Professor Devin, which conforms to the Natural Sparrow''s cognitive rules. And Professor Devin dismissing Henie, a professor dismissing a magic apprentice, also conforms to the Natural Sparrow''s cognitive rules. But this doesn''t conform to human critical standards. This was Rachelle''s dereliction of duty. His lack of supervision led to irreversible consequences. Although after the incident, Rachelle didn''t feel there was any impact. One was a noble, the other a magic apprentice without talent. Even a fool would know what choice to make. But the mistake was that he didn''t know how protective Viktor was. Moreover, the other party was a fourth-tier mage like himself. So the Chancellor apologized in advance, lowered his posture, and gave Viktor enough respect. "Professor Viktor, please remember what you promised me. Whatever you do, don''t involve the students." "They are innocent." Viktor didn''t respond, nodded expressionlessly, and disappeared without a trace with a teleportation spell at his feet. "Sigh..." Rachelle''s heavy sigh transmitted through the air, and his form gradually dissipated, turning into points of starlight, merging into the air. ....... On the back mountain of the academy, a person wearing a robe stood at the summit, overlooking the foot of the mountain. At the foot was the academy, a place that bred her despair. Standing here, one could see the entire academy. The innocence and expectation were gone from her eyes. Having experienced intense pain, Henie''s calm gaze was filled with the word ''revenge''. A black mist coiled around her body like a fish in water, the jet-black ink forming a robe, climbing up Henie''s hair tips, adding a hood. "Little girl, is this amount of power enough?" "If you''re willing to wait, I can give you more power, more and more." Its voice carried a terrible temptation, like a bottomless abyss. But Henie was unmoved. "No need." Her voice was terrifyingly calm. "The professor often told me that I''m sometimes very weak, unable to learn decisiveness." "But now, I won''t be weak anymore." The magic power in her body was now very abundant. Even she didn''t know how much power she had obtained from this creature. Strictly speaking, Henie still didn''t count as a mage. But her possession of such abundant magic power had become a terribly frightening thing. Henie could finally materialize all the knowledge in her mind. And she had long prepared everything. She began to prepare her chant. "God of Etherealization... dance..." As Henie slowly chanted, high-level magic arrays appeared out of thin air. More than a dozen small arrays combined together, merging with the giant array. "City of Delirious Magic..." Several magical wheels circled the academy several times, countless runes engraved upon them. The patterns between the arrays gradually became more complex. The exquisite arrays operated as accurately as a marvelous machine. This had already surpassed the level of analysis of third-tier mages. Soon, Henie passed the arrays over the entire academy, burying them in the ground. The academy''s excellent geographical location was also an excellent array site in Henie''s eyes. She had made thorough preparations. "Henie?" "Who?" Hearing someone call her name, Henie suddenly turned her head to look, and seeing that familiar blonde hair, her gaze faltered slightly. The name of the blonde girl escaped her lips. "Erica...?" Chapter 40: No Grudge? Then Let’s Make One Now "Henie? It really is you!" "What are you doing here?" Erica was delighted, not expecting to encounter a familiar face on the academy''s back mountain. However, she was also curious about what Henie was doing on this deserted mountaintop. Seeing Erica, Henie''s previously cold demeanor instantly dissipated by half. Her gaze became somewhat evasive, and her response was a bit hesitant. "Nothing... I''m just here for a walk." Erica didn''t know about Henie''s dismissal, and Henie didn''t plan to tell her. She didn''t want to worry her. However, Erica''s appearance did make her feel a bit surprised, so she asked: "Why are you here too?" "Why haven''t you been coming to the academy?" Hearing Henie''s questions, Erica suddenly explained with puffed cheeks: "Father, I don''t know what got into him, when he came back, he grounded me for several days." "Yesterday was even worse, he suddenly decided to hire several private tutors for me." In fact, Duke Levi had also warned Erica to have less contact with Viktor, which is why Erica learned from Duke Levi that Viktor had returned. Under the royal family''s judgment, both were found innocent. But she couldn''t tell Henie these things. So, Erica, feeling a bit upset, kicked a pebble on the mountaintop. The pebble rolled down the cliff, making a crisp sound. "I really couldn''t stand it today, so I snuck out while father wasn''t home. I just wanted to come to school to see if Professor Viktor was here." Erica had planned to sneak into the academy from the back mountain, but unexpectedly met Henie. Hearing Viktor''s name, Henie''s heart trembled. She remembered what Professor Devin had said. ''Professor Viktor might have died in the volcano.'' Henie thought this to herself but didn''t tell Erica. Erica seemed to not know about this yet, and she decided to keep it hidden. Watching Erica continuously breathing in the fresh air at the mountaintop, Henie calmly said: "Professor Viktor hasn''t returned yet. I''ve been helping to substitute for his classes these past few days." Hearing this, Erica immediately felt a bit disappointed. She really wanted to know from Viktor what exactly happened at the volcano that day. But after sneaking out with such difficulty, Viktor wasn''t even at work. Helpless, Erica could only accept reality. "Alright then, I''ll head back first." "If father finds out I snuck out, he''ll definitely keep me locked up at home again and not let me out." Henie was about to say something when she saw Erica hesitate for a moment and continue: "I''ll come again tomorrow. If Professor Viktor returns, remember to tell me." Henie nodded, agreeing to it. She saw Erica very happy, her eyes full of anticipation, as she hurriedly turned to leave. ''How nice, she...'' Henie''s eyes were full of envy. She envied Erica. She had a prestigious family background, amazing talent, and perfect looks. She could be carefree and full of expectations for life. And herself? Always on edge, living through each hopeless day. It really seemed just as that professor had said. ''Trash, only fit to stay in the trash heap.'' In her daze, she looked again in the direction Erica had gone, but could no longer see her dazzling silhouette. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Henie shook her head, as if laughing bitterly at her own misery. Tomorrow, huh. That''s fine. She no longer needed to look forward to the future. Everything, including herself, It Will come to an end tomorrow. "Let''s continue." ........ A ball of intense flame suddenly ignited from the bottom of Professor Devin''s feet, instantly sending a violent burning sensation through his soles, waking him up. Professor Devin felt a burning pain all over his body. "Ah!" He instantly woke up, the pain making him scream out loud. Then, he clearly realized that he had been tied up, his body swaying as he hung from the ceiling. The flames dissipated, widening Professor Devin''s field of vision considerably. The first thing he saw was Viktor sitting in a chair, with a cold expression. Instantly, fear crept into Devin''s eyes. "Viktor! What exactly do you want to do?" "You want to kill me for an assistant? Are you crazy?!" "Do you really want to make enemies with my Reiser family?!" Viktor sat in the chair, coldly looking at him, and asked faintly: "Haven''t we already been enemies?" Devin''s voice faltered, and he hurriedly said, "No... we weren''t before. Believe me, Viktor, there''s no enmity between us." "Then, knowing that Henie was my person, why did you do that?" Devin''s eyes widened. "You... already know everything?" "No! Believe me, Viktor, at first I just didn''t like you, but I didn''t mean to take it out on that... He-whatever..." Boom! Like a fierce tiger, a fireball came flying towards him, hitting the wall behind Devin. Devin was scared trembling all over, and hurriedly said: "Henie! I remember now! It''s Henie! That little girl is very cute, right!" "I was jealous! I was jealous that she, as an assistant, could teach Class One. You know, after you left, many professors were envious of that class. Leading Class One as a lecturer comes with high treatment and reputation." Viktor looked at him with no emotion in his eyes. "Just because of jealousy?" "How ugly." "Yes! Yes! I''m ugly, I''m very ugly! I know it, I know it! Please, Viktor, let me go, there''s no enmity between us!" Devin was like a fat pig struggling desperately in a slaughterhouse, his comical appearance would make anyone who saw it laugh. He kept saying, as if making a promise: "I''ll apologize! I''ll apologize to that little girl!" "I can give her a lot of compensation! I can let her get a noble title! A young baroness, how about that? Our Reiser family has that ability!" "Believe me, Viktor, if you let me go, there''s no irreconcilable deep hatred between us... right?" An expression of great expectation appeared on Devin''s ugly face. Viktor''s cold voice rang out: "What did you say at the beginning?" Devin was stunned, tremblingly trying to say: "Killing me for an assistant, are you crazy?" Viktor nodded approvingly. "Good memory, and the second sentence?" "...Do you really want to make enemies with our Reiser family?" Devin wasn''t stupid, he seemed to realize something. At this moment, he completely abandoned his identity, frantically begging Viktor. "No! Viktor! That was just me losing my head for a moment!" Viktor stood up, his coat flashing with a dangerous red light. "You dislike me because you understand me." "Since you understand me, you should always remember what kind of person Viktor Kravina is." Devin''s whole body began to tremble, he started to be afraid. Madman! Viktor, he''s just a madman! "Viktor! Don''t... don''t..." Boom! A scream like a pig being slaughtered suddenly burst from Devin''s mouth, accompanied by the sound of bones breaking. He felt all his limbs shatter, in excruciating pain. He was still conscious because Viktor had put several magical shackles on his consciousness, preventing him from fainting despite the pain. "You said there was no enmity between us, that''s fine." Viktor suddenly smiled, smiling very brightly. He leaned close to Devin''s ear, his voice very soft, like a demon''s whisper. "Now, we are enemies." "Kill me! Viktor! Kill me!" Devin was in unbearable pain, he would rather die right now than stay conscious under such pain and humiliation. But now, he couldn''t even commit suicide. "Perhaps someone will take your life, but that person won''t be me." Viktor wiped his hands hard with a white handkerchief, even though he hadn''t touched the other at all, he still felt his hands had been dirtied a lot. After wiping, he threw the handkerchief on Devin''s face, covering that face streaked with mucus. Removing Devin''s shackles, he instantly fainted. Now, the world was quiet. Viktor narrowed his eyes and left the mage tower. With a teleportation spell, Viktor appeared outside the academy, looking at the sky that was almost dark, taking a deep breath. The surrounding magical elements seemed a bit chaotic. At this time, Vega''s voice sounded in Viktor''s ear. "Under the academy, someone deliberately hid an array." "Perhaps it was done by a demon." Viktor wasn''t surprised at all, so Vega said no more. It knew Viktor would handle everything well. It opened its beak and asked another question. "If that girl''s consciousness was really corrupted by a demon, what would you do?" Viktor thought for two seconds, then answered: "Henie is a very smart assistant, I feel at ease having her work for me." "She''s a weak kid, but she shouldn''t continue to be pitiful anymore." Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder, shaking its feathers. "I like your way of putting it." ...... The night fell like a curtain, hurriedly dropping, and countless small but bright jewels climbed up the night sky. By the time Erica returned to the mansion gate, the house was already brightly lit. Her heart sank, wondering if her dear old father had already returned. "Don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid, as long as I try hard to act cute, father will definitely forgive me." Erica took a deep breath, just about to enter the courtyard. But suddenly the main gate opened. Her father, Duke Levi, was escorting a beautiful woman with purple hair out, his face bearing a smile, very courteous. "Hmm???" Erica was a bit dumbfounded. Her father was already sixty years old, where did he meet this strange woman? Planning to start a second spring? Erica puffed up her cheeks, she absolutely wouldn''t allow such a thing to happen. She didn''t want to suddenly have a stepmother for no reason. Erica was about to rush over when she heard the conversation between the two. "I hope Duke Levi will pay more attention to those ''dirty things''." "I understand the seriousness of this matter, Miss Kevla. I will use all the resources at my disposal to investigate." Erica was a bit confused, suddenly standing still. It seemed the situation was a bit different from what she had imagined? But her sudden rush out had already attracted the attention of the two. Duke Levi looked at Erica, raising an eyebrow, with a somewhat forced smile, and introduced: "Miss Kevla, this is my little daughter Erica, I believe it''s your first time meeting her." Kevla looked at Erica, her beautiful eyebrows raised, narrowing her enchanting eyes. "Yes, indeed it''s the first time we''ve met, but..." Her lips curled up, and in the next second, she had already appeared in front of Erica. Her speed was so fast that Erica couldn''t catch even a glimpse of her movement. "Pretty little girl, can you tell me, where did you go today?" Chapter 41: Helping Out Your Sister’s Husband The inquiry from the purple-haired woman before her made Erica uncomfortable. She didn''t know who this person was, but there was an air of mystery about her. Instinctively, Erica didn''t want to answer. Moreover, she couldn''t let her father know where she had been! Seeing Erica avoiding Kevla''s gaze, Duke Levi''s tone grew stern as he questioned: "Erica, did you go to the academy today?" Hearing that her father had already guessed, she dared not lie. Her voice became as faint as a mosquito''s buzz. "Yes..." "But I didn''t go inside the academy. I met an acquaintance on the way, so we chatted for a while, and then I came back." Noticing that she didn''t mention Viktor''s name, Duke Levi''s expression softened a bit. Seeing this, Erica lowered her head and muttered under her breath: "He''s a duke, a grown man, yet still so petty." "If it weren''t for someone helping out, you wouldn''t be a duke anymore." Hearing Erica''s comments, Duke Levi''s face stiffened. He coughed lightly, pretending not to have heard. To be honest, Duke Levi felt a bit embarrassed. Regardless of Viktor''s intentions, he had indeed helped him in the palace. It was just that Viktor''s last words had truly irritated Duke Levi. Saying he might have to do something to Erica. What did he want to do? Huh? As a father, his protective instincts suddenly flared up. Duke Levi absolutely would not allow Viktor to do anything inappropriate to his daughter. Kevla, standing nearby, covered her mouth and chuckled softly: "I''ve heard about what happened in the palace from my sister." "However, for a duke to still be in his position and take others'' favors for granted, it''s indeed not quite right." As for Viktor, regardless of his true character, he was her sister''s fianc, practically family. Of course, Kevla had to support him to some extent. The duke, now caught between the two, blushed deeply, though thankfully the night''s darkness concealed it. He closed his eyes, coughed lightly twice, and said casually: "I''ll find a way to repay Viktor." Erica finally raised her head, smiling brightly, seemingly quite satisfied. At the same time, her fondness for this big sister Kevla increased considerably. But who exactly was this person? Erica displayed a curious expression, and Duke Levi immediately noticed his daughter''s confusion. He began to introduce: "This is the eldest daughter of the Delin family, Kevla Delin." "Delin?" Erica''s mind quickly made the connection to that beautiful sister she had met on the volcano. She seemed to have the same surname, Delin. "So that means, Miss Gwen is..." "She''s my younger sister," Kevla said with a smile, her eyes narrowing. Erica''s mouth gaped open in surprise. In Erica''s eyes, Gwen was a good person. The Delin family was also a family of knights, and knights were always righteous. So the purple-haired sister before her must be a good person too, right? Even if she seemed a bit mysterious. Kevla, observing Erica''s look of sudden realization, asked: "Erica, can you tell me exactly where you went now?" "And who was this acquaintance you met?" This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Erica, without hesitation, spilled out everything about her day. Kevla learned that Erica had gone to the hill behind the academy and met Viktor''s teaching assistant. The rest was as Erica had said before. "Oh? Viktor''s teaching assistant?" Kevla pondered for a moment, then smiled and patted Erica''s head gently, just like a kind older sister. "Thank you, Erica. But please don''t sneak off to the academy for the next few days." "Duke, you have a wonderful daughter." Kevla complimented Erica and then left with a smile. Her purple hair looked so enchanting under the night sky as she gradually disappeared into the darkness, got into a carriage, and departed. Erica was still confused. Why did Gwen''s sister ask her these things? And why shouldn''t she go to the academy? She wanted to ask more, but when she turned her head, she saw the duke''s darkened face. "Erica, come back with me and explain why you sneaked off to the academy." Erica immediately wilted. ....... Early the next morning, a gloomy atmosphere permeated the Royal Magic Academy. The sky was heavily overcast, and the air felt thick, making it hard to breathe. Many people looked afraid when they saw Viktor enter the academy. Viktor had become quite infamous yesterday. Dragging Professor Devin Reiser, a grown man, around almost the entire academy - this incident had spread like wildfire in noble circles. Many nobles were very interested in Viktor''s feud with the Reiser family. Devin Reiser''s disappearance had enraged the Reiser family, who announced overnight that they would demand an explanation from Viktor. And then? There was no then. The Reiser family seemed to only dare to talk big, casually saying a few words to make their stance clear. As a result, Viktor strolled into the academy the next day without a care in the world. He returned to the mage tower and dragged out Professor Reiser. He then unceremoniously dumped the half-dead Devin Reiser in the academy square, attracting a crowd of onlookers. This incident spread like wildfire among the faculty and students. Word spread quickly, and many people came to the square, drawn by the news. Soon, the square was packed to the brim. After all, some people hadn''t witnessed yesterday''s events and had only heard about what Viktor had done. The authenticity was still questionable; what if it was just an exaggerated rumor? Many people didn''t take it seriously. But today was completely different. Today, they saw it with their own eyes. Those who came to investigate due to the rumors were left shocked on the spot. To hell with rumors! This was too damn shocking! No one knew exactly how this poor Professor Reiser had offended Viktor. On such a gloomy day, the academy square had turned into something of an execution ground, with Viktor leaving Reiser on display all morning. During this time, everyone just stood watching. No one dared to approach Viktor or say anything, not even the handful of third-tier mage professors. Just like what Devin had done to Henie, public humiliation. In fact, after Viktor did this and the dean failed to intervene, they understood the dean''s intentions. To let Viktor vent. Moreover, with Professor Reiser hanging there as a cautionary tale, no one was willing to risk angering Viktor and becoming the second person strung up there. Finally, it was noon. The sun had not broken through the clouds as everyone had hoped. Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop! The clear sound of hooves gradually approached, drawing the attention of everyone present. Even Viktor looked up. The Knight Order had arrived. Led by Gwen, the Knight Order, commanding several hundred knights, surrounded the academy. At this moment, all the onlookers automatically cleared a path. Gwen, wearing silver-white armor, led the knights, looking extraordinarily valiant as she entered. She looked at Viktor, her eyes filled with a terrifying gaze. "Viktor Kravina, do you know what you''re doing?" "Deliberately harming someone in the academy, are you defying the empire''s laws?!" Gwen spoke to Viktor righteously, her eyes showing no trace of personal emotion. As a righteous knight, even if the person committing the crime was Viktor, her fianc, Gwen absolutely would not allow it, nor would she ignore it. Viktor quietly looked at Gwen and asked: "Did the Reiser family send you to rescue him?" Hearing Viktor''s questioning, Gwen calmly replied: "The Knight Order is only subordinate to His Majesty, and we do not take orders from anyone else." Viktor had already violated the law, and the impact was severe. As a knight, she must uphold the country''s laws and must take Viktor away. However, her hands couldn''t stop trembling. She had indeed received a plea for help from the Reiser family, but in reality, this task didn''t require her to lead personally. But she came anyway, because the person who committed the crime was Viktor. Lia had told her that this time, Viktor might have committed a serious crime. Lia had many informants and knew immediately after Viktor angered the Reiser family. Who was Devin Reiser? He was the emperor''s nephew. And she had also told the unaware Gwen about this matter. Even though Viktor had recently prevented a volcanic eruption, which was a great achievement. And Viktor was also a fourth-tier mage. Logically speaking, the emperor wouldn''t casually dispose of such a powerful figure in the empire. But the person Viktor had attacked was an imperial kin. Gwen didn''t dare to bet on whether the emperor would severely punish Viktor, so she came in advance to arrest Viktor, establishing the crime of intentional injury. This way, she could protect Viktor to the greatest extent possible. "Viktor! Don''t resist! Don''t be rash!" She tried to use these words to hint at Viktor, believing that someone as smart as Viktor would surely understand. Indeed, that last word, "rash," caught Viktor''s attention. He looked at Gwen, and although his expression didn''t change much, Gwen still felt that he had noticeably relaxed. Just as she thought Viktor would trust her and allow himself to be taken away... Boom A deep, pitch-black barrier suddenly rose from the ground, quickly enveloping the entire academy. The already gloomy sky became even darker, surpassing even the night sky, as if ink had spilled across the heavens. Under the barrier, everyone suddenly felt weak and drowsy. Gwen also had this feeling, and she even noticed that her strength had diminished somewhat, along with a weakness in her heart. The Heart of Justice had lost its effect. Those present initially thought it was a formation laid down by Viktor, but when they looked up, Viktor also seemed to have lost some of his overbearing aura. If it really was Viktor who did this, no one would have noticed when he set up the formation. It was too conspicuous. It didn''t make sense. Viktor raised his head, his eyes showing a hint of surprise and appreciation as he looked at the barrier. Vega''s eyes widened, Its voice resonating only in Viktor''s ears. "What an excellent composite formation." "One, who can use such magic, might be a true genius." Viktor also responded to It softly. "Indeed." "It seems the time has come." Chapter 42: Do You Know Who Your Son Has Offended? "The Royal Magic Academy has been sealed off!" A sudden cry from somewhere plunged the students inside the academy into panic. A few students, disbelieving, dragged themselves to the school gates. The gates could be opened, but a barrier separated them from the outside world. No matter how the students pounded on it, the barrier remained unmoved. The sudden appearance of the black barrier over the academy spread throughout the royal capital at an astonishing speed, its impact extraordinary. Countless reporters and mages gathered before the barrier. The black barrier emitted wisps of dark energy, seeming to dye half the sky black. Countless intricate patterns covered it in all directions. The inside of the barrier seemed filled with filth and darkness, constantly consuming people''s energy. The blackness devoured everything, leaving only the sounds of panic inside and outside the barrier, with a noticeably intense sense of weakness. "What on earth is this thing?" "Such an intricate formation... What kind of array is this?" Many headlines had already been reported, all without exception related to the black barrier covering the Royal Academy. Some even started rumors that this incident was related to Viktor. Although the academy was completely sealed off by the barrier, with no communication possible between inside and outside, News of Viktor kidnapping and attempting to murder Professor Devin had spread before the sealing. This news quickly reached the Du Cloyi family. Erica was confused when she heard about it. Didn''t she hear from Henie yesterday that Viktor wasn''t at the academy? How did such a big incident happen today? More importantly, the news said that Viktor had attacked Devin Reiser at the academy yesterday. This was completely different from what Henie had said. "What exactly happened?" "Did Henie deliberately conceal something? Could she be someone who knows?" The more Erica thought, the more confused she became. Now she just wanted to go and see for herself what had happened. But she couldn''t be so rash. The urgent matter was to confirm if her father knew about this. She hoped her father could help Viktor in this matter, to suppress the impact of this incident! Because Viktor had really made a big mistake this time! Who was Devin Reiser? Even in noble circles, few people knew about this. The Reiser family had great influence in the south, almost monopolizing most of the empire''s southern business. This family had an extremely strong ability to accumulate wealth, and informed individuals like the Du Cloyi family, who held high authority, understood better the significance of the Reiser family to the entire royal family. They were the main source of the royal family''s economy. Every year, a large portion of the national treasury was paid to the Reiser family, and the Reiser family would give back even more annually. In other words, all the business developments of the Reiser family in the south were with the tacit approval of the royal family. Because the Reiser family was royal kin, the emperor''s sister had married into the Reiser family. The royal family gave the Reiser family privileges, and the Reiser family provided financial feedback to the royal family. It was a win-win situation. Erica didn''t know why Viktor would attack Devin Reiser, but she understood politics. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. As the duke''s only daughter, her father had always been grooming her as his successor. Regardless of Viktor''s motives, the fact that he had harmed Devin Reiser was already established. To protect Viktor, it was necessary... To prevent this matter from reaching the emperor''s attention before the academy''s barrier was broken. "Someone who could approach the emperor in advance, with such motives and status..." "Lady Cassandra!" Cassandra Reiser, who had changed her surname after marrying the head of the Reiser family, was the emperor''s sister before that. Although the Reiser family had a large amount of business to do every year, this lady did not engage in commerce and had always lived in a city not far from the royal capital. If she had received the news yesterday, calculating the travel time. "She could reach the royal capital today and meet with His Majesty!" Realizing this, Erica immediately set out to find Duke Levi. The maid, seeing her gloomy expression and haste, stopped her. "Miss, please don''t be in such a hurry." "When the duke left this morning, he specifically asked me to inform you that if you wanted to go out to find him, to tell you that he''s already outside the city gates." "Outside the city gates?" Erica was stunned, somewhat confused. What was her father doing outside the city in advance? Could it be... he already knew about this too? She was now anxious, feeling as if she was the only one left in the dark. Erica really wanted to know something, so suddenly, she thought of someone. Someone related to this incident and who might have deliberately concealed information. Only Henie! "She must know something!" Erica thought to herself, quickly saying to the maid: "Prepare the carriage! It needs to be fast! I want to go to the hill behind the academy immediately!" She still remembered the place where she had chatted with Henie yesterday. Erica had told Henie that she would come again the next day. If Henie hadn''t gone back on her word, she should be waiting for her on the hill behind the academy. If Viktor really wanted to do something, sealing off the academy, he wouldn''t have let Henie be sealed inside with them. "Damn it! What exactly is his motive?" Erica clenched her fists, biting her lip. She couldn''t understand, nor could she investigate personally. She hated this feeling of powerlessness. Just like that time on the volcano. ....... Meanwhile, outside the city gates. Duke Levi stood at the city gate, with several hundred silver-armored knights behind him, and dozens of hooded figures holding magic orbs, looking like mages, by his side. A strong sense of danger permeated the area outside the city gates, as if war was about to break out. Soon, a carriage escorted by many guards arrived, slowly coming to a stop. A knight opened the carriage door, placing a footstool on the ground, and a woman dressed as a noble lady gracefully alighted. She was beautiful, very well-maintained, but one could still faintly see some traces of age. However, this did not affect her outstanding noble aura. As soon as she got off the carriage, she glared at Levi and questioned angrily: "Levi! What is the meaning of this!" "Bringing your private army and magic corps to block me at the royal capital''s gates? You really have some nerve!" Duke Levi smiled kindly and nodded to her. "Lady Cassandra, it''s been a while." "I brought so many people here just to ask you to stay here a bit longer." "I will let you enter the city, but not now." Although Levi smiled kindly, there was clearly some confrontation between the two. "Levi, don''t forget my status." "I have never forgotten, Lady Cassandra, ever since you used your status to force me to marry you, I''ve remembered it until now." Beneath Levi''s kind facade, he was recounting an extremely explosive past event. This incident, which could almost be called a royal secret, was casually mentioned by Levi. Cassandra''s surrounding guards looked at each other in shock, not knowing whether they should continue listening to what would happen next. However, when Cassandra heard Levi mention this matter, she suddenly became angry with embarrassment and shouted loudly: "At this point, what do you mean by bringing this up? Just want to humiliate me!" "I just wanted to stop you for a chat about old times, and by the way, remind you that your surname is no longer Sol." Duke Levi waved his hand, and a magician from behind him stepped forward, infusing magic into the orb in his hand. As the magical energy chaotically swirled inside the orb for a while, it materialized from within. A table and two chairs appeared out of thin air from the ground. "Please, have a seat." Levi gestured and sat down in a chair first. Cassandra looked at that magician, and her agitated emotions calmed down a bit. Levi''s magic corps. Strictly speaking, magician was a profession. They were not mages, but becoming a magician was much harder than becoming a mage. While using expensive magical artifacts to support their use of magic, they also had to train for a long time to develop strong physical strength to assist in combat, this was what it meant to be a magician. Even to train a single magician, the cost involved was something that ordinary nobles could not afford. In the entire royal capital, only Duke Levi had sufficient wealth and status to train such a corps under the emperor''s nose. In short, if Cassandra wanted to force her way through. She couldn''t. "I know your purpose for coming to the royal capital, Lady Cassandra. You want to seek an audience with His Majesty." The knight behind had already prepared tea for Levi, placing it in front of Cassandra and Levi. Only Duke Levi could do something like welcoming guests for tea at the city gate. Cassandra picked up the teacup gracefully and said calmly: "Devin is my son, and also his nephew." "With such a thing happening, he won''t sit idly by." "Don''t be impulsive, my lady." Duke Levi hadn''t spent all these years in politics for nothing. He continued to persuade, his extremely amiable manner easily calming Cassandra''s emotions. "First, you need to know who your son has offended." "Viktor Kravina, you must have heard this name." Hearing this name, Cassandra''s expression flashed with several traces of troubled difficulty. A mother knows her child best, of course she knew to what extent her son''s arrogance had reached. "But Viktor is just a viscount..." "He''s now a fourth-tier mage." Lady Cassandra immediately widened her eyes, with an expression of disbelief: "No, how is this possible, even if you haven''t..." Duke Levi shook his head, smiling bitterly. "But it''s indeed the truth." "If Viktor is at fault, the emperor will naturally punish him severely, but if the person with the problem is Devin Reiser." "Forgive my directness, but you should be prepared to lose him." Chapter 43: A Twist – It Turns Out Viktor Is the Good Guy Lady Cassandra found it difficult to accept this outcome. "I must see His Majesty, I must see His Majesty..." "Levi, I warn you, even though I no longer bear the Sol name, I am still the Emperor''s sister." Lady Cassandra, visibly irritated, continued: "You have no reason to prevent me from entering the capital." "I will find a way to meet His Majesty eventually," "If you don''t let me through right now, I will certainly report your actions to His Majesty when I do!" "What are your true intentions in blocking my way?" Hearing Lady Cassandra''s accusations, Duke Levi instead smiled, like a cunning old fox, and spoke in a tone that suggested he was acting in her best interest: "Lady Cassandra, the capital is very dangerous right now. I''m not letting you through for your own safety." "Even if you report this later, His Majesty will understand the gravity of the situation and won''t blindly blame me..." In front of this smooth politician, every word from Lady Cassandra seemed weak and ineffective. "Dangerous!? My son is in danger right now, he might lose his life!" The lady''s tone instantly rose by several notches, she was now both angry and anxious. Even so, she could only sit there, waiting for Duke Levi to grant her passage. But the next second, Duke Levi''s words made her freeze on the spot. She widened her eyes and fell silent. "Lady Cassandra, I''m not joking with you..." "There have been ''demonic'' activities within the academy." "Your son, Devin Reiser, may have come into contact with a ''demon''." ... "You''re saying, a demon?" The previous night, Viktor was having a casual conversation with Lia in the study. "The filthy thing Kevla mentioned, that''s it." Lia listened to Viktor''s words, finding them hard to believe, and remained silent. She had seen images of demons in books before... A foul odor, sticky skin, and a pair of bulging eyes, with countless sharp teeth hidden in the tongue... A body like an ink shadow, with a heart full of greed. Like a walking, putrid swamp, normal people would avoid it if they saw it. The books also recorded that this thing once lived in an outhouse in a small town of a remote country for a while. And the abilities it bestowed made the entire town prosper for a time. But after that, people in the town began to disappear one by one. No one could trace their whereabouts, and the once glorious small town became desolate and dilapidated due to neglect. Eventually, it disappeared from history. Lia stopped reminiscing, feeling nauseous just from the book''s description. Of course, both the appearance and the deeds were just recorded in history books. It was all too common for those in power to fabricate and distort facts to consolidate their positions. But this also indicated that demons were indeed disliked by everyone. "Did you find it?" Lia asked tentatively. She was surprised that Viktor had already traced its trail today, even though he had only received the news from Gwen yesterday. Was Viktor really that efficient? Viktor nodded expressionlessly. "That thing is in the academy." Lia curiously asked, "Are you confident you can catch or kill that thing?" Viktor was straightforward and honest: "Not necessarily." If that demon was as Viktor thought, being an early-game demon boss, a fully evolved version might be more than a match for a fourth-tier mage. As the saying goes, when stats aren''t enough, skill makes up for it. Stolen novel; please report. Viktor Kravina''s stats might not be a match for it. But Viktor Kravina would definitely defeat it. If all else failed, he still had his cheat code. "However, I need to lure that filthy thing out and ensure I kill it with my own hands," Viktor told Lia. But Lia found this somewhat strange. "Didn''t you say it wasn''t certain? Why still..." "Even if the success rate is ninety-nine percent, I won''t be absolutely sure of success." Viktor''s voice sounded normal, but Lia could sense the astonishing confidence in his words. But now, she had another question. Normally, Viktor wouldn''t need to tell her so much. Because she couldn''t help, and Viktor had no reason to tell her so much. He would solve everything by himself. Including the volcano incident, if it weren''t for the news that came back from outside, she wouldn''t have known that Viktor had done such a world-shaking thing. Lia seemed to realize something and blinked. "...Could it be that you need me to do something?" "Viktor, let me say this in advance, I''m not a mage, nor am I a knight like Gwen. I''m weak, I might not even be able to carry a few bricks steadily..." "This is something only you can do." Viktor''s resolute attitude almost made Lia doubt if she had some special ability. What could it be? "Devin Reiser, do you know him?" "That fat guy you beat up today?" Lia thought for a moment and couldn''t help but laugh. "It''s really funny, you know? This incident has spread like wildfire tonight!" Lia found this incident amusing, even knowing that the dead pig was actually the Emperor''s nephew, she wasn''t afraid at all. She even thought Viktor had done a great job. She didn''t know what the grudge was between them, but... Viktor represented their Kravina family. If they had to swallow their pride and consider this and that after being wronged, If Viktor really did that, Lia would be the first to prepare to undermine Viktor. Having disgraced the Kravina family, he would no longer be qualified to continue as the head of the family. "So? What do you want me to do?" "Is it to go south to intercept their business? I can''t do that, their factories are everywhere." "Besides, that''s the royal family''s money-making machine. You might dare to offend the Emperor, but I don''t." Viktor stopped Lia''s wild guesses. "Before the Emperor intervenes, discredit Devin Reiser as much as possible." He said calmly, without even raising an eyebrow. However, Lia understood immediately and was more than surprised. "You want to pin the demon''s dirty deeds on the Reiser family? How is that possible?" This was indeed an absurd thing to do. "Let''s not talk about whether we have enough manpower in the capital, normal people wouldn''t believe it at all." "Or are you saying you''re already powerful enough to control demons?" Viktor looked up at Lia and said calmly. "The demon will cooperate with you." Lia looked at him, unable to accept it, feeling a chill run down her spine. "No one would want to be your enemy, Viktor." "You''re actually a bastard who even wants to manipulate demons. You''re the real demon." Viktor stood up, and Vega fluttered its wings, flying from the desk to perch on his shoulder. "If we don''t have enough manpower, we can borrow from the Duke." "After all, he owes me a big favor." With that, he left the study with Vega. ....... "Miss Lia Kravina, I can only help you stop Lady Cassandra at the city gate," Duke Levi said with some difficulty, smiling bitterly. "It''s not that I don''t want to help Viktor, this is the most I can do." Lia sat in front of the Duke, smiling and said: "This is enough, Your Grace." "What we need is time, time for my brother to prove his innocence." Duke Levi was silent for a while, then tentatively asked: "So, Devin Reiser really did come into contact with a demon, right?" Hearing the Duke''s question, Lia felt somewhat helpless. "Your Grace, I don''t want to deceive you, but think about it, how could my brother possibly try to kill an ordinary second-tier mage without reason?" Lia used the useful information, elegantly weaving everything together. Duke Levi was like prey stuck in a spider''s web, deceived by this ingenious lie. "Don''t forget, Duke Levi, our Kravina family has a special relationship with the Delin family." "Miss Kevla can naturally be considered my sister as well." Duke Levi nodded. After all, the news of a demon invading the capital was brought by Kevla, so it wasn''t unreasonable for Viktor to know something about it. But Lia knew that Duke Levi didn''t really believe her. On one side was Viktor, on the other was the useless Devin Reiser. As a politician, even a fool would know which one to choose. But Levi still had to consider whether the du Cloye family could bear the cost of doing this. So, Lia added another bargaining chip. "If you still don''t want to believe..." Lia tapped the table with her finger and continued: "Viktor will put Devin Reiser on display in the academy square today. After that, there might be unpredictable disturbances at the academy. I can''t say exactly what will happen." "But what I can be sure of is that the ''demon'' will definitely save Devin Reiser at that time." Duke Levi straightened up and asked seriously: "But how will this prove that it''s not Viktor''s self-directed show?" Lia smiled again. "Your Grace is indeed suspicious, but I don''t dislike your doubts. Otherwise, my preparations would have been wasted." "I will have Knight Commander Gwen lead the Royal Knight Corps to the academy. At that time, hundreds of knights will be watching Viktor constantly." "The Royal Knight Corps is under His Majesty''s command. They will witness everything in the most impartial way." ...... Viktor stood in the academy square, surrounded by knights in silver armor as far as the eye could see. In an instant, Vega had analyzed the effect of the magic. This astonishing magic barrier would weaken all ''magical power'' within its range and cause people to fall into a ''weakened'' state. ''Magical power'' naturally included some special abilities. For example, Gwen''s Heart of Justice. At this moment, Viktor was one of the few mages who could still stand steadily in the square. As for the other mages, half of the students had fallen to the ground, some second-tier lecturers were also swaying, and even a few third-tier mages were frowning, their internal magic depleted, completely unable to release any spells. In contrast, the knights, although somewhat weakened and mentally drained, were still relatively stable physically. "What on earth is happening?" Everyone was very puzzled. Except for Viktor, no one knew what kind of formation they had fallen into. Suddenly, countless black tentacles emerged from the edge of the barrier, like crazy poisonous snakes, rapidly approaching Professor Devin. Vega also cooperated well, flapping its wings, making a ''startled'' reaction. All the knights and conscious mages were attracted by Vega''s exaggerated response, everyone staring intently at this scene. Exclamations arose all at once. "What is that disgusting thing!?" Viktor stretched out his lava giant hand, which could still move, and engaged in a tussle with the countless chaotic tentacles. Both sides were fighting over Professor Devin. The tentacles gradually enveloped Viktor''s lava giant hand, the darkness like countless frantically licking tongues, trying to swallow Viktor. Even under the ''weakened'' state, Viktor still struggled, as if driving away countless approaching poisonous snakes. But unfortunately, Viktor ultimately succumbed. His hand loosened, and Professor Devin was carried into the air by the tentacles. The dark barrier turned into a giant mouth and swallowed Professor Devin, disappearing from sight. For a moment, countless people fell into panic. Viktor''s face was terribly gloomy, his voice clearly carrying a hint of weakness. "Filthy demon..." "I still couldn''t stop you from rescuing him..." ???? Everyone who heard these words froze in place, like helpless lambs. What? Demon? Rescue Devin Reiser? Do you even hear what you''re saying!? Chapter 44: Please Don’t Embrace Your Fiancée at a Time Like This Gwen stared intently at Viktor. She was very flustered now, the failure of her Heart of Justice meant she couldn''t see through whether Viktor was telling the truth or not. How could this incident be related to a demon? "Demon? What''s a demon?" "I don''t know, what is that?" Many people present had never even heard of demons, and were completely confused about everything that had just happened. But Professor Devin being taken away was something they had witnessed with their own eyes. Viktor had no time to explain to these people, he only needed to make them doubt whether Devin was associated with those things they just saw. "Have you located the position?" Viktor communicated with Vega in his mind. "It''s not far, just at the back mountain of the academy," Vega patted its chest, flying back to Viktor''s shoulder, replying confidently. Viktor knew that if Henie was truly seduced by the demon and her mind was affected, she would absolutely not let Devin Reiser go. The demon would gradually amplify others'' negative emotions, and Henie''s hatred would be the best feed for the demon. In the end, no matter what method was used, Devin Reiser would definitely be taken away. And all he needed to do was to manipulate public opinion a little, and he could make the suspicion of the demon cling to Devin Reiser. Viktor had placed a magic mark on Devin Reiser, even if he left the capital, Vega would be able to sense the location of the magic mark through the link established between them. Naturally, it would be easy to find that guy. Now, Viktor''s task is complete. He just needed to wait. Wait until the demon actively bares its fangs, then personally deal with it. Suddenly, Viktor "abruptly" felt a wave of dizziness, holding his forehead, his body swaying significantly. Due to the influence of the barrier, his stance was unstable now, as if he might completely collapse at any moment. "Viktor..." Seeing Viktor''s swaying body, Gwen instinctively had an urge to raise her hand, wanting to step forward to steady him, but the surrounding gazes made her hesitate and stop. But just at this moment, a knight subordinate beside her also seemed to feel dizzy, lost his balance, and his shoulder bumped into Gwen. She was caught off guard, stumbled, and ended up in front of Viktor. She looked up, and right in front of her was the dizzy Viktor. Gwen was dumbfounded, standing in the square, not knowing whether to move or not. But seeing Viktor''s weak appearance just now, she encouraged herself. "It''s just supporting him, he saved me before, this is nothing." Having found a reason for herself, she stepped forward and supported Viktor with both hands. "Viktor, how are you?" As she supported him, Viktor''s body inevitably stiffened a bit, he turned his head, looking at Gwen with a somewhat surprised gaze. What''s going on? He was just pretending, you know? Even if the formation had some effect on him as a fourth-tier mage, it shouldn''t be this severe. But after all, he had just ''struggled'' with the demon for a while, in others'' eyes, his physical strength must have decreased. Viktor wanted to explain, but on second thought, he collapsed into Gwen''s arms. Meanwhile, he pretended to sound very weak as well. "Support me a bit..." Don''t misunderstand, this isn''t taking advantage. It''s just to make his innocence more thorough. Gwen was initially afraid to move, her face turning red with embarrassment in front of so many people, but hearing Viktor''s weak voice, her righteous and kind nature couldn''t help but burst with sympathy. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Viktor, he must be very tired..." Even if he faced the contempt and curses of thousands, he didn''t offer any explanation. Even if he would be misunderstood by everyone. Some mages who were still somewhat clear-headed actively asked: "What exactly happened? And what''s this about a demon?" "Are you saying Professor Devin is actually the problematic one!? How is that possible?" "My brain is already confused, I feel like this barrier is affecting my intelligence!" "What''s for lunch today?" "No, why are Knight Commander Gwen and Viktor embracing in public?" Gwen: "..." "Quiet!" A knight from the corps shouted, making the mages present shut their mouths. Gwen bent down to kneel, holding Viktor in her arms, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. After that, she addressed the mages in front of her: "Any questions will be answered one by one after the situation is investigated thoroughly." "For now, please stay quietly in the academy and wait for rescue." "And! Let Viktor rest for a while!" The many mages closed their mouths. Some nobles who knew the two were engaged were puzzled. It was said that Viktor and Gwen didn''t get along well, but how could this loving couple be called not getting along? Who spread such rumors! Absolute nonsense! Vega stood on the ground, looking at the pretending-to-be-unconscious Viktor with some exasperation. Life is like a play, it all depends on acting skills. I wonder how you plan to get off the stage later. Suddenly, Vega raised its head, as if sensing something, it narrowed its eye. The faint blue light flashing under its single eye observed the surroundings. ''Viktor, stop sleeping.'' ''That girl from the Duke''s family is approaching that thing.'' As the first believer who contributed power to Vega, there was a very clear one-way connection between Vega and Erica. Vega could sense where Erica was at any time, but Erica couldn''t feel Vega''s presence. Under this one-way connection, it instantly detected that Erica was approaching the back mountain. ''That little girl is my only believer right now, don''t let her die.'' Viktor naturally knew about Vega''s exposure to Erica, and using saving him as an excuse, it had gained this believer. ''Really troublesome.'' Viktor replied to Vega in his heart, then ''struggled'' to open his eyes. "Gwen, hand... reach in..." "Hm? Ah???" Gwen was dumbfounded, her face turning red, her speech becoming incoherent. "Vi... Viktor, what... what... what are you saying..." "In the coat, there''s my potion." Bang! As if a huge bomb had been detonated, Gwen''s brain instantly went blank. She just realized she had misunderstood, quickly closed her mouth, and reached into Viktor''s coat to search for a while. Viktor willed it, and teleported a blue potion from his player inventory into the coat. Gwen quickly found it, took it out, it was a small blue vial. "Is it this?" She looked at Viktor, this style seemed almost the same as the few vials of potion Viktor had given her before. Only the color was different. She was about to hand it to Viktor, but realized that Viktor was now too weak to even raise his arm, so she hurriedly brought the potion to Viktor''s lips. "Viktor, open your mouth." Viktor opened his mouth, and Gwen slowly poured the potion into Viktor''s mouth. After doing all this, she breathed a sigh of relief, looked up and saw countless people staring at her. Including her subordinate knights. Gwen blinked, asking the surrounding knights. "What are you looking at me for?" "Nothing, nothing, Knight Commander." The knight said somewhat sheepishly. "Just feel that, Viscount Viktor, um....... is really fortunate." "Huh?" It was then that Gwen realized what an absurd thing she had done. However, Viktor in her arms moved. Gwen had no time to think too much, she was surprised to see Viktor support himself with one hand on the ground and stand up, as if his spirit had instantly recovered. "Vi... Viktor? Are you alright?" "Thank you, Gwen." He stood up, adjusting his coat. Everyone was once again stunned. Wasn''t he on the verge of death just now? How did he suddenly recover now? What kind of miraculous medicine did you drink? Is it that ridiculous? Even if you''re acting, shouldn''t you pretend a bit better! Suddenly, Viktor called out a few names. "Professor Neil, Professor Dison, Professor Gaia....." The people whose names were called were among the few third-tier mages in the academy. These professors collectively looked at Viktor. "Professor Viktor, is there something?" Viktor gave a simple explanation. "As you can see, the academy has been sealed by the power of the demon." "Before long, our strength will be completely dissipated, and by then, each of you will become a meal for the demon." Hearing these words, the mages instantly shuddered, and the few professors whose names were called hurriedly stood up. "If you don''t want to sit and wait for death, then come with me to break the formation." Hearing Viktor''s words, the few professors looked at each other, saying somewhat helplessly: "Professor Viktor, our magic power is constantly being drained, we simply can''t recover." "We have the will, but not the strength." As soon as the words fell, Viktor took out several vials identical to the one he had just drunk from his coat, accurately throwing them to those few mages. They hurriedly caught them, and before they could clearly see the color in the glass bottles, they heard Viktor suddenly say: "Drink it." These people all thought about how Viktor had drunk it before, hesitated for a moment, then all tilted their heads back and drank it. Soon... "Ah?" "Hm?" "Holy shit?" The reactions of the few mages were more or less the same, without exception, they looked at their bodies emitting a faint blue glow. Their magic power had instantly recovered about half. "This! It''s a miraculous medicine!" At first, they still suspected Viktor was acting. Acting? Acting my ass! He didn''t need to act at all, sincerity was the greatest killer move. Those few mages were still immersed in the wonderful feeling when Viktor''s voice drifted over. "One thousand Geo per bottle." "The knights are all here watching, don''t try to default on payment." A group of mages were stunned on the spot. "How much? One thousand Geo?" Hearing this voice, many students and some mages present showed difficult expressions. But the few professors who had drunk the potion almost said in unison. "This is too cheap!" "Professor Viktor! Sell me a few more bottles! No, ten bottles! Twenty bottles, okay?" "Professor Viktor, you say where do we go now? If you tell me to go east, I absolutely won''t go west! Even if you tell me to catch dogs today, I definitely won''t chase chickens!" "I''ve long disliked that pig Devin! Nothing more to say, Professor! Today, whether it''s a demon or not, I''m with you!" Seeing the few professors get excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood, the clear-headed people present all became bewildered. Gwen was still kneeling on the ground, for a moment not reacting. After a long while, she tilted her head, blinked her eyes. "Huh?" Chapter 45: If You Don’t Kill Him, I’ll Help You Kill! Devin Reiser slowly opened his eyes. After the darkness in front of him dissipated, he saw a gray sky. Just like his current situation, without any light. This was outside the academy. "You''re awake." A voice sounded leisurely from behind, Devin carefully identified that it didn''t belong to Viktor. He suddenly woke up, shaking his body, trying to escape this desolate place. But he found that his body was still restrained. The sluggish body reaction also made him temporarily unable to feel the pain. Devin looked down, his body was wrapped in an unknown liquid like black ink. It was these solution-like things that had completely entangled him here. "How does it feel to be restrained?" Henie''s voice sounded beside him, her expression neither happy nor sad. Devin raised his head to look at her, his face full of shock. "You... who are you!?" Henie: "..." She casually cast a magic array, water rose floating in the air, like a mirror reflecting her face. Mysterious patterns like mud entangled from her neck, winding to her forehead, sparsely covered with exquisite runes. Those patterns and runes swayed unstably as if they had life. In this appearance, even Henie could barely recognize herself. No wonder this disgusting fat pig couldn''t recognize her. "Heh, hehe." "Professor Devin is really forgetful of important people, it''s normal not to remember a nobody like me." "Do you want to see more clearly?" Henie completely took off her black ink hood, looking Devin in the eye, countless scenes flashed in her eyes, Professor Devin was stunned there, the memories in his brain suddenly became clear. Burning books, malicious humiliation, the girl''s cry that gradually became hoarse as she kept holding back. And the ugly him leaves triumphantly. "It''s, it''s you!? Viktor''s damn teaching assistant!" "You, Viktor, do you all want to torture me to death before you''re satisfied?" Henie didn''t care about what Devin said, because his attitude had already made her believe that Professor Devin had been at odds with Viktor for a long time. It can only be said that she thought of people too simply. Now, Devin''s life was in her hands. She could take revenge at any time. But Henie didn''t feel as happy as if she had avenged a great grudge. After all, she accomplished everything by borrowing power. There was no resistance during the implementation of the plan, everything went surprisingly smoothly. Controlling the entire academy, and forcibly restraining Devin Reiser in the academy. It was like a story progressing smoothly. This suddenly made Henie realize how fragile mages were. Knights could still cope with crises relying on their strong physical functions, but once mages lost their magic, They were useless. There were so many third-tier mages in the academy, not one of them could stop her from sealing the academy. However. "I still have to thank you, Professor Devin, you made me understand that staying weak will only lead to continuous bullying." Henie didn''t move, both hands hidden under her robe, not reaching out. But the black ink suddenly moved fiercely along her shadow, climbing onto Devin. He was instantly scared and broke out in a cold sweat. This thing gave him a very bad feeling. "What, what on earth is this thing?" Devin could only force a smile again, hurriedly saying: "Miss Henie, perhaps we can reconcile." "As long as you let me go..." "No need to explain, Professor Devin." Henie interrupted him, her fluorescent yellow eyes covered with an astonishing layer of black, even the eyeballs couldn''t be seen, like an emotionless knife-wielder. "After resolving the grudge between us, I will turn myself in." The black tentacles instantly became extremely excited, not caring about violently hitting each other to the point of breaking, quickly recovering again, swaying towards Professor Devin in an overwhelming manner. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Devin widened his eyes, his heart almost jumping to his throat. "My life is over!" "Henie!" The tentacles stopped in an instant, uniformly stopping in front of Devin, almost only a hair''s breadth away. Devin was breathing heavily, the feeling of death descending upon him made it almost impossible for him to breathe. A familiar voice sounded, Henie couldn''t help but turn to look. Erica stood panting opposite her. Her unfamiliar appearance startled Erica. "You... how did you become like this?" "This is a side effect of magic, don''t worry about it." Henie didn''t care about her current appearance at all, even though she knew she must look very ugly now. But Erica was a bit confused. "Henie, you can use magic now?" Henie didn''t reply to her, turning her head away. Seeing Devin Reiser tied up by countless black ink tentacles, Erica was instantly shocked. "Devin Reiser!? Why is he here?" "Wasn''t Professor Viktor said to have tied him up?" Hearing Erica mention Viktor''s name, Henie was stunned, turning back in disbelief, slowly walking to Erica''s side. The patterns on her face slowly receded, the excited emotions even revealing her original true appearance. "Erica, what did you say? Who tied up Devin?" "Professor Viktor." Henie stepped back a few steps, not daring to believe. "The professor... the professor is still alive?" Erica: "?" This time it was Erica''s turn to be stunned, she opened her mouth, asking confusedly: "Who told you Viktor was dead?" Her gaze involuntarily locked onto the trembling Professor Devin. ...... "I didn''t expect such things to happen before and after..." "Then you now..." Erica looked at Henie''s unfamiliar appearance, having a guess in her heart. She knew that demons would take advantage when a person was most empty, attaching to people, constantly absorbing people''s negative emotions as nourishment for their growth. She suddenly understood what the ''dirty thing'' Kevla mentioned was. Erica slowly walked to Henie''s side, patted her shoulder, saying gently: "It''s okay, Henie." "Let''s go find Professor Viktor, he must have a way to drive these things off your body!" Henie stepped back, smiling bitterly and shaking her head. "It''s too late, Erica." A smile returned to her face, seemingly having recovered her mood after knowing about Viktor''s news. But correspondingly, there was also more of a death wish on her face. "I borrowed too much power, a barrier that can cover the entire academy, even a saint mage like the principal would need a lot of time to prepare." "Do you think the demon will let me go?" "It can''t wait to swallow me into its stomach now." Listening to Henie''s narration, Erica''s heart trembled. "So, you knew early on that it was a demon that approached you, right?" Henie nodded. "After I take my revenge, I will turn myself in." "Someone like me who no one cares about, dying in prison, won''t affect anyone." She smiled as if relieved, the surrounding tentacles once again swaying in an almost frenzied manner. Devin Reiser was scared and trembling all over. If he had known such consequences would occur, he wouldn''t have dared to bully this little teaching assistant back then! Now it was too late for regrets. Erica was silent for a while, then looked fiercely at the immobilized Devin Reiser. "How do you want to take revenge? Kill him?" "I support you." Henie looked at Erica puzzledly, chuckling: "Erica, how could you think that way?" "He burned ten years of accumulated knowledge, ruined my dream." "Correspondingly, I will only make all his knowledge disappear." "For a professor, shouldn''t this be the most painful punishment?" Erica: "..." Devin Reiser: "..." The tentacles also stopped, no one knew why. Perhaps even the demon was rendered speechless by her words. Erica fearlessly approached Henie again, grabbing her shoulders with both hands, saying solemnly: "Devin Reiser publicly humiliated you, right?" "Yes." Henie nodded. "He burned your life''s work, made students deliberately harass you, play pranks on you, ruined your reputation, and finally drove you out of the academy!" "That''s correct." Erica started shaking Henie''s shoulders continuously. "Wake up, Henie! You traded your life with a demon, and you only want to make this fat pig''s knowledge disappear? That''s enough?" "If it''s just that, you might as well directly beat him into an idiot!" Devin: "..." "You look obviously like a villain now! Since you''re a villain, do your job properly!" "Isn''t it good to kill him?" "But..." Henie started to lower her head and think. "To simply take away a person''s life like this, how am I any different from a demon then?" Devin frantically nodded his only movable pig head on the side, Erica grabbed the ink on the ground and smeared it on his face. To her, Devin Reiser''s face was more disgusting than these tentacles. "Help!" Erica held her head, sighing heavily, feeling depressed. Henie''s worldview was completely different from hers. As a noble, and one of the most top-tier families, Erica had understood the dark side of society early on. But Henie was different, she hadn''t experienced the intrigues and deceptions among nobles. Life and death were still a distant concept to her. And casually defining others'' life and death was equally impossible in Henie''s eyes. Perhaps she thought too simply, since she lost her job, she would make Devin Reiser lose all his knowledge, this way, he would receive an equal punishment. Henie was still too naive! Naive to the extreme! "Forget it! If you don''t kill, I''ll kill for you!" "After he''s dead, come back with me to the professor''s side, he must have a way to keep you alive!" With that said, terrifying flames instantly condensed in Erica''s hand. [Second-tier Magic: Flame Bullet]! Before Henie could reach out to stop her, that dense fireball flew towards Professor Devin''s face. Just as it was about to touch Devin, Biubiubiu~! Three silver flying blades suddenly shot out, dispersing the flames, blocking the magic, and falling to the ground with a clang. Erica stood there stunned, looking at her dispersed magic, suddenly turning her head. A beautiful woman with purple hair, smiling at the two of them. Shaking a few silver flying knives in her hand, she waved at them. "Two cute little girls." "Do you want to tell my sister what game you''re playing?" Chapter 46: Don’t Underestimate Me, You Idiot "K... Kevla, Miss Kevla!?" Erica stood frozen in place, completely taken aback that the newcomer was none other than Gwen''s sister. Seeing this purple-haired beauty, Henie was equally confused. "Erica, who is this...?" "This is... the sister of Gwen, the Knight Commander of the Royal Knights." Seeing Henie still looking bewildered, seemingly trying to piece together the relationships, Erica waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind, it''s too complicated to explain right now." Hearing the two of them discussing her, Kevla narrowed her eyes and chuckled softly: "Well then, Erica, can you tell big sister what you''re doing here?" "Also, it''s not good for children to play with fire." She was, of course, referring to Erica''s magic from earlier. Devin Reiser let out a sudden sigh of relief. Just moments ago, he thought he was about to meet his end. Fortunately, this woman who appeared out of nowhere had saved him just in time. With the immediate threat to his life gone, Devin reverted to his initial arrogant demeanor. "Hey! You there! I don''t care who you are! Save me quickly! I can give you anything you want." Before he could finish speaking, several sharp blades instantly pierced the ground around Devin Reiser, missing his head by mere inches. "I didn''t give you permission to speak, so keep your mouth shut." She warned him without even glancing his way. Terrified, Devin promptly closed his mouth, not daring to utter another word. The world fell silent, and Kevla turned her gaze to Henie, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. "So, young lady, don''t you think you owe us an explanation?" Henie felt a bit scared, sensing the intense hostility from the other party. She instinctively took half a step back. Seeing this, Erica quickly stepped between them to explain. "It was Devin Reiser who first humiliated Henie, and he did many terrible things!" "Such a menace absolutely cannot be allowed to remain at the academy..." However, she had barely gotten halfway through when Kevla cut her off. "Enough, Erica, you don''t need to say more." "Actually, I don''t care about the life or death of that fat pig." Hearing these words, Devin Reiser''s nerves tensed up again. From the sound of it, he might still be facing death? But at the moment, no one seemed to care about him. Kevla looked at Erica, the usual smile gone from her face. "He should be dealt with by others, not you, Erica." "Your father''s position is not stable, especially after last time." "If you make a mistake this time, Viktor won''t be there to help you again." Hearing Kevla''s words, Erica felt a bit panicked. She didn''t want to cause trouble for her father, nor did she want to rely on Viktor for everything. So, she hurriedly tried to explain: "We could easily frame his death on a demon..." The moment she mentioned demons, Kevla''s expression changed. It became incredibly cold and sharp. "It seems you do know something after all." Erica''s body froze, every hair on her body standing on end. She sensed danger. Even during the volcano incident, when death seemed imminent, she hadn''t felt this way. It was the pressure emanating from Kevlar. She was terrifying. As if she had shed her usual disguise, the real Kevla was like a fearsome hunter. ''Does Kevla want to kill me?'' ''No... that''s not it!'' This tangible killing intent wasn''t directed at her. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As if passing her by, the murderous aura was locked onto the person behind her. Erica whirled around, her gaze fixed intently on Henie behind her. "Henie!" Almost simultaneously, Henie seemed to lose all reason. The tentacles around her began to writhe wildly, as if reacting to this incredible killing intent. "So it is a demon vessel after all." Kevla''s expression gradually turned manic. As early as yesterday, she had caught a scent on Erica. It was a filthy odor that only demons emitted. Very special, and hard to discern. But as an experienced demon hunter, Kevla had killed countless demons and their hosts. She was bathed in demon blood, and under this tangible killing intent, demon vessels would react and lose their reason. Now, Henie''s state has confirmed everything. At this point, Erica also realized why Kevla had appeared here. "So, when you asked me yesterday where I''d been..." "It was because of this demon, wasn''t it?" She opened her mouth, wanting to get an answer from Kevla. However, Kevla no longer had the energy to answer her. Her killing intent surged forth like a tidal wave, utterly frenzied. Her purple hair even began to emit a faint glow. Kevla licked her lips, an excited expression one might have when facing prey. But she didn''t forget to warn Erica. "Erica, stay away from her." She didn''t need to say more; anyone could see that Henie''s current state was abnormal. The ink shadows on the ground seemed to respond to a command, quickly gathering to envelop Henie. Soon, a completely black ink shadow had wrapped around her, though Henie''s face was still vaguely visible. Suddenly, the several silver daggers on the ground linked together, forming ripples that controlled her in the very center. An intricate silver magic array instantly appeared before them. Long ago, Kevla had been chasing this demon, pursuing it from all over the world to the capital. And now, she has finally caught it. She absolutely wouldn''t let it escape again. Henie cried out in pain, and ripples appeared in the surrounding magic array as magic began to spontaneously generate around her. The instinct for survival made her automatically start to resist. Erica hadn''t expected things to unfold so suddenly. She anxiously watched the standoff between the two, stomping her foot. "Professor Viktor! Come help quickly!" The next second, Kevla and Henie clashed. Countless tentacles, like whips carrying sharp thorns, sliced through the air with lethal intent! Tearing through layers of air, they stabbed towards Kevla. Kevla''s rapidly moving silver dual blades fended off the onslaught, but two fists were no match for countless tentacles. Two tentacles pierced through the gaps in her defense! "Ugh." Kevla felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Looking down, she saw that those two tentacles had torn open a bloody gash in her body. The two tentacles were still trying to invade her body, attempting to completely disembowel her. Kevla seized Henie''s moment of sluggishness, retreating backward and flipping her dual blades to sever the two tentacles. The injured tentacles turned into two puddles of liquid on the ground. Kevla hastily took out a vial of red potion and took a sip, briefly replenishing her strength, then quickly wrapped a bandage around her wound. "Kevla!" Erica called out in concern, but in the current situation, she was powerless to intervene. Kevla charged upward once again, and the dark tentacles on Henie''s body came at her once more. She stepped on one tentacle and flipped into the air, the tentacle predictably folding back to pursue her. A cold light flashed in Kevla''s eyes, and in an instant, her form flickered madly like a meteor. In a flash of white light, she appeared behind Henie. The silver dagger seemed to possess a special power, easily slicing through the black membrane covering Henie''s body. Two wounds were left, with thin streams of blood flowing from Henie''s back. Henie cried out in pain, the sensation seeming to restore her consciousness. The next second, she felt her vision go dark as she completely passed out. "Henie!" Erica cried out in alarm, Henie''s fainting making her feel incredibly uneasy. However, Kevla had already done a backflip, moving away from Henie and landing steadily on the ground. "Such poor combat skills, trying to use the same trick twice." Kevla twirled the dagger in her hand. She had deliberately left an opening to make herself appear injured, in order to catch the moment of attack. She had indeed fallen for it. Kevla tore off the bloody bandage on her body, revealing her waist. The powerful recovery ability of demon hunters had already completely healed her wound. Not even a scar remained. Suddenly, the surrounding tentacles began to move unconsciously, as if going completely berserk. Kevla held her dagger in front of her, her expression extremely serious. "Something''s not right." Any demon vessel, after being attacked by her special daggers, would forcibly separate from its host''s body. Kevla''s seemingly harmful attack on Henie was actually meant to help her break free from the demon''s control. But now, not only had the demon''s true form not left its host, but instead... "The power has become even more violent?" She couldn''t understand. The next second, an even thicker layer of ink attached itself to Henie''s body. A resonant sound, as if from the abyss, emanated from Henie''s body. "Guh... You''re really impressive, demon hunter." Hearing this title, Erica was suddenly stunned. Miss Kevla is a demon hunter!? Demon hunters, also known as demon slayers, were the absolute nemesis of demons. No wonder Kevla had asked her those questions. As early as when she first met her, she might have already smelled Henie''s demonic scent on her. Seeing that the other party had identified her identity, Kevla wasn''t surprised. Only an uncontrollable ferocity flashed in her purple pupils. The bloodline of demon hunters made it difficult for her to control her emotions when facing such filthy creatures. That was the instinct to hunt demons. If she could maintain clarity before, now, when the demon''s true form appeared, she began to lose her reason. Henie''s body stood up mechanically like a marionette, and the ink shadow behind her began to expand continuously. In an instant, the gushing ink completely engulfed Henie. Erica watched everything unfolding before her, frozen in disbelief. A dark and massive body began to gradually rise from within the ink. Henie''s small shadow obviously couldn''t easily reveal the demon''s true form. So, it extended a circular mouth, devouring the boundaries of the shadow. In an instant, the shadow expanded to an exaggerated size. What emerged was a head with two horns, eyeless and noseless, only a giant head with a hundred-meter-long tongue. It spewed a jet of ink towards the sky, completely covering the already gloomy sky with endless darkness. The body seemed to squeeze out of the black clouds, as blob after blob of liquid-like flesh began to rise from the black shadow, forming into a small mountain. The frantically expanding body forced Erica and Kevla to retreat dozens of meters. The two of them stared at the enormous monster before them. Kevla became even more excited, her body trembling like a wild beast. Erica looked at the sky-blocking giant hand and the frenzied Kevla, her mind momentarily blank. This was clearly not something they could defeat. The demon''s bloated body suddenly tore open a vertical slit in front, abruptly opening. Thousands of sharp teeth, and a foul-smelling mucus mixed with the corpses of various creatures. Those were all the demon''s trophies. Kevla could no longer contain herself. Demon hunters do not fear any demon. This also leads to demon hunters having only two possible outcomes in life. One is to never see a demon in their lifetime, the other is to be killed by a powerful demon while hunting. Fearlessly, she transformed into an arrow of white light, instantly bursting forth. However. She had underestimated the demon. The moment she stepped onto the demon''s body, a powerful dark giant hand grabbed Kevla by the throat. Seeing her pained expression, the demon laughed. Its laughter was piercingly shrill, like the terror of plunging into an abyss, piercing Kevla''s eardrums. "You had fun hitting me earlier, little one." "Now, it''s my turn to hit back." Chapter 47: Boss Battle, Buff Up, Team Fight! The sky over the capital fell into darkness, like an inverted abyss. "What... what''s happening!?" The crowd watched as the ever-spreading ink gradually covered the sky, devouring their hope. Some mages in the academy tried to release sparks from their hands to illuminate the surroundings, but no matter how hard they tried, not even a single spark appeared. "This is bad! Magic disruption!" A mage suddenly cried out. An even more terrifying, intense negative feeling surged towards the mages. Those mages who could stand before now stumbled one by one. They fell in succession, and Gwen''s heart gradually filled with unease. Her intuition told her that perhaps it wasn''t just the academy facing a crisis. The entire capital might be plunging into danger. "Look! What''s that!" Several students pointed at the mountain behind the academy, crying out in alarm. A wave of fear spread through the crowd. The gradually transparent barrier now allowed them to see the outside world, But the scene that met their eyes was unforgettable. The demon''s form began to expand rapidly, devouring everything it touched. The mountain behind the academy, unable to withstand the intense pressure, began to collapse gradually. However, the rocks didn''t fall; instead, they were entwined by the demon''s tongues and sent into its bottomless mouth. Even the sky was bitten off in chunks, shattering like glass, revealing nothingness with a whooshing sound. "Is that... is that a demon?" "The demon that saved Professor Devin?" Panicked voices spread throughout the academy. Even the outside world witnessed this chaotic disaster. The royal family finally took this catastrophe seriously for the first time. The army was mobilized, and a large number of mages rode in carriages, racing towards the academy to provide support. In an instant, screams, the sound of carriages, and the cracking of the mountain filled the entire capital. ... Kevla was thrown like a kite with its string cut, breaking several thick giant trees before falling silent. The demon looked at the fallen demon hunter and its own continuously growing body, cackling: "Thanks to you, little girl." "Although it''s still not quite enough, I can''t be too greedy." The "little girl" the demon referred to was, of course, Henie. It had never imagined that an ordinary person it randomly found would have such a rich reserve of magical knowledge. This was an enormous gift for the demon. Under its manipulation, Henie borrowed vast power from it. And in the human academy, she set up a magic absorption array that even it couldn''t have imagined. A complex array composed of countless different formations, even a fourth-tier mage would need a lot of time to analyze it. Henie used this array to absorb enough magic power to fulfill her desired revenge. However, all of this ended up benefiting the demon. As long as the array didn''t dissipate, those mages would continue to serve as its magic source, allowing it to grow stronger continuously. At this moment, the demon didn''t even want to eat Henie anymore. The knowledge in Henie''s mind made the demon crave knowledge for the first time. Demons generally don''t easily kill their deal-makers, especially excellent ones like Henie. At this time, its body occasionally emitted faint light. That was the countless mages in the academy continuously having their magic absorbed, constantly providing it with magical replenishment. The magic power within it was constantly replenishing. It was more than ten times what it had given to Henie. In a sense, Henie had already repaid all her debts, and it no longer needed to taste her. Suddenly, a bright white light flashed, and Kevla emerged unscathed, holding her silver blades in reverse grip, charging towards the demon. Demon hunters gain bonuses when facing demons, but correspondingly lose some of their rationality. But when dealing with demons, fighting on instinct is clearly more advantageous. The giant mouth on the demon''s body was instantly torn open, and countless black tentacles gushed out from between the sharp teeth. It impatiently swung out a palm, swatting Kevla hundreds of meters away. However, she remained unyielding, charging back again and again, each time managing to inflict some damage with the special metal weapons in her hands. Although the damage wasn''t high, it was extremely insulting. The demon gradually began to get irritated. Even though the opponent was so weak, she was like a fly buzzing around its face, impossible to swat away. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. At this moment, a faint glow of magic suddenly lit up. A purple array gradually formed between Erica''s hands, every line and every rune perfectly inscribed. She clasped her hands together, and the space around the demon instantly tore apart. Cloud-like formations appeared out of thin air, like stars, from which dozens of purple chains burst forth, piercing into the demon''s body. [Second-tier Magic: Nebula Lock] "It worked!" Erica was both surprised and delighted. Fortunately, she had learned this magic from Viktor before. She never expected that her first use of it would be against such a formidable enemy as a demon. The demon immediately felt its internal magic power being somewhat obstructed, and couldn''t help but turn its attention to those chains breaking its magic channels. "Hmm, annoying mage." It violently broke free, and the surrounding mountain shook with its movement, dropping massive boulders one after another. Before long, the chains shattered instantly. But being able to restrain it for a while was already enough. In this brief time, Erica had drawn several small arrays. These arrays, without exception, were all adding magical enhancements to Kevla. "Speed, attack, resistance, tenacity... add them all!" Erica rapidly formed arrays, chanting continuously. She had thoroughly studied these spells, and Viktor had even given her many suggestions for improvement. Erica used these small enhancements with complete ease. With enough buffs added, Kevla''s movements became even swiffer. She seized the moment when the demon was breaking the chains. In the blink of an eye, a white light flashed, passing through countless tentacles and sharp teeth, chopping down hard on the demon''s neck. The demon threw back its head in extreme pain. The special silver blade inflicted no ordinary wound; it felt its internal magic power continuously flowing out. It began to struggle frantically, countless tentacles starting to fall from its body. Professor Devin, lying on the ground, looked up at the terrifying scene before him. He couldn''t help but tremble all over, wriggling his body and using all his strength to roll away, barely avoiding being hit by these falling tentacles. The demon became irritated. The sharp teeth on its body gradually retracted, and countless tentacles also calmed down. Only the head with a giant mouth began to fiercely devour its own enormous body, blood and stench gushing out all at once. The foul smell corroded half of the surrounding forest. Erica also felt a piercing pain on her skin. She hurriedly lay down on the ground, avoiding the evil qi floating in the air. The more it devoured, the more exaggerated the demon''s head swelled. When it had completely swallowed its body, the head, dripping with mucus and blood, seemed about to burst open at any moment. In the end, all that was left was an unstable, swaying head, spewing out ink that covered the sky. Drop by drop, it fell to the ground, raising countless tentacles, like towering pillars reaching to the sky. With one strike, a hundred-meter-high ink tidal wave engulfed everything. Erica was swept away by the ink, crashing heavily against the remnant rocks. One of her arms was pierced by a sharp stone, pain spreading throughout her body. Kevla was submerged under the ink, struggling constantly, but sinking deeper and deeper. The demon opened its terrifying giant mouth, its tentacles wrapping around Kevla, about to send her into its mouth. Suddenly, Kevla smiled strangely. She flicked her fingers, and the silver blades under the ink thrust upwards towards the sky, directly hitting the demon''s enormous head. The demon cried out in pain. Kevla seized this opportunity to break free from the demon''s restraint, flipping over several silver daggers following her movement and stabbing into the demon''s head. The demon winced in pain, and Kevla took advantage of the moment to escape its grasp. "Die, demon!" The daggers stuck in the demon''s head lit up with a searing white light one by one, a series of metallic hums resonating through the sky. The daggers exploded on the demon''s body one after another like bombs. Layer upon layer of visible ripples spread outward. The demon howled in agony, its head exploding with a boom, turning into a cloud of extremely dense black mist. The intense energy pulverized the remaining trees in the surroundings, dust obscuring the sky. Kevla''s body went limp, falling back to the ground, gasping heavily. "We won..." Suddenly, a voice seemingly from the abyss came from the sky, making Kevlar shudder. "Had enough fun?" She looked up, and the endless black mist regathered, forming a dirty, disgusting head. It opened one eye, like a light bulb, staring at her, filled with greed and madness. Kevla stared at the scene before her, her eyes full of disbelief. The hundred-meter-long tongue on the head shot out from the ink on the ground, sweeping across and sending her and Erica flying hundreds of meters away. This terrifying strike made both of their bodies feel loose, experiencing extreme pain. The demon''s tongue slowly approached the two. But suddenly, a terrible feeling of weakness came from within, making the demon freeze momentarily. The magic power inside its body was draining!? "No, what''s happening? This isn''t right!" The demon concentrated, trying to absorb magic from the academy. But no matter how much it absorbed, not a bit of magic power entered its body. There was only a continuous loss of magic power. It turned its head, looking back towards the academy. At some point, the black barrier above the academy had begun to dissipate, becoming transparent. Someone had broken the array! But this shouldn''t be possible. Even if it was broken, there shouldn''t be such a severe magical backlash. The demon''s limited brain wasn''t enough to consider more. It lowered its head, its gaze sweeping over Erica and Kevlar. It no longer had time to savor these two humans. In its fury, it vented everything on the two of them. It violently lashed out with its tongue, the enormous, terrifying force completely flinging the two away until they disappeared into the sky, completely out of sight. Having instantly dealt with these troublesome insects, it dragged its body, step by step, slowly walking towards the academy. It wanted to use the entire academy as a base, to summon a demon gate here, letting its offspring completely occupy this place. To transform this place into an empire belonging solely to it. "Hmm?" Suddenly, it lowered its head, sensing a life force from below. It was Professor Devin, trying to curl up his body, trembling in fear. So, the demon grinned, laughing maniacally. "Hahahahaha! So you''re not dead yet, you fool." "Are you that little girl''s enemy?" The demon didn''t know what exactly was going on in Henie''s head, but for now, it could spare this guy''s life, leaving him for Henie to deal with. Consider it a thank-you gift to Henie for the infinite knowledge she provided. So, its tongue wrapped around the trembling Devin, and like a missile, it leaped towards the academy. ... Meanwhile, all the mages within the barrier looked relieved. "Yes! Right there." Under Vega''s guidance, Viktor inserted the final magic rune. Soon, the array began to dissipate. Countless mages felt their magic power flowing back, extremely excited and unable to contain themselves. Viktor also felt somewhat emotional. Henie, she was truly kind. After breaking this array, he noticed a reversal array left by Henie. Once someone successfully broke the array, there would be a magic reflux effect. The absorbed magic power would start flowing back at the same speed, returning from the caster''s body. Henie seemed to have anticipated that the demon would use her knowledge to gain more power. So, she had left a vulnerability in the array in advance. If the demon truly became uncontrollable as she had thought, breaking the array would become the mages'' only chance to turn the tables. This was the last piece Henie had left on the board, the final killing move of someone with knowledge but no magical talent. While everyone was rejoicing at the gradual return of their magic power, They were complimenting and thanking Viktor. But they didn''t notice a black shadow suddenly gathering from all directions. The academy''s stone slabs began to crack, and numerous buildings were also devoured, teetering on the brink of collapse. Several mage towers also began to sway unsteadily under the demon''s convergence, exploding with a boom. The towering teaching building, as fragile as mud, collapsed with a thunderous crash. In just a dozen seconds, the academy underwent a drastic change. The once glorious academy instantly became dilapidated. Countless people couldn''t help but look up at the giant-like figure. "D-Demon!!!" It seemed to bring endless terror, a dark cloud over everyone''s heads. It extended its long tongue and tossed Professor Devin onto the ground, like discarding an innocent dead dog. At this point, countless people fell into complete terror. This horrifying aura, along with the terrifying presence that had just disappeared on the mountaintop. Everything indicated one thing. The demon had come to the academy. The greedy demon drooled filthily, seeming ready to swallow everything in the academy. At this moment, a huge cyan magic array once again rose from the ground, bathing everyone in its light. [Third-tier Magic: Realm of Mana] Effect: Greatly restores mana and significantly increases magic damage within the area. Viktor''s calm voice sounded nearby: "Well then, it''s time for a team fight." Chapter 48: It Doesn’t Matter, I’ll Take Action! The moment the barrier dissipated, everyone present saw the incredibly ugly demon. Panicked screams, broken sobs, and desperate wails... countless negative emotions instantly swept through the academy. A few reckless reporters, for the sake of their careers, were still continuously recording everything around them with magic stones. ... Duke Levi received news from the mage at his side. He waved his hand, and a mage stepped forward to hand him a magic stone. The transparent magic stone was still flickering, barely able to contain the energy of the images within. It seemed as if it might explode at any moment. He took it, smiling as he placed it on the table, and said to Lady Cassandra: "Madam, I won''t say anything unnecessary." "Please see for yourself." As he finished speaking, the magic stone emitted a faint glow, and an image projected from it. The most eye-catching was the enormous demon that blotted out the sky, and beneath it was the imprisoned Professor Devin. It was hard not to suspect that Professor Devin had some collusion with the demon, given that he could survive being so close to it. He looked as if he was seeking final refuge under the demon, while around the demon were fully armed knights and mages. Including that figure in a trench coat. Viktor Kravina. Lady Cassandra opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Duke Levi spoke first: "Lady Cassandra, this is a live broadcast." "If you''re interested, you can enter the city now and go to any news agency. I estimate this image has already spread throughout the capital." Lady Cassandra bit her lip hard and said to Levi: "What do you mean? Now you''re willing to let me into the city?" "Of course." Levi stood up and bowed to her. "The capital is in danger. As a duke, I should go to provide support." Having said this, he nodded to Lady Cassandra, preparing to turn and leave, but was stopped by her. Her eyes seemed to flash with several shades of consideration, "Devin... is there really no way to save him?" Duke Levi smiled on the surface, but inwardly he sighed. She was hesitating. When Lady Cassandra began to hesitate, it meant that she had started to consider whether the Reiser family really needed to pay too high a price for someone like Devin. Sacrificing a piece to save the king, cutting off the tail to survive. Moreover, Devin Reiser wasn''t considered an important figure in the Reiser family. Rather, he was a useless parasite. Otherwise, Lady Cassandra wouldn''t have specially sent him to the academy in the capital to guide him. So, Levi explained the pros and cons to Cassandra. "Lady Cassandra, please think carefully. Your son colluding with a demon is no small matter." "I think His Majesty''s close relationship with the Reiser family is not enough to erase the crime of conspiring with a demon to rebel." "Madam, please consider carefully." Having said this, he turned around and waved to Cassandra. The mage beside him waved his magic orb, and a constellation rose in the sky, gradually enveloping the mage team and Duke Levi in blue light. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared without a trace. The knights put away their weapons, donned their helmets, mounted their horses, and gradually left amidst the clamor of hoofbeats. Cassandra collapsed onto the sofa, covering her forehead, tears streaming down her face, seemingly making some kind of decision. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ... The demon slowly opened one eye. Its eye was on its forehead, which was also its only way to observe its surroundings. A huge blue magic array gradually rose from beneath its feet, and this unpleasant smell made it very uncomfortable. Suddenly, a yellow lightning bolt shot out, hitting the demon with a bang, but to little effect. A mage''s attempt had failed, but this angered the demon. It became enraged, stretched out its tongue, and swallowed that mage into its stomach. "Crunch, crunch..." The sound of chewing mixed with bones breaking lasted for a while, then with a gulp, the demon swallowed. The mages had never seen such a cruel scene, and many were frightened into screaming. Even those self-proclaimed righteous knights almost couldn''t hold onto their weapons and shields. Many people cried out in terror, constantly asking questions. "What on earth is... this thing!?" No one could answer them. The people present knew it was a demon, but when a real demon appeared before them, they didn''t dare to admit it. Because it didn''t match their imagination of a demon at all, it was more like a world-ending evil god. A third-tier mage stepped forward and shouted: "Everyone, don''t panic! Stand on the magic array! Our power is gradually recovering!" "With so many people here, we must be able to defeat this evil demon!" As the voice subsided, the mages showed no reaction, their morale and actions seemingly unchanged from before. Seeing the mages in this state, the demon burst into laughter: "Cowardly humans!" "You think you''re worthy of defeating me!?" Suddenly, a figure leaped towards the sky like a streak of light. Everyone noticed that figure. In contrast to the demon, she appeared incredibly small, yet she sparked a glimmer of courage in countless people. "Is that... Knight Commander Gwen!?" Some people recognized her and exclaimed. The silver sword in Gwen''s hand seemed to trigger some kind of power, bursting with white light, as dazzling as a mountain-cleaving blade. She swung her sword down, fiercely cutting a shockingly long white gash on the demon''s body. The demon was in great pain, its body trembled, and its gaze turned to Gwen. "Good, very good!" It spoke as if recognizing something, viciously saying: "Just a moment ago, I dealt with someone very similar to you." "It seems you''re just as irritating as her!" Gwen, who had just landed back on the ground, suddenly changed expression. She instinctively thought the demon was talking about Kevlar, and rage consumed her entire body. But in the next second, the demon''s astonishing palm was already swinging towards her. Gwen didn''t dodge, as if she had lost all reason. The long sword in her hand once again transformed into a tens of meters long blade of white holy light, slashing towards the demon. Bang! The demon''s giant hand swung, swatting Gwen down like a mosquito. Gwen was smashed into the ground, completely unable to resist, and fell unconscious. "Knight Commander Gwen!" Many knights became worried, and even Viktor, who was maintaining the array, frowned. The demon''s laughter came again: "It looks like you''re much weaker than her." "Not even as good as a fly." But Gwen''s action had bought time for the mages. Not everyone would be stunned by the demon''s solo performance. Hum hum hum hum Countless magic arrays gradually rose from the air, arrays of various colors were constantly forming, and a commanding voice rang out. "Just like we learned in the academy!" "Everyone! Fire!" At the command, magic arrows of various elements flew towards the demon. It was like a fireworks display, crackling all around. But the demon merely extended its tentacles and blocked these spells. There wasn''t even a scratch on its tentacles. The mages, seeing it unharmed, couldn''t help but marvel inwardly: The demon''s thick skin was just too tough! The first round of collective fire had no effect, causing many mages to lose heart, but in the next second, a clearly more professional voice sounded from above. "Attention everyone! First round of fire!" Everyone turned to look. It was Duke Levi; he had brought his mage corps to provide support. The mages were distributed on all sides, completely surrounding the demon, the crystal balls in their hands emitting an astonishing magical glow. Boom boom boom!!! More powerful spells burst out from the crystals like elemental cannonballs, and this time the demon was clearly struggling to fend them off. "Quickly change formation, second round of fire!" Almost without pause, the second batch of mages replaced the first, and the prepared spells were fired in unison. The demon didn''t even have a chance to retaliate. "It''s Duke Levi! Duke Levi has come with his mage corps!" Someone in the crowd shouted loudly. In an instant, everyone''s spirits were lifted! Soon, more and more mages came to support from various parts of the capital. Countless formations were continuously constructed in the sky, growing in number and power. The continuous magical attacks left the demon no time to escape. For a moment, everyone felt victory was within reach! However, this seemed to only exhaust all of the demon''s patience. The demon began to grow impatient. Thump Thump A sound like a powerful heartbeat resonated, as if a giant drum reaching to the heavens had been struck. The demon opened its giant mouth, as if to swallow everyone present. With a storm-like suction force, it swallowed the knights and mages who were close to it into its mouth. They screamed and wailed in terror, but were utterly unable to resist, not even able to escape. The demon''s giant mouth was like a meat grinder, cruelly dropping chunks of bloody flesh onto the ground from its mouth, like a starving ghost wastefully eating its food whole. Fear once again spread over everyone''s heads. "It''s over! Our attacks had no effect at all!" "Too terrifying, is this what a demon is!?" "Help! Where''s the headmaster? Save us!" "Who else can possibly deal with it!?" Many mages and students gradually fell into a spiral of helplessness, those with poor mental states even curling up on the ground and crying. Suddenly, several third-tier mages paused, looked at each other in confusion, and began to shout: "Where''s Viktor!? Where did Professor Viktor go?" The third-tier mages were all very clear about what kind of existence Viktor was. The direct participation of a fourth-tier mage could possibly turn the tide of battle! But Viktor seemed to have suddenly disappeared, leaving many people in utter despair. However, at this moment. "What''s that!?" "Is that... Professor Viktor!?" As several students pointed to the sky and began to exclaim, everyone looked up. At some point, Viktor had appeared in the sky. The trench coat behind him began to flutter constantly, flashing with an astonishing red light. Fire, burning up half the sky. It burned away the filthy ink in the sky, and suddenly a burst of rosy clouds broke through. It was as if Viktor had set the sky on fire and draped it over his shoulders. The temperature throughout the entire city began to rise rapidly, becoming extremely hot. The people present looked and looked, suddenly stunned, their eyes widening as they exclaimed: "Holy shit! What is that!" This time, everyone saw clearly, a huge red meteor was falling from the sky. The target, aimed directly at the demon''s giant mouth. Chapter 49: Natural Disaster! The rapidly falling meteor burned away the air, and even the towering academy spires were incinerated into sand by the powerful heat wave. The flames produced by intense friction gradually enveloped the entire massive rock, like a fiery sun plummeting down. [Fourth-tier Magic: Falling Sun] The sky was scorched with a hole, light pouring down from it. Viktor floated in the sky, looking down at the demon like a god. The magical power of a fourth-tier mage could reach the level of a natural disaster, which was the origin of the title "Saint Mage." In fact, this was also another name for fourth-tier mages, describing their profound and powerful magical attainment. "...Disaster Mage." Duke Levi, on the ground, looked up, the falling sun reflected in his eyes, as he murmured. He suddenly widened his eyes, the shock on his face instantly turning to determination. "Everyone! Form defensive arrays!" At his command, the mage corps and knights immediately established an orderly human wall. The mages and wizards chanted, and a golden city wall gradually appeared, surrounding the students and mages within. The knights crossed their swords and shields, a white light gradually appearing on the silver blades. With a flash of strong light, several white magic shields instantly appeared, blocking in front of the knights. The falling meteor''s destructive force was world-ending. In an instant, flames spontaneously erupted on the surrounding rubble, the intense aura once again thoroughly shattering everything. The combined barrier created by the mages and knights instantly wavered. Everyone present felt the scorching heat transmit from their feet to their brains. The sky was utterly destroyed, deathly silent. Smell, sound, at this moment seemed to be instantly stripped away by death. People could barely be aware that they were still alive under this world-destroying magic only by the light of the blazing sun. The meteor frantically smashed into the demon, its skin instantly bursting open, the sizzling flesh as painful and unbearable as if it were in molten lava. "Ah!!" The powerful magic made no distinction between friend and foe. The buildings near the academy were also swept by the intense heat wave, the townhouses vanishing into ash in the blink of an eye. "Damn it! Fourth-tier magic is so terrifying!" "Viktor! Aren''t you the real demon?!" These were the unanimous thoughts of everyone present, but they didn''t dare to shout them out. Just opening their mouths would let the heat wave rush in, making them feel as if their bodies were being incinerated. As the intense radiance dissipated, the barrier in front of the crowd gradually broke and dispersed. For a moment, dust filled the air. "How is it? Has the demon been eliminated?" "Under such powerful magic, the demon probably couldn''t survive." "Did we win!?" Joy gradually appeared on everyone''s faces, the feeling of surviving a catastrophe making them incredibly excited. However, as the layers of smoke cleared, a massive black figure appeared before the people. "Hehehe" "You are all just worms, worms!" "What is that thing!?" The people who heard the demon''s voice were instantly dumbfounded. They couldn''t imagine how the demon could still survive under that scale of magic. "How can such a terrifying thing still not be dead!" Once again falling from the peak to the valley, people wept uncontrollably. The feeling of despair no longer needed to spread; it naturally grew in the hearts of those present. It wasn''t the first time demons had appeared in people''s sight; there had been many incidents of demons hurting people before. But most demons were just disgusting worms that bewitched humans and stole their power. In many people''s eyes, demons were more like more powerful beasts. But such a terrifying demon before their eyes, "Can anyone really defeat it?" Duke Levi''s expression was grave. Perhaps the only way to defeat this demon was to prepare war magic in advance. Viktor''s fourth-tier magic just now, although as powerful as a natural disaster, was still not as terrifying as war magic in comparison. Moreover, this demon''s power was gradually dissipating. No one knew when it would be weakened to the point where even they could defeat it, but for the outcome, it was still good. If they could hold this demon off for a long time, and prepare magic arrays in advance when it was weak, then... While Duke Levi was still thinking, a figure caught his eye. It was Viktor. He stood alone among the ruins, facing that astonishing demon. His deep black cloak fluttered in the dusty wind, occasionally flashing with red patterns. What did he want to do? "So it didn''t die after all." A dangerous light flashed in Viktor''s eyes. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. In his gaze, a clearly visible red health bar floated above the head of this filthy demon. To the right of the health bar, the demon''s level was displayed Lv45 Its level wasn''t high, but as a boss unit, it was extremely powerful. The demon''s health had already dropped below half and was continuing to decrease, albeit minutely. This indicated that the demon before them wasn''t as unscathed as others thought. It had managed to hold on until now entirely relying on the magical energy it had absorbed from countless mages at the academy earlier. But! ''It''s far from its peak.'' Yem, as the mid-game boss of the first chapter in the game, faced player raids, and Yem''s defeat was more due to a necessary plot development. Demons also have high and low, strong and weak. Demons without intelligence and emotions are the lowest level. But Yem had a resounding name. Primal Demon! It was one of the top existences among demons. Its name was Greed. Its strength was very high, far exceeding the attributes of players at that time. So, when players teamed up to raid Yem, who had occupied the imperial capital, many NPCs would appear to help the players. For example, Gwen, a year and a half later. Viktor looked back. The injured and unconscious Gwen had already been protected by his magic in advance. A year and a half later, Gwen first appeared in the battle to assist players, slaying Yem with astonishing strength. This knight had an intense hatred for demons; she wanted to kill all the demons in the world. The reason was also very simple. Gwen''s elder sister, whom players had never seen, Kevla Delin, died at the hands of the Demon of Greed. If nothing went wrong, the demon Kevla came to the capital to seek Yem. The final outcome, naturally, goes without saying. The demon once again spewed ink from its mouth, gradually enveloping the entire academy. In an instant, tentacles began to extend from under the ink, frantically dancing. This time compared to before, unrecognizable organs began to form on the tentacles, emitting a sound that stimulated people''s inner greed. Seeing the demon release such powerful force again, many mages couldn''t help but tremble, collapsing to the ground and begging for mercy. Viktor was drawn to the demon''s commotion. He faced Yem, standing motionless in the storm. Allowing the demonic sound to enter his ears, Viktor''s heart remained as calm as a lake. He softly uttered: "Vega." "I understand!" Vega was so excited it could hardly contain itself, its feathers all standing on end, its eyes brimming with blue light. Magical power, like a gushing spring, poured into Viktor''s body all at once, making him instantly feel incredibly powerful within. Moreover, compared to last time, it was even more violent! "Is it because Vega has recovered some power?" Viktor quickly realized the source but didn''t dwell on it. From his body, countless shimmering red crystals flew out. These were the drop crystals that Gwen had collected for him from the magical beasts earlier. Now, they came in handy. One by one, the crystals embedded themselves in the ground, and an exquisite red array appeared in the sky above. The red crystals gradually began to crack, floating in the air, reflecting intense red light. The crystals in the corners burst forth with red chains, forming crystals between the chains that gradually enveloped the demon. These dropped magical items could enhance the power of Viktor''s magic, not only simply increasing the magic''s power but also imbuing it with many attribute effects. Soon, Viktor''s hands were gradually enveloped by runes, and magical power also continuously emerged from between those runes, transmitting to those crystal chains. "A thousand demons'' magic exhausts all." "The prison of ten thousand years, maddens gods and confuses minds." ....... As Viktor chanted each sentence, those chains released a blood-red light. In an instant, countless souls burst forth from within, floating in the sky. Misery, resentment, anger emotions flashed out from the array in an instant. Under the sky, blood-red light exploded. Correspondingly, with each chant, Viktor''s magic storage would rapidly decrease by a large amount. "What does Viktor want to do!?" The mages present looked up at the blood-red souls flying constantly in the sky, their hearts filled with fear. They suddenly realized that the feeling of greed within their bodies had completely dissipated. A red thread appeared on their bodies, connected to the chains. At this moment, all the mages had a bad feeling. He wants to use all of us as part of the array! "Damn you, Viktor!" This was what all the mages present thought, without exception. The demon also gradually went mad, its final giant mouth even swallowing its own head whole, instantly exploding and turning into a sky full of black raindrops, corroding everything present. Rubble dissipated, the air turned acidic. Even the gloom in the sky was corroded by half, partly clear and partly dark, incredibly strange. Viktor pinched his fingers together, muttering: "Evil-binding array, intensify manifold." He waved both hands, and the chains instantly became restless, the links striking against the red crystals, echoing with a crisp sound. The demon''s magical sound was gradually suppressed, completely sealed within the chains, and powerful magical energy burst forth from within. White magical energy instantly devoured everything around, enveloping the sky, completely engulfing the entire academy like a nuclear explosion. The demon, within the white light, widened its eyes in disbelief, shouting finally: "You can''t kill me! Viktor! I''ll remember you!" Because demons exist within carriers, even if it revealed its true form, the actual fatal damage would only be transferred to the carrier. But suddenly... Under the vast whiteness, it was as if a bridge connected Viktor and the demon. In this strange space, both parties could only see each other. The demon couldn''t understand. At this moment, the outside world seemed frozen as if time had stopped. Viktor connected to the demon''s spiritual world. He stood before the demon, his voice as calm as water, slowly ringing out: "You know, Yem, I''m quite good at dealing with demons." The demon was instantly stunned. At this moment, it felt as if countless shackles controlled its spirit. When someone utters a demon''s true name, the dominance of the deal transfers from the demon to the person who uttered its true name. So, Yem had to agree to Viktor''s deal. "Well, you''ve had enough fun." "It''s time to go back to work, Henie." As soon as he finished speaking, Yem felt the power deep within itself continuously draining away. It began to panic, shouting loudly: "No! No!" "Little girl, don''t leave me! I can help you get revenge! I can give you more power, I can do more!" "Don''t... go..." Its pleas had no effect. The huge body was peeled away layer by layer as if shedding skin and flesh, gradually revealing Henie inside. Tears seemed to flow in her fluorescent yellow eyes, as if she had lost all strength and collapsed out of Yem''s body. It was as if she was falling from a great height. But the next second, she fell into a solid embrace. Henie wanted to hug the other person tightly, even if just for this brief moment of clarity. Zing White light burst forth, seeming to tear apart the entire space, the surrounding violent force about to destroy everything around. It devoured Yem, devoured everything within range. The surrounding sounds seemed to fall completely silent. Only one voice remained, clearly falling into Viktor''s ears. "Professor." "I missed you." Chapter 50: I! Am! God! A dazzling white light shot skyward, its grandeur rippling through the air, illuminating the heavens. Under this violent force, the academy was utterly demolished, even the last quartz slab reduced to dust. Throughout the capital, people sensed something amiss, instinctively looking towards the distant academy. An astonishing pillar of light pierced through the clouds like divine radiance. This nuclear-like blast left the mages present utterly shocked. Despite Viktor''s preemptive sealing of the academy with crystals, the leaked energy still instantly devastated the entire institution. Fortunately, the affected area was contained; otherwise, the group at the academy would have perished. Had the barrier been breached, the damage would have likely destroyed half the capital''s districts. However, some individuals too close to the spell suffered significant injuries from the blast. As the light faded, a terrifying, deep crater appeared on the ground. The pit was tens of meters deep, with an extraordinarily wide circumference. The surrounding buildings were unrecognizable; an entire academy had vanished from the capital in an instant. The demon, too, had disappeared. The numerous mages, their bodies weak, trembled as they gazed at the scene before them. "What... what the hell..." "Where''s the school!?" "Did the school just get blown up!?" They were bewildered, yet the overwhelming weakness in their bodies served as a stark reminder that everything they witnessed was real. In the end, Viktor had drained the magical power from all the surrounding mages to unleash this spell powerful enough to threaten the capital. A human-form war magic... In their minds, Viktor gained yet another title. Viktor stood in the deep crater, cradling the unconscious Henie in his arms. Henie wore a hood, concealing her appearance from view. Many noticed Viktor in the crater, all wearing confused expressions. Viktor was holding another woman in his arms!? Everyone''s attention was focused on Viktor; no one noticed the ugly toad hopping about in the pit. Covered in ink, it struggled to crawl, step by step, towards a charred body. It was Devin Reiser. Remarkably, Devin Reiser had survived that terrifying spell. In its final moments before injury, Yem had swallowed Devin Reiser. All the damage had been inflicted upon the demon instead. Yem knew that if it wanted to continue existing, Devin Reiser couldn''t die. The toad crawled onto Devin''s body, transforming into a black ink that entwined around Devin Reiser. Devin Reiser stood up like a reanimated corpse. His bones crackled throughout his body, the loose joints now restored. With bloodshot eyes, he stared intently at the students before him, foul-smelling saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth. As if he had lost all reason, he emitted threatening grunts, tilting his head like a wild beast. "Isn''t that Professor Reiser!? He''s not dead!" "Yes! It''s Professor Reiser!" "Wait, something''s off about Professor Reiser!" One person, noticing Devin''s strange behavior, couldn''t help but voice their confusion. Soon, others began to notice Devin''s odd state. "Devin Reiser was indeed suspicious!" "Look at him! Has he been possessed by the demon!?" If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. As the title of "Professor" was stripped from people''s lips, Devin naturally became the villain possessed by the demon after being used. The truth behind all the conspiracies seemed to surface. Devin Reiser was that filthy demon! The mages slowly raised their arms, ready to unleash their remaining magic upon Devin Reiser. However, to everyone''s surprise, Devin Reiser merely twisted his head viciously and left a threatening message for Viktor: "I! Will remember all of you." Suddenly, a wave of black ink appeared beneath his feet, swallowing Devin Reiser into darkness before he vanished. The mages shuddered upon hearing Devin''s words, feeling as if a long iron spear had pierced their hearts at the thought of being remembered by a demon. Their gazes all turned to Viktor, for it was he who had defeated the demon. If they were to nip this in the bud, it seemed only Viktor could do it. But at this moment, no one dared to command Viktor. Duke Levi jumped over the rubble and approached Viktor, glancing down at Henie in his arms. "This is......" "My teaching assistant. Devin Reiser stole her knowledge to create the barrier array earlier." Duke Levi''s eyes couldn''t help but show surprise. Although he hadn''t been inside the array, he had certainly heard about it. More than half of the third-tier mages in the capital had come to assist, but no one could comprehend the intricacy of that array, let alone break it. It was Viktor who led a few mages to break it from within. "Your assistant is an unparalleled genius." Viktor turned his head away, ignoring Duke Levi''s words of praise. After this battle with the demon, Duke Levi''s hostility towards Viktor had diminished significantly. Regardless, he had once again acted to protect the capital. During the first volcanic eruption, no one knew what Viktor had done, and most mages even became suspicious of him. But this time, the capital''s mages had witnessed it with their own eyes. They admired Viktor immensely, and no one would ever doubt his abilities as a fourth-tier mage again. Viktor was terrifyingly powerful. And he was still so young. Duke Levi sighed. If it weren''t for Erica, perhaps he could have managed a better relationship with Viktor. Thinking of this, the Duke shook his head. He didn''t want to consider it further; his daughter was his final bottom line. So he said to Viktor: "After this incident, Devin Reiser''s crimes will be established directly, even if he is His Majesty''s nephew." Duke Levi implied that Viktor need not worry about being charged with harming royal kin. Even if it resulted in the destruction of the entire academy, he was still undoubtedly a hero. If this demon hadn''t been stopped, the losses would have been far greater than just one academy. "However, His Majesty won''t touch the Reiser family." Viktor wasn''t surprised at all. The Reiser family was the royal family''s money-making machine, and the Emperor''s own sister was the matriarch of the Reiser household. As long as they were willing to sacrifice Devin Reiser, the Reiser family wouldn''t suffer any losses. At most, they''d be accused of poor supervision. Viktor understood clearly that Duke Levi was warning him. No matter what, he had already made enemies with the Reiser family. "Duke, I''ve made enough enemies." Enemies don''t weigh one down. Viktor turned to leave, carrying Henie. Seeing Viktor about to depart, Duke Levi reached out to stop him. "By the way, Viktor." "The demon didn''t die but escaped. Will it..." He was somewhat worried the demon might return, but Viktor reassured him. "It won''t die. It''s a ''part'' of this world." Duke Levi was slightly taken aback. He seemed to think of something but didn''t voice it. "It''s quite similar to a calamity, isn''t it? Calamities are part of the world''s elements, so they don''t die either." Duke Levi''s face darkened as he said flatly: "Calamity? I don''t understand what you''re talking about." His reaction satisfied Viktor, as if confirming something. Viktor looked at Duke Levi with a slight smile, the meaning gradually reaching the Duke''s ears. "I can only tell you that this demon is completely different from the ordinary demons you''ve encountered." "It is the embodiment of greed." "As long as there are intelligent beings in the world, as long as greed exists within them, that thing won''t die." "Even if you destroy one, another will quickly revive and reappear." Duke Levi felt goosebumps rising all over his body as he listened. "You should be grateful now that it''s not dead, but merely crippled." Leaving these words behind, Viktor teleported away from the crater, carrying Henie. Duke Levi felt somewhat dazed. As he watched Viktor''s disappearing figure, he suddenly became puzzled. Where had that crow on Viktor''s shoulder gone? ...... Outside the forest, Devin Reiser was running non-stop. He had already fled the capital and was getting further and further away in the outskirts. He had to keep running because he didn''t want to ''disappear''. Greed indeed wouldn''t vanish, but after Yem''s death, only a new Yem would appear to replace it. Correspondingly, memories, power, and everything else would no longer belong to the current him. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" "That mage, what''s his background! How did he know my name, how is it possible!" Possessing Devin Reiser''s body, Yem''s speech and behavior seemed to have completely transformed into Devin Reiser''s. If it weren''t for survival, how could it have possessed such a useless body? And now it was beginning to feel grateful, grateful that it hadn''t devoured this fat pig. This fat pig also possessed enough greed, and this greed could serve as nourishment, allowing it to barely move. Suddenly, Devin Reiser stood still. An intense chill crept from his feet to his head, freezing him in place. The forest was silent; only the rustling of leaves could be heard. A black feather fell in front of him, and Devin Reiser looked ahead abruptly. A small black crow appeared before his eyes. It had only one eye, located on its forehead. Devin Reiser was stunned. Somehow, he began to tremble all over, feeling afraid. He himself was a demon! He was the source of spreading fear, so why was he afraid of a crow, why was he afraid of such a small crow? "Hello there, where do you think you''re going?" The crow''s voice suddenly rang in his ears, and Devin Reiser''s body shook violently. "Who, who are you!?" "Me?" Suddenly, the crow laughed maliciously. Its shrill laughter echoed throughout the dense forest. It was as if darkness was about to completely engulf Devin. Devin Reiser blinked. Almost in the interval of that blink. The crow''s talons became enormous and sharp, its feathers more glossy and hard. Wisps of black smoke gradually erupted from its body. In the demon''s eyes, its body was like a huge shadow covering the sky, looking down at Devin from above. Its voice was no longer shrill, but deep and rhythmic. A resonant sound like that from an abyss arose, shaking the trees until all their leaves fell, scattering birds in all directions. Only its arrogant voice remained, echoing through the dense forest. I! Am! God! Chapter 51: There’s a Mole, Transaction Terminated Devin was tossed about in the air by Vega, looking like the most pitiful clown in a circus. It was unbearable for him to endure Vega''s humiliation, constantly considering how to escape. Vega always liked to give it a glimmer of hope, letting Devin run a distance before throwing him back to where he started. The black giant eagle circled in the sky, as if tired of playing, it perched on a tree. Its single eye, glowing with blue light, stared at Devin as if looking at prey. Finally, the demon could no longer bear this humiliation. Using Devin''s body, it knelt heavily before Vega, pleading: "Great deity! Please let me go!" "Keeping me here for your amusement serves no purpose, it''s even wasting your time." Vega chirped and laughed, its voice gradually changing from skrill to deep. "Why should I let you go? What value do you have that would make me release you?" "No, you have none, so amusing me is your only value." Saying this, Vega grabbed one of Devin''s feet and tossed him into the air, letting him free fall. Just as he was about to crash heavily onto the ground, Vega swooped down, caught him in its beak, and threw him into the air again. It was like bungee jumping without safety measures. Until Vega got bored, it gently placed Devin on the ground, stretched its neck, and said softly: "Boring, you can go now." "Really!?" The demon couldn''t believe it; its spirit had already been tortured to the point of extreme suffering. Upon hearing Vega say it would let it go, it didn''t think much and immediately tried to flee. But how could Vega let it go so easily? It first let Devin run a hundred meters, then with a flap of its wings, Vega caught up behind Devin, using its two sharp, enormous claws to viciously tear at Devin''s backside. "Run faster! Run faster!" Vega kept urging from behind Devin, who could only drag his aching body to continue running. Even though his body was at its limit, faced with the threat of the giant eagle behind him, he had no choice. After running for who knows how long, he noticed the surroundings gradually becoming familiar. ''That''s the tree I just passed! Now it''s appearing again!'' ''This guy never intended to let me go!'' ''This is a loop!'' It was an illusion; he could never run out of it unless the caster actively dispelled the illusion. Devin couldn''t understand how such a creature with such a twisted sense of humor could exist. God? He had never heard of any god being as annoying as this stinking crow. However, Vega seemed to see through its thoughts. With a flap of its wings, a strong gust of wind knocked Devin to the ground. Devin was too frightened to make a sound, while Vega looked at its cowering body and burst into laughter: "What are you dissatisfied with? The strong should humiliate the weak thoroughly!" "Not convinced? Then go and defeat my envoy!" Devin froze in place, an image flashing through its mind. Viktor''s figure was deeply imprinted in its mind. I was completely stunned. That human mage was actually the envoy of a deity descending to the mortal world... As if finally understanding everything, it fell to its knees with a thud, begging loudly: "Great deity! I deeply understand my offense now, please spare me!" "I will never appear before you again." Even though the demon didn''t know what kind of deity Vega was, it still begged incessantly out of fear. Only this could explain everything. Why was that terrifying man so powerful that he didn''t seem human? "Why are you begging for mercy? You won''t die anyway." As Vega spoke, a black mist gradually emerged from its body, enveloping the giant eagle. Soon, the mist dissipated. The once enormous eagle had turned into a small, cunning crow. Flapping its wings and standing in front of the prostate demon, its words were laced with temptation. "You see, I have greed, you have greed, all beings with wisdom have greed." This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "So, Yem, you won''t die anyway, why are you so afraid of me?" Yem was so frightened that its whole body couldn''t stop trembling. The black toad crawled out of Devin''s body. Due to Yem''s emergence, Devin instantly fell unconscious, collapsing powerlessly to the ground with a thud. Yem trembled even more dramatically. It knew, It indeed knew everything. It even knew that it was Yem, a primal demon born of greed. "Raise your head and look at me." Yem trembled as it raised its head. Suddenly, Vega''s eyes lit up with a blue glow. A piercing pain stabbed through its brain, and Yem felt its soul being locked away. Trembling and panicking, it tentatively asked Vega: "What have you done!?" Vega opened its beak, patting Yem''s body with its small wings, comforting it: "Don''t be agitated, I just put a lock on you using your demonic transaction mechanism." "From now on, your consciousness will be immortal. Even if you die, your memories and your power won''t dissipate." Yem was dumbfounded. It raised its head, looking at Vega with an expression of disbelief: "Why... Why are you helping me?" Correspondingly, Yem fell into an even more fearful panic. The fact that the other party could easily do such a thing also meant that It could take away everything from Yem at any time. Moreover, transactions with demons require both parties to pay a price. "So..." "Likewise, from now on, until your life completely perishes and your memories completely dissipate." "Your soul will be at my disposal." Although it was just a crow, it couldn''t express a smiling expression. But to Yem, It was laughing wildly, laughing very strangely, very wickedly. Yem wanted to struggle, to break free from this madman before it. But as soon as it struggled, it felt its body restrained in place by chains, feeling a pain like steel spikes piercing its heart. Seeing its uneasy body, Vega spoke: "Now then, go back." "Back to the capital, back to the place that belongs to Devin Reiser, where he needs to face judgment." Yem used ink to enter Devin''s seven orifices, regaining control of Devin''s body. It involuntarily stood up, dragging the soulless shell, step by step walking back towards where it came from. After a long while, when its silhouette could no longer be seen, Vega pecked at its feathers. A teleportation array appeared out of thin air in front of Vega. It flapped its wings and flew back onto the newcomer''s shoulder. "Can you really preserve the demon''s memories after death?" Viktor didn''t look at it, just asked flatly, looking at the black trail left on the path where Devin had departed. With a wave of his hand, the black marks gradually disappeared, and the surrounding weeds stood up straight, concealing the path. Vega looked at him in surprise, ruffling its feathers. "I always thought you were smart, but I didn''t expect you to be as easily fooled as a demon." Viktor got his answer and said no more. Vega explained a bit more: "To achieve that level, let me recover at least 30% of my power." "That''s a primal demon, with countless avatars waiting for it to dissipate so they can take its place." Viktor looked towards the jagged clouds in the sky and continued to ask. "So how much has been recovered now?" "Less than one percent." Vega puffed out its chest proudly, as if boasting about how powerful it was in its complete form. Viktor couldn''t be bothered with it anymore and walked towards the dense forest in the opposite direction. "Tell me Erica''s location." "Oh, I thought the cold Mr. Viktor wouldn''t care about my poor little follower anymore." Viktor was completely indifferent to its sarcasm, just walking along, pushing aside the weeds around him, and responding calmly: "She is my student after all." "Wrong! I taught her all the magic!" "...Whatever you say." The trees finally couldn''t resist the spring breeze''s entanglement, and a cool breeze gently blew the man''s coat. The crow standing on his shoulder raised its head proudly, proclaiming its hard-won victory. ....... Several knights with silvery armor seemed to be searching for something outside the city gate. Soon, a figure in the distance caught their attention. The unconscious Devin Reiser was slowly walking towards the city gate, step by step. "It''s Devin Reiser! Quick, notify the Second Prince!" "No need, I''m already here." The Second Prince slowly walked out of the city gate, smiling as he spoke beside them. He looked at Devin Reiser and gave a nod to the knight beside him. The knight drew his sword and pointed it at Devin Reiser. Soon, a bolt of lightning entwined the sword. The lightning suddenly burst forth, striking Devin Reiser''s body. Devin Reiser''s body jolted violently, instantly regaining consciousness. Suddenly awakening, he looked at the circle of knights surrounding him, seemingly at a loss. The Second Prince walked out from among the knights. Seeing him, Devin Reiser seemed to find his bearings and hurriedly called out: "Your Highness! Second Prince! Where am I?" The Second Prince looked at the fat pig before him and sighed inwardly. The person before him was actually his cousin. ''How filthy.'' But he didn''t show it. Instead, he bent down, enduring the pungent smell and Devin''s dirty body, helping him up. "Cousin Devin, don''t panic. I''m here to help you. Right now, everyone in the city believes you''re in league with the demon." "I know you''ve been wronged, cousin. Quickly, tell me everything that happened to you." Devin Reiser''s eyes reddened, as if he had found an outlet for his frustrations, and told the Second Prince everything. He even informed him about Viktor''s assistant, Henie, being possessed by the demon. After listening to Devin''s account, the Second Prince narrowed his eyes and smiled. "So that''s what happened, cousin." "By the way, is that demon still inside you? Do you know?" Devin Reiser was startled, hurriedly feeling his body, but found nothing unusual. After fainting and waking up, he saw the Second Prince, and knew nothing of what happened before that. Devin became anxious, urgently begging the Second Prince: "Your Highness! Quick, please remove the demon from my body!" "I''m still a professor at the Royal Academy, I can''t bear the charge of colluding with demons!" The Second Prince nodded, agreeing to his request: "Alright, cousin, I''ll remove the demon from you right now." "It might hurt a bit, you''ll have to bear with it." Devin Reiser nodded, saying firmly: "I''ve endured enough torture these past few days, I won''t be afraid of pain! Do it quickly!" The next second, his voice stopped abruptly. He widened his eyes, looking at the Second Prince before him in disbelief. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He lowered his head, looking at his chest. A long sword had pierced through his heart. "Why... why..." He had survived at Viktor''s hands. He had also survived at Henie''s hands. Even the demon hadn''t killed him. Devin Reiser never imagined. In the end, he would die at the hands of a relative with whom he shared blood. Devin Reiser''s pupils began to turn gray, losing their luster. The Second Prince pulled out the silver sword, flicking off the blood. Watching as he fell face-first to the ground. "Now, the demon has been exercised." An ink-colored, disgusting toad crawled out from the dead Devin Reiser''s body. It looked very weak. All the knights looked at the demon before them, ready for a great enemy, just waiting for the Second Prince''s order to kill it. However, the Second Prince bent down, picked up the disgusting toad, and placed it in his palm. The surrounding knights were confused by the Second Prince''s behavior. One knight hurriedly called out: "Your Highness! That''s a demon! You shouldn''t..." Whoosh! Countless black spikes suddenly emerged from the ground, piercing through the bodies of everyone except this knight. Feeling their lives rapidly slipping away, their eyes were filled with disbelief. At this moment, the Second Prince''s voice rang out: "David, you''ve followed me for a long time." "I''ve told you before, words that shouldn''t be said, don''t say them." The surviving knight, David, trembled violently, suddenly lowering his head, sweat beads from his forehead gradually hitting the dust. "I''m sorry! My Lord!" The Second Prince smiled with satisfaction. He raised the black ink toad, holding it flat in his palm, gazing at it. An abrupt voice rang out. It was a voice that didn''t belong to the Second Prince. "Greed, you don''t look so good." "Want me to give you a hand?" The weakened toad opened its single eye, a glint of light flashing in its gaze. It looked the Second Prince up and down, that overflowing ambition, that desire filled with wicked thoughts. How delicious. Chapter 52: Any Slower, and There’d Be No Money to Make Viktor found Erica in a dense forest. She lay unconscious among the weeds, her body wrapped in a thin barrier, her pulse and breathing extremely weak. If not for this magical barrier, Erica''s life might have already been lost in that battle. Even now, she was still in critical condition. "Too dangerous," Viktor said flatly. Whether it was the volcano incident or the recent demon invasion, Erica acted like a greenhorn who had never encountered danger before. She never considered the consequences. If Viktor hadn''t deciphered the magic array in advance, Erica might have already been swallowed whole by Yem. "The Duke''s education method is very problematic." Erica always wanted to prove herself, constantly trying to make others see her in a new light. Especially her father. However... Viktor turned his gaze to the other side, to the purple-haired woman who was also covered in wounds, even more severe ones. She emitted a transparent magical glow, various magical enhancements ensuring her life was not in danger. But her body was black and blue all over, with muscle tears beneath the skin even harder to detect. Her injuries appeared even more serious than Erica''s. "At least she''s not as cold-blooded as her father." If not for Erica, this woman would surely have died at the demon''s hands. Viktor stared at her intently. Her clothes were completely torn, revealing ghastly wounds. Although the bleeding had stopped, the horrifying injuries still sent chills down one''s spine. "Has Erica''s appearance changed the timeline?" Viktor mused. In the game''s prologue, players were told a background story about a demon invasion. And in the middle of the first chapter, Gwen would tell the player about her elder sister''s cause of death. Kevla Delin, killed by the minions of the greed demon boss, Yem. This character, whom players never had the chance to meet, didn''t even have a portrait in the game. She was truly an NPC outside the main plot. And now, this unconscious woman on the ground, who bore a striking resemblance to Gwen... If he wasn''t mistaken, this must be Kevla. "She''s a demon hunter," Vega chimed in from the side. "That explains it," Viktor nodded, understanding what being a demon hunter meant: In the game, demon hunter was a special profession. Players could become demon hunters by completing a transfer quest after dialoguing with NPCs who possessed the orthodox bloodline. In his past life, Viktor had helped many players grind these transfer quests, so he was quite familiar with this profession. Demon hunters harbored an extreme obsession with demons. Once they discovered a demon, they would pursue it to the ends of the earth until either the demon was killed... Or they were killed by the demon. If this demon hunter''s fanaticism were translated into game stats, demon hunters would deal an additional 50% damage to demon units. Since demons were essentially concentrations of magical power, correspondingly, demon hunters also dealt 10% increased damage to mages. Mages were already a group with low health and poor resistances. After the numerical conversion, demon hunters also became partial counters to mages. In short, mages hated demon hunters. Of course, demon hunters weren''t without their drawbacks. While knights, another melee profession, could use some mana to increase their strength, demon hunters were truly a ''manaless'' profession in every sense. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Good thing we came early," Viktor said, bending down to check Kevla''s condition. Vega nodded in agreement. "Indeed, if we had come any later..." "Her injuries would have been almost healed." Viktor, however, was unfazed. He flipped his palm, and a vial of crimson potion appeared in his hand. "You''re quite good at making others owe you favors," Vega mocked, watching as Viktor poured the potion into Kevla''s mouth, which she swallowed smoothly. He then took out another vial and fed it to the unconscious Erica. After finishing all this, Viktor dusted off his hands and said: "After all, I''m not an orthodox cleric. I can''t make them fully recover." This statement left Vega speechless. Viktor was putting on an act again. So it played along and asked, "I fail to understand, how did you manage this?" The state that clearly deviated from death characteristics unmistakably showcased the potion''s miraculous effects. If Vega had Viktor''s eyes, it would surely have seen the health bars floating above the heads of the two who had taken the potion, instantly growing by a large chunk. For players, as long as there was even one drop of blood left, it didn''t count as a critical state. And Viktor, using an NPC template, could still take out player items, and more incredibly, he could provide them for other NPCs to use. This was already his unique ability. Other players couldn''t give player items to NPCs to use. "Well then, let''s wait quietly for a while," Viktor said, leaning back as a chair materialized from the ground to support his body perfectly. He casually grabbed a magic book from his palm and started supplementing his knowledge that needed studying. About ten minutes later, Kevla was the first to open her eyes. A strong sense of weakness instantly swept over her body, making her unwilling to move. Her injuries all revealed her current precarious state. The feeling of defeat that washed over her made Kevla contemplate suicide. She never thought she would survive after the battle with the demon. "You should thank Duke Levi. He raised a good daughter," Viktor said, stopping the sound of turning pages as he put away his book. His deep black eyes stared at Kevla. Hearing the voice, Kevla''s body froze. She struggled to prop herself up. The man before her sat in a chair, looking particularly mysterious against the backdrop of his black coat and the one-eyed crow. Extremely elegant. With her vision still slightly blurry, she didn''t immediately recognize who he was. But Kevla was a bit confused. A chair? Where did he get a chair in this godforsaken place? Before she could think too much, hearing his words, she forced herself through the pain in her body and quickly turned to look to the other side. Erica du Cloye. Although fighting demons might make Kevla lose her rationality, her memories didn''t disappear with it. Moreover, the various enhancement effects emanating from her body were telling her what happened during the battle. The demon''s technique that had stained the earth with ink in the previous battle. It was absolutely lethal damage. That''s what Kevla, with her abundant combat experience, told herself. Which meant that Erica, in her conscious state, had used magic to save both their lives. Kevla felt a sense of desolation. If it weren''t for Erica, she would have died at the hands of the demon. She hadn''t expected the demon to be so powerful, and herself to be so weak. "She suffered a penetrating wound to her shoulder, yet still managed to save both your lives," Viktor said. "That''s quite remarkable." Viktor''s words hit Kevla''s heart hard once again. Kevla was filled with guilt. "That... that demon..." she began. "You''re no match for it, but to be frank, unless the Emperor himself is willing to come personally, no one can defeat it in a fair, one-on-one fight," Viktor replied. Kevla raised her head, her brows furrowed into a knot. She couldn''t understand. The demon''s strength was something she, as a demon hunter, had never heard of before. It seemed like a being that shouldn''t exist in this world. Kevla had sensed it, and so she had confidently pursued it. However, it seemed the demon had never considered her an opponent. In the end, because of her pride, she had almost lost her life. "However, we''ve already taken care of the aftermath," Viktor said, standing up as the chair beneath him dissipated on its own. He walked up to Kevla, and with a flick of his coat, two vials of crimson potion fell in front of her. "Remember to think more before acting recklessly," he advised. "Even for a demon hunter, being controlled solely by instinct doesn''t necessarily yield better results." "Also, remember to drink the potions, Miss Kevla." Viktor swung his coat and turned around. Kevla stared blankly at the man before her. As her vision cleared, her eyes gained more focus, and she suddenly recognized him. "Viktor... is that you?" Viktor didn''t turn back, only leaving a parting message: "Don''t forget to take Erica back with you. I don''t want the Duke to misunderstand me again." After a gust of black wind, leaves fluttered, blocking Kevla''s vision. When the black wind dispersed and the leaves settled, Viktor''s figure had vanished. In his place, only a single black crow feather remained, symbolizing his visit. The feather floated to Kevla''s front. She grasped it, her mood heavy and complex. Because on the feather was written a clear message: "Four recovery potions, 8000 Geo. Remember to pay up." She mustered her strength and picked up the red potion thrown on the ground. Its color, as vivid as fresh blood, was completely different from any recovery potion she had ever seen. She hesitated for a moment, but still opened the cap and poured it into her mouth. An emerald light emanated from her body, and half of her injuries healed instantly. She felt a surge of power coursing through her entire body. "I can stand up now." "What a miraculous potion." She thought to herself. There was still one vial left, which if drunk, could restore even more of her combat power. However, she no longer needed to fight now. She saved the potion for Erica, cradling her in her arms, opening the vial, and pouring it into Erica''s mouth. ...... Knock! Knock! Knock!!! The door of the du Cloye residence was knocked on, and Duke Levi rushed out almost immediately. He stood at the doorway, watching as Erica and Kevla supported each other as they approached the front door. Erica, covered in dirt and grime, looked at her father and smiled happily: "Father, Kevla and I held off the demon for a long time." "Aren''t I amazing?" Despite her physical weakness, Erica''s eyes still sparkled with expectation as she mentioned this. "I''m not a burden anymore!" "..." Duke Levi remained silent, not saying a word. The atmosphere seemed to grow tense for a moment. Erica shrank her neck, lowering her head, seeming a bit scared. But the next second. A solid embrace enveloped her, as warm as she had experienced in her childhood. Her father''s trembling voice sounded by her ear. "Erica." "You will always be Dad''s pride." Chapter 53: Huh? The appearance of the demon had brought catastrophic losses to the capital. However, in the end, it was the human side that emerged victorious. The impact of this event was so significant that it spread beyond the capital without any need for media embellishment, simply through word of mouth. After all, many people had witnessed the demon''s appearance with their own eyes. The demon''s overwhelming power struck terror into everyone''s hearts, and its wild tentacles spreading across the sky shattered the sanity of all present. Whether it was the demon''s frenzied state within the academy or its cruel demeanor on the back mountain initially, both were equally chilling. The apocalyptic horror became an indelible shadow in people''s minds for the rest of their lives. It was also because of this incident that Viktor''s image and his terrifying magical prowess were etched into everyone''s hearts. The news of the empire''s youngest fourth-tier mage quietly spread beyond the empire... ...... Three days later. Viktor sat at his desk, still holding the same abstruse magic book he had read countless times. Vega had once mocked him, asking why he kept clinging to that book. "Does this book contain some profound magic that even you need to study constantly?" But Viktor had never given it the answer it wanted. "The damage report for the capital is out," Lia said, pushing open the door at some point and placing a paper filled with writing on Viktor''s desk. Viktor had grown accustomed to Lia entering his study without knocking or announcing herself. He closed his book, looked up, and took the paper. It clearly listed various losses in the capital. Shops, streets, scenic sculptures... The most severe was the academy being razed to the ground. The day after the demon was eliminated, old man Rachel finally rushed back from the Magic City. The former academy had vanished, and as he looked at the empty land before him with a huge crater, he merely sighed softly. No one knew how complex the feelings were in the heart of this great mage who had dedicated his entire life to the academy. Although everyone knew Viktor had destroyed the academy, no one blamed him. In the battle against the demon, the academy''s destruction was only a matter of time. Viktor''s action merely hastened this result, quickly defeating the demon to ensure losses wouldn''t become greater and to minimize casualties. Correspondingly, Devin Reiser''s crimes were also definitively established. "They found Devin Reiser''s body outside the city gates, along with some dead knights," Lia said. "It seems these knights might have found the fleeing Devin Reiser, but he still had strength to resist." "He injured quite a few people in his battle with the knights before they ultimately perished together." Lia waved the newspaper in her hand. "At least, that''s what it says here." Viktor felt little stirring in his heart; to him, Devin Reiser''s fate was inconsequential. After all, he had already been half-dead. He calmly asked, "What about the punishment for the Reiser family?" "That''s included too," Lia reported everything to Viktor methodically: "The Reiser family voluntarily agreed to bear all the losses in the capital, and His Majesty imposed additional punishments." "They must compensate all the mages and knights who participated in this war." "Of course, you''re counted among the mages, so you''re entitled to this compensation too." "But I figured you probably don''t need it, so I gave your share to Henie." Lia said, taking matters into her own hands, which didn''t surprise Viktor at all. Lia was a normal woman, only forced to learn cruelty and indifference by her business dealings. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. No matter what identity she held behind the scenes, or how cold-blooded and cruel she could be. Those were all necessary sacrifices she made for the family''s sake. In reality, she was quite sentimental. The day after the battle when he left early, he had brought the unconscious Henie home. He explained everything to Lia, including Henie''s ordeal. Lia was deeply saddened by the story and promised Viktor she would take good care of the poor child Henie. Now, Lia narrowed her eyes, speaking suggestively: "Tsk, tsk, the Reiser family sure is wealthy." "How many people participated in that battle? There were over a thousand mages in the academy alone." "Compensating per head, that''s an enormous sum!" Viktor picked up his book again, seemingly unwilling to waste a moment of reading time. He replied simply, "Spending money to avoid disaster." "You''re right, so what should we use to avoid our family''s disaster?" Lia asked. Viktor fell silent for a moment. "Financial crisis?" "Did you hear that, Vega? No more meat for you from now on, only grains." The crow on the table raised its head, glaring at Viktor disapprovingly, venting its discontent. "Just kidding, I''m not serious," Viktor said. Seeing Viktor''s reaction, Lia was very satisfied. She had been wanting to dampen his arrogance lately, which had seemed a bit excessive. "The item shop has reopened. After the battle with the demon, our reputation has soared." "Our daily stock is being cleared out by those mages." "Some are even asking if we can sell more each day." Thinking of this, Lia couldn''t help but laugh. Potions with almost zero cost could be sold for a thousand Geo each. With daily revenue of fifty thousand Geo, that''s one million five hundred thousand Geo a month! Even in Kravina''s most profitable half-year, they barely made five million or so. These mage lords are indeed wealthy. "I almost want to thank that demon. Goodness, I should feel sorry for such thoughts." Lia waved her hand excitedly, her eyes gleaming with the light of ''money''. Viktor listened quietly, not making any response. Lia didn''t mind Viktor''s puppet-like attitude, as she was used to it by now, and continued: "Also, don''t forget, I put in a lot of effort for this matter too. It wouldn''t be right if you don''t give me some reward." Lia said happily. Indeed, as Lia said, she had contributed significantly in convicting Devin Reiser. Those reporters waiting for first-hand news around the academy were all arranged by Lia. She used public opinion pressure to force the Reiser family to admit guilt. Even though the Reiser family had preemptively cut ties with Devin, faced with strong public opinion guidance, the royal family had to impose some severe punishments on the Reiser family. In short, everyone was happy. Except for the Reiser family. Viktor still didn''t raise his head, calmly nodding and saying: "So, what do you want?" "Fifty percent!" Lia opened her palm, gesturing the number five in front of him, waving it. "At least fifty percent of the item shop''s monthly revenue should go to me." Viktor: "..." He closed his book with a bit of a headache, staring at Lia. "Eighty percent." Lia was stunned, asking confusedly. "What do you mean?" "I can give you eighty percent of the revenue." "I need some money, otherwise, all the income from the item shop can go to you. After all, it''s our family''s business." "..." Lia was slightly stunned. She stood there, looking at the indifferent Viktor, opening and closing her mouth, unable to speak. "Are... are you serious?" Viktor nodded. He wasn''t lying; he did need a portion of the money to learn subsequent fourth-tier magic. But there was no need to explain this to Lia. Besides, the position of the Kravina family head would eventually be handed over to Lia anyway. But what if he needs money in the future? Just ask Lia for it. After all, it''s all family money. "Don''t look at me with those inexperienced eyes. After all, you''re the one managing Kravina''s territory." Lia didn''t catch the implication in Viktor''s words. She lowered her head slightly, her expression becoming a bit coy. "I''ve wanted to ask for a while now, but..." "No, never mind." Lia took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself down. Soon, she regained her previous imposing manner, looking at Viktor. "You said eighty percent yourself, don''t go back on your word." "Here, this is for you." Lia pulled out a money pouch from her bosom and tossed it to Viktor, who caught it with one hand. He weighed it, feeling a slight warmth from the bag, with Geo coins clinking inside, emitting the sound of money. "What''s this money for?" Viktor was a bit surprised, but heard Lia casually say: "Kevla must have gone mad or something. She gave Gwen a big bag of money, saying it was to be passed on to you." "With so much money, did you extort Kevla?" Viktor was a bit exasperated by Lia''s assumption, but he still pocketed the money. He then said to Vega beside him: "It''s alright now, we have money for your meat." Not getting a proper answer from Viktor, Lia muttered: "If you hadn''t said you''d give me eighty percent of the revenue, I would have kept this money for myself." "But now I don''t need this small change anymore." With that, she swayed her elegant waist towards the door. As she left, she casually said: "By the way, that poor little girl still hasn''t woken up. I''m a bit worried. If you have time, don''t forget to check on her." With a bang, the study door was shut firmly. Vega once again showed a human-like expression, appearing somewhat angry. "What do you mean, Viktor? Just because you''re short on money, you''re going to cut my food budget?" "I thought you wouldn''t care about these things." Viktor took out his book again and continued reading. "I''ve been asking all along, what are you trying to do by flipping through these old books over and over again? If you have any questions, why not just ask me directly?" Vega was a bit puzzled. He seemed to be trying to catch up on some progress, unwilling to relax for even a moment. "I''m now a fourth-tier mage," Viktor said, just this one cryptic sentence, leaving Vega confused. So what if you''re fourth-tier? Even if you go up a few more tiers, I can still answer your questions. Vega naturally didn''t understand. As a player, Viktor could directly spend Geo to learn magic. This meant that although he had become a fourth-tier mage, apart from the fourth-tier magic that his Fire Origin had comprehended on its own, he didn''t know any other fourth-tier magic. And the price of fourth-tier magic was extremely expensive, so... [Read books for 100 hours, acquired skill ''Heart of the Sage''] As a voice sounded in his mind, Viktor closed the book and said calmly. "Alright, no need to read anymore." Vega: "?" Viktor looked at the new passive skill added to his skill list. [Heart of the Sage Lv1: 50% reduction in material and Geo cost when learning skills] That''s right, Viktor was grinding for skills. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been reading so tediously all this time. "Let''s go check on Henie," Viktor said, standing up. The crow quickly flapped its wings and perched on his shoulder. Then Viktor was heard saying regretfully: "Having knowledge but unable to learn magic, what a strange constitution." As his words fell, Vega looked at Viktor with great surprise. "To be honest, I thought you knew about this long ago." Now it was Viktor''s turn to be surprised. He turned his head to look at Vega, showing a rare expression of confusion. Then he heard Vega''s voice: "Henie, she''s a succubus." "Huh?" Chapter 54: Can I Hug You? Viktor was quite surprised to hear this news, his body stiffening slightly. Seeing a hint of shock on his face for the first time, Vega also felt a bit surprised. "So, you didn''t know Henie was a succubus?" "Why would I know that?" Viktor asked. Viktor, of course, knew about the succubus species. They were exclusively female, enhancing their magical power by absorbing men''s energy through certain indescribable acts. The more experienced the succubus, the more powerful their magic. "So Henie, who doesn''t have a trace of magical power..." Viktor suddenly thought of a term. The shame of succubi! "I think she probably doesn''t know this herself. To be honest, I only discovered it recently," Vega said. Vega pecked at its feathers, speaking slowly: "After the demon possessing Henie left, the succubus aura within her was gradually drawn out." "After all, in some aspects, succubi are a branch of demons." But the fact that Viktor hadn''t noticed this still surprised Vega, who had always thought Viktor was aware of these little details. "But Henie looks obviously like a normal human," Viktor said. "When have you ever seen normal people with yellow pupils that glow? Honestly, when she opens her eyes at night, it''s brighter than a light bulb," Vega retorted sarcastically. However, Henie indeed hadn''t shown any succubus characteristics, so Vega continued: "Henie is probably a half-blood succubus, born from some creature and a succubus, but should be human." Succubi can reproduce asexually, as they are only female and can''t have children through intimate acts with each other. But succubi can have children with other species. Although succubi can often transform into any form a species likes, once a succubus mates with a species, the child''s appearance will be fixed as that species. That''s right, even if a succubus mates with a gorilla, the offspring would only be a female gorilla succubus. Viktor pondered for a while. If that''s the case, Henie''s background would make sense. Lia had investigated Henie''s background; she grew up in an orphanage, without parents from a young age. Succubi aren''t known for their maternal instincts. After their pleasure-seeking, they would simply abandon their children somewhere and continue their pursuits. Whether the child survives or not is of no concern to them. As for the father? He was probably drained dry by the succubus long ago. "So that means..." Viktor fell silent for a moment. "Yes, becoming a mage through normal means is basically impossible for her," Vega said. Vega looked Viktor up and down, mocking: "That''s why I said, didn''t you already know this?" "After all, our great Viktor''s magical power is quite abundant." Viktor quickly accepted this fact and calmed down. So, he said indifferently: "This doesn''t help me at all." As a practical player, Viktor wouldn''t be interested in things that serve no purpose. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. After all, as a power leveler, what he wanted was efficiency, not experience. Therefore, he naturally wouldn''t care whether Henie was a succubus or not. That was just her race, and it had nothing to do with Henie as a person. "Without magical talent, her knowledge is still valuable enough," Viktor said. Hearing this, Vega smiled slyly, and no one knew what it was pondering in its heart. ....... Henie lay on the bed, slowly opening her eyes. Her body felt weak, as if she was carrying a stone on her back. Her spirit was also uncomfortable, and her head ached. This was normal, after all, she felt very hungry now. How long had she been unconscious? She didn''t know. She could only feel that she was now lying on a soft, large bed, which was very comfortable. The spacious room was something she wouldn''t dare to dream of. But why did the surroundings seem so familiar? A faint, fresh scent entered her nose. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Henie''s eyes widened. "Isn''t this the guest room at Professor Viktor''s house!?" How did she know? Because she had slept here once before. It was on the second day after meeting the professor, though it was only for a morning, it became an incredibly precious memory for Henie. It was also because of that time that Henie felt Viktor was a very gentle professor. In her heart, Viktor was like a dazzling starlight. Yes, Henie admired him. Viktor fulfilled all her fantasies about mages. Strong, calm, mysterious, and gentle. "The professor... he saved me..." "For someone like me..." All of a sudden, Henie''s face turned red with embarrassment. She bit her lower lip and buried her head in the soft blanket. As if imagining something, her fingers tightly gripped the blanket. Suddenly, footsteps were heard from outside the door. Henie instantly came to her senses. She hurriedly lay back down on the bed, pulled up the blanket, and tightly closed her eyes. As if she was still unconscious. The door creaked open with a ''squeak'', and someone walked in. Although she couldn''t see, Henie''s intuition told her that the person seemed to be looking her over. The footsteps slowly approached, stopping by the bedside. Henie wanted to open her eyes to see who had come, but her guilty state from earlier made her too afraid to open her eyes. For a long time, the person remained silent. Just when Henie was about to give up... Whoosh! The blanket was suddenly pulled away. Henie felt her body cool, and she opened her eyes wide, tightly grasping a corner of the blanket. Looking up at the visitor, she saw an unchanging ice-cold face, as if they had just done something utterly ordinary. "Pro-pro-pro-pro-pro-professor!" Henie''s face turned completely red with embarrassment. She quickly grabbed the blanket and covered her body. Viktor''s expression remained unchanged as he sat down in the chair by the bed. "When did you wake up?" Henie used the blanket to cover half her face, her face as red as a high-temperature, smoking steam engine. She only dared to peek at Viktor with her eyes. "Just... just now." Viktor nodded. "Then change your clothes and tidy up." Henie became even more embarrassed, thinking that Viktor had somehow sensed her earlier thoughts. But she only heard Viktor say calmly: "I''ve asked the maid to make some porridge for you. In your current state, you can eat some liquid food. Don''t forget to eat to replenish your strength." "Also, the academy has been destroyed. It will take a few days to rebuild. You don''t need to return to the academy during this time. You can stay here, for as long as you want." "When you go back, I''ll recommend you to the dean for the title of associate professor. After that, you''ll be able to teach your own classes." Viktor methodically explained various arrangements to Henie, his tone leaving no room for refusal, not even giving Henie time to react. "..." Henie lowered her hand that was gripping the blanket, revealing her face. Due to malnutrition from being unconscious for several days, her complexion was somewhat pale, which only made people want to pity her more. Even her blushing couldn''t add much color to her face. She was dazed, not knowing what emotions she should feel. She wanted so much to reach out and hug him, even though she knew the distance between them was so vast and unreachable. "...Professor." "Hmm?" Viktor''s gaze, unwavering, looked at her. As if mustering some courage for herself, she lowered her head and voiced the request she had long desired but felt was too much. "Can I... hug you?" But as soon as she said it, she shrank back like a startled fawn, not daring to look at Viktor, hurriedly adding: "I''m... I''m sorry, Professor! My request is too unreasonable, please don''t take it to heart, forget it..." The next second, Henie''s eyes widened. Before she could finish speaking, a large, sturdy embrace enveloped her from the front. Henie looked up but could only see the black lining inside his coat. The scent from his chest reached her nose, making her completely immersed, wishing to linger in it. She tried to reach out to embrace him in return, trying to hold on, trying to freeze time at this moment forever. However, the hug lasted only for an instant. Viktor moved away from her before she could return the embrace. He was like an elegant gentleman, neither refusing a woman''s not-too-excessive request, nor overstepping bounds to do anything improper. Henie stared at Viktor, but his figure gradually blurred. Nobleman... In her misty gaze, only this word remained. Elegant and mysterious, noble and extraordinary. This word was most fitting for Viktor alone. "If you need anything else, just ask the maid at the door." Viktor left with these words, pushing open the guest room door and leaving like a gentle breeze. Henie was startled, her face flushing red. She buried her face in the blanket again, but the image of Viktor embracing her lingered in her mind, refusing to fade. Somehow, a warm current surged from within, making her feel immensely happy. "Hm?" Feeling something wasn''t quite right, Henie crawled out of the blanket and stretched out a hand, palm facing upward in front of her. As always, she tried to construct a magic array from her hand. Normally, for someone without magical power like her, such an attempt would only lead to failure. But this time... Pale green lines gradually appeared in the air, gradually forming a complete array. A weak, small whirlwind began to spin continuously from her palm. "..." The cool breeze blew through Henie''s hair, bringing a hint of coolness. "Am I... a mage now?" Henie felt her cheeks becoming moist. Without realizing it, two clear tears had rolled down her face. Chapter 55: Next Time You Change Clothes, Remember to Close the Door Early in the morning, Viktor was taking a stroll around the estate. Having unlocked the Heart of the Sage, he no longer needed to read books to pass the time. Level one of the Heart of the Sage was now sufficient. To upgrade to the next level would require reading for 300 hours, which seemed too torturous. Similarly, with the school blown up, he didn''t need to go to work at the academy, leaving him feeling somewhat bored. Although he often slacked off at school anyway. He walked through his garden with Vega, treading on a small path covered in pink petals, heading towards the depths of the garden. As he passed by, he caught a glimpse of a familiar, petite figure from the corner of his eye. It was Henie. Henie was almost buried among the flowers, her head bowed beneath various blossoms, occasionally popping up like a lively and beautiful flower spirit. Focused on her task, she clearly hadn''t noticed Viktor. Viktor didn''t greet her either, just glancing at her as he passed by, ready to leave. But Vega stopped him: "Hey! Don''t go yet, look at her." Viktor followed the crow''s advice, turning his head to look carefully at Henie. What he saw was quite extraordinary. In Henie''s palm, a small blue magic array had formed. Water flowed gently, small streams appearing out of thin air from Henie''s hand as she used magic to water the flowers. Viktor: "?" Vega also blinked in confusion, saying something seemingly unrelated to Viktor: "Do you... have any male servants in your house?" Of course not. Viktor liked peace and quiet, so he only brought a few maids from his territory. The mansion in the capital didn''t even have a butler. Viktor understood Vega''s implication; succubi couldn''t cultivate magical power on their own. But how could Henie have found someone to be intimate with after just one day? More importantly, she wasn''t that kind of person. Puzzled, Viktor walked towards her. Henie was still experimenting with her magic formations, small arrays forming in her hands one after another, like a child who had just received a new toy, joyfully trying out various things. "What''s going on?" Startled by the question from behind, Henie''s magic array dissipated uncontrollably. Viktor stood behind her, just in time to witness this scene. He could tell that Henie''s magical reserves were very low, like a thin film of water at the bottom of an iron bucket. Henie, startled at first, turned to see it was Viktor and became very happy. Seemingly eager to share her current joy, she quickly said, "Professor! I have magical power now! I can use magic!" It was clear she was excited and wanted Viktor to praise her. However, this made Viktor even more confused. But Henie kept talking: "I don''t know what happened, but after you left yesterday, I felt magical power inside me." Viktor fell into a strange state of contemplation. Where had he seen such a situation before? Henie hadn''t even appeared as a character in the game, so he naturally couldn''t explain this anomaly. ''Could your judgment be wrong?'' This was the only thing Viktor could think of, but Vega just responded: ''I absolutely cannot be wrong.'' The stubborn Vega wouldn''t admit to a mistake, because a deity is always right. Viktor stopped considering it further. He looked down at Henie and nodded, praising her: "Very good." He instinctively reached out to pat Henie''s shoulder, but seeing her expectant gaze, he hesitated for a moment and placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair. An intense feeling of happiness surged to her head, and Henie once again felt a warm flow of energy from within. At this moment, Vega stared intently at Henie. Highly sensitive to magical power, it sensed an increase in magical energy from Henie''s body. What happened? Could Viktor''s touch on her head increase magical power? Why hadn''t Vega felt anything when Viktor stroked its bird head every day? Vega wanted to investigate this matter thoroughly, but Viktor had already left with it. Before leaving, Henie happily waved goodbye to Viktor. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. After walking some distance, Vega leaned down to Viktor and said: "Something''s not right with her." "Did you need to tell me that?" Viktor retorted sarcastically. From a player''s perspective, when a player makes physical contact with an NPC or enters combat, they can see the other''s level. Due to her lack of magical power, Henie''s level had always been zero. But today, the moment Viktor touched Henie, he saw her level was Lv1. And when his hand left Henie''s head. Pop, she leveled up. Viktor recalled that he had hugged Henie before leaving yesterday, which also counted as physical contact. Could Henie''s leveling up be related to his physical contact with her? Vega suggested from the side: "It might be a coincidence, but I still recommend you try again next time." Try again? Imagining Henie possibly coming to him every day for hugs and head pats in the future, and considering her succubus race. Somehow, it felt a bit strange. "An innocent succubus, huh?" Viktor muttered, deciding not to think about it further as he left the garden. Returning to the mansion, Viktor passed by Lia''s room. The door was slightly ajar, and he curiously peeked inside, just in time to see Lia holding up a gown against herself. A voice suddenly sounded from the doorway: "Next time you change clothes, remember to close the door." Lia: "..." "Not working so you come to harass me? Are you sick, Viktor!?" An angry shout came from the room as Lia tossed the gown onto the bed and stomped to the door, fuming. "I was trying on a gown, a gown! I wasn''t changing clothes yet!" "And why are you still wearing that old-fashioned black coat? Don''t you know what we''re doing today!?" Viktor, of course, knew. To celebrate the victory in the Demon War, Emperor Oberli had set up a banquet for today. This banquet was unprecedentedly grand, only seen on important holidays or the emperor''s birthday. Nobles with titles, naturally, all had to attend. Viktor didn''t really want to go; he wasn''t interested in banquets. Moreover, thinking about banquets reminded him of the day before he transmigrated here. Why did he confess to Erica? Was it just a coincidental misunderstanding, or was it deliberately orchestrated by someone? This remained an unsolved mystery. Of course, there was also the possibility that the original Viktor was simply lecherous. So, he spoke up. "Why can''t you go by yourself?" "Don''t even think about it, Viktor! Let me tell you, you represent the Kravina family!" Lia warned, pointing her finger at Viktor''s chest. "Besides, you''re the main character of today''s banquet. How can the main character not show up?" Indeed, all the nobles in the capital knew. This banquet was said to celebrate the victory in the Demon War, but in reality, it was also a signal from the royal family to court Viktor. The youngest fourth-tier mage, capable of summoning meteors from the sky, single-handedly containing the demons. This made the entire capital recognize Viktor''s powerful and astonishing combat ability. The emperor would naturally notice Viktor''s value as well. Viktor also knew that although he had declined the emperor''s reward last time, it wouldn''t work this time. The emperor''s public banquet was meant to publicly reward Viktor and actively convey to the outside world the image of Viktor being on good terms with the royal family. There was no harm in it anyway, and getting closer to the royal family in advance could be beneficial for Viktor. He knew that the old emperor didn''t have many years left, but before that, Emperor Oberli could still be useful. "Hurry up and change your clothes. The banquet is at the palace, we need to go in the afternoon." Lia urged Viktor, looking a bit impatient. "Why go so early? The banquet doesn''t start until evening." Seeing Viktor still looking relaxed, Lia felt somewhat exasperated. "I still need to choose a gown, put on makeup, and as your family member, I also need to have an audience with the emperor in advance. Plus, I haven''t dealt with this month''s financial report from the territory!" All these things were waiting for Lia to handle, while Viktor didn''t have to do anything, free to do as he pleased every day. In comparison, Lia felt desperate, yet she saw Viktor still standing there, which made her even more frustrated. "You go change your cloth" Before Lia could finish, a bright red flame ignited on Viktor''s coat, gradually enveloping him in a circle. As the flames dissipated, his coat transformed into a black suit. Specks of red were embedded in the black suit, with crimson patterns tracing along the seams. On his right shoulder, there were even a few light chains of red crystal, with what seemed like tiny flames floating around. Lia was stunned for a moment, seeing Viktor in formal attire, and unconsciously started. "So handsome..." Lia murmured. They say clothes make the man. Viktor was already good-looking, and now dressed in formal attire, he exuded an even more elegant noble aura. Viktor replied without blushing or his heart racing: "Thank you for the compliment." Lia''s face reddened a bit, and she rolled her eyes, defending herself: "I meant your magic, it''s indeed cool and convenient." Viktor thought so too. Magic that could automatically change clothes was indeed impressive. Guledon''s Fire Origin could solidify fire elements into various forms, and this suit was naturally formed from fire elements. With the Fire Origin, Viktor no longer had to worry about the hassle of changing clothes. Whatever he wanted to wear, he could wear. After seeing all this, Lia pushed him out of her room. "Alright, alright, get out of here. You''re ready, but I''m not done yet!" With a ''bang'', the door slammed shut, startling Vega so much that its feathers stood on end. Standing outside the door, Viktor shrugged, tugged at his suit, looked himself over, and asked Vega on his shoulder. "Do I look good?" "The way you change clothes is indeed cool." ... In the afternoon, Viktor stood in the training ground. He held an ordinary iron sword in his hand, wielding it with ease. Each stroke seemed light and graceful; if one didn''t know better, they might think he was an experienced swordsman. That''s right, Viktor had started practicing swordsmanship. Having finished reading books and with nothing else to do, Viktor decided to practice skills from other professions. As he practiced, Viktor saw Lia running towards him in a hurry. "Finally found you." Lia breathed a sigh of relief, then asked with a confused look: "What are you doing with a sword? Aren''t you a mage?" Viktor didn''t explain much, just sheathed the sword and hung it back on the wall, turning to face Lia: "What''s the matter?" Lia''s expression didn''t look good as she quickly said: "You''ll have to go to the banquet alone." "I need to return to the territory in advance." Chapter 56: Oh No, I’ve Become an Imperial Tutor "What happened?" Viktor was curious. Lia had been looking forward to this banquet. If it were just some minor issue, she wouldn''t have said this. Lia bit her lip, saying with some displeasure: "There''s been a problem with the business in our territory. See for yourself." As she spoke, she handed Viktor this month''s financial report from the territory. Viktor took the document as Lia continued: "I was planning to find you in the study to sign this, but you weren''t there." "I had to ask around to find out you''d come to the training ground to practice swordsmanship." Although Lia had always handled the territory''s management, Viktor, as the head of the family, still needed to sign off on things nominally. Viktor glanced over the document, about to sign it, when he noticed something odd in the grain revenue section. That part of the revenue was pitifully low. It might as well have blatantly written "embezzlement" on the report. He noticed the name on the right Chur. "Now you see why I need to go back?" Lia''s worried expression hadn''t eased at all. Viktor thought about that name and asked: "Who is this person? The name doesn''t sound like he''s from the Empire." "Indeed, he''s a grain merchant from the neighboring kingdom. The previous grain merchant went home to raise his children a few years ago, and he introduced this one." "There weren''t any problems in the past few months. I don''t know why things went wrong this month." Viktor had a vague recollection. Chur, this name, Viktor had some impression of. But Viktor wasn''t sure if it was the same person, as name repetition was quite common. Although there wouldn''t be NPCs with the same name in the game, he couldn''t view the current situation from a game perspective. After all, Henie hadn''t appeared in the main storyline either. He couldn''t be certain that this ''Chur'' was the same as the one from the game. In his memory, Chur was a soldier belonging to the Mercenary Guild of the Kant Kingdom, a warrior class, considered a minor lord-level boss. As for why Viktor knew about him... Players would occasionally encounter him while doing some side quests. At first, he would pretend to be a down-on-his-luck soldier, hoping players would help him recover his weapon and armor. Chur appeared to be a naive, righteous soldier. But when players helped him recover his armor and silver sword, and went to the designated small island, they would discover his true nature. He would kill the player there, taking their heart to help himself practice black magic. Viktor tapped on the account book, his finger emphasizing the man''s name. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Can we find this person directly?" "I''ve already instructed our subordinates in the territory to capture him. Hopefully, he hasn''t fled yet." Hearing Lia''s words, Viktor nodded. As a minor lord-level boss, many players had gotten stuck on him. Viktor, as a power-leveling service provider, had taken many jobs related to him. This boss, he didn''t know how many times he had farmed him, but the most memorable thing was an equipment that would definitely drop after his death ''Evil Knight''. This weapon was a pitch-black shield, its patterns distorted by magic. Although it looked quite ominous, it was famously useful in player circles. That was the ''Parry''. This move could deflect an enemy''s attack, allowing you to stab them in the kidney while they were regaining balance. Not only did it cause high damage, but it also greatly reduced the enemy''s toughness, putting them in a staggered state. Many people fought this boss just for this equipment. Because the effect was so powerful, especially in PvP ladder ranking mode, when both players equipped this round shield, it could lead to a strange scene. That is, both sides would stand still with shields raised, just waiting to parry. So the officials nerfed this equipment, eventually causing it to fall from grace. However, if it really was that guy, why would he come to the Empire at this time and infiltrate their territory as a grain merchant? And he even blatantly embezzled large amounts on the bills, practically writing it on the financial report, deliberately telling others to catch him. "Obvious intent." Viktor shook his head, unable to understand Chur''s motives. But since he couldn''t figure it out, it would be best to capture and interrogate him thoroughly. Coincidentally, Viktor was interested in the equipment on him, so he signed the book and returned it to Lia, casually saying: "Get dressed in your gown, the carriage has been ready for a while. Let''s go to the palace first." Lia took the account book, hearing Viktor''s words with some confusion. "Did you not hear what I just said? I need to hurry back to the territory." Viktor patted her shoulder and said: "After we return from the palace, I''ll go with you." Lia: "Huh?" Watching Viktor leave first, she looked at his back, muttering to herself: "What''s he up to now?" She didn''t think Viktor was concerned about her safety; Lia didn''t feel she would encounter any danger. She wasn''t a fool. What Viktor had noticed, she naturally saw as well. "Someone is targeting the Kravina family." Lia shrugged, remembering the incident when the prop shop was vandalized last time. Leon had already returned to the territory to start preparations. But now it seemed she needed to notify Leon that plans had changed. Soon, Lia changed into her gown and got into the carriage with Viktor to head to the palace. Because Viktor and Lia were to have an audience with the emperor in advance, someone had already been arranged at the palace gate. A secret envoy led the two to a side room in the palace, where they saw Emperor Oberli. The old man had been sitting there for a long time, seemingly waiting for Viktor for ages, even starting to doze off. Viktor noticed a girl beside the emperor, looking even younger than Erica, only about fifteen or sixteen years old. "Your Majesty, the Kravina siblings have arrived." Oberli opened his eyes, seeing Viktor, his cloudy gaze clearing considerably. He extended his hand, gesturing for Viktor and Lia to come before him. "Your Majesty." Viktor and Lia bowed together, a necessary etiquette when facing the emperor. The old emperor waved his hand; at his age, he had long since stopped caring about these cumbersome formalities. He pulled the girl behind him forward. The little girl was very pretty, with a beautiful face on her young features. "This is my youngest daughter, Aurelian Sol." The emperor had very few children, only three, two of whom were princes, and the last one was Aurelian before them. Viktor and Lia placed their hands on their chests and bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness." The princess looked timid, shyly hiding behind her father again. The emperor looked at her and smiled: "This child has lived in the palace since she was little and rarely meets people." "As a result, despite her innate talent, she''s never gone to school due to her shyness." "We''ve invited some mages to teach her magic before, but the results weren''t good. After just a few days, those teachers would always say they had nothing more to teach." Lia gave the little princess another look, having some thoughts. Was it really high talent, or were the mages unable to continue teaching? The emperor''s children naturally had "high" talent; even if they couldn''t really teach anything, Oberli would only think it was the teacher''s problem. "I asked Rivi to be Aurelian''s teacher, but Rivi always said he wasn''t cut out for teaching, so he declined." At this point, Oberli shook his head and laughed. He naturally wouldn''t believe Rivi''s excuses. But at this moment, Viktor also caught the emperor''s implied meaning. Even Lia looked up at Viktor in surprise. ''The emperor is really going all out to win Viktor over.'' The talk about not finding a teacher was probably just a compliment; the clever Lia immediately understood the old emperor''s intention. Sure enough, the emperor''s next words were: "Viktor, may I ask you to be this child''s private tutor?" Hearing this, Lia hurriedly made faces at Viktor, wishing she could tear off Viktor''s mouth and put it on herself to agree. Although she didn''t know what the emperor saw in Viktor, if they could establish a connection with the royal family, their Kravina family would rise straight to the top. Other nobles'' resentment? Let them resent all they want! However, Viktor''s unexpected response made Lia''s teeth itch with frustration. "Your Majesty, forgive my boldness, but I need to consider this." Emperor Oberli fell silent, not understanding Viktor''s reason for refusal. The royal family taking the initiative to curry favor with a noble was an opportunity normal people wouldn''t dare to even dream of. Even if Viktor was a fourth-tier mage. Of course, Viktor had never thought of it that way. If anyone thought that reaching the fourth tier meant he could be powerful enough to look down on the empire, they would be greatly mistaken. Attaching oneself to the empire naturally had countless benefits, even for Viktor. But the problem was... Viktor''s gaze swept over the little princess. Aurelian Sol. No, she should be called Sol IX. The Eternal Witch. That would be her future title. If fourth-tier mages could be called disaster mages, then her power would be absolutely above disaster. No one knew why she was so powerful, but two years after the emperor''s death, the 17-year-old Aurelian swept away all obstacles and became the new emperor of the empire. She was the first empress of the Carenthia Empire with foreign blood to ascend to the throne. Aurelian''s mother was the daughter of a grand duke from the Kant Kingdom, and she was the product of a political marriage. But right now, Viktor didn''t want to think about so many political issues. Now, the 15-year-old Aurelian looked like a harmless little girl. She seemed a bit hurt by Viktor''s refusal, with some crystalline tears welling up in her eyes. However, who could know that this was all her disguise? The more Viktor delved into the plot, the more wary he became of this future empress. Her possessiveness was extremely strong; once she considered something hers, she would destroy it rather than give it up. Because of this, he greatly admired how the future Viktor could actually keep this monster in check, and even nearly overthrow the empire''s regime. But talk is cheap, and not agreeing wasn''t Viktor''s style either. The pride of being a power-leveling service provider, as well as his deep understanding of this game, made him absolutely unwilling to fear anyone in this world. Moreover, he still had two years. So, he said to the emperor: "Two and a half years." Emperor Oberli didn''t quite understand, furrowing his brow. "I will serve as Her Highness''s private magic tutor, but only for two and a half years." "After two and a half years, I will voluntarily resign from this position." Chapter 57: The Empire’s Strongest Connection When Viktor mentioned two and a half years, Lia was stunned for a moment. Similarly, confusion arose in her heart. If he was going to agree, why set a time limit? She wanted to ask Viktor what he was planning. Couldn''t he be more rational? However, after hearing this, Emperor Oberli laughed. He looked at Viktor with a smile and said: "Really, two and a half years?" Viktor bowed slightly to the emperor and sincerely said to Emperor Oberli: "Two and a half years is enough time for Her Highness to learn all my knowledge. After that, it would be impolite for me to stay on." Hearing Viktor''s explanation, Oberli patted the chair beside him and burst into laughter. He was so excited that he coughed while laughing, and the servants nearby quickly came forward to pat the emperor''s back. Emperor Oberli waved his hand, signaling the servants to withdraw. "Viktor! The more I see of you, the more I like you." "How can you be so clever!" Oberli Sol. As the strongest person in the empire, Oberli was very clear about his own physical condition. In reality, within two years at most, he would die from insufficient blood and qi. His shortened lifespan was due to a hidden illness from his youth. This was a hurdle that every powerful warrior couldn''t overcome. Unlike mages, warriors couldn''t use mana to cast spells. They relied on their own powerful blood and qi to enhance their physical strength. Although blood and qi could be replenished through food and good rest, the consumption was also enormous. Burning blood and qi would give warriors extremely powerful strength, even allowing them to challenge opponents above their level. Correspondingly, this would also cause the user to burn their life force. As an emperor, Oberli''s deeds had already been thoroughly excavated by players. At seventeen, Oberli Sol had already become a valiant general of the empire. Single-handedly, he slew a giant dragon that had caused natural disasters. He cut off the dragon''s skin and made it into armor as a reward for his success. In his prime, Oberli was even more powerful. He once faced off against a fourth-tier evil mage''s world-destroying magic head-on and survived. Although his skin was torn and tendons ruptured, with his powerful healing ability, he recovered completely in just a few days. Emperor Oberli''s current state was due to consuming too much blood and qi in his youth without timely treatment. Perhaps he was too fond of fighting. Warriors generally had short lifespans, and even emperors were no exception. This was why Rivi, at the same age, looked so young, while the old emperor was like a candle in the wind. But he had never regretted it. He smiled at Viktor and said: "Your father, in his youth, was once my most excellent subordinate." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Until the day I ascended the throne, I rewarded all the ministers who followed me." "Only when it came to him, he just asked for a piece of land." "I asked him, what about a title? Don''t you want a higher status?" "He shook his head and told me that being just a noble was enough." "After that, he left the capital, retired from military service, and we never met again." This revelation of something even Lia hadn''t heard about surprised her greatly. She had never known that her father had such a past. Viktor remained expressionless, listening to the old emperor recount the past. "After that, it was twenty years until I finally received news of his death." "Viktor, you are his child, and in the end, he left that piece of land to you." Oberli sighed, seemingly exerting too much effort, and coughed heavily twice. "You are even more excellent than him, excessively clever, but knowing when to advance and retreat isn''t always a good thing." "Sometimes, seeking favor and power isn''t necessarily wrong." "Just like the Raisers, no matter how big a mistake they make, as long as they still have a reason, I still have to protect them." Oberli opened his eyes and said to Viktor: "Viktor, I will give you a choice, two and a half years, or..." Viktor placed his hand on his chest and bowed solemnly. "Your Majesty, within two and a half years, I will do my utmost." Oberli sighed, but there was some satisfaction in his expression. He stroked the little princess''s head behind him and said with a smile: "Well, it''s this child''s misfortune." "I hope in these two and a half years, you can fulfill your role." The last sentence was directed at Viktor. Viktor remained silent, and Oberli knew he had agreed. "You two wait outside for me, let me talk to the child for a while." "When I come out, accompany me to the banquet." Lia and Viktor agreed. After the two left, Aurelian looked at Oberli with a puzzled expression. "Father, why do you want him to be my teacher?" "I don''t really like him..." "Why?" Oberli laughed, looking at Aurelian biting her finger, which was quite adorable: "I think he''s very cold, definitely the kind of strict teacher, and I don''t like ones that are too strict." "But he can protect you and make you stronger." Oberli fondly stroked Aurelian''s head, watching his daughter''s expression become even more confused. "But isn''t it enough that I have Father to protect me? Father is so strong." Oberli looked at her, his eyes full of tender affection and pain. "Child." "I cannot protect you for a lifetime." "No one can." ...... Lia and Viktor obediently waited outside the door. Seeing no one around, Lia directly asked: "When you said you needed to consider earlier, did you really want to refuse the emperor?" Viktor didn''t respond. Lia understood, he was tacitly agreeing, and she anxiously asked: "Why?" "Don''t you know that was an invitation from the emperor? Some people can''t get that in a lifetime, and you wanted to refuse?" "Lia, you''re a merchant, you know that commodities have value." Viktor took out a pocket watch to check the time and said to her: "So what do you think is my value in His Majesty''s eyes?" Lia was stunned, thought for a moment, then said: "You''re so capable, your value must be high, after all, he wants you to be the princess''s teacher, and that''s the princess! Few people have ever seen her." "Then, compared to His Majesty''s relatives, what''s my value?" Lia frowned and retorted: "That''s not equivalent at all! How can you compare yourself to His Majesty''s relatives?" Viktor adjusted the hands of the pocket watch, and Lia saw a line of small text inside, the words formed by magic gradually enlarging in her eyes. ''His Majesty only has two years left.'' "Wha..." Lia''s eyes widened in shock, but she held back, not saying it out loud. This was the palace, even if no one was around, they couldn''t freely discuss the emperor''s time of death. So these two and a half years were... "For the half year after that, I will still be Her Highness''s teacher." The moment Viktor finished speaking, Lia immediately understood. She was a merchant, but as the family''s acting lord, she was also a shrewd politician. Was Viktor''s value high? Incredibly high. He had demonstrated his strength, and after the emperor''s commendation, Viktor''s reputation had reached an extremely high level. Even those who disliked him would be eager to curry favor with him. So before His Majesty''s death, what would those vying for power think? Whoever could gain the support of the Kravina family would have a huge advantage. The emperor didn''t want to see this situation, so... He sacrificed his youngest daughter, Aurelian, using her princess status to bind Viktor, forming a teacher-student relationship. This way, neither the crown prince nor the second prince could compete for Viktor. Because this status was set by Emperor Oberli, no one could defy the emperor. Unless the emperor died. But after His Majesty''s death, the newly ascended emperor wouldn''t need Viktor anymore. Viktor was destined to face retribution. Those in power wouldn''t be merciful because of their siblings. Aurelian might eventually be married off, just like Emperor Oberli''s sister Lady Cassana, becoming a sacrifice for political marriage. If Viktor didn''t want to face retribution, he couldn''t let this happen. So Viktor had to oppose it, Aurelian had to remain a princess to protect the Kravina family. Thus, Viktor chose this two and a half year period. A new emperor ascending the throne needs to stabilize power. Viktor wouldn''t be dealt with immediately, so he could continue to protect Aurelian for half a year. After half a year, Viktor would leave the palace, taking the family to safety. The new emperor naturally wouldn''t see Viktor as a threat. Lia thought dazedly, no wonder the emperor said those things to Viktor. Lia murmured: "Dark, it''s fucking dark." She had thought the scheming among nobles was bad enough. But looking at it now, these people in the royal family, if you opened their chests, their hearts would be black. "So when you said two and a half years, aren''t you afraid..." Aren''t you afraid His Majesty will blame you? Lia wanted to ask this, but she didn''t. She knew Viktor understood her meaning. Viktor glanced at Lia and shook his head: "He won''t." "How can you be so confident?" Lia was somewhat speechless. She had thought that gaining connections with the royal family was a good thing, but in the end, it seemed to be a mixed blessing. She naturally had some worries. Being the princess''s teacher was a double-edged sword. If used well, the Kravina family would rise step by step. If not used well, they would face retribution when His Majesty stepped down. "The two and a half year period is the assurance I''m giving His Majesty." Viktor''s calm voice sounded in Lia''s ear, his words exuding confidence. Lia was slightly stunned. So, in their brief conversation, he and the emperor had already made all the deals. Within two and a half years, no matter how his children might act up. No one could have any designs on Aurelian. The same deal. If anyone provoked the Kravina family. Then, Viktor could handle it himself. It was simple, because Viktor had established a connection with the royal family. Although only for two and a half years. But he belonged to the princess. He would settle all scores in the princess''s name. "And... if we want to make Kravina even greater." Viktor suddenly said something out of the blue. "The final winner hasn''t been decided yet." Lia''s eyes widened, looking at Viktor in disbelief. "You mean you want to support..." Before she could finish, the door behind them suddenly opened wide. Aurelian walked out slowly, arm in arm with the emperor. Her shy and sensitive appearance exuded a mysterious air, while the emperor she supported still possessed an awe-inspiring aura of strength. The father and daughter looked so harmonious, their faces reflecting warmth against the night sky. Seeing the two, Viktor and Lia bowed slightly in respect. His Majesty smiled and nodded to Viktor and Lia. "Let''s go." "Viktor, don''t be like your father and decline again." ...... Chapter 58: Did He Provoke Another Minor? The palace was brilliantly lit, gleaming with golden light. Red silk curtains hung from the ceiling, extending to the palace floor, while the night sky was visible through the dome above. Melodious music filled the air, reaching the ears of every guest present. The banquet tables were laden with delicacies, awaiting the guests'' arrival. Nobles exchanged compliments and greetings, raising their glasses of fragrant beer as they waited for the main characters of the evening to appear. Kevla stood beside Gwen, holding her glass high. Her purple hair complemented her dress of the same hue, making her appear alluring and enchanting. She moved among the nobles and politicians, exchanging greetings as usual. Gwen stood behind Kevla, looking somewhat uncomfortable. She kept her legs tightly pressed together, her body twisting and fidgeting uneasily. Noticing Gwen''s strange behavior, Kevla pulled her into a corner and asked, "Little Gwen, what''s wrong?" Gwen tugged at her dress, complaining uncomfortably, "Sister, why do I have to dress like this?" Gwen usually only wore armor, and even in casual settings, she always had light armor on. Wearing this formal attire felt like torture to her. "And I never heard I had to wear makeup too," she grumbled to Kevla, who just smiled at her with narrowed eyes. "Come on, it''s not like you can wear armor to a banquet. You''ll have to get used to these things sooner or later," Kevla said. "But..." Gwen tugged at her chest area, pointing at it dissatisfied. "This part is too tight. It doesn''t suit me at all." Kevla: "..." Though she wore a smile, Kevla didn''t seem very happy. She reached out and pinched Gwen''s cheek, saying with a forced smile, "Who told you to not have a single formal dress in your wardrobe? The one you''re wearing used to be mine." "Sorry if it feels tight around the chest." Not understanding why her sister was angry, Gwen fell silent, letting Kevla pinch her cheek like a pitiful victim. Kevla released her hand and shrugged. "You don''t even know how beautiful you look right now, do you? Those nobles are almost staring their eyes out at you." If it weren''t for some people knowing that Gwen was Viktor''s fiance, they would have approached her long ago. "I don''t need others to look at me," Gwen muttered. "Oh, come on, what''s wrong with dressing up nicely? Maybe when Viktor sees you later, he''ll look at you differently," Kevla said, gently nudging Gwen. Hearing her sister mention Viktor, Gwen knew Kevla was teasing her again. She blushed and turned her head, saying, "How Viktor looks at me has nothing to do with me." Knowing her sister was just being stubborn, Kevla clicked her tongue and turned to look elsewhere. Duke Levi was also mingling among a group of mages, his face full of smiles. "Haha, how have you been lately, Baron Beck?" he asked. The white-haired old man, leaning on his obsidian cane, nodded to Duke Levi. He approached the duke and clinked glasses with him. "Duke Levi, it''s been a while," Beck said. "I''m just an old bag of bones now. How could I be doing well? But you, no one would believe you''re sixty years old." "Oh, where''s your daughter?" Beck inquired. Hearing the question about Erica, Levi turned his head to look for his daughter. Baron Beck followed his gaze and saw Erica conversing effortlessly among the younger generation of nobles. He smiled and said to the duke, "How envious I am that you have such an excellent offspring, Duke." Duke Levi was pleased to hear Baron Beck''s words. He knew it was flattery, but mentioning his daughter still filled him with pride. Erica seemed completely at ease in her interactions with the nobles. Her golden hair paired with a silver gown made her look like a white swan with a golden crown, elegant and refined. A young nobleman was attracted by Erica. He also had golden hair and a handsome face, dressed in luxurious attire. "Miss Erica," he said. "I am Pipol Tia, the eldest son of the Tia family. May I have the honor of a dance with you?" Erica didn''t shake her head, but politely responded, "I''m sorry, Lord Pipol, but I already have a prior engagement." She nodded politely to him and walked away under his disappointed gaze. Taking advantage of this moment, Erica returned to her father''s side. Suddenly, the guests at the banquet all stopped talking, unanimously attracted by the sound of a door opening. The music also came to an abrupt halt. They raised their heads, looking towards the second floor of the palace. The golden doors on the second floor slowly opened, and Emperor Aubrey gradually emerged, accompanied by Aurelian in a silver-white gown. Following them was the head of the Kravina family, Viktor Kravina. Behind him was his sister, Lia Kravina. Although Lia had attended many banquets before, never had she felt as proud as she did now. To be following behind the emperor, with the eyes of thousands of guests focused on her. Just thinking about it made Lia almost forget how to walk. Her legs were stiff now, struggling to support her and prevent her from falling. After all, if she messed up now, it would be embarrassing in front of thousands of people. Lia didn''t want that. She knew this honor came from Viktor, so she couldn''t embarrass him. The emperor slowly walked to the front of the floor, and many people also recognized Viktor''s familiar face. "Is that... Viktor?" "What? Viktor is actually behind the emperor!?" "Holy crap! Viktor!?" Many guests became unsettled upon seeing Viktor. They looked at each other, feeling incredibly incredulous. When Gwen and Kevla saw Viktor, their mouths fell open. "Sis... sister, is that Viktor?" Gwen''s hand holding the wine glass started to shake, her voice trembling. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Kevla was equally surprised, but having experienced many grand occasions, she wasn''t as dramatic as Gwen. She just nodded and replied, "It should be..." "To think he''s standing next to the emperor. The emperor must really value Viktor." ... Where there''s admiration, there''s also jealousy. Some people''s gazes were filled with hostility as they stared at Viktor. However, they didn''t dare to do anything, only tightening their grip on their glasses, their thoughts varied. Erica naturally saw Viktor too. She stared blankly, her eyes fixed on the second floor. Then, she turned to look at Duke Levi beside her. Seeing that her father''s expression showed no particular surprise, but rather seemed matter-of-fact. ''It seems Father knew about this already.'' The emperor personally commending Viktor and Viktor accompanying the emperor were two entirely different matters. Commendation was for Viktor''s contributions, his well-deserved achievement. But accompanying... There were too many implications to ponder. However, no matter what, this was a signal from the royal family to all the nobles. A signal that the Kravina family was in good standing with the royal family. At this moment, Erica also caught sight of Lia behind Viktor, her eyes lighting up. The beautiful shop owner she had seen at the prop store was indeed Viktor''s relative. Only Viktor''s family members could have the privilege of accompanying the emperor. Everyone put down their wine glasses and bowed to the emperor, showing their respect. The emperor waved his hand, cleared his throat, and began a formal speech: "I''m sure you are all aware of this recent Imperial War. Although we ultimately emerged victorious, the empire has suffered significant losses." "As the leader of the empire, I feel immense grief. From this day forward, the Demon War will be recorded in the empire''s history, and that day will be established as a day of remembrance, for the entire nation to remember this painful lesson." "Viktor Kravina''s contributions are known to everyone in the capital. He defeated the demons, preventing the tragedy from escalating further." "I will, in the name of Sol VIII, bestow upon Viktor the highest honor of the empire, the Imperial Medal!" As soon as the emperor finished speaking, a minister beside him approached the second-floor platform with a shining medal. Emperor Aubrey personally took the medal and pinned it on Viktor, nodding at him with a smile. Viktor placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly to show respect. Seeing this, the guests spontaneously burst into applause, congratulating Viktor. As the minister gradually retreated, the emperor turned around and continued: "Furthermore, Viktor Kravina is hereby elevated to the rank of Count." Hearing the emperor''s announcement, Lia suddenly felt a sense of dizziness. So this was the irrefusable matter the emperor had mentioned to Viktor. If it were as the emperor said, the Kravina family should have been promoted long ago. The delay in reaching the rank of count was due to her late father''s refusal. But now, Viktor had no room to refuse anymore. Another minister presented Viktor with the patent of nobility. Viktor accepted it and bowed to the emperor in a gesture of loyalty. "Thank you, Your Majesty." In an instant, even more enthusiastic applause erupted from below. Erica''s face broke into a smile, looking at Viktor with admiration, the stars in her eyes shining even brighter. Gwen and Kevla also couldn''t help but smile, applauding from below, congratulating Viktor. With the conferment ceremony over, the banquet began. At this point, the emperor was also preparing to leave. Before leaving, he didn''t forget to say one more thing to Viktor: "Enjoy yourself, Viktor. This kind of occasion is not suitable for an aged emperor like me to attend." He brought Aurelian to Viktor''s side, indicating for Viktor to take her along. "From now on, you are Aurelian''s teacher." Viktor nodded and responded: "I will do my best." After the emperor finished speaking, he smiled and slowly left with the support of his servants. Only when the emperor was out of sight did Viktor turn around with Aurelian to return to the banquet. Aurelian followed behind Viktor, timid and not daring to walk in front of him. She had heard some stories about Viktor. Many ministers often spread rumors in the palace that Viktor was a pervert who liked minors. Seeing Aurelian''s timid demeanor, Viktor led her to find a quiet place to sit down. He didn''t particularly like this kind of occasion either. It was somewhat quiet around them, the usual chatter not ringing in his ears. He missed Vega a bit. Crows symbolize ill omen, so naturally, it couldn''t enter such a banquet and could only wait on the railing outside the palace. The princess, seeing Viktor looking a bit bored, mustered up her courage and decided to greet him in advance: "Mr. Viktor...? H-hello?" Viktor turned to look at the princess. He looked her up and down. The current Aurelian was hard for him to imagine. Except for some similarities in her face, neither her personality nor her figure matched that of the future Eternal Witch. But. Viktor focused his gaze on her somewhat timid expression for a few more moments. Who could have imagined what was hidden beneath her harmless appearance? Viktor said to her, "Your Highness, there''s no need to be so formal. This is a banquet, and your father is not present." "Right now, it''s just the two of us." "Although I am your teacher, in private, I can also be your friend." Viktor thought this speech should be enough to fool a child. So Aurelian gradually began to chat with him. Soon, Aurelian felt more at ease, and her words became more numerous. As a gentleman, Viktor responded unhurriedly and politely, always making the princess feel comfortable and at ease. "Father said you are very powerful, and I can learn a lot from you." Viktor didn''t deny it, only responding mildly: "As long as you study diligently, you will become even stronger than me." While he coaxed her with words, he was thinking about when he could leave. Meanwhile. Erica was searching for Viktor at the banquet, puzzled that she couldn''t see him anywhere. How could such a big person just disappear? But when Erica turned around, she saw Viktor chatting with a young girl. The girl looked about her age, but obviously younger than her. This raised a sense of alertness in Erica''s heart. "Who is that girl?" They say Viktor likes minors, could this girl be Viktor''s next target!? She cautiously approached, carefully examining the girl''s features. Upon recognizing the familiar face, Erica was so shocked she almost cried out. She widened her eyes and quickly hid behind a pillar. "That''s... Her Highness the Princess???" How could Viktor be associated with the princess? At this moment, Erica became hesitant. She was conflicted about whether to go and greet Viktor. Counting the time, it had been almost two weeks since she last saw him. As she was thinking, something soft suddenly pressed against her back. Erica was startled, and an arm was already reaching towards her neck. She quickly turned her head, recognized the person, and couldn''t help but exclaim. "Sister Kevla!?" "Little sister Erica, what are you doing here?" Kevla hugged Erica, smiling at her. "No... nothing." Under such intimate physical contact, Erica felt a bit unnatural. As she twisted her body, Kevla followed her line of sight. Seeing the familiar figure sitting in the corner, Kevla was taken aback. "Oh? Why is Viktor here?" Isn''t that her black-hearted brother-in-law Viktor? She still clearly remembered him selling her four potions for 8,000 geos. And beside him is... the princess? The princess had rarely appeared in public, and few people had seen her face. Even for a social butterfly like Kevla. However, the princess who had just accompanied the emperor was seen by everyone. Naturally, Kevla had also remembered the princess''s appearance. Thinking of Erica hiding here to peek, Kevla showed an intriguing expression. She looked down at Erica and said with a smile: "Viktor is a professor at your academy, right? Why don''t you go say hello?" But Erica seemed to have seen someone, her emotions recovered, and she said calmly. "I do need to greet him, but it''ll have to wait a moment." "Someone else is going over first." Kevla let out another "Oh?" and looked towards Viktor''s position. A silver-haired man was walking over with a wine glass. Kevla showed a delighted smile. "Oh my, who do we have here? Isn''t that the eldest son of the Reiser family?" ... Jace Reiser looked at Aurelian with a fake smile and greeted her. "Your Highness Aurelian." Upon seeing him, the princess seemed frightened and shrank behind Viktor. Viktor didn''t move at all. He glanced at the princess behind him and calmly asked. "Who is he?" "Jace Reiser... he''s Devin''s brother," the princess quietly replied, informing Viktor of his relationship with Devin. Now, everyone knew that Devin had colluded with demons. And the demons were defeated by Viktor. So, the intentions of the person before them seemed self-evident. Viktor didn''t stand up, but asked the little princess behind him one more question. "Do you dislike him very much?" "Even though... he''s my cousin." The little princess shrank even more, completely looking like she didn''t want to see him. "I see," Viktor said. Viktor maintained a poker face and stood up. His not-so-broad body blocked Jace Reiser. "What do you want to say?" Jace Reiser looked at Aurelian. Even though the princess seemed scared, he continued to smile as if he hadn''t noticed at all: "I saw Her Highness sitting with you and was a bit worried, so I came to check." "After all, she is the emperor''s most beloved daughter, and she''s also underage." Viktor''s face showed no ripples as he said calmly: "If you''re just here to cause trouble, then I have no interest in continuing this conversation with you." Viktor showed no mercy, his words clearly indicating his intention to drive Jace away. But Jace Reiser didn''t leave. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, his gaze revealing a dangerous glint: "So, Lord Viktor, could you explain to me why Her Highness the Princess is sitting with you?" Viktor heaved a heavy sigh, turned his head, and said to Aurelian behind him: "Now, I''ll give you your first lesson." "If you encounter someone you dislike." "Previously, you might have had to be polite to them because of their status, but now, when you have enough power and a strong background..." "You can directly do this to them." Aurelian looked at Viktor with confusion, then saw Viktor suddenly smile as he turned to face Jace Reiser. Flames instantly erupted behind Viktor, curling around Aurelian like a fierce fire snake, stopping right in front of Jace Reiser. "Get lost." Chapter 59: I Want to Be Your Disciple Too! In an instant, the atmosphere around them dropped to freezing point, as if swords were drawn and arrows nocked. Many guests witnessed the confrontation between Viktor Kravina and Jace Reiser. Viktor even used magic to warn Jace. Jace Reiser''s face darkened, feeling humiliated by this public rebuke. But that wasn''t the point. Jace desperately wanted to know what relationship Viktor had with the Princess, and why His Majesty would so trustingly allow the Princess to be with Viktor. Gwen Delin also saw this scene and was about to rush over, lifting her floor-length dress, but was quickly held back by the onlooking Kevla Delin. "Hey, hey, little Gwen! Where do you think you''re going?" "To stop those two." "Don''t go over there and make things worse." She successfully pulled Gwen back, and seeing Gwen''s puffed-up face, she knew Gwen must be seething inside. Of course, Gwen knew about the Reiser family''s eldest son. When she saw him deliberately approach Viktor and cause such a commotion, Gwen was already displeased. Why? The Reiser family had made such a big mistake, and now he was still trying to pick a fight with Viktor. What''s worse, the people around them were just standing by and watching. Gwen felt indignant, but could only stop under her sister''s restraint. She turned away in a huff and stomped off to drink. Erica du Cloye, on the other hand, glanced at Gwen several times, curious about her angry demeanor. She tugged at Kevla''s sleeve and whispered quietly: "Sister Kevla, Lady Gwen..." After their battle with the demon, Kevla and Erica''s relationship had quickly warmed up. Despite their significant age difference, they had become comrades who had been through life and death together. "She looks a bit angry? That''s only natural," Kevla said with a mischievous grin. "Seeing her fianc being deliberately provoked, how could she not be angry?" "Oh, so that''s it!" Erica had a sudden realization and breathed a sigh of relief. What was all this about? So he was her fianc, thankfully not her boyfriend... "Eh???" Erica blinked. "Fianc?" "Mm-hmm, fianc." Kevla nodded with a grin. Seeing Kevla''s confident confirmation, Erica covered her head. Then she heard Kevla continue: "Ah, not many people know about this. After all, they''re both quite low-key. But most people of your father''s generation are aware of it." "What''s wrong? You don''t look too happy." Kevla asked with concern, gently patting Erica''s head. "No... nothing." Erica''s mood suddenly became subtly depressed, but she couldn''t quite put her finger on why. She just felt a bit irritated. Kevla looked at her with a smile, inwardly sighing. Although Erica had been through life-and-death situations, Strictly speaking, she was still a child. Her thoughts were too easy to read. Kevla could tell with just one look that she admired Viktor. There might even be something more mixed in. If that was the case, it would be best to nip these feelings in the bud before they could develop, before their teacher-student relationship could change. Cutting off Erica''s thoughts decisively was undoubtedly the best choice. Besides, she truly approved of her own sister. Although Viktor''s character was quite poor, his abilities were real, and he knew how to make money. Just thinking about how he had charged her 8,000 gios for saving her made her inexplicably unhappy. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. This man was simply a business genius. She could understand why so many people were hostile towards Viktor. But Kevla was just joking to herself. With such a capable brother-in-law, how could she let anyone else have him? While she was chatting idly with Erica, things were heating up again around Viktor. Jace was now very upset. His face was flushed, and his emotions were running high. He began to question Viktor: "Tell me to get lost? What right do you have to tell me to get lost?" "He does indeed have that right." A voice rang out from the crowd, and the Second Prince, smiling, made his way through the throng. The surrounding people saw the Second Prince''s appearance and immediately began to whisper: "Why has the Second Prince come?" "I don''t know, he can''t be here to help Viktor, can he?" People speculated about the Second Prince''s intentions, while the prince himself remained perfectly calm. He saw his sister hiding behind Viktor, frowned slightly, sighed, and said to Jace Reiser: "Cousin Jace, I understand your emotions, but this is not a reason for you to come and deliberately cause trouble." "Your attitude has frightened my little sister." Jace Reiser looked at the Princess and saw Aurelian slightly shrinking her head, not daring to look at him. His brain, flushed with anger, immediately cleared of some confusion. But he still said dissatisfiedly: "If Her Highness the Princess wants me to leave, of course I can go, but what position does Viktor have to tell me to get lost?" The Reiser family''s contributions to the royal family were not small, and the Kravina family certainly couldn''t step on their heads just because of one demon battle. Jace thought to himself, but then he heard the Second Prince narrow his eyes, his tone becoming somewhat unfriendly. "Jace." The Second Prince no longer addressed him as cousin, his tone somewhat displeased: "Mr. Viktor has been personally appointed by Father as the magic tutor for my little sister." Whoosh! Instantly, the entire venue was in an uproar. "Viktor has actually become the Princess''s private tutor!?" "No wonder he could accompany His Majesty, isn''t this a clear sign of cozying up to the royal family?" Gwen, who was drinking alone not far away, also spat out her wine upon hearing this news. "What? Viktor? Is the Princess''s private tutor!?" Kevla was also stunned after hearing this news, the smile on her face gradually freezing. This was no ordinary matter. Teachers, after all, had their ranks. If he were just a lecturer at the academy, it wouldn''t cause such a shock among the nobility. But Viktor was a tutor personally appointed by the Emperor for the Princess. Strictly speaking, this was already a ''master'' and ''disciple'' relationship. As the Princess''s teacher, strictly speaking, Viktor could even influence the Princess''s future. Thus, those present had new questions. Such an important position, His Majesty had given it to Viktor, was he suitable? He was more than suitable! Not to mention that Viktor was a senior professor at the Royal Magic Academy, already belonging to the Empire. The youngest fourth-tier Saint Mage, which already demonstrated his genius! Before Viktor, no one would have believed that a mage could reach this level before the age of thirty. Viktor''s reputation for genius had consistently broken the Empire''s records. If he wasn''t suitable, then no one would be. "Originally, Father was planning to announce this to the whole city tomorrow, but I''ve explained it in advance to give everyone some mental preparation." "So, Mr. Viktor''s words are essentially my little sister''s words. Jace, do you understand?" The Second Prince explained everything with a light laugh. Hearing this, Jace Reiser''s face turned gloomy. Unable to accept it, he gritted his teeth, glared at Viktor, snorted angrily, and stormed off. He was gone, and the atmosphere around was no longer quiet. The nobles began to whisper and mutter to each other, and the entire banquet took on a completely different appearance. Everyone realized that Viktor had become the Princess''s teacher. Viktor had risen in rank again, and the Kravina family could be said to be at the height of their prosperity. The Second Prince had proactively appeared to defuse the situation for Viktor, and then actively promoted Viktor''s teacher-student relationship with the Princess. Among those who had become nobles and appeared at the banquet, few were fools. First accompanying His Majesty, and now receiving favor from one of the royal heirs. At this moment, everyone felt a sense of suffocation. Lia Kravina had just come out of the restroom. She adjusted her gown and saw that the atmosphere in the banquet hall was a bit off, leaving her bewildered. What was going on? Why was the Second Prince by Viktor''s side? Of course, she hadn''t seen the initial scene, and was somewhat confused. Could it be that the Second Prince was already planning to win Viktor over? The Second Prince smiled and nodded slightly to Viktor. "I''m very sorry about this situation, Viscount Viktor... oh, pardon me, it should be Earl now." "I apologize for Cousin Jace''s rash behavior." He bowed slightly, apologized, and then hurriedly left without waiting for Viktor''s response. It was as if he had come purely to defuse the situation for Viktor, to help him make a good impression in front of the guests. He didn''t even stay to say anything more. Seeing the Second Prince''s departure, the guests gradually dispersed, going about their business. Many young nobles looked at Viktor with strange expressions. They wanted to come over and greet Viktor, but remembering his attitude towards Jace earlier, no one dared to come and risk unpleasantness. In contrast, Lia became the target of many people''s attempts to strike up a conversation. "Miss Lia." Hearing the source of the voice, Lia turned to see several nobles approaching her. She smiled habitually, though it was a fake smile. "I''m Hanser, and these two are Mr. Tick and Mrs. Annie." Lia responded with a kind smile, shaking hands with each of them. Lia handled these nobles with ease. As she conversed, she glanced irritably towards Viktor''s direction. She saw Viktor sitting expressionlessly in the corner, yet no one dared to chat with him, and she suddenly felt envious. Just putting on a poker face was enough to avoid being disturbed, how nice that must be. Sigh. Thinking this, Lia heaved a heavy sigh, quickly adjusted her mood, and once again forced a smile as she chatted with the nobles. Kevla leaned against Erica''s side, clicking her tongue in wonder. "I never thought Viktor would get so cozy with the royal family." "The Princess''s teacher, huh? I''ve heard the Princess is quite talented too, wonder if that''s true." As she spoke, Kevla saw Gwen on the other side, her face slightly flushed, clearly having had a bit too much to drink. She walked over helplessly and snatched the wine glass from Gwen''s hand. "Alright, alright, little Gwen, stop drinking." "If you drink too much, there''ll be no one to take care of you." Only Erica was left standing in place, staring blankly at Viktor in the corner. Beside him was the Princess, who didn''t seem to dislike Viktor, and even wore a smile while chatting with him. And Viktor? He still had that poker face, showing no change at all. As if suddenly remembering something, she came to her senses and walked towards Viktor. The Duke had been standing nearby the whole time. Seeing Erica''s movement, he couldn''t help but sigh, shake his head, and then went back to chatting with the nobles beside him. "Mr. Viktor, thank you very much..." "Um... Professor." As the Princess and Viktor were chatting, an untimely voice interjected. Both the Princess and Viktor looked towards the source of the voice. Erica was clenching her fists against her chest, her face slightly flushed. She seemed to have made some decision, lowered her head, and boldly said: "I want to become stronger too!" "I also want to become your disciple!" Chapter 60: I Won’t Let You Take Him Away Viktor and Aurelianne''s gazes simultaneously turned towards Erica. The atmosphere gradually grew silent. Erica, being stared at by both of them, felt a bit shy, but her eyes remained determined. Viktor remained silent for a moment, then said: "Erica, you''re already my student." "That''s not what I mean!" Erica said anxiously. "The common knowledge taught by professors in the academy, I''ll learn it sooner or later anyway." This wasn''t Erica boasting. In the entire Royal Academy, even among students senior to Erica, most were only first-tier mages, with second-tier mages being rare. Erica had only been enrolled for a year, yet she had already reached the second tier. The academy had nothing left to teach her, which was why Erica sought Viktor for extra lessons every evening after classes. Her talent was evident to all. But no matter how talented she was, after experiencing several life-threatening situations, she understood a crucial point. No matter how much simulation training, how much knowledge, or how much magical power one possessed. Academy-trained mages were destined to be inferior to those battle-hardened mages. Recalling the several near-death experiences, Erica felt a chill of fear. She was still too weak. Viktor stood up, looking down into her eyes. Seemingly intimidated by Viktor''s subtle cold demeanor, Erica took a small step back, but still fearlessly met Viktor''s gaze. She wanted to become stronger! But... "I won''t take you as my disciple." Viktor rejected Erica''s request. His quick decision stunned Erica, making her heart sink a little. Somehow, a feeling of disappointment welled up in her heart. But she didn''t show it. Even with tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, she stubbornly raised her head, looking at Viktor defiantly. "Why?" Even though she was rejected, Erica wanted a reason. At least, she wanted to understand her shortcomings. Viktor spoke calmly. "Always remember, you are the Duke''s only heir..." "Then I''ll convince him!" Erica''s tone carried undeniable confidence. "I can definitely convince my father, I promise." Viktor narrowed his eyes, letting out a light chuckle through his nose. "Is that so?" "Then, we''ll discuss the rest later." Suddenly, his body burst into roaring flames, as if igniting half the night sky. He turned around, looking at the slightly dazed Princess, and bowed slightly. "I have some matters to attend to, so I''ll take my leave early." "Enjoy yourself, Your Highness." As he spoke, his body gradually solidified, turning into a statue made of ashes. A powerful wind, like a sharp blade, peeled away his body piece by piece until it completely dispersed into the air, carried away by the wind. He disappeared from the banquet hall, leaving only ashes behind. Erica stood there, slightly stunned. Did Viktor... agree? She wasn''t sure, but at least she had a goal now. Convince her father! But just then, the Princess''s delicate voice rang out: "I know you, you''re Erica, Erica du Cloye." Erica snapped back to reality and looked at the Princess, only then realizing she hadn''t greeted Her Highness yet. In terms of noble etiquette, this was undoubtedly somewhat offensive. She was about to curtsy when she saw the Princess staring at her intently. It seemed she wasn''t very friendly towards her. "People outside say you''re the youngest genius in the capital." Indeed, being able to become a second-tier mage at seventeen was not common. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Erica''s genius was truly rare. "Your Highness, you..." Erica was about to say some flattering words to appease the Princess she hadn''t met much before, but she heard her suddenly say: "Are you trying to steal my teacher?" Erica was stunned, then heard Aurelianne say in an unfriendly tone: "I won''t let you succeed, you can''t take him away." "Under his guidance, I will become an even greater genius than you, letting everyone know who his most outstanding student is." Aurelianne said no more. The graceful princess stood up and turned to leave. She didn''t even give Erica a chance to speak. Erica watched her gradually leave, unable to say a word herself. ...... Outside the palace, the air suddenly burst into sparks. CrackleCrackle Soon, the sparks turned into full flames. Several flames ignited out of thin air, intertwining with each other, gradually revealing Viktor''s figure. Viktor waved his hand, and those flames turned into a black windbreaker draping over his body. Vega stood on a pole, flapping its wings and flying to Viktor''s shoulder. "You''re so slow, did something interesting happen in the palace?" "The Emperor asked me to be the Princess''s teacher, I agreed." Vega raised an eyebrow curiously. "Became a person with connections?" Viktor didn''t respond to it, but the crow started to complain: "In the end, you''ll still rely on me. I think your academy should give me a title too." "Hmm... how about the Great Professor Vega!" A blue teleportation magic circle lit up under Viktor''s feet, and man and crow disappeared into the night. ...... It was nearly midnight when Lia returned to the mansion by carriage. Socializing with a group of nobles was truly exhausting, nothing but pleasantries, attempting to establish connections with the Kravina family. Dealing with all this had left her mentally and physically exhausted. She had planned to drag her aching body to find Viktor and go home together, only to find that Viktor had already left. After returning home and changing her clothes, she went to the training ground, where she finally found Viktor. Viktor was still practicing with a sword, and his every move somehow made Lia feel there was something to it. But remembering that Viktor had gone home without waiting for her, Lia felt a bit annoyed and couldn''t help but mock him: "What''s this? Is our mage lord planning to change careers?" Viktor didn''t respond to her, but upon seeing Lia return, he sheathed the silver sword. This time, however, he didn''t hang the long sword back on the wall. The sword disappeared in his hand, stored in the player-exclusive inventory. "You''re back? Then let''s prepare to depart." Lia was slightly taken aback. To be honest, she had originally planned to leave in the afternoon, expecting to arrive at the territory early the next morning. It was now too late to return to the Kravina territory by carriage. But shortly after Viktor finished speaking, a blue magic circle lit up under his feet again. This time it was much larger than before, with clearly visible patterns and runes. A terrifying magical aura suddenly burst forth from the ground, and the shocking blue teleportation array rose from the ground, shooting straight into the sky. The violent wind stirred up made Viktor''s windbreaker flap wildly, the black coat swaying on his body, and Lia''s hanging long hair stood on end from the wind. Soon, the wind gradually subsided. Accompanied by blue starlight gradually enveloping both of their bodies, a blue teleportation array also gradually formed above their heads. Lia stood there stunned, asking Viktor: "What is this?" Viktor didn''t look at her, just calmly explained. "I spent two hours here, constructing a two-way teleportation array with ''Blaiston''." Blaiston was a city under the Kravina domain, the second most prosperous city after the capital. Viktor''s old home was there. Lia was slightly taken aback. "So you came back early just to do this?" Viktor didn''t speak, which was as good as an affirmation. Lia fell silent. Thinking about how she had blamed Viktor for not waiting for her to return earlier, she actually felt a bit guilty now. She tried standing inside the magic circle, feeling the astonishing magical power rushing towards her. Even though Lia wasn''t a mage, she clearly recognized Viktor''s strength from this terrifying amount of magical power. "The teleportation array can be maintained for a whole day." "If all goes well, we can still use this array to return tomorrow." Lia nodded, and in the next second, the two arrays gradually merged together. The two of them, along with the array, disappeared with scattered starlight, transforming into a blue light flying towards the distance. Afterwards, a return teleportation array was left at the original spot, gradually dimming and being concealed. ...... In a dim room, a group of people wearing brown cloaks with hoods burst in. These people all covered any parts of their bodies that might have distinguishing features, only revealing their different pupils. There was nothing inside the room, as if everything that could be taken away had been looted, now only four walls remained. As if they were prepared. Leanne entered the room, inspecting everything, and nodded upon hearing the report from her subordinate beside her. "What about the clues? Do you know where he went?" "He might have already left the city, but calculating the time, he shouldn''t have left the territory yet." Leanne breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Fortunately, the young miss was prepared." She took out a bronze-colored disc from her waist, with no directions engraved on it. Half a pointer was pointing in one direction. The subordinate, seeing the device in Leanne''s hand, immediately knew what it was: A rune tracker. Leanne began to explain calmly: "Miss Lia signed magical contracts with every merchant cooperating with the territory. As long as they are still within the territory, we can track them with this device." Everyone suddenly realized, their eyes, the only visible part, almost all lit up with admiring stars. "As expected of Miss Lia!" "It''s good that Miss Lia was prepared!" "I envy Lady Leanne, she must use this to monitor Miss Lia''s location every day!" The others immediately turned their gaze to the person who spoke last. Leanne waved her hand indifferently, when suddenly, a light spot lit up on the edge of the rune tracker. This light spot looked somewhat special, which made the people around curious, but Leanne looked at it and put the rune tracker away. She coughed lightly twice, as if nothing had happened, and gave orders to the others. "You go after him first, I need to go back for a while." After saying this, she leapt out of the window, her movements in the night sky like an agile cheetah, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye. ...... Blue light gradually brightened, and Viktor and Lia appeared simultaneously in the backyard of the Kravina mansion. The backyard was very spacious, much larger and more luxurious compared to the villa in the capital. In the night, the backyard even had fireflies constantly flying about, like a private starry sky above the lawn. This was Viktor''s old home. Although he didn''t have many impressions of this place. In his memory, he had only been here a few times when doing side quest investigations. One second they were in the capital, the next they were suddenly back in the territory, which made Lia marvel. "Magic is really convenient." As the array gradually dissipated and hid under the lawn, Viktor''s voice followed: "Do you need my help?" "What, you look down on me?" Lia glanced at Viktor, saying nonchalantly. "If we need to use our family''s mage lord to catch a small thief who embezzled, that would be giving him too much credit." "You just sleep in your own room first, and wait for me to come back. Oh right, you do remember where your room is, don''t you?" Viktor nodded. Since Lia didn''t need help, he also believed she could handle everything well. If it really was that Chur, with the resources Lia could mobilize, it would be enough to control him. If she couldn''t handle it... Viktor glanced at the glove on Lia''s right hand. The Mage''s Hand would tell Viktor if Lia encountered any danger she couldn''t resolve. Lia didn''t say anything more and hurriedly left. After she left, Viktor still stood in place without moving. Vega stood on his shoulder, curiously looking around at everything, and said: "So this is where you used to live, it''s really big." Viktor didn''t respond, which made Vega a bit confused. "What are you doing? Why are you standing still?" "Don''t talk, I''m trying to remember where my room is." Chapter 61: Elegance Never Goes Out of Style Viktor lightly stomped his foot, and the teleportation array lit up beneath him once again. It was already late at night, and the servants in the house had all gone to bed. Viktor didn''t want to make a fuss and wake them up. So he simply decided to use teleportation magic to search room by room. In the depths of the night, a burly white-haired old man, hearing the noise, slowly walked up to the second floor, heading towards the room where the sound was coming from. Accompanied by the gradual dissipation of a cyan light in the room, Viktor appeared in a dimly lit chamber. He looked around; this wasn''t his room. It should be a guest room. Viktor was about to teleport again, to continue to the next room. But the door of the room creaked open. The old man pushed open Viktor''s door, appearing behind him. His burly figure was like a giant bear, his presence seeming to cast a shadow over the room. Even the night light couldn''t penetrate through his body. When the old man saw clearly who was in the room, he adjusted his monocle and bowed with his hand on his chest. "Master, you''ve returned." Viktor''s magic was quite conspicuous. To be able to enter the house undetected, bypassing the family knights'' inspection outside, one would need to be at least a third-tier mage. Viktor turned his head to look at the old man. This towering old man, standing at three meters tall, seemed familiar to him. Helnason, an aged bear-man. He was the butler of the Kravina family, having lived for over a hundred years. He had diligently served the Kravina family, seeing off three generations of the Kravina family. Viktor was the third generation. As the guardian of the Kravina family for generations, even against a fourth-tier mage, he could hold his own. "I didn''t expect to wake you, Helnason. I''m sorry." "Not at all. I''m glad to see the master return. How long do you plan to stay this time? I''ll send someone to prepare your room." "No need, Helnason. Go back to rest. I''ll be leaving before tomorrow." Hearing Viktor''s words, the butler nodded and bowed to him. "Master, remember to call me if you need anything." With that, the burly old man turned and left, not making a single footstep sound. After seeing him leave, Viktor once again cast his teleportation magic. When Viktor opened his eyes again, he was in another room. The room was large, with a faint floral scent in the air. The luxurious decorations around made one feel the extraordinary status of the room''s owner. It looked like a woman''s room. And the only woman living in the old family mansion was... "This is Lia''s room." Viktor confirmed. He hadn''t expected to teleport into Lia''s bedroom. But Viktor didn''t mind. Lia had sneaked into his room plenty of times, and when Viktor was in his bedroom, she would enter without even knocking. The room was kept very clean and tidy, with no signs of anyone having slept in the bed. After all, Lia had been staying at their house in the capital these days. Suddenly, Viktor felt an urge rise in his heart. It was an irresistible impulse originating from a player''s instinct. In games, players would search every possible place in accessible rooms, to avoid missing any items. Moreover, Viktor had a strong collecting habit, the type who wouldn''t leave a place until he had thoroughly scavenged it. He closed his eyes, suppressing the restless desire in his heart. This wasn''t right, after all, it was a girl''s room. He casually glanced around, preparing to leave. Suddenly, Vega''s single eye fixed on a cabinet. The cabinet was covered with a faintly yellow glowing magic array, which would be invisible unless one specifically looked for it. "Viktor, over there." Viktor turned back to look, and he also saw the cabinet under the desk. He quickly realized what it was. "A magic lock?" A magic array that seals with magical power. Without deciphering the complex runes, it''s impossible to open anything under the magic lock. This magically locked bookcase? Could there be something hidden inside? "Want to open it and take a look?" Vega was also curious, stretching out its bird neck, staring at it. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Although Viktor had a thought that he might miss an important item if he didn''t open it, he carefully considered that there might be Lia''s privacy inside... "Alright, it''s open." Viktor: "..." The magic array quickly dissipated, the magic lock easily undone by Vega. Viktor couldn''t help but ask an additional question. "Don''t you have any concept of respecting others'' privacy?" "Huh? Are you joking with me?" Vega gave Viktor a disdainful glance, saying indifferently: "Anyone could see your desire to open the cabinet." Fair enough, Viktor had to admit. Thoroughly searching every room without missing anything was a common affliction among players. He couldn''t avoid it either. Viktor mentally apologized, but still instinctively opened the drawer. There were no special items inside, just a few old, mended toy dolls. At the back of the drawer, there was a very old notebook, its pages already yellowed. Viktor curiously took it out and casually flipped to a page. As if ancient memories were being unveiled before him without any concealment. ''November 6th, Father said that brother has awakened a very powerful magical talent. Our family is going to have a very powerful mage! That''s great, brother will protect me for life, right?'' ''November 7th, Brother seems to be studying very hard. That must be so tiring! I want to help brother become the most powerful mage! But brother only scolds me for being a nuisance. How can I help brother?'' ''November 8th, I told Father about my worries. Father told me that being a mage is a profession that requires a lot of money. So, will brother be very short of money? If I could earn a lot, a lot of money, would I be able to help brother?'' Viktor looked at the words on the page, his mood becoming somewhat... complex. There was only this much on this page, so he flipped a few more pages. ''December 21st, It snowed heavily again today. I love snow. Mr. Helnason helped me build a very, very big snowman! I showed the snowman to brother, but he used magic to shatter it... Does he not like snowmen?'' ''December 22nd, I made a mistake today. I accidentally dirtied brother''s magic book. It''s very expensive, and brother scolded me angrily, punishing me by making me stand in the snow. I feel very cold. I''m sorry, brother. It was my fault first.'' ''December 23rd, I saw brother again today. I wanted to apologize, but he scolded me harshly again... He said he hates tears. Should I not cry? Why can''t I ever satisfy brother? I''m so useless.'' The pages after that were filled with trivial matters. Until January 1st, there were no more diary entries. Viktor put down the diary, his mood somewhat heavy. The reason behind the strained sibling relationship between Viktor and Lia was never mentioned in the game. In the game, Lia''s room was locked, and no player could enter it. So players had never seen the contents of this diary. "Seems like you were quite a handful before," Vega said beside him, having also read the contents of the diary. Viktor nodded, not refuting the other''s words. He didn''t close the notebook. Light glowed from his palm, and a black pen appeared in his hand. On a blank page of the diary, he drew a simple smiley face. He folded the corner of this page, closed the notebook, and put it back in the cabinet. Vega silently watched Viktor do all this, then heard Viktor say: "Lock the cabinet again, Vega." Vega did as told, magically locking the cabinet again. From the outside, there was no trace that it had been opened. Viktor turned and walked towards the door, with Vega flapping its wings to follow him. "Where are you planning to go?" "I said earlier... I''m quite interested in that grain merchant." Viktor only said this much, as a teleportation array appeared under his feet, faintly glowing. Vega quickly flew onto his shoulder. The moment it touched Viktor''s shoulder, man and bird disappeared. ...... "Finally caught you!" A group of hooded people caught Chur outside the wilderness. Chur was burly, the type that people would instinctively avoid on the street due to his strong build. However, at this moment, he was surrounded by a group of people. Chur was so anxious that his forehead was covered in sweat. He shouted: "Where is Miss Lia? I want to see Miss Lia! Why are you arresting me?" The hooded people around felt something was off. Why was Chur shouting so loudly? But no one thought too much about it. A sharp female voice sounded harshly: "You''ll see Miss Lia after we take you back!" Chur still had an unrelenting look as he said: "I must see Miss Lia! I have something to explain!" "Oh? What do you want to explain?" Lia''s cold voice suddenly rang out. She had appeared out of nowhere. Beside her was Leanne, only her green eyes visible. Lia crossed her arms, coldly looking at Chur. "You''ve embezzled quite a bit of money from our family, huh? What, Chur, are you planning to escape back to the kingdom now?" Chur looked at Lia, about to say something, but saw Lia wave her hand. Countless hooded people emerged from the surroundings, drawing their bows and arrows, waiting for Lia''s command to turn Chur into a pincushion. "I suggest you don''t move." "Otherwise, I''m not sure if your breakfast tomorrow might include an arrow." Chur''s face darkened, as if he had fallen into a desperate situation. But suddenly, the corners of his mouth turned upward, wearing an expression of a successful conspiracy. Leanne beside them quickly noticed his change and hurriedly shouted: "Shoot!" Instantly, countless arrows flew towards Chur. Suddenly, the arrows seemed to be blocked by some kind of barrier, stopping in mid-air. An astonishing barrier rose sharply from the ground, and a shocking sense of weakness immediately surged through everyone except Lia. "Magic disruption!?" Leanne sensed something was wrong, looking at her own hands. Within the range of this barrier, she couldn''t use even a bit of magic power. Then they heard Chur suddenly say: "How does the taste of the magic-suppressing stone feel?" "Originally, these things were prepared for Viktor, but now using them to test the effect on his sister is not bad either." Lia, on the other hand, seemed somewhat speechless. Even in this seemingly disadvantageous situation, she didn''t show any panic. "So what? I''m not a mage." Hearing this, Chur became anxious first and cursed: "Bullshit! Do you think I don''t know you''re a second-tier mage?" Hearing these words, Lia suddenly narrowed her eyes. She secretly tried to activate her Mage''s Hand, but it had no effect either. "I have to admit your methods are not bad. You''re more suitable to be the lord of the Kravina territory than Viktor." "However, you''ll have to stay here today." As he spoke, the barrier rippled a few times, and several warriors carrying weapons walked out of thin air. "Within a barrier where magic power cannot be used, warriors who fight with blood and qi are undoubtedly the opponents you find most difficult to resist." Chur laughed maniacally, also taking out his weapon, preparing to kill everyone inside the barrier. Lia yawned somewhat boredly. "Is that all?" There were hundreds, if not thousands, of knights ambushed in this area. She only needed to send a slight signal. The iron cavalry of the knights would instantly tear apart these warriors in front of them. But... no one knew this except her. Leanne looked somewhat worried and whispered to Lia: "Miss Lia... please be prepared to escape." "We will risk our lives to open a path for you to leave." With that, she drew two daggers from her waist, ready for battle. Lia frowned. She was about to say something, but then, the Mage''s Hand on her hand slightly heated up. Once the Mage''s Hand is close to its magic source, it will also produce a response. So... "Leanne, stand still." Lia revealed a confident smile. Under the somewhat disbelieving gazes of everyone, she calmly said: "Someone has come to pick us up." Hum! A cyan magic array suddenly lit up outside the barrier, its enormous range fully enveloping the entire barrier. An astonishing magical aura leaked out. In just an instant, the array ignored the obstacle of the magic-suppressing stone, teleporting everyone inside the barrier except Chur and his subordinates away. A white light flashed, and when Lia opened her eyes again, they had been teleported to a hillside outside the barrier. Except for her, everyone was looking around, slightly dazed. They seemed to not yet understand what had just happened. Lia walked a few steps forward. She looked down at the inside of the barrier not far away. Inside, there was a familiar figure. The man wore a black windbreaker, his back to her. The glow in his hand dissipated, indicating the teleportation magic he had just cast. Viktor''s voice sounded from inside the barrier: "The magic-suppressing stone, a specialty of the kingdom, is very effective against mages, but it also has an obvious flaw." "If the mage is not within the restricted range, they can use magic from afar, affecting the inside of the magic-suppressing stone''s limitation." "In other words, if I wanted to, just now, the magic-suppressing stone barrier you set up would have been instantly shattered by my magic." Chur looked at the uninvited guest, gripping his blade tightly, carefully watching the newcomer. He questioned loudly: "Who are you?" Then, Viktor elegantly bowed to him: "I am Viktor." "I heard you were looking for me?" Chapter 62: Im an Artist Skilled with the Sword, I Didnt Lie to You, Did I? After Viktor revealed his identity, Chur stared at him intently. Due to the darkness earlier and Viktor''s all-black windbreaker, Chur hadn''t immediately noticed his appearance. But upon closer inspection, the man''s features basically matched the image on the magic stone portrait. Viktor Kravina. The Empire''s most talented fourth-tier mage. Instinct told him that he sensed a strong feeling of crisis from this man. But Chur wasn''t afraid. Because this was within the range of the magic-suppressing stone. No matter how strong Viktor was, he was still just a mage. Even the most powerful mage, if unable to construct magic, is nothing more than a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others. "I admit, you understand the magic-suppressing stone well," Chur said. The magic-suppressing stone was a mineral recently discovered by the kingdom, as special as the Empire''s magic stones. But he hadn''t expected that the man before him would understand the magic-suppressing stone even better than he did. However! "You will ultimately pay the price for your arrogance, Viktor." Chur couldn''t help but laugh towards the sky, his expression utterly maniacal. Slaying Viktor, the Empire''s top genius mage. If he could achieve this feat, he would receive supreme honor upon returning to the kingdom! Knowing the effects of the magic-suppressing stone, Viktor still dared to stand within its range. If this wasn''t arrogance, what was? Viktor began trying to construct magic, but only managed to produce a few sparks of magical fire in the air. ''Even the fire origin is somewhat affected,'' Viktor thought to himself. The power of the fire origin was above the limitations of the magic-suppressing stone, but as a collection of elemental magic power, it was still affected by the stone. Viktor carefully sensed it. If he forcibly used fire magic, he could probably exert about one-tenth of his original fire magic. If Viktor wanted, he could summon a meteor much smaller than the one in the capital. Although the power would be reduced. But it would definitely be enough to instantly kill these warriors whose average level didn''t exceed 30. Viktor''s gaze turned towards Chur. As the battle triggered, a health bar and level appeared above Chur''s head. Level 32. In the future Chur quest, his level would be 35. Chur was startled when he saw the flames ignite in Viktor''s hand, but became arrogant again when he saw the flames rapidly extinguish. This wasn''t wrong; a mage unable to cast magic posed no threat. Chur didn''t waste any more words and directly shouted to the warriors beside him: "Don''t waste time! Kill him quickly!" The warriors raised their swords and slowly walked towards Viktor. Lia, watching everything happening inside from outside, furrowed her brow. The Mage''s Hand on her own hand had lost its effect, so Viktor, who was inside, shouldn''t be able to use magic either. What exactly was Viktor trying to do? Regardless of what he was planning, Lia had to be prepared to rescue him. So, she said to Leanne beside her: "Prepare to save Viktor. He can''t die." "Yes." Receiving the order, Leanne drew the wooden sword from her back, her body tensing like a cheetah. Inside the barrier, the warriors were closing in on Viktor step by step. Viktor stood still, not moving, just staring straight at the few warriors walking towards him, as if he didn''t know how to fight without magic. "Die!" A kingdom warrior reached Viktor''s side, his longsword swiftly falling, about to slash at Viktor. Almost instantly, Leanne beside Lia transformed into a gust of wind, rushing towards the barrier like a streak of light. But just as she was about to touch the barrier. What happened inside the barrier made her stop in her tracks. She widened her eyes, full of disbelief. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. A longsword pierced through the warrior''s skull, and in an instant, blood splattered everywhere. As if instantly losing consciousness, the warrior stared with wide eyes, unable to close them in death. Viktor pulled out the sword in his hand, allowing the mixture of blood and brain matter to splash onto his face. He casually wiped it away, his expression unchanged. Fatal attack! In the game, except for boss units, any unit had a fatal weakness. As long as the player''s own level was higher than the opponent''s, finding this spot meant they could ignore the health bar and attack, killing with one hit! And the fatal weakness of humans was the easiest to find. Although Viktor was restricted in his use of magic power. But now, he was level 41. "Continue," Viktor said, standing in place, his voice cold as ice. Even though Chur was battle-hardened, seeing Viktor''s cruel killing method made him somewhat panicked. His mind was full of various doubts. Is he really a mage? Where did that sword come from!? Cold sweat broke out on Chur''s palms, and a sense of crisis surged up again. He no longer cared about anything else. Seeing the kingdom warriors standing by around him, he immediately shouted loudly. "All of you, attack! Kill him!" Several warriors raised their swords, quickly surrounding Viktor. One person slashed straight down at Viktor, but Viktor dodged it skillfully with agile footwork. But at this moment, the attack from the warrior behind him also came! "Squelch!" The sound of a blade piercing through a body rang out, blood spraying forth. The warrior who had intended to sneak attack looked at the longsword that had suddenly appeared in his chest, his eyes gradually dimming. "Second one," Viktor counted, as if tolling the death knell for everyone. Perhaps due to fear, or perhaps due to arrogant confidence, the warriors finally went berserk. Blood qi wrapped around these people as they charged towards Viktor like madmen. But these movements, in Viktor''s eyes, were as if they had been slowed down dozens of times. He seemed to move out of habit, just slightly shifting backward a few inches, easily avoiding the incoming blades. Then, he raised his hand. The longsword thrust out, aiming straight for the heart of the kingdom warrior in front of him. Clang However, this time, the blade was blocked by the sturdy armor on the opponent''s chest. That warrior breathed a sigh of relief, quickly raising his sword, preparing to attack again. But suddenly, he froze in place. Feeling his life rapidly slipping away, he widened his eyes. A gush of hot blood burst from his chest, and the sword in his hand clattered to the ground. "Pity, I made a small mistake." "But you didn''t manage to seize the opportunity of my mistake." Viktor''s chilling voice rang out as he pulled out his sword, letting the dead warrior crash to the ground. Chur widened his eyes, this time seeing clearly. At the moment the warrior raised his sword. Viktor''s silver sword had somehow slipped into the gap between the armor plates. The slightly curved silver sword had pierced that warrior''s heart. Every strike, fatal! The remaining few began to fear. They all swung at Viktor together, but their movements still seemed incredibly slow in Viktor''s eyes. He seemed to have found his rhythm, his movements becoming incredibly fluid. He slightly bent down to avoid several swords that swept through the air, then sidestepped to dodge the slash from another side. In the intervals between these warriors'' attacks, the longsword thrust towards their weak points. Without exception, hitting precisely. Blood completely dyed Viktor''s silver sword red. The last warrior took a deep breath, gripping his sword tightly, and thrust towards Viktor. Viktor skillfully sidestepped the sword, his blade extending. One sword, one life! Precise and elegant. Leanne stood just outside the barrier, watching Viktor''s entire performance. She stood there, dumbfounded. Viktor''s swordsmanship, compared to swordsmen who had trained for years, could definitely not be called exquisite. But after watching this one-sided slaughter, Leanne could only describe Viktor with one phrase. Clean! Efficient! Only this evaluation was worthy of the current Viktor. Like a battle-hardened warrior, he gave the impression that he could dodge their attacks even with his eyes closed, precisely finding the weak points on the enemy''s body in the intervals between their attacks. Delivering a fatal blow with each strike. He wore a black windbreaker, wielding a blood-soaked longsword. At his feet lay corpses oozing fresh blood. Under the moonlight, he was as elegant as a dancer in a requiem. "How... is this possible?" Leanne murmured, her body involuntarily shuddering. He was supposed to be just a mage, yet he was so outstanding in close combat. A genius? No. He was a monster. "Monster... you''re not a mage! You''re not Viktor! You absolutely cannot be Viktor!" Chur was shocked by this scene. Blood flowed to his feet, his subordinates falling one by one as if they were vegetables being chopped. His mind went blank, left with only one thought. The person before him was a monster! Viktor shook the blood off his sword. Under the moonlight, the blade''s gleam seemed particularly dazzling. Except for the blood that had splattered on his face at the beginning, the rest of the people weren''t even worthy of having their blood touch him. "I like traditional bosses like you," Viktor suddenly explained, his tone full of cold mockery. "First, you let your subordinates come to die. After watching most of them get killed, you jump out for the final battle." "Clich, but I like it." Viktor snapped his fingers, and endless flames spread, burning all the dead bodies on the ground to ashes, gradually dispersing with a gentle breeze. Chur finally panicked. Viktor could use magic, he could actually use magic! Damn it! How is this possible!? "From beginning to end, the advantage you thought you had was what I wanted you to believe." Viktor gripped his silver sword, slowly walking towards Chur. Seeing the monster continuously approaching him, Chur''s forehead was covered in sweat. His legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground. The sword in his hand fell heavily into the mud. Chur no longer had the strength to pick it up. "Your arrogance, your inflated ego, led you step by step into the abyss of despair." "But don''t worry, I won''t let you die before I get useful information from you." Viktor raised his sword, pointing the tip at Chur, lifting his head slightly to signal him. "Pick up your weapon." "Let''s continue." Chapter 63: God: Who Recalled a Message? Chur was pushed to the brink, his anger reaching a boiling point as blood rushed to his head. He abruptly stood up, grasping the long sword beside him once again. Tangible qi enveloped Chur''s body, and a layer of white patterns appeared on his sword. A warrior''s ''battle technique''. Unlike magic, this was a skill that only warriors could use with their ''qi''. As if breaking through the wind, Chur charged rapidly towards him. Viktor instinctively raised his silver sword to protect himself, forcefully blocking Chur''s heavy strike. In an instant, the soil behind Viktor erupted, and the intense air pressure tore through trees dozens of meters away. Viktor''s hands went numb, and he stepped back a few paces. "As expected, my strength is inferior to that of a traditional warrior," Viktor muttered to himself, lowering his head slightly. Chur swung his sword, passing over Viktor''s head. The timing was just right. Viktor countered by striking Chur''s waist with the hilt of his sword. However, this had little effect; the sturdy Chur merely retreated a few steps. Chur violently slammed his patterned long sword into the ground, sending a powerful shockwave through the earth. Viktor, seizing the moment, leapt back a step, easily avoiding the ground''s tremors. But Chur refused to give up, raising his blade from the ground towards the sky. A blade of wind burst forth instantly, rushing straight at Viktor. Once, twice, three times... Chur repeatedly attempted to attack Viktor with his wind blades, only to see his opponent dodge all of his attacks with agile movements. His eyes narrowed as he thrust his sword into the ground beneath his feet with a bang. A powerful wind pressure began to swirl around, expanding outwards. Viktor''s gaze remained calm as he aimed for a gap in the barrier and thrust his sword in. The astonishing wind barrier was easily broken with just this one strike. Any move Chur made seemed to have a solution in Viktor''s eyes. He stepped forward, taking advantage of the delay after Chur''s skill, and lunged towards Chur''s body. However, Chur suddenly pulled out a round shield from his waist, blocking Viktor''s attack head-on. His expression gradually turned incredibly cruel. If he could just deflect Viktor''s attack, just once! A stunned Viktor would instantly be cut to pieces by him! But before he could succeed, Viktor suddenly revealed a smile. "How naive." Boom! His body suddenly transformed into a ball of flame, bypassing the round shield and enveloping Chur within. The astonishing flames seemed to want to burn Chur to ashes, and his agonized screams could be heard from within the barrier! The fire burst forth, as if illuminating half the sky. As the flames dissipated, Viktor''s figure reappeared in his original spot. He flicked his long sword, the epitome of elegance. Chur, however, was covered in burn marks, panting heavily, using his weapon to support himself on the ground. "Why... why?" Chur''s eyes widened, unable to accept this moment. In his domain of close combat, he was even inferior to a mage! And this mage could even cast magic within the range of the magic-suppressing stone! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. This wasn''t fair! He couldn''t accept it, he couldn''t accept it!! Why was it that his every move was completely seen through by his opponent? Even his secret weapon, which he had prepared long ago. In Viktor''s eyes, it seemed not even worthy of being called a secret! At this moment, Chur exploded with rage. Dense red qi coiled around his body, like a terrifying blood light. In his anger, Chur completely lost his reason. He shed the armor on his body and suddenly touched his long sword to his own blood. The blood, as if guided, gradually climbed up the sword. This beast-like madness made countless hearts tremble. Even Viktor seemed stunned, standing motionless in place. Chur raised the blood-red giant blade, leaping towards Viktor, fiercely slashing out. The powerful sword qi, accompanied by the blood color, instantly formed an area. Even Viktor was surrounded within it. Seeing Chur''s madness, Lia''s subordinate anxiously asked: "Miss Lia! Shouldn''t we support him now?" "No need," Lia said, watching the battle inside without any hint of worry. The moment she saw Viktor could use magic, she knew. Chur had absolutely no chance of winning this fight. "If he wants to play, let him play." "After the battle is over, we''ll handle the aftermath." Lia spoke calmly, but her words were full of confidence in Viktor. After all, he was the youngest genius in the imperial capital. How could he possibly lose to a warrior from the kingdom? Whoosh The powerful blood qi burst out towards the surroundings, carrying wind and chaos. The qi flow was like a series of sharp blades, cutting through the air, rushing towards Viktor. Viktor moved unhurriedly, as if taking a leisurely stroll, constantly weaving between the gaps of the air blades. The blades sliced through empty air, merely cutting the surrounding trees into thousands of pieces, trees falling with crackling sounds. Chur''s eyes were bloodshot, constantly watching Viktor''s movements within this wind barrier. Just once, even if he could attack him just once! But! "Well, you should have had enough fun by now." A calm voice drifted into his ears. When Chur looked at Viktor again, his hands were engulfed in raging flames. "I suggest you don''t forget one thing," Viktor said, stepping on the edge of the blood formation, planting his silver sword within it. Pronouncing the final death sentence on his opponent. "I am a mage." Flames suddenly coated the blade! A gust of wind struck the sharp edge of the silver sword, and Viktor twisted it, causing the flame-coated long sword to completely entwine the entire qi field along the airflow! What was originally Chur''s attack had, in this moment, become his fiery prison. The temperature rose sharply, soaring! It seemed as if it would set the entire wilderness ablaze! As if it could no longer support itself, the entire qi field collapsed with a boom! Boom!!! An explosion as intense as a raging fire engulfed the wilderness. The others could only see a black figure being blasted out of the smoke and dust, crashing heavily to the ground. It was Chur. At the very last moment, he had burned his blood qi, releasing his final ''battle technique''. However, it was still of no use. His skill was once again easily countered by Viktor. It was even used by his opponent as the final attack against him. Penetrating wounds from the backlash of the sword qi fell on Chur''s limbs. He lay on the ground, barely breathing. The barrier he had set up shattered along with his fall, and a deep, pitch-black stone rolled to Viktor''s feet. Viktor walked to his side, looking down at him with a calm expression. The moment the barrier dissipated, Viktor felt his magic power restore. Chur raised his head to look at Viktor, wanting to see some injuries on him. However, apart from a few tears in his clothes, he couldn''t even see a drop of blood on Viktor''s body. With a flicker of flame, even the damage to his clothes was restored to its original state. Chur gave up, his eyes dim and lifeless. After seeing this, even his last hope was completely shattered. He looked at the sky and suddenly, contrary to his usual behavior, burst into laughter: "Long live the kingdom!" As soon as these words were spoken, Leanne''s face changed nearby, and she hurriedly shouted a warning: "He''s trying to take poison!" Chur bit down on his molar tooth, and the poison inside took effect instantly. At this moment, he only felt his life rapidly slipping away... However. Viktor, quick as lightning, flicked open his coat and forcefully poured several vials of crimson potion into Chur''s mouth. Chur''s eyes widened. In this instant, he suddenly felt his life force beginning to recover. The states of life draining and recovering appeared simultaneously in his body. This feeling caused him pain as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his heart. Viktor looked at the suffering Chur, and gradually, a devilish smile appeared on his face. "I told you," he said. "As long as I don''t let you die, you won''t be able to die." Chapter 64: Requesting to Fight with His Wife Everyone stood frozen, watching Chur writhing on the ground in excruciating pain. What had happened to Chur? Why did he suddenly look like he was on the brink of death? However, Lia noticed the crimson potion in Viktor''s hand and quickly realized what Viktor had done. "Is it that miraculous potion again?" she thought. Looking at the strangely contorting Chur on the ground, Lia made some guesses. If the color corresponded to the effect, and blue potions restored magic power, then the red potion should restore life. Lia''s guess wasn''t wrong. At this moment, in Viktor''s view, Chur''s health bar was constantly fluctuating. Whenever Chur''s health bar was about to reach zero due to the poison, Viktor would forcefully pour a fresh restoration potion down his throat. Viktor was deliberately keeping Chur in a state between life and death. Chur''s current sensation was very strange. In one moment, he felt his soul becoming very light, as if it was about to ascend to the legendary heaven. The next second, his consciousness would return to his body. Constantly feeling his body endure the pain of thousands of ants gnawing at his heart, his limbs were stiff and straight, unable to make any movements to alleviate the pain. He couldn''t even commit suicide. Foaming at the mouth, his eyes bloodshot, drooling, he shouted angrily at Viktor: "Kill me! Kill me now!" Viktor silently watched him, waiting for Chur to fall into another painful near-death state. Time and again, his consciousness blurred, his life flashing before his eyes. Chur''s memories kept appearing, only to be shattered by Viktor''s hand. Chur knew he probably wouldn''t die, and could only wait for the poison to consume his body, before being given a new dose of suffering by the man before him. After a while, the poison''s effect finally disappeared. Viktor had used several bottles of potion to forcibly bring Chur back from the brink of death. Chur felt his body gradually regaining sensation, the pain slowly dissipating. "Is it finally over...?" Swoosh! Before he could catch his breath, he felt a blade instantly pierce through his four limbs. The pain returned, unbearably intense. His newly recovered limbs were once again rendered useless, causing Chur to completely lose his composure. "Demon, you''re a demon!" Squelch! Viktor drove his blade through Chur''s palm, pinning it to the soil. The crimson blood merged with the earth. He no longer looked at the painfully howling Chur, but bent down to pick up the magic-suppressing stone and the round shield from the ground. As he picked up the two items, Viktor saw their respective attributes in his vision. [Item Name: Evil Knight] [Effect: +100 Health, +30 Physical Defense] [Skill: Parry - Instantly deflect an enemy''s attack. Successful parry causes up to 1 second of stun.] [Item Name: Magic-Suppressing Stone] [Description: Can block magic flow within a certain range] ''Evil Knight'' was the last trap Chur had prepared for him. If someone didn''t know about the parry skill and rashly attacked this shield, they would be stunned for one second. For Chur, as a boss, this one second of stun could easily take half of a player''s life. This was why many players found it difficult to defeat Chur when they first encountered him. Even later on, without the overwhelming advantage of levels and equipment, Chur''s unique shield was enough to catch many players off guard. Getting parried by a boss and then stabbed in the kidney was no laughing matter. Fortunately, any of Chur''s actions were as transparent as glass in Viktor''s eyes. Moreover, the current Chur wasn''t as formidable as his future boss version. Even if Viktor were given a level 10 warrior account, he could defeat Chur without taking damage through his superior skills. It would just take a bit longer. Viktor put away the shield and turned his gaze to the magic-suppressing stone. The magic-suppressing stone''s effect was as straightforward as its name suggested. Even in the kingdom, such items were extremely rare. Why did Viktor know about this thing? Naturally, because he had used a magic-suppressing stone before. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. As an item, it was practically a divine tool for tricking mages. Imagine a mage player discovering a wild boss in the wilderness, defeating it and about to divide the spoils. Then a passing player runs out, throws down a magic-suppressing stone, snatches up the loot, and runs away. That scene... Recalling this, Viktor let out a faint smile. Yes, that wild passing player was him. Seeing Viktor leave Chur''s side, Lia revealed a slight smile. It was as if she had always believed Viktor couldn''t possibly lose. "Go ahead, it''s our turn to clean up." Lia''s subordinates reacted, quickly approaching to control Chur. Viktor walked towards Lia. As he passed by Leanne, he deliberately gave her a glance. Although Viktor was inside the barrier, he had noticed when Leanne tried to come to his rescue. Her agile speed left a deep impression on Viktor, and now seeing her familiar attire and green eyes, Viktor felt a sense of familiarity. He remembered that among Lia''s subordinates, there was an extremely agile elf. Her speed was as fast as lightning, infiltrating enemy camps at night as if entering unguarded territory. She had once assassinated seventeen imperial nobles in a single night, earning her the title of the empire''s top and most mysterious assassin. So, he softly spoke, as if testing: "Leanne?" Hearing his voice, Leanne''s body suddenly trembled. She looked at Viktor, involuntarily taking a few steps back. How did Viktor know her name? Impossible, Miss Lia wouldn''t have revealed her identity. She tried to maintain her composure, not making any response. But Viktor had seen her momentary reaction, which only confirmed his suspicion. His eyes scanned Leanne up and down, completely disregarding whether it was polite or not. Leanne felt a chill run down her spine. Viktor''s gaze seemed to see right through her. Then, Viktor withdrew his gaze. His cold face revealed a faint smile as he nodded to her. He passed by her side without stopping. Leanne quickly turned her head to look, but Viktor was already standing beside Lia. "I didn''t arrive too late, did I?" "I could have handled it even if you hadn''t come." Lia turned her head and shrugged. She wouldn''t have been cornered by a mere magic-suppressing stone. However, Viktor''s timely arrival to save her did warm her heart. She secretly glanced at Viktor. Indeed, at some point, Viktor had started to change. At some unknown moment, the crow flew down from the sky and perched on Viktor''s shoulder. Seeing the crow, Lia was puzzled. "Why didn''t I see it earlier?" Viktor only gave Lia an seemingly unrelated response. "Because I never fight an unprepared battle." Lia scratched her head, feeling confused. What did that have to do with her question? Of course, she didn''t know. If Viktor inside the magic-suppressing stone''s range truly couldn''t defeat Chur, Then Vega outside would have instantly dealt with the magic-suppressing stone''s barrier. Although the possibility of Viktor losing to Chur was merely one percent, Viktor wanted to completely eliminate even that one percent. He wanted to achieve ''perfect victory'', becoming a victor who would never fail. "I''ll leave the remaining interrogation phase to you," Viktor said calmly to Lia. Lia also became serious, responding to Viktor: "Of course, I will thoroughly investigate the parasites within our family through him." Lia spoke coldly. A stranger from the kingdom infiltrating their family''s territory - she naturally had been prepared for this. In fact, Chur had been using an alias and had forged an identity in the empire from the beginning. Lia had known about all of this long ago. After all, the person who had forged Chur''s identity was a subordinate of the Kravina family. Chur''s seemingly flawless disguise had actually been under Lia''s nose the entire time. Lia suddenly turned to Viktor and said, "Give me a few bottles of that potion of yours." Viktor looked at Lia, her surface smile hiding who knows what cruel thoughts. Though she was smiling, her voice came out cold and eerie. "I wouldn''t want this guy to accidentally die during the interrogation." Viktor shook out five bottles of potion from his coat. "Ten thousand Geo. Don''t forget to transfer the money." Lia raised her head and glared at Viktor, taking the five bottles of potion and leaving directly. Without looking back, her voice rang out. "Take it yourself when you get back!" After she left, Vega looked at Viktor. "How come you''re even charging your sister?" "It''s for your snack money." "Nice! You should charge more!" ... A teleportation magic circle appeared under Viktor''s feet, and he instantly disappeared. Viktor wasn''t particularly interested in interrogation, nor was he especially skilled at it. It was better to leave it to professionals like Lia. In the blink of an eye, accompanied by the appearance of a blue magic circle, Viktor returned to the family''s entrance. The family knights on night duty had been waiting for a long time. When Viktor returned last night, Helnerson had already informed the family knights on night duty that Master Viktor had returned. The knights were naturally prepared. The moment they saw Viktor, they bowed respectfully. Viktor nodded and walked into the mansion. Although it was the middle of the night, Viktor didn''t feel sleepy at all. He played with the round shield in his hand, like a child who had just gotten a new toy and wanted to try out its effect. He welcomed any method that could make him stronger. Thinking about it, he remembered Helnerson. This powerful bear-man warrior would be more than sufficient as Viktor''s sparring partner. Sufficient to the point where he might even kill Viktor with one punch. Realizing this, Viktor promptly cancelled the idea of using Helnerson as a sparring partner. Indeed, lacking in stats could be compensated for with skill, but skill wasn''t omnipotent. When the stat difference was so high that you couldn''t even break through the opponent''s defense, No amount of skill would be of any use. Helnerson wasn''t a suitable sparring partner. So, who else could practice close combat with him? Suddenly, a silver figure flashed through his mind. He opened his mouth, murmuring her name. "Gwen Delin." Chapter 65: Viktor, Youre Such a Beast The sky began to lighten, and the sun rose as usual. Lia returned home yawning, and the family knight at the door opened it for her. Dealing with matters all night had made her somewhat drowsy, but she couldn''t sleep yet. Tired, she walked to Viktor''s room and pushed the door open without hesitation. "Viktor, I have something to..." However, the room was empty. She couldn''t even see Viktor''s shadow. This puzzled Lia. What''s going on? Did Viktor leave her behind and return by himself? Closing the door with confusion, Lia suddenly thought of a possibility. ... Hurrying to the training ground, Lia saw Viktor repeatedly swinging his sword with the same motion. "..." She remembered that not long ago, he used to enjoy reading books. "When did you start practicing swordsmanship? Who taught you?" Lia looked at Viktor suspiciously, then added in disbelief: "It couldn''t be Gwen, could it?" Viktor didn''t even look at her, nor did he respond. He simply put the sword back on the wall. Vega took this opportunity to fly onto his shoulder and perch there. Lia, however, took this as confirmation and was bewildered. When did these two become close enough to practice swordsmanship together? Besides, wasn''t Viktor a mage? Was he really planning to change his class? "How did it go?" Viktor''s voice sounded, and Lia finally remembered the main issue. She spread her hands and shook her head helplessly. "Sigh, he confessed everything." How to put it... it was a bit boring. Perhaps the shadow Viktor cast on him was too severe; Lia hadn''t even used half of the methods she had prepared. Chur just took one look at that red potion used for recovery and spilled everything. "Simply put, the kingdom got scared." Lia began to recount Chur''s confession. In fact, the kingdom had been paying attention to Viktor for a long time. When Viktor became a third-tier mage at the age of twenty, the kingdom was already considering whether to secretly eliminate such a potentially threatening existence. But Viktor was a strange person. He was so odd that he never communicated with any nobles, always did things his own way, and equally looked down on every noble. This led to his extremely poor reputation, to the point where he was despised by everyone. So the kingdom believed Viktor posed no threat, and if necessary, they might even be able to recruit him. It was in the first half of this year that the kingdom found an opportunity and sent Chur to secretly infiltrate the Kravina family as a grain merchant. They sought to find an opportunity, preferably to cause a direct conflict between Viktor and the empire''s upper echelons. "The result was you inexplicably acting up, going to confess to the Duke''s daughter at her banquet." At this point, Lia glanced at Viktor disdainfully and mocked: "Not even knowing you had a fiance." Viktor remained silent. He knew that if he responded, Lia would use more words to shut him up. Soon, Lia continued. It was this incident that made the kingdom see an opportunity. They set about using this incident to try to create hostility between the Duke and Viktor, forcing the Kravina family to split from the empire. Unfortunately, the kingdom didn''t anticipate that the Duke was a daughter-doting father. Ever since the volcano incident, Erica''s admiration for Viktor had grown to an extreme. Even if the Duke wanted to, he couldn''t antagonize Viktor because of his daughter. Then, while the kingdom was still looking for an opportunity to approach Viktor, The demon arrived. Viktor demonstrated his powerful fourth-tier strength, beating the demon. The royal family learned of this, and Viktor gained their favor. The youngest fourth-tier mage had finally become an enemy of the kingdom. "The kingdom didn''t expect that you had been hiding your strength for these nine years, suddenly becoming a fourth-tier mage. This threw the kingdom''s decision-making into error." Lia shook her head and sighed. She also hadn''t anticipated Viktor''s hidden strength. "The radical faction in the kingdom believed your existence had already become a threat. You''re too young; if not quickly eliminated, they feared you might become the ultimate threat to the kingdom''s downfall by the empire in the future." "So they provided Chur with the magic-suppressing stone and left loopholes in our territory''s finances. Their goal was to lure you and me there and forcibly eliminate us." "Even if the mission failed, Chur could commit suicide by poison, allowing the kingdom to easily escape responsibility." At this point, Lia sneered. Who could have imagined that Viktor would possess such miraculous little potion bottles? Poison? Even poison couldn''t take your life! "I guess Chur thought he had it in the bag at that time, but who could have imagined?" This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Lia looked at Viktor, covering her mouth as she laughed. "You turned out to be a mage who can engage in close combat." Even battle mages who train their bodies and use magical items simultaneously wouldn''t choose to engage in close combat with warriors. Yet Viktor, a traditional mage, not only dared to do so, but he actually won! It was truly... too dreamlike. Viktor didn''t respond because he could see that Lia still had more to say. After she finished laughing, she raised her alluring eyes to look at Viktor. "Actually, Chur''s infiltration into our territory is also related to you." Viktor furrowed his brows, somewhat puzzled. Related to him? "Do you remember that grain merchant from before? His name was Parson." Lia looked up at Viktor''s expression, which was exactly as she had expected - completely indifferent. As if he had no recollection at all. "I knew it. How could our mage lord remember such an insignificant person?" Lia clicked her tongue twice and spread her hands. "Parson had a wife. They lived in Lambado, but Parson was away from home for nearly half the year." Lambado was a village under the Kravina domain. "Our mage lord, at some unknown time, had a whim to inspect the territory." "As a result, he was offended by Parson''s wife." "Just because you accidentally bumped into her when getting off the carriage." Lia''s voice was somewhat cold. The story that followed was quite outrageous. Parson''s wife apologized fearfully, but Viktor didn''t accept it. With a casual remark, he sent this pregnant woman to work in the mines. Such intense labor was naturally unbearable for a pregnant woman. "During work, the woman miscarried and was on the brink of death." "Although she was later discovered and saved, she was left with lasting health issues and could no longer bear children." Lia narrated the past events, and Viktor listened silently. Although these were things the former Viktor had done. The grain merchant returned home to find his once beautiful wife no longer smiling. So he resigned from this job that could have supported him for a lifetime, and driven by revenge, he made contact with the kingdom''s soldiers, namely Chur. "Parson used his established connections in the territory to forge an identity for Chur and introduced him here." What happened after that doesn''t need to be retold. After hearing the whole story, Viktor remained silent. In summary, all of this was the former Viktor''s own doing. Strictly speaking, the former Viktor was truly a detestable existence. He disregarded the lives of every commoner and noble alike, and in his heart, there was only himself. No one could enter his heart; he equally despised everyone. Except for himself, everyone else was just a speck of dust and an insect in the world. Among the nobles, his reputation was extremely poor. When others became third-tier mages, although they might be envied, they would also receive sincere congratulations from friends. Only Viktor - expecting nobles to greet him? They''d be doing well not to spit on him. Even among players, Viktor''s reputation was nothing but looks and strength, with no other redeeming qualities. So he had no friends, and even his only relative eventually ended up on the opposite side. In the future, there was a plot about Viktor that was recorded and passed down among players. A fallen noble, with no one to help him, wandering the streets. Viktor saw him and said, if you exchange your most precious possession with me, I will help you regain everything you once had. The noble, hearing Viktor''s words, gave him his most precious family heirloom. As a result, Viktor took the heirloom but then told him: "You violated our deal. The most precious possession is never your material belongings." He forcibly took the fallen noble''s family into his mansion, sent them to work in the territory, and told them that their family member had sold them, left the empire, and gone to another country to live a life of luxury as a rich man. This poor noble was eventually exiled by Viktor, and from then on, players never saw his trace again. To this day, he still remembered Viktor''s famous saying: "Why weren''t your family members your most precious possession?" Many players tried to dig deeper meaning from Viktor''s words, but the game developers never wrote about the past of these in-game NPCs. However, Viktor''s despicable actions were enough to be remembered for a lifetime. Lia was still talking. "There''s something I didn''t tell you before. Our item shop was vandalized on the day it opened." "And I suddenly remembered, just a few days before that, you gave me this." Lia raised her hand, the crystal gem on her fingerless glove particularly dazzling in the sunlight. Viktor listened silently as Lia continued: "I was quite curious before, because during that time, the only one who had a grudge against you was the Duke." "But when I sent people to catch those who vandalized the shop and questioned them thoroughly, I found out it wasn''t like that at all." "Now it seems that grain merchant had been prepared for a long time." Lia''s voice was somewhat cold. After Viktor gave her the Mage''s Hand, she had only used it once when the merchant convoy was attacked. Only the people in the convoy at that time saw her use magic. But when she went to catch Chur today, Chur used a magic-suppressing stone on her. He even thought she was a second-tier mage. From the very beginning, when the convoy was attacked, the kingdom''s people had set their sights on Viktor through Parson. Everything was connected. She naturally knew her brother''s reputation was poor, but she didn''t expect even the people from the neighboring kingdom had their eyes on him. His talent made the neighboring kingdom feel threatened. At this moment, she heard Viktor suddenly say: "Go send some consolation money to that grain merchant''s wife." Lia was stunned. She looked up at Viktor, not quite understanding his meaning. Consolation money had two meanings, one for injury compensation, and the other for... "Then, find that grain merchant and bury him." Viktor''s expression didn''t change; he just spoke plainly. But in his indifferent tone, there was full of cruelty. Lia paused slightly. For a moment, she felt as if the former Viktor, the one everyone disliked, had returned. But he didn''t go to extremes, which made Lia slightly understand that he was still the current Viktor. This Viktor that she didn''t quite dislike. However, she still asked: "Why do this? You deserved what happened to you." Viktor narrowed his eyes, as if the newly risen sun was a bit dazzling. But his emotionless voice still sounded as usual. "When he prepared to kill you, this person could only be sentenced to death." Lia was stunned and took two small steps back. She lowered her head, not wanting Viktor to see her current expression. Her voice remained as normal as ever: "You think I don''t hold grudges?" "Don''t worry, I''ve already sent people to do it." Viktor nodded. He hadn''t noticed Lia''s current state and just continued speaking indifferently: "So, are you going back?" "...You go back first. I have some things to deal with, and I also need to find a new grain merchant. Sigh, so many things are pressing on me." "I''ll be back in the capital in a few days. Remember to have the servants clean my room every day." Viktor nodded, left a "Take care," and the hidden teleportation array under his feet instantly rose. Under the sweep of the air currents, his body turned into a blue light and disappeared. As the last drop of indigo light dissipated, Lia still stood there motionlessly, head lowered, as if trying hard to control something. Viktor was gone, and no one could see the emotions on her face anymore. She finally didn''t have to hold back, as if the dam of her emotions had been opened. A tear rolled down Lia''s cheek, through the dry air, falling to the ground, splashing dust. After the silence, only a self-talking voice sounded: "Lia." "You''re really useless." Chapter 66: Hehe… Professor, Hehe… Capital City, Kravina Mansion, Training Ground. It was already early morning. A blue light slowly descended on the training ground, accompanied by the gradual brightening of the magic array. Viktor stood up from within the array. He looked around at the familiar scene. The maids had already started their work early, and seeing Viktor appear on the training ground, they all nodded respectfully from afar. Viktor acknowledged each one in return. No one knew that Viktor had been gone all night. After Viktor left, several maids gathered together, secretly discussing: "Don''t you think the master is so handsome and young?" "Yes, yes, and the master''s skin is really good too." They chattered away, their faces inevitably flushing red. "And Viktor is now a Count!" "I think that was yesterday''s news, I just heard about it too!" Everyone cared about Viktor''s promotion, and even these maids felt proud to be serving in a Count''s household. The status of a Count was quite different from that of a Viscount. Now Viktor could even recruit his own private army. Although there were some in the Kravina territory, those were mainly for protecting the safety of the domain. Viktor now had the right to recruit a group of family knights directly at his mansion in the capital. If he wasn''t worried about affecting Helnason''s work, he would have brought Helnason to the capital. Such a powerful subordinate would make anyone envious. But there were many things in the territory that needed Helnason, after all, he was the steward of Kravina. Coming to manage this small patch in the capital would be beneath him. Vega yawned on Viktor''s shoulder, it hadn''t slept all night either and was very tired. "I say, where did that inexplicable combat experience of yours come from?" Vega knew that the soul in Viktor''s body had changed, but his familiarity with spells made him always believe that Viktor must have been an incredibly powerful mage in his previous life. As a result, Viktor once again broke his guess. How could he explain this exquisite close combat skill? Viktor didn''t respond to Vega. If conditions allowed, he could even demonstrate to Vega how to play all classes. Viktor walked to the door, where a waiting maid, seeing him, hurriedly came forward and respectfully presented a letter with both hands: "Master, your letter." The letter had obvious magical energy. Viktor glanced at it, took the letter, and nodded. He took the letter back to his study first, closed the door, and only then carefully read it. The complexity of this magic and its power level were both very sophisticated. Even if an ordinary third-tier mage could solve the puzzle of this magic, without enough magical power, they wouldn''t be able to open this letter. This was a magical puzzle set by a genuine fourth-tier old mage. "Vega." Hearing Viktor call him, Vega rolled his eyes. "Really, don''t you know I''m very tired?" Despite complaining, Vega still pointed out the flaws in the letter for Viktor. "See this rune? Yes, it''s missing some fragments, complete it." "And this line, the direction and path are completely wrong, change it." "And here..." Under Vega''s repeated guidance, this difficult magical puzzle was quickly solved. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. When Viktor inserted the last rune, the letter lit up with a blue fluorescence. Correspondingly, Viktor''s magical power suddenly dropped by more than half. It almost drained him completely. Viktor didn''t pay much attention to this and opened the letter, taking out a white paper from inside. He examined it back and forth, but there was nothing written on it. When Viktor was about to activate it with magic, a virtual image appeared from the white paper and spoke: "I''m truly surprised, Lord Viktor, your magical attainment impresses me immensely." "This magical puzzle was jointly set by many fourth-tier mages of the council. You''ve proven that your strength is well-deserved." Despite saying this, there was an almost imperceptible shock in the virtual mage''s tone. They could imagine Viktor solving this magical puzzle, but they definitely couldn''t have imagined Viktor solving it in less than five minutes. According to their expectations, even if Rachel Azure came, it would take half a day to work on this problem. "Enough." Viktor listened to the other''s compliments and interrupted him in advance, saying coldly: "Get to the point." The mage in the virtual image was suddenly embarrassed, perhaps not expecting Viktor to be so impolite. He coughed lightly twice. No wonder many people said Viktor had a bad reputation. The old mage in the virtual image slowly opened his mouth and explained his purpose: "I''m here on behalf of the Mage Council to invite you, Lord Viktor, to join us." "As a fourth-tier mage, you deserve our personal invitation." Viktor''s fingers tapped on the table, completely ignoring the other''s invitation, and asked indifferently: "What are the benefits?" "Naturally, you will receive any benefits equal to those of a fourth-tier mage." The virtual image smiled in response, but received a cold laugh from Viktor. "Empty promises." The other side seemed a bit embarrassed, not knowing how to respond for a moment. Then Viktor put forward his own requirements: "I want access to the magic library." The virtual image clearly paused for a moment, as if shocked by Viktor''s unexpected words. He felt extremely curious. Why would Viktor know about the existence of the magic library? However, Viktor''s demands were just the beginning. "I want a staff made from a unicorn''s horn, a fourth-tier magic dragon''s tail, and a hundred-year-old locust tree branch." "Fourth-tier golden jade dragon scales, a robe made from ominous spider web and magic stone powder." ... The mage was speechless upon hearing Viktor''s demands. All these equipments were top-grade treasures. Not only were they expensive, but the materials were also difficult to obtain. Dragon species weren''t common goods. Although the virtual image had no face, Viktor could still see the other''s confusion and difficulty in his pause. "Lord Viktor, forgive me for saying, but these things you want..." "If you don''t agree, then I have no need to join the Mage Council." After saying this, Viktor ignited a flame in his hand. The virtual mage felt surprised, he stared at the flame in Viktor''s hand and continued to speak. "This letter has been specially treated, ordinary flames cannot burn it..." But soon, Viktor showed him what a surprise really was. One side of the letter suddenly caught fire, gradually spreading upwards. Seeing the letter ignite with what seemed to be intense flames, the virtual mage was stunned. He could only stare blankly, listening to Viktor''s voice fall again: "One day''s time, give me an answer." "Remember, my demands remain the same." Soon, the letter was completely burned to ashes, and the virtual image''s voice abruptly stopped. After the annoying voice disappeared, Viktor sat calmly in his chair. Vega, seeing him so relaxed, asked the question in its heart. "What kind of place is the City of Mages?" This name, it had first heard in Rachel''s sea of knowledge. At that time, it had intended to ask about it, always feeling that place seemed to be very interesting. Hearing Vega''s words, Viktor recalled his memories. The City of Mages, also known as ''The Sky City Endymion'' This was the paradise that all mage players dreamed of going to. There was a huge magic library there, with an unknown area, but the labyrinth-like library was filled with all kinds of magic. Only mage players with enough contribution points could learn truly powerful spells there that ordinary mages couldn''t access. Even magic above the fifth tier had a chance to be learned. Endymion didn''t belong to any country. It was a mage''s land independent of all countries. Here, one could see powerful mages from various places, various races, and various ages. Any mage who could enter the City of Mages might be one of the best somewhere. Of course, although there was no state control, Endymion had clear legal regulations. If you only followed the law and ignored morality, you could still live well in Endymion. But when you left Endymion, that was another story. It wasn''t uncommon for such disgusting scum to be collectively erased by mages. Therefore, Endymion was also known as the final place of morality. By the way, only mages above the third tier could enter the City of Mages, and they needed to be recognized by the Mage Council. The former Viktor, although strong enough, had such a bad reputation that he couldn''t get in. But now... The public achievement of defeating a demon was enough for the Mage Council to ignore his morality and actively invite him. As for his demands, would they agree? They certainly would, these old mages wouldn''t miss out on a young and powerful new blood. After the recollection, Viktor briefly explained to Vega. "It''s a city floating in the air." Vega''s eyes lit up, it sounded very interesting. But it was very sleepy now, Vega yawned, just wanting to sleep. Feeling that it could hardly lift its eyelids, it weakly complained to Viktor: "I''m serious, do you know how important it is for a crow to get supplementary sleep?" Viktor gave Vega an extra look and lightly mocked: "The great evil god finally admits its species is a crow?" Vega didn''t want to respond to him, flying to his shoulder, apparently ready to fall asleep directly. Seeing this, Viktor slowly stood up and took out his pocket watch. It was still early, indeed time to catch up on some sleep. He slowly walked towards his room, passing by Henie''s room, Viktor even took a special look. His eyes flashed with a yellow light, Viktor didn''t sense any biological presence in Henie''s room. "Already awake?" He didn''t pay much more attention and went straight back to his own room with Vega. Viktor''s room was very large, so large that an ordinary person living alone in such a spacious room might feel scared at night. Some plants climbed onto the ground, yet there was still a large space. Vega saw the perch it had been longing for, quickly flew up, and started to doze off. But just before falling asleep, it suddenly sensed something, looked at Viktor''s bed, and the whole bird became alert. Its eyes were full of mischief as it said to Viktor: "Why aren''t you sleeping, Viktor?" Viktor was silent for a moment, he looked at the bulge in the blanket on his bed, reached out his hand, and tugged at the blanket. A soft succubus rolled out from under the blanket, still sweetly asleep. Occasionally, she would mumble in her sleep. "Mmm... Viktor... Professor... Hehe." Chapter 67: Report, I Want to Be... Ahem "Henie?" Viktor stood by the bed, casually tossing the blanket in his hand to the floor, staring at Henie for a good while. Only then did Henie stretch lazily, rubbing her eyes and mumbling groggily. She opened her slightly blurry eyes and saw Viktor standing by the bed, but showed no signs of alarm. Instead, she grinned at Viktor with a silly smile, squinting her eyes, and crawled onto Viktor, hanging on him like a koala, continuing to sleep. Viktor: "..." Viktor felt his sanity was about to collapse. Vega, perched on its stand, watched the two of them, chirping with laughter. Sensing Viktor''s cold gaze, Vega stopped laughing, flapped its wings, and flew out. Before leaving, it didn''t forget to add: "Well then, I won''t disturb your lovely time." After leaving, it even remembered to close the door. "..." Although he didn''t know what unhealthy thoughts this damned crow was having. The current situation made Viktor somewhat afraid to move. Henie was wearing only a thin nightgown, revealing large patches of pristine skin, a sudden burst of allure, incredibly tempting. He tried to remove Henie from his body but didn''t know where to start. The problem was significant; the seductive aura unique to succubi reached Viktor''s nose, teasing him. No matter how you look at it, Viktor was only human. Under the provocation of this seductive aura, he breathed heavily, almost unable to calm down. He leaned down, placing Henie, who was hanging on him, onto the bed. If someone were to see this posture, it would appear as if Viktor was pressing down on Henie. As if the next second, some kind of unmentionable act would occur. But after doing all this, Viktor just softly called out the girl''s name. "Henie." As if by some magic, hearing someone call her name, Henie blinked groggily. This time, she truly woke up. She opened her eyes and immediately saw Viktor in front of her. "Eh!? Professor?" Her face turned as red as a ripe apple, and she couldn''t help but cry out: "What''s going on here!" Despite her words, she made no move to let go of Viktor. Perhaps because Viktor''s appearance was too sudden, she forgot that she was clinging to Viktor like an octopus. Viktor''s face was terrifyingly gloomy as he calmly said to Henie: "This is my room." "Ah!" ... Henie zipped under the covers in a flash, hiding in the corner of the bed, shivering, with only her head peeking out. Whether out of fear or confusion, she kept apologizing to Viktor. "I''m sorry! I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry!" "I don''t know why I fell asleep in your room, I originally came to report something to you..." She stole a glance at Viktor sitting in the chair, her cheeks flushed. She had thought she was dreaming about Professor Viktor, but it turns out that wasn''t a dream just now... Although her heart was filled with a sense of happiness, Henie was still a bit afraid that Professor Viktor might be angry because of this. It seemed that Professor Viktor''s expression wasn''t very good. "So, you planned to come find me dressed like this?" At this, Henie was so frightened that she quickly tucked her head under the covers too, not daring to look at Viktor, repeatedly saying "I''m sorry" from under there. "When I wake up too early, I get a bit confused, so... I forgot to put on my outer clothes..." Henie''s voice grew smaller and smaller, finally becoming as faint as a mosquito buzzing in the air, barely audible. Listening to her explanation, Viktor''s face remained dark. Succubi were truly dangerous creatures. He had almost lost control earlier. Succubi possess a unique charm and sweet aura, which they use to attract men. After gaining magical power, her succubus traits were constantly revealing themselves. Perhaps Henie herself didn''t know she had such abilities, but it was like a succubus''s instinct. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Even unconscious behaviors, the seduction unique to succubi would still affect Viktor. Paired with her thin nightgown, it was enough to make one feel lightheaded. Viktor had to use [Self-Suggestion] three times in a row before he could calm down a bit. In the game, he had seen succubi before, and even personally killed several. But in the game, when succubi cast charm on players, it would only give players a 50% damage reduction debuff. After all, players in the game couldn''t even take off their underwear, so naturally, there wouldn''t be any other effects that would make one''s blood boil. But now, Viktor was a human with feelings. He had to lecture Henie more, at least to prevent her from continuing like this. Otherwise, he might really do something against the girl''s will. Helplessly, Viktor''s words could only contain more intimidation. "Remember, no one can endure you forever, Henie." "If there''s a next time, I''m not sure if I can refrain from doing something inappropriate." "..." Hearing these words, Henie suddenly poked her head out, looking at Viktor carefully. "...Really?" Her tone seemed to carry a hint of anticipation. Viktor: "?" Wait, this isn''t right, is it? "If it''s Professor... I, I can..." "..." Henie looked at Viktor somewhat shyly, the blanket seemingly unconsciously slipping down to reveal her pristine shoulders, her eyes alluring. Viktor closed his eyes. This is impossible to suppress. A pure and beautiful girl, with eyes full of you, is truly hard to refuse. But... He reopened his eyes, stood up, his gaze returning to complete clarity. "Henie." "Um... yes?" She looked up at Viktor like a panicked little deer, seemingly a bit flustered, yet with a hint of expectation. "At least for now, I won''t accept you." "..." As the words fell, the light in Henie''s eyes gradually dimmed a bit. Although Henie had always known. She had never had any expectations. She clearly knew the gap between herself and the professor, so she only needed to secretly like him. Henie liked the professor, but she wouldn''t let the professor be troubled because of her. Even if she just secretly liked him like this, liked him for a lifetime. Even she herself wouldn''t know. Since when could a succubus be so faithful? Wait a minute? Henie''s eyes regained some light. Didn''t Professor Viktor just say, At least for now? She looked up at Viktor somewhat disbelievingly, but could only see his usual indifference. "You''re very weak, you can''t even be called a mage right now." "At least reach a level where you can barely keep up with me." She stared blankly at Viktor, but the next second, a black robe fell on her face, burying her. With her vision completely blocked, Henie could no longer see Viktor''s figure. She wanted to pull the robe away, but only heard Viktor''s voice: "Put on your clothes properly, don''t forget you still have something to report to me." After leaving these words, there was only the sound of a door opening and closing. When Henie managed to pull the robe away, Viktor had already left the room. But a sense of happiness intertwined in Henie''s heart, her memory seemingly still retaining Viktor''s words. "Catch up to... Professor Viktor?" As the most renowned genius mage, Viktor had already reached the fourth tier level at a young age. Could she do it... However, after the intertwining of happiness, the magic power inside her began to surge like seawater. This gradually strengthening magic power seemed to prove something to Henie. Catching up to Viktor was not an impossible task. Henie hugged the robe, cheering herself on. In fact, Viktor didn''t know that succubi had another major characteristic that players would never discover. That is, once a succubus has set her sights on someone, she will never give up. She will always chase this target, catch him, and never let go even in death. Until this body withers away. "I can definitely do it, definitely!" ... When Viktor walked out the door, the crow was dozing off on the handrail at the top of the stairs. Viktor said nothing, walking up to Vega. He grabbed its neck in one swift motion. The crow woke up instantly, its one eye bulging as if suffocating! "Let go, Viktor! Let go! Are you trying to suffocate me... Just kidding~" Vega revealed a teasing look, easily breaking free from Viktor''s grasp. It flew to Viktor''s shoulder, somewhat disgruntled as it preened its feathersit said its feathers were very beautiful. Well, it''s hard to understand a crow''s aesthetics. Soon, after tidying its feathers, Vega mocked Viktor in a very annoying tone: "What''s the matter, our great Viktor finished so quickly?" "Even without counting the time to undress, you only took five minutes, isn''t that a bit...?" Vega looked Viktor up and down, its eyes full of mockery. "Sometimes I really want to tear that bird beak of yours apart." Viktor calmly responded to Vega, walking straight towards the study. Hearing this, Vega didn''t shut its beak. Instead, it laughed even more uncontrollably, holding its stomach with both wings and chirping with laughter. "No way, between being a beast and being less than a beast, you actually chose the latter?" "Are you perhaps... not up to it?" Viktor still ignored it, continuing to walk on his own. Vega got more and more excited as it spoke, giggling towards the end. "Hey, she''s a succubus, you know. There will always be a day when she can''t hold on anymore." "You can''t believe that a succubus will never... right?" Viktor stopped in his tracks and looked down at Vega. "Since she is Henie, she will only obey my orders." "A succubus that''s too weak cannot withstand the magic power of a fourth-tier mage. Acting on impulse would only harm her." "So, she needs to become stronger." Vega listened, somewhat bewildered. Soon, it understood Viktor''s meaning, and a dense cunning appeared in its eyes. "You can even utilize the admiration of those close to you. Should I say you''re cold-hearted or praise you for your foresight?" Viktor no longer paid attention to it, leaving only Vega''s voice echoing in his ears: "I hope that when the time comes, you won''t include me in your schemes as well." Chapter 68: If Youre Not Here for a Date, Dont Look for Her Viktor sat quietly in the study when he heard a knock on the door. A gentle breeze passed by, and the study door opened automatically. Henie stood at the doorway, cautiously walking into the study. She approached Viktor with her head lowered, like a child who had done something wrong, not daring to face Viktor directly. She could only occasionally raise her gaze to steal a glance at him. Viktor''s gaze freely examined Henie. A black robe covered her body, also concealing Henie''s succubus allure. Who could have imagined that this usually unremarkable girl had such high specifications? Henie should be the most well-endowed that Viktor had seen so far. Viktor shook his head, moving his gaze away from Henie, and spoke: "What''s the matter?" Henie, with her head lowered, reported to him in a faint voice: "Some families want to cooperate with you." "Cooperate?" Viktor was a bit confused, not quite understanding what Henie was saying. Seeing this, Henie explained: "Last night, many nobles sent messages to your item shop, mostly wanting to discuss cooperation regarding the magic potions." Viktor tapped his fingers on the desk. As expected, people had started to pay attention to this aspect? Although the price of magic potions was very expensive, the effect was equally remarkable. Mages who truly needed them generally wouldn''t lack money to purchase these powerful items. Some people were planning to get a piece of the pie? Viktor had always been unclear about the item shop''s affairs because Lia was in charge of handling them. As for Henie... Viktor remembered that after she woke up, she kept telling Lia how embarrassed she was to be taken care of like this, saying she wanted to help out around the house. Afterwards, Lia seemed to have taken Henie under her wing, letting her temporarily be her little assistant. Originally, Henie''s job at the academy was a teaching assistant, so she could also double as an assistant here. It just so happened that yesterday, while he and Lia went to attend the banquet, Henie stayed at the item shop for a day. But things weren''t quite as Viktor had imagined. Henie continued: "They want me to ask if you have more stock of your magic potions." "Oh?" Viktor was puzzled and gestured for Henie to continue: "They said they hope you can let them purchase these magic potions in bulk. They will buy at a price 100 geos higher than the cost price." "Then they will sell your magic potions in their family shops and other cities, sharing the profit at the original cost price with you at a 30-70 split, with 70% being yours." Viktor pondered, These families, wanting to do charity now? Actually, after calculating the returns, these families weren''t exactly being charitable. Even if the profit was only 100, they would still make money. But this didn''t account for miscellaneous expenses like shop management and manual transportation. For Viktor, who knew the truth, these people were just coming to give him money. These people had somehow heard rumors that the actual cost of these magic potions was only 300 geos. Viktor thought this might be information deliberately spread by Lia. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And the real cost? Just some fruit worth less than a few coins. Even if Lia sold them at what they believed to be the cost price, and then set a standard price of 1000 geos for other shops to sell, the 700 profit gained would still be a huge sum. And 70% of that 700 geos would go to Viktor. Their bulk purchase price was even higher than the cost price. They would earn even less. It sounded good, but... Viktor narrowed his eyes. Having dealt with players a lot, Viktor always understood clearly. When making deals, always approach with malicious intent to scrutinize the trader. After all, you never know what traps might be behind the sweetness offered by the other party. Indeed, some people might want to curry favor with Viktor, after all, he was now the princess''s teacher, rising in rank and favor, even the second prince had to please him. He was clearly at the peak of his career. But... If the deal content was as Henie said, after they get the goods, they only need to give Viktor 70% of the sales profit. They could choose to hoard the goods without selling. As long as they don''t sell, they don''t need to send money to Viktor. So, these people could buy large quantities of magic potions that originally cost 1000 geos from Viktor at what they believe to be the cost price, but instead of selling, they hoard them or use them themselves. This not only breaks the market price of the potions but also breaks the Clayvenna family''s sales rules. One person, two bottles per day. Viktor wouldn''t mind making more money, after all, he was very short on cash, but he wouldn''t fall for such an obvious trap. These old hands were just trying to take advantage of Henie''s lack of understanding in these matters. Viktor glanced at Henie. The little succubus was indeed amazing in magical knowledge, but she was clearly clueless about these business matters. "Put this matter on hold for now, we''ll deal with it when Lia returns." Let the professionals handle professional matters. He believed that if these guys really intended to dig a pit for their family business, Lia would definitely be able to tear a layer of skin off these nobles. "As for you." Viktor stood up and walked straight towards Henie. Henie thought she had done something wrong and hurriedly lowered her head, biting her lip, seeming almost unable to stand steady. "Eep." Viktor reached out a hand and patted Henie''s head. Henie was stunned, a sense of happiness welling up in her heart, raising her head to look at Viktor in a daze. Viktor''s face was expressionless as he spoke flatly. "Go work at the item shop later, you just need to focus on selling goods." "Don''t delay your progress in learning magic." Henie nodded repeatedly, listening to Viktor''s instructions made her feel incredibly happy. A warm current once again rose from her heart, rushing to her head. "I will definitely catch up to you, Professor! When that time comes, I will! I will..." Towards the end, Henie seemed to think of something, her face turning bright red like a steam engine, unable to squeeze out another word. No one knew what this shy succubus was thinking in her head. Viktor withdrew his hand and walked towards the door, Vega flapping its wings to land on his shoulder. Before leaving, Viktor said to Henie, who was still in a daze and blushing behind him. "Remember to close the door." Henie came back to her senses, but Viktor had already left the mansion. She felt a bit gloomy and lost, but for the first time felt that her life had a goal. Henie placed her palm on her chest, murmuring softly. "I need to become more powerful!" ...... Viktor sat in the speeding carriage, passing over the dusty path, heading straight for a luxurious courtyard mansion The Delin Mansion. Viktor got off the carriage, and the servants at the entrance of the mansion bowed slightly upon seeing Viktor: "Mr. Viktor, please wait a moment, I''ll inform Miss Gwen right away." Since the Demon War affair had ended, Gwen had been at home on vacation these past few days, resting and recuperating. Viktor nodded to them and continued to wait, leaning against the carriage. Creak As the main door opened, a woman walked out. Her purple long hair first caught Viktor''s eyes, and as he looked at her face, Viktor frowned slightly. The person who came out was not Gwen, but her sister. Kevla. "Yahoo~ If it isn''t Viktor." Kevla squinted her eyes and smiled lightly, raising one hand in a claw-like gesture and scratching at the air. A very peculiar way of greeting. At this moment, looking at Kevla who was greeting him so energetically, Viktor felt a sense of dj vu. After all, this character who had never appeared in the game before had survived. If players were to really appear in the future, then how would Gwen''s elder sister join the plot, and in what capacity? Viktor wasn''t sure, he hadn''t considered these things before. After all, his primary goal was still to ''survive''. To survive, Viktor needed to become stronger, even stronger. If he still couldn''t avoid the death ending, then he would become even more powerful, powerful enough to... Ignore everyone. His momentary daze was mistaken by Kevla as ignoring her. Kevla blinked, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance. "What? You''re not happy that your sister-in-law came to greet you? You only want Gwen to come out and welcome you, right?" Coming back to his senses, Viktor nodded, not giving Kevla any face at all. "Yes." Kevla: "..." She shrugged her shoulders, feeling quite helpless. Faced with this poker-faced brother-in-law, she really had nothing to say. Forget it, don''t get angry, after all, he did save her life. Although she also paid for it. But in Kevla''s heart, life was always greater than money. When she was near death, if it weren''t for the priceless recovery potions Viktor brought, she might not be standing here talking to Viktor now. Just this point alone was enough to improve her impression of Viktor. Kevla let out a breath, calming her emotions, and folded her arms across her chest. "So? What business do you have with little Gwen?" "I''ll tell you upfront, if you''re not here to date her, then don''t bother her, she''s very busy." Gwen, who was wiping sweat with a towel and carrying a knight''s longsword, walked out looking puzzled. "Sister? Who are you talking to... Viktor!?" Viktor looked down at Kevla, his eyes carrying a hint of mocking ridicule. "Is this what you call very busy?" Kevla covered her face with one hand, not wanting to face Viktor. At this moment, she absolutely didn''t want to see her stupid sister who had just slapped her own face. Gwen, who had arrived at the entrance, saw Viktor and her tone became somewhat displeased: "Why are you here?" Hearing her tone, Viktor cupped his chin, thinking about his previous actions, wondering if he had offended her somehow, but after much thought, he still couldn''t understand. So Viktor decided to get straight to the point. He looked at the knight''s silver sword in Gwen''s hand, thought for a moment, and said in a tone very familiar to Gwen. "...Want to practice?" Chapter 69: You, a Mage, Fighting a Knight in Close Combat? Vega stood on a nearby pole, witnessing a mage and a knight drawing swords, preparing for close combat. Gwen wore standard protective gear covering various parts of her body. In contrast, Viktor was wrapped in armor beneath his coat, effectively packaged like a knight. These were forcibly put on Viktor by Gwen. Although Viktor had always emphasized that his coat provided sufficient defense, Gwen never believed it. What defense could this shabby coat offer? Apart from looking cool, it was useless. Viktor admitted he liked hearing that. So, at Gwen''s insistence, he finally agreed to wear the protective gear. As he fastened the helmet, Viktor stood there, holding a long sword, wearing armor with his coat over it, creating a rather incongruous image. Kevra sat not far from the training ground, watching everything with a puzzled expression. She had come to observe the match and, if necessary, to rescue Viktor if Gwen got too rough. However, she was still confused. What were these two up to? When she heard Viktor suddenly wanted to practice with Gwen, Kevra thought he had finally come to his senses and knew to maintain their relationship. But Viktor made an unexpected requestno magic, just pure close combat practice. Kevra was dumbfounded. Wait, you''re a mage wanting to fight a knight in close combat? She was about to tug at Gwen''s clothes, intending to secretly ask her to refuse. After all, she knew Gwen''s nature; once the fight started, she would definitely take it seriously. It wasn''t so much about getting hurt, but more about Viktor losing face if he lost. That would affect their marital relationship, which wouldn''t be good. But Gwen accepted as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Kevra stood at a distance, utterly bewildered, watching the two on the training ground. ''I hope my brother-in-law won''t be beaten too badly,'' Kevra silently prayed, hoping their relationship wouldn''t be damaged. "Little Gwen, go easy on Viktor when necessary." Gwen asked, "Are you ready?" Viktor, holding the sword with one hand, nodded. Although Gwen didn''t understand why Viktor was holding the sword with one hand, she had seen him handle her sword before. He had casually played with her silver sword. This indicated that Viktor must have practiced, and if she underestimated him, she might actually be in for a surprise. Combined with that inexplicable irritation in her heart that made her want to beat Viktor, Gwen went all out from the start! Gwen charged forward fiercely, swinging her sword, like a ferocious beast howling as it approached. Viktor instinctively raised his sword to block. Clang! Viktor''s movement was very smooth, successfully blocking Gwen''s first attack, but the powerful force still pushed him back several steps. He felt his sword arm go numb and couldn''t help but grumble internally. ''This strength, it''s really something.'' Although the current Gwen was far from her future strength, she was still a battle-hardened knight. As the battle triggered, Gwen''s level and health bar lit up. Level 31. Converted, this meant she was a knight who had just entered the third-tier realm. ''About the same level as Chur,'' Viktor thought, probing Gwen''s strength. But Gwen was naturally stronger than Chur, both in strength and technique. Viktor tested Gwen''s abilities, silently contemplating. Kevra on the side covered her eyes, not daring to look. She didn''t want to see her little brother-in-law knocked down by Gwen in one move; that would be too embarrassing. Her body had already started to bristle unnaturally, her mind in turmoil: "Oh no, oh no, this is too embarrassing!" Just as Kevra finished this thought, she heard a series of clanging metal collisions. She peeked through a gap between her fingers. And then... "Huh?" How could Viktor be trading blows evenly with Gwen? Although Viktor was clearly at a disadvantage, being pressured by Gwen, the one-sided situation she had imagined didn''t materialize. Wait, is Viktor really a mage? Gwen planted her foot firmly, extended her sword, and suddenly stomped towards Viktor. The ground instantly erupted with flying sand and stones. With this powerful thrust, Gwen pierced through the air at an astonishing speed, instantly appearing before Viktor. Gwen swung a slash towards Viktor''s lower body. Viktor instinctively leaped into the air, avoiding the strike. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. He adjusted his posture in mid-air, but before he could land... The next second, Gwen''s attack followed closely. Viktor adjusted his stance, bringing his sword up in front of him, barely managing to block. But under the dense barrage of sword strikes, Viktor''s armor still suffered several scratches. Viktor seized this opportunity to swing his sword at Gwen. Gwen''s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting Viktor to be able to counterattack amidst such an intense assault. She quickly retreated a small step, dodging that sudden strike. At this point, Gwen was incredulous about Viktor''s skill level. Although she knew Viktor could use a sword, she hadn''t expected him to be so adept. The fact that he could fight her to this extent was only because Viktor, as a mage, lacked physical strength. If Viktor had greater strength, would she be the one being pressured instead? However, Gwen didn''t relax because of this. Instead, she once again raised her sword and brought it down vertically towards Viktor. Viktor landed on the ground, closely watching the approaching sword. He was waiting, waiting for the sword to fall. Just as Gwen''s sword was about to strike his face, in an instant, Viktor''s previously empty hand produced a round shield! Clang! The crisp sound reached Viktor''s ears. He saw Gwen stumble back a few steps, looking dazed. He had succeeded in successfully parrying Gwen''s attack. Viktor was satisfied. The effect of [Evil Knight] pleased him. This way, even when facing opponents with close combat abilities far superior to his own, he could easily engage them in battle. Gwen recovered quickly; the dizziness didn''t affect her much. However, the mage''s physical limits had been nearly reached, and he no longer had the energy to continue such intense confrontations. Viktor was panting heavily. Without magic enhancements, engaging in close combat with a knight like Gwen was indeed somewhat strenuous. So he signaled Gwen to pause. "Let''s take a break." Viktor now felt somewhat emotional. This was the first time since coming to this world that he felt so exhilarated. The soreness in his muscles, the feeling of utter satisfaction, the battle with Gwenit all made him rediscover a sense of reality. Gwen also stopped. She didn''t feel tired, but now seemed somewhat silent. Viktor had truly surprised her. Gwen could see that Viktor was very proficient in close combat. His combat techniques, experience, and his extremely strong reaction ability all indicated to Gwen that he was a battle-hardened expert. But his physical attributes truly couldn''t match his combat experience. Also, what was that round shield in his hand all about? As the two stopped fighting, Kevra quickly ran over with water and towels for Viktor. Viktor accepted them, muttering a faint thanks. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel and was about to open the water bottle when Gwen''s words came, tinged with hostility. "Drinking water immediately after intense exercise isn''t good for your body." "..." Viktor put down the water bottle. He couldn''t help it; he suddenly remembered that these were words he had once said to Gwen. She really held a grudge. After resting for a while, until the sweat had subsided, Viktor finally took a sip of water. Then Kevra suddenly pointed at herself, grinning. "Viktor, I see you''re quite skilled." "Want to practice with your big sister?" Viktor remained silent for a moment, picked up the sword from the ground, and patted Kevra''s body. Kevra was startled. Soon, Viktor''s gaze caught sight of Kevra''s level above her head. Level 39. Viktor ignored Kevra, stood up after resting enough, and looked towards Gwen, nodding slightly. "Let''s continue." ...... Several hours later, Viktor, having removed his protective gear, sat on the ground unceremoniously, drenched in sweat. Gwen sheathed her sword and said with a hint of satisfaction: "Not bad." "Although I don''t know why you suddenly wanted to start practicing swordsmanship, if you need it next time, I..." Suddenly, Gwen paused slightly, her voice becoming a bit hesitant. "I... um... for morning practice, I have time..." After blurting this out, Gwen felt a bit dejected. Would saying this make Viktor misunderstand something? It was her own fault for speaking too quickly. Viktor hadn''t asked, why did she volunteer such information? But Viktor replied: "Thank you, I do indeed need it." He had rested enough and used a cleaning spell to remove the sweat from his body. Gwen watched as Viktor suddenly became dry and clean, feeling a bit envious. Viktor nodded to her and said: "I have to leave now, Gwen. Today I still need to be the princess''s teacher." Gwen knew he had official business, so she just nodded without much response. Viktor suddenly asked her: "Does your family have any extra refined steel that could be sold to me?" Refined steel was something a knight family like the Delins wouldn''t lack. After all, both weapons and armor required large amounts of refined steel to make. Gwen nodded, but she was still puzzled: "What do you need refined steel for?" She didn''t think Viktor was considering changing professions; perhaps after being promoted to count, he was planning to recruit some family knights for his own family? "Prepare some for me, I need it." "Take this." Viktor took out a golden parchment and handed it to Gwen. "What''s this?" Gwen asked curiously as she took the parchment. "After you''ve prepared the refined steel, you can use this to find my location directly." With that said, Viktor turned to leave. Gwen nodded dazedly, standing in place and watching Viktor leave, the crow somehow perched on his shoulder. Even after Viktor had walked far away and out of sight, Gwen still stood there in a daze. Seeing this, Kevra nudged Gwen with her elbow. "Hey, hey, still looking? He''s long gone." Only then did Gwen snap out of it, hurriedly explaining: "I was just about to ask if he had breakfast..." Hearing this, Kevra started teasing her again: "Oh? Is my little Gwen not angry anymore?" Gwen turned her head away, explaining as if in a huff: "I was never angry in the first place." Kevra looked at Gwen teasingly, asking in a low voice: "Really not angry?" Seeing no reaction from Gwen, she sighed beside her: "Ah, Viktor really is something. At the banquet the other day, our little Gwen dressed up so beautifully, but he didn''t even come over to look." Gwen puffed up her cheeks, defending herself to Kevra: "I really wasn''t angry!" Hearing Gwen''s stubborn response, Kevra covered her mouth and laughed, comforting her: "Okay, okay, not angry, not angry." However, after the teasing, Kevra''s expression became somewhat serious, and she asked Gwen: "So, did you test Viktor?" "Did your Heart of Justice really... fail?" Chapter 70: The Princess Has Been Kidnapped!! Hearing Kevra''s question, Gwen remained silent. It seemed that after Viktor''s audience with His Majesty, Gwen''s Heart of Justice had become intermittent, gradually losing its effectiveness. Although Gwen could still occasionally use the Heart of Justice to probe others'' words, its effect was far from what it used to be. For instance, she could still sometimes detect when others were lying. But the sometimes effective, sometimes ineffective Heart of Justice seemed to be constantly telling her something. Could it be that just because she couldn''t stand the way those mages targeted Viktor, And the one lie she told in front of His Majesty for Viktor''s sake, The Heart of Justice no longer considered her righteous? Gwen looked pained, her expression as if she was about to cry. "This might be for the best," Kevra said, patting Gwen''s head and comforting her with a smile. "Such a useless ability, it''s fine if it disappears." She looked at Gwen, her eyes filled with sympathy. Gwen was a child who couldn''t adapt. Perhaps due to the Heart of Justice that had existed since her childhood, Gwen had an extremely strong sense of justice. She couldn''t stand any bullying behavior. However, in this era, people were divided into different classes. Commoners, as the lowest class, were meant to be oppressed by nobles like leeks to be harvested. But Gwen, with such a strong sense of justice, was born a noble. Her actions were misunderstood by everyone, and she was treated as an oddity. So Gwen had no friends, because no one liked her since childhood. Not even her own family. Perhaps due to the Heart of Justice, she not only couldn''t lie but would also straightforwardly point out everyone''s lies. This sense of justice was indeed admirable, but... As mentioned before, Gwen was a noble. Among the hypocritical nobles, Gwen''s behavior was considered wrong. Even when nobles were engaged in hypocritical conversations, she would point out whether the other party was lying. This wasn''t a good thing among nobles, especially since her father held significant military power. Because of this, her father didn''t like Gwen. He greatly disliked Gwen''s inability to lie, or perhaps he disliked the absolute sense of justice that had existed in her heart since childhood, rather than her own interests. He needed an obedient, sensible child, and in this aspect, Kevra''s brother did very well. Gwen, possessing this ability, was like an annoying fly in the house. Adults would always avoid her in their conversations, fearing her presence. Even the servants had to be cautious when chatting around Gwen. Only Kevra, as the eldest sister in the family, loved and protected her. As time passed, Gwen grew older. The family didn''t need useless children, and Gwen''s absolute justice couldn''t bring more benefits to the family. So, Gwen was sent by her father to train as a knight. As a girl who could have lived a beautiful life, she instead became a knight. It was also because of this that Gwen was betrothed to Viktor. At that time, the former head of the Clayvenna family and her father had a very good relationship, and he often brought his children to visit her father. It was also then that Kevra first met Viktor. As a child, Viktor was very arrogant, always wearing a cold, sullen face, not speaking a word to anyone. So, her father arranged Gwen''s betrothal to Viktor as a family alliance. This was Gwen''s childhood experience. Therefore, the experiences brought by the Heart of Justice weren''t particularly good for Gwen. Kevra felt that if this ability disappeared, it might actually be better for Gwen. She wouldn''t have to constantly pay attention to others'' hypocrisy anymore. Kevra comforted Gwen, but Gwen could only respond with prolonged silence, lost in her thoughts. ...... Viktor sat in the carriage, feeling the bumps as it traveled over the cobblestone road, passing by shop after shop. He just stared blankly. Vega was napping on Viktor''s leg, too tired and constantly looking for opportunities to catch up on sleep. "We''re here," Viktor reminded. Vega perked up and looked out the window. This was the imperial palace. A servant opened the carriage door, and Viktor placed Vega on his shoulder before getting out. As soon as he alighted, Viktor saw a group of servants standing in front of the carriage. The palace servants had already come to welcome him. Viktor nodded to them and walked into the crowd. The servants calmly led Viktor into the palace, stopping in front of a small cabin and nodding to him. "Lord Viktor, please go in. His Majesty is waiting for you." Viktor turned the golden handle on the door and slowly pushed open the golden door of the cabin. "Come here, Viktor," Emperor Aubrey said with a smile, gesturing for him to come to his side as he saw Viktor enter. Viktor walked to the emperor''s side and bowed deeply. Behind the emperor stood Aurelian. "Today is your first day on the job." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Viktor, don''t disappoint me." Viktor responded calmly, with his head lowered: "Rest assured, Your Majesty." Seeing Viktor, Aurelian also peeked out from behind Emperor Aubrey, giving Viktor a slight smile, like a little fairy in the early morning. After yesterday''s interaction at the banquet, their relationship had grown closer, and Aurelian was no longer so timid when facing Viktor. Under the guidance of servants and guards, Viktor was led to the princess''s private palace. Looking at the golden walls inlaid with various gemstones, and the crystal-like pendants hanging from the beams below. Surrounding them were luxurious silk and silver silkworm silk woven curtains. Vega looked at the princess''s palace in amazement. "So this is royalty? They''re really rich!" "Viktor, I''m serious, you should consider marrying this princess. Then we''ll definitely never lack money!" Viktor completely ignored Vega''s thoughts and entered the palace with Aurelian. Guards stood ready at the door, and servants also waited quietly nearby. After all, the emperor naturally wouldn''t let Viktor and the princess be alone in a room. "Teacher," Aurelian looked at Viktor, calling him teacher for the first time. "What are you planning to teach me?" Viktor looked down at her, reading endless anticipation in her eyes. Indeed, Aurelian was also looking forward to seeing if this youngest genius of the empire could bring her some courses different from other mediocre mages. Courses that could make her eyes light up. Viktor bowed to the princess and extended a hand to her, saying: "Your Highness, please give me your hand." Aurelian was a bit puzzled, but she still raised her arm and placed her hand on Viktor''s palm. At this moment, one of her personal female guards looked alertly at Viktor. When Viktor held Aurelian''s small hand, a soft, tender feeling transmitted from his fingertips. This scene was caught by the female guard, who became extremely agitated, even placing her hand on the hilt of her sword. Teaching is teaching, why is he touching her hand! She had heard that Viktor liked minors, but she didn''t expect him to dare flirt with the princess! But before she could open her mouth to warn him, Viktor had already let go of her hand. Touching an NPC allowed Viktor to see their level. And Aurelian''s level was Level 15 Very low, extremely low. If Viktor didn''t know what would happen in the future, he could never have associated this princess, who was like a vase, with the future Eternal Witch. Moreover, this level seemed to only allow learning first-tier magic. Viktor didn''t say anything, but with a flip of his hand, a gray magic formation slowly appeared in his palm. It didn''t have many complex patterns or obscure runes; this was just a relatively simple spell. A cloud of black smoke suddenly appeared in the air, enveloping the surroundings. Viktor waved his hand, dispersing the gray smoke that had hallucinogenic properties. "How about it? Can you imitate this?" Aurelian tilted her head, thinking: "It''s a novel spell. My previous teachers haven''t taught me this, but..." She also extended a hand, trying hard to draw the magic formation based on her recent memory. After a while, the formation in her hand lit up with a gray, misty feeling, and a small cloud of black mist was released from her hand out of thin air. Vega glanced at Aurelian''s spell casting. Her method was like directly copying it. "Interesting." It was certain that Aurelian didn''t know this spell at first, as the awkwardness of casting a spell for the first time couldn''t be faked. Although the speed of spell casting was not at all comparable to Viktor''s, being able to cast a spell after just one look was impressive. Could she really be a genius? Viktor understood in his heart and once again changed to a slightly more complex spell in his hand. This time, two layers of formations appeared in Viktor''s hand, with patterns intertwining, more complex, but Viktor only added one or two more runes to the formation. "[Second-tier Magic: Meteor Fragment]" A purple rock fragment gradually rose from the air, whooshed out, and violently pierced into the palace floor. The surrounding space was instantly distorted slightly, merely sucking the surrounding silver curtains into the center, pinned to the ground by the fragment. After watching, the princess gradually began to imitate Viktor''s construction of the formation. But this time, it was much slower than before. She tried very hard to construct it, and finally, she built the same magic as Viktor had cast in her hand. The moment the purple meteor came out, the experienced Vega narrowed its eyes. ''A first-tier mage can use second-tier magic? There''s something wrong with her mana quantity.'' ''There''s nothing strange about it,'' Viktor responded to Vega in his heart. The talent of the Eternal Witch had already taken shape at this moment. In the game, she would perfectly copy magic used by others, and because of her own strong mana, the magic would become even more powerful. Moreover, the reason she was called the Eternal Witch, Was because Aurelian had an incredibly overpowered innate passive ability. Eternal Furnace. The mana she consumed when casting spells would recover 80% of her health. If her health was full, the excess would turn back into mana recovery. Similarly, after being injured, 80% of her lost health would recover mana. If her mana was full, the excess would turn into health recovery. This was a passive ability that could be seen as Aurelian only needing to consume 20% of the mana other mages would use to cast spells when she was at full health. This overpowered talent made Aurelian extremely tough and terrifyingly regenerative in battle. Not only that, but the power of her magic was also frightening. In gaming terms, she was tanky while also dealing high damage. Although her mana was still scarce now, being able to cast second-tier magic with a first-tier body was already quite outrageous. But it wasn''t hard to see that the emperor''s words were correct. Aurelian was indeed a terrifying genius, and the reason those mages couldn''t teach her after three days was also obvious. It was too outrageous; they couldn''t teach anymore. Learning magic after just one look, if they continued teaching, even their most secret spells would be learned. Viktor applauded, and unlike other mages who would be afraid to continue teaching due to Aurelian''s terrifying talent, Viktor quite liked such an effortless student. He didn''t even need to have Vega explain the principles of magic and then relay it to her. Viktor asked: "Aurelian, how many spells do you know?" Aurelian thought carefully, and quickly gave Viktor an answer: "Um... probably? Countless." Over the years, there had been quite a few mages who became Aurelian''s teachers, and basically all the spells they taught had been copied by Aurelian. Viktor nodded: "Then, in terms of magic, I have nothing more to teach you." Aurelian was somewhat surprised. She looked up at Viktor, unable to believe it. "But, Father said you were the youngest genius mage in the empire. If even you can''t teach me..." Aurelian didn''t continue the rest of her words. Whenever she thought of those mages looking at her, That incredulous look, as if saying she was a monster. Aurelian would feel very sad. And now, Viktor also didn''t plan to teach her? She felt a slight tightness in her chest. But then, Viktor''s voice sounded: "Next, we''ll switch directly to practical combat." Aurelian looked up in confusion, seemingly not yet understanding Viktor''s meaning. But before she could think too much, a blue magic formation had already formed under her feet without her noticing. The terrifying magical power shook the surrounding air, making it tremble frantically. Gusts of wind filled the entire palace. Pendants and curtains were blown about wildly, as if in a frenzied dance. The strong wind pressure naturally also blew Aurelian''s beautiful hair, and the guard beside Aurelian was blown out of the magic formation by a gust of wind, slamming heavily against the golden wall. "Princess!" Just as she shouted these words, the magic formation instantly lit up, enveloping everything. The next second Whoosh! After the light dissipated, the guards and servants stood up and looked around, but there was no trace of the two within the palace. What the hell!? Where''s the princess? "The princess! She''s been kidnapped by Viktor!" Chapter 71: The Princesss Practical Lesson A blue magic formation descended from the sky onto the mountainside. With a flash of light, two figures appeared, landing steadily on the ground. Aurelianne turned around, taking in the surrounding scenery. It was a vast mountain path, surrounded by lush, tall wild grass and colorful wildflowers. The trees were robust and thriving, standing tall like clouds. She gazed at the naturally beautiful landscape on the mountain path, her eyes filled with amazement. Since her birth, this was Aurelianne''s first time leaving the capital. And on her first trip out, she found herself in such a wild environment. Everything was new and exciting, filling Aurelianne with joy. But before she could fully enjoy the moment, Viktor''s calm voice sounded beside her. "This is the Milute Plains." In the game, this area was a monster-spawning ground outside the safe zone. The monsters appearing in the Milute Plains were not weak, generally ranging between levels 20 and 30. And Viktor''s purpose for bringing Aurelianne here... "This is today''s lesson content." "Learn to fight." As his words fell, his form transformed into a flame, disappearing from Aurelianne''s sight like scattering ashes. Viktor''s vague instructions left her momentarily confused. His sudden disappearance filled Aurelianne with panic. The surroundings became terrifyingly quiet. "Tea... Teacher?" she called out nervously, trying to get a response from Viktor. However, only the rustling sound of wind through grass leaves answered her. With Viktor''s disappearance, Aurelianne''s panic multiplied. Unable to sense anyone around, not even a trace of Viktor''s presence, she felt a painful sense of abandonment. Soon, the first unnatural sound of the dangerous wilderness reached her ears. A monster, sensing the presence of an outsider, slowly approached Aurelianne, its body making creaking joint noises. It was a tree spirit emanating black energy, humanoid in shape with two branches for arms and roots for feet. The purple leaves on its body looked like tree parts corrupted by dark energy. The monster''s large frame seemed to cast a shadow over Aurelianne''s head. As if her mind had crashed, her brain instantly went blank. With no actual combat experience, just encountering such a monster made her forget how to use magic. "This is a Corrupted Tree Spirit. Use magic to attack its upper branches," Viktor''s guiding voice suddenly sounded in her ear. Aurelianne immediately snapped back to reality, realizing the monster before her was real. She had almost made a grave mistake! Wild monsters wouldn''t spare you just because you''re distracted; they''d only become more ferocious. Aurelianne''s anxious heart calmed a bit as she frantically searched her mind for the magic she had learned. Quickly, as she regained composure, she began to construct a spell. Raising her hand, a formation instantly began to form, with simple patterns intertwining. A weak flame burst forth. [First-tier Magic: Spark] Fortunately, she hadn''t forgotten about elemental advantages. When the monster was hit by the flame, some fire ignited on its body, but it shook itself, and the flames gradually extinguished. Looking at the Corrupted Tree Spirit again, it seemed to have suffered little damage. Seeing the tree spirit barely harmed, Aurelianne felt a surge of panic. A fearful expression appeared on her face, as if the corrupting energy would engulf her the next second. "No! Don''t come closer!" She closed her eyes in fear, retreating while continuously constructing fire magic in her hands. Fireballs hit the Corrupted Tree Spirit one after another without pause. Although the effect wasn''t great, quantity could lead to quality change. Under Aurelianne''s relentless magical assault, the tree spirit, ignited by numerous small flames, soon burst into a roaring fire that completely consumed it. As the flames dissipated, the monster''s sounds abruptly ceased. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aurelianne opened her eyes nervously, finding the monster before her reduced to ashes. "Is it... dead?" Aurelianne could hardly believe it. She looked down at her own hands. Due to continuously casting spells, her palms felt hot. But had she really killed this monster with her own hands? Aurelianne couldn''t believe it, yet everything before her was so real. This feeling made her feel... Extremely... exhilarated! It was completely different from what those mages had taught her before! "Not bad, at least you didn''t fail on your first try." Viktor had reappeared beside Aurelianne at some point. While giving Aurelianne a slight compliment, he picked up the crystals and corrupted branches left by the dead monster. He stored them in his player inventory. After doing all this, his gaze returned to Aurelianne. "Aurelianne, walking through this mountain path is your lesson and homework for today." "By the way, if you want to give up, just tell me, and I''ll end our lesson." Aurelianne nodded hesitantly. Although defeating her first monster had given her some confidence, making her realize she could fight too, She still hoped for some reassurance, and couldn''t help asking Viktor: "You''ll always be by my side to protect me, right?" Viktor didn''t speak, only transforming into a flame and disappearing with a ''whoosh'' once again. But this time, Aurelianne felt more at ease. She knew her teacher was always by her side. And her teacher was very strong. Her first battle in the wild gave her a sense of liberation. A feeling of freedom and novelty filled her mind. Soon, three more Corrupted Tree Spirits stumbled out of the forest. This time, Aurelianne was prepared. The second-tier magic she had readied was released in an instant. [Second-tier Magic: Flame Bullet] Fireballs, more powerful than before, simultaneously struck the three Corrupted Tree Spirits. Although her level was lower than these monsters, the power of second-tier magic still dealt significant damage. Flames suddenly erupted on their bodies, causing branches to crackle and fall. One of them instantly perished. But the remaining two tree spirits were more resilient. Even with their arms burned to charcoal, they still charged at Aurelianne with gaping mouths. Aurelianne conjured a simple spell, a black formation beginning to form in her hand. It was the hallucinogenic magic Viktor had demonstrated to her. [First-tier Magic: Gray Mist] A cloud of smoke enveloped the two damaged tree spirits. They paused for a second, then collided with each other. Under the strong impact, their last health bars emptied, and their bodies gradually turned to dust, scattering in the wind. Aurelianne walked forward. These monsters didn''t leave corpses after death, but rather weathered away completely. This spared Aurelianne from any discomfort she might have felt seeing dead bodies after killing monsters. She picked up the dropped materials from the ground, then heard several growls behind her. She turned around nervously. This time, five monsters came at once, one of which was distinctly different from the four tree spirits. It was a monster formed from intertwined flowers, its body enormous, at least twice the size of the tree spirits. From time to time, it emitted various hallucinogenic fragrances. Beneath its body, it wielded thorny vines. Seeing this scene, Aurelianne''s heart pounded wildly. This time, she had no time to prepare second-tier magic. She could only use simple first-tier fire magic to quickly dispatch two tree spirits, but the constantly emitting pollen made Aurelianne''s consciousness less clear. Even simple first-tier magic seemed to become complex. A vine suddenly shot out from the grass near Aurelianne''s feet with a whoosh, wrapping around her ankle and dragging her towards the flower monster. The moment she was tripped to the ground, Aurelianne''s mind instantly cleared. Danger had arrived! But just then. Boom! Terrifying flames that seemed impossible to extinguish erupted, burning through the vine behind her. As soon as she could move, Aurelianne quickly looked back. The remaining three monsters had been completely engulfed by raging flames. Viktor stood bathed in fire, yet not a single flame touched his body amidst the inferno. In the flames, he collected the green crystals left behind by the monsters. After doing this, Viktor walked out, and the intense burning flames dissipated right after him. "You failed." Under Viktor''s cold gaze, Aurelianne, still shaken, trembled slightly. "If this were a real encounter, you would be dead." In the wild, there''s no opportunity for carelessness. Humans who lose consciousness only become food for monsters. Aurelianne felt somewhat dejected, but she indeed hadn''t reacted in time. She wanted to say something in her defense, but then heard Viktor say: "But with me, don''t fear failure." "If you fail once, just start over." As he spoke, Viktor''s body once again turned into flames and dissipated. Once more, five monsters reappeared before Aurelianne. As if coordinated, they attacked just like last time. This time, Aurelianne was prepared. She maneuvered around the tree spirits while avoiding vines and pollen. Under constant attrition, those tree spirits were burned to ashes. When a vine suddenly shot out from the grass to ambush Aurelianne, This time, it missed. Aurelianne dodged backward, her first-tier magic instantly producing flames which she threw into the flower monster''s mouth. In an instant, the pollen became a highly flammable and explosive medium. The dust explosion blew the monster to pieces. Aurelianne breathed a sigh of relief, but this time, she didn''t forget to remain vigilant of her surroundings. Only when she was certain no more sounds came from nearby did she finally relax, plopping down on the ground. The burn marks around her and the monster remains all testified to what had just transpired. "I... I really did it!" An indescribable sense of achievement surged through her heart, giving Aurelianne an unprecedented feeling of satisfaction. This fresh experience was a first for her. It left her excited and exhilarated. She rested for a while, feeling her internal mana recover to a decent level, then stood up and continued along the mountain path. Her lesson wasn''t over yet. Chapter 72: "Elden Ring" Meanwhile. Throughout the palace, those who knew about the princess being taken away were in a state of panic. Guards and servants alike were all thrown into a frenzy. Confusion, bewilderment, despair, and anxiety filled the air. Where was the princess? She had been taken away by Viktor! At this point, they didn''t even dare to report this news to the emperor. Who would dare tell the emperor? The princess had been snatched right under their noses. If the emperor got even slightly angry, their heads might roll the next second! As things stood, they had to find the princess before the emperor learned of this! But how to find her? Where to look? That was a fourth-tier mage''s teleportation magic, with a vast coverage area! Viktor could have appeared in any corner of the capital, or even worse! He might have taken the princess out of the capital altogether! Suddenly, Aurelianne''s personal female guard thought of something and hurriedly said, "Knight Commander Gwen! She''s Viktor''s fiance!" "Perhaps she knows where Viktor is!" At this point, this seemed to be the only option left. She put on a black cloak and said to the panicking servants, "Don''t panic, keep the news contained." "What if Knight Commander Gwen doesn''t know where Viktor is?" one of the servants asked anxiously. A flicker of despair passed through the female guard''s eyes. "Then, immediately inform His Majesty of this matter." "The princess absolutely cannot come to harm." ....... At the Delin mansion. Gwen stood at the door, looking bewildered at the royal guard. She blinked, listening to the news brought by the royal guard. Her Highness the Princess had been taken away by Viktor? What was wrong with Viktor now? Was he uncomfortable if he didn''t cause trouble for a day? "The situation is urgent. We request Knight Commander Gwen to immediately set out to find Viktor." Seeing the guard''s request before her, Gwen was also at a loss. She had no idea where Viktor would take the princess, or how to find Viktor. But Gwen was also troubled, where could she go to find Viktor now? Kevlar beside her, poked Gwen''s waist with her finger. Gwen''s body shuddered, giving Kevlar a somewhat resentful look. But Kevlar said with a grin, "Of course you can find Viktor, he left something for you." "Something?" Gwen was stunned, suddenly remembering. Viktor had indeed left something for her. She hurriedly took out a piece of golden parchment from her waist, which still had faint traces of magic on it. That was the magic Viktor had left behind. He had requested a batch of fine steel and specifically left this parchment to tell her. This parchment could locate his position. Instantly, a sense of confusion arose in Gwen''s heart. ''What exactly does Viktor want to do?'' If he wanted to take away the princess, why would he give her something in advance that could locate his position? Was it an oversight? Impossible, Viktor was definitely not that careless. Seeing the hesitation and confusion on Gwen''s face, Kevlar suggested: "Since you can find Viktor, why not bring more people along?" Gwen was perplexed, but Kevlar seemed to already know something, saying, "Maybe Viktor deliberately wants others to find him?" By now, Aurelianne had already covered most of her journey. She encountered another monster ambush on the way, this time with one more flower monster. But Aurelianne remained incredibly calm this time. She calmly cast spells continuously, attacking the monsters'' weak points. Terrifying flames engulfed the monsters, leaving not even ashes behind. Even though the monsters were dead, she still felt a bit scared. It was like bungee jumping; even though there were safety measures, the repeated near-death tension kept tugging at her nerves. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. But this time, she wouldn''t lose. The next second, several monsters reappeared, pouncing towards Aurelianne. She continuously cast spells, gradually depleting her mana. Under Aurelianne''s surprisingly talented abilities, her mana wasn''t consumed much, and these common tree spirits were swept away by her. Increasingly skilled attacks on weak points made her more adept at handling these monsters. Aurelianne was slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed with fatigue. Walking to the side of the corpses, she didn''t forget to pick up materials like Viktor had done earlier. She had been walking this mountain path for almost two hours. During this time, she had ''died'' no less than twenty times. Every time she was near death, Teacher Viktor''s flames would spread to all the monsters. But this also meant that she needed to start over. The monsters seemed to be deliberately drawn back, and she repeatedly challenged this path more than twenty times. She could clearly feel her combat experience increasing. Countless spell casts made her feel increasingly skilled and at ease, and even second-tier magic no longer felt as taxing as before. Aurelianne continued walking forward. The forest grew denser, gradually blocking out the sunlight that could no longer penetrate through the leaves. Darkness gradually engulfed the remaining mountain path ahead. White mist slowly rose, shrouding the last part of the mountain path ahead. Her instincts told her that there was danger within the white mist before her. It felt as if once she stepped in, she would be unable to turn back, like entering an abyss. Aurelianne reached out a hand, touching the white mist before her. "..." There was no unusual sensation, but she still steeled herself, entering with a nervous heart. Walking into the mist, almost instantly, everything before her became extraordinarily open. Before her lay a spacious plain. Surrounded by dense trees, it looked like a deliberately left open space, appearing quite eerie. As soon as Aurelianne entered, the path behind her was sealed by a wall of white mist. Startled, she quickly stepped back. But no matter how she touched or patted it, this layer of mist seemed to have turned into a solid wall, showing no reaction. She was trapped here. Soon, rustling sounds came continuously from the dense forest, and the ground no longer remained still. Accompanied by a shocking tremor of the earth, a huge creature broke through the intertwined underground, appearing before Aurelianne. Its body was completely wrapped in green leaves, vines, and fur, covering its face, making it impossible to see its true appearance. Only a pair of glowing red eyes could be seen under the darkness. "Roar!" A powerful roar struck Aurelianne''s eardrums, and a damp, stuffy breath entered her nostrils, as if gripping the vitality of her heart. She widened her eyes, utterly unable to believe the horrifying creature before her. "Forest Demon." This was the lord-level boss at the end of the Milute Path, a type of wild boss. It respawned roughly once a week, and after death, had a chance to drop an item [Demon''s Heart]. A material that could be used to craft equipment. Viktor compared Aurelianne''s and the Forest Demon''s life values. This was a level 20 Forest Demon. It wasn''t particularly strong, but due to its boss stats, its thick health and high defense undoubtedly posed a great challenge for the level 15 Aurelianne. Aurelianne looked at the monster before her, feeling its breath like a large drum being constantly beaten, the heavy sound pounding on Aurelianne''s heart. Under the opponent''s strong pressure, she stepped back slightly. When she touched the white mist wall, she realized that now, she had nowhere to retreat. Isn''t this... a bit too intense? Aurelianne, who had never had any close combat experience, couldn''t possibly defeat it by any means other than magic. But... this thing. Would it really give her a chance to attack remotely with magic? A boss would never give people time to wait. In the moment Aurelianne hesitated, the Forest Demon broke free from countless vines, dragging broken vines as it charged towards Aurelianne. Thump! Thump! Thump! Each of its steps seemed to vent its anger at the intruder, as if it couldn''t believe someone had dared to intrude into its territory! Just by suddenly raising its giant arm, the shadow had completely covered Aurelianne. Boom! As a palm came down, in her stupor, Aurelianne couldn''t even react in time. She seemed to have already seen her own death. But just as the Forest Demon was about to hit her. The next second, a white magic formation gradually lit up from the entire forest, and light engulfed everything. When Aurelianne opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in the original spot. The Forest Demon had also returned to its original starting point, entangled in heavy vines. Aurelianne looked at her intact body, but in her memory, it was as if she had already died once. She touched her neck, her head was still on her shoulders. On the ground where she stood, a number had appeared. "1". This was a record of her failure, or rather... "Died once... huh?" Aurelianne raised her head to look at the monster again, seeming as if this beast was also very confused about why it was trapped in heavy vines again. But it didn''t care about these things, it only needed to charge forward again, killing the fragile human in front of it was enough. Aurelianne finally understood that she couldn''t hesitate anymore, and she attempted to start her first resistance. She couldn''t use teleportation magic, but she still had ways to escape the opponent''s lock-on. Like the black mist magic Viktor had her learn today. She constructed the formation with both hands. Due to her previous experiences, this construction became extremely proficient and swift. The Forest Demon broke free from the vines again, charging towards Aurelianne. Before it could reach Aurelianne, vast black mist suddenly enveloped the demon. The demon let out a screech, starting to attack the surrounding trees in a frenzy. Aurelianne knew this was the effect of the hallucinogenic magic. So, she tried to launch an attack from the side. Countless sparks flew towards the demon, but they extinguished upon merely touching the demon, under its frenzied attacks. Whether due to the heavy leaves, the damp air, or the monster''s enormous body, Aurelianne''s attacks became very weak. The demon had barely taken any damage, and instead was enraged again by Aurelianne''s attack. She was incredibly surprised that her magic had no effect at all, staring wide-eyed and frozen in place, not knowing what to do. "How is this poss..." Before she could finish speaking, the demon kicked up a huge dead tree from the forest, sending it flying towards Aurelianne. In an instant, Aurelianne''s vision went black. Accompanied by the indication of death, after a white light dissipated, she and the monster returned to their original positions once again. A green glow appeared on the Forest Demon''s body, that was a healing spell. Aurelianne lit up with a blue light, her previously lost magic fully restored. Her body was also restored to its original state. As if foretelling something, the number on the ground gained another stroke. "2". Chapter 73: Plan Successful! Recovering from ''death'', Aurelianne felt mentally drained. Although she hadn''t actually died, for some reason, every time she was teleported back to the starting point, she felt as if she had ''died'' once. It was as if mocking her failure. Aurelianne didn''t want to fail. She began to quietly contemplate. Each time after ''dying'', everything would start over. Her condition would be restored, and the monster before her would also have its strength replenished by the teacher. It was as if telling her: ''You must defeat it in one go.'' This was a test. Aurelianne told herself this. She rallied once more, drawing magic formations from her body, casting various weak enhancement spells on herself while the demon was restrained. The moment the demon charged, she released the black mist again... Viktor, concealed in the sky, watched all of this. Whenever the boss was about to deal a potentially fatal blow to Aurelianne, he would use teleportation magic to send them both back to the starting point. Incidentally restoring the Forest Demon and Aurelianne to full health. He never tired of this. Vega looked down at the scene below. When the blue light flashed, Aurelianne and the Forest Demon were once again teleported back to their original positions. It couldn''t help but comment: "Does she have a grudge against you? You''re torturing her like this." "Although it''s quite interesting." After all, Vega had never seen such a ''novel'' battle scene before. The powerful monster could never kill the enemy, while the enemy repeatedly revived, challenging it over and over again. It was like a playful game. But Vega didn''t think this approach was useful. Strong individuals are forged through constant battles with equals. The gap between this monster and the princess was simply too great; Aurelianne could never kill it. Unless she could reach Viktor''s level of abnormality. Thinking of how Viktor had battled Calamity for three days and nights, only getting injured once, Vega found it hard to comprehend. If even Calamity could be completely understood by him, what couldn''t Viktor do? Viktor, as if seeing through its thoughts, spoke in a detached tone: "You asked me before why, as a mage, I still have such exquisite close combat skills." Vega was slightly stunned, looking at Viktor. Though his expression remained coldly impassive, there was an indescribable nostalgia in his eyes. "I, too, engaged in endless combat in an environment similar to this." "Once, twice, dozens of times, hundreds of times... even thousands of times." "Fail once, start over from the beginning." Viktor''s gaze gradually became intense. In his words, Vega seemed to see an epic scene. A sky-obscuring giant dragon floated in the air above. Viktor could only look at the mighty beast, embodying both power and pressure. Its left claw held a thunder spear, its right claw gripped a wheel ring, and its other two giant claws cradled a massive thunder drum. It was an apocalyptic scene. Beneath the floating, shattered islands was a dark, surging sea of corruption, constantly forming all-consuming whirlpools. The sky above was devoid of any rosy glow, a stifling, oppressive atmosphere filling Viktor''s lungs. In his hand, he held only a silver blade, the Pure Light Sword left behind by the previous hero who had slain tens of thousands of magical beasts. But beneath that giant dragon, its feeble light seemed so small, so fragile. All around were endless flames spontaneously ignited by lightning striking the rocks, capable of completely annihilating Viktor with just one hit. Once failed, start over from the beginning. Die, stand up, die, stand up. Endless repetition. Finally, he stood atop the giant beast''s head, severing its head with his blade. He won, but at a terrible cost. Vega couldn''t understand. In such a lopsided battle, why would anyone keep repeating it? Even with only a one in ten thousand chance of victory, they still charged forward like moths to a flame. "... Don''t you get tired?" Countless deaths, countless falls, all for one hard-earned victory. What was the point of doing this? "Tired?" Viktor suddenly smiled. It was the first time he had shown such a smile, as if it was a relief, or as if he had found his long-lost self in such a scene. "You only need to win once, that''s all." Suddenly, Vega''s eye caught sight of Aurelianne below. A red light glowed in her hand, a wispy red flame appearing on her palm. Almost pressed against the boss''s body, Aurelianne struck hard on the monster''s form. For the first time, the Forest Demon let out a painful howl! It angrily lashed out with a chain entwined with thick vines, sweeping Aurelianne away with one hit. Aurelianne seemed prepared, one hand glowing with intense light to block this attack. "I did it!" The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She had just shown joy at her success, but the demon''s giant claw came swooping towards her body. Whoosh! A blue light flashed, and she and the monster were back at the starting point. Aurelianne was dazed, looking at the number on the ground. "11". The eleventh failure made Aurelianne feel somewhat defeated. She had become complacent after landing just one hit on the opponent. This shouldn''t be. Feeling her body''s magic recover, the monster''s injuries also fully healed. Another round of battle began. She stubbornly bit her lip, assuming a fighting stance. "Continue!" "12". "Continue!" "20". "Con...tinue!" "30". "40". "50". Who knows how much time had passed. The number kept updating, death scene after death scene, yet it left Vega somewhat shocked. "Why?" She was still persisting, as if she absolutely had to defeat the opponent. From barely lasting ten seconds at the start, to now lasting longer and longer each time. It was as if she was constantly getting used to the opponent''s attack patterns and methods. On the sixtieth attempt, the Forest Demon''s injuries became more and more apparent. It was panting heavily, with a hint of retreat in its eyes. Even though the opponent was as weak as a worm, why couldn''t it kill her? The demon''s intelligence wasn''t capable of higher-level thinking. "Is she going to win?" Vega''s voice held a hint of surprise. However, Viktor calmly said, "The closer you get to the end, the more you can''t relax." Sure enough, from Viktor''s perspective, the demon''s health was nearly depleted. Just two more effective hits were needed. The Forest Demon would die. But the demon''s inclination to retreat made Aurelianne sense an opportunity. In her eagerness, she rushed forward, completely forgetting that... The Forest Demon was always faster than her. Its lunge missed Aurelianne, but the spiked chain in its hand was already poised to strike. One thrust, and Aurelianne ''died'' again. But as long as Viktor was there, it was destined never to kill Aurelianne. Once more, a teleportation spell swapped their positions, magic mutually restoring their health. "61". This time, Aurelianne''s mood was near collapse. She had been so close. Yet the enemy seemed forever unbeatable. Her body''s injuries had healed, but mentally, she was almost at her limit. Suddenly, Aurelianne remembered what Viktor had said at the beginning. ''Should I... give up?'' The stubborn Aurelianne never wanted to give up. She raised her hand, as the Forest Demon lunged at her, a magic formation lit up. The enraged demon pounced on her, crushing countless tree branches, but when it looked up, it had only caught empty air. There was just some fine ice dust on the withered branches. [First-tier Magic: Ice Clone] It was an almost perfectly timed dodge, followed immediately by her fire magic... In the sky, Vega watched the scene below. For the first time, it sensed ''an even match'' in Aurelianne''s battle. Though she hadn''t become much more agile, it was as if she had completely adapted to the opponent''s attack patterns. Her steps were steady, anticipating the boss''s moves. Dodge, then strike. One hit and done, never greedy, quickly retreating. Perfect battle rhythm. Finally, under Aurelianne''s magic harassment that was like a pesky fly, the demon completely lost its reason. It flipped over onto the dense forest and began to roll and jump continuously. Aurelianne was forced to retreat, waiting for an opportunity. Under the demon''s indiscriminate rolling, it kept moving towards the direction Aurelianne had retreated. Aurelianne knew this was the best moment. [Second-tier Magic: Fire Scatter Shot] In an instant, red formations began to form continuously in the air. Although this was second-tier magic, it required simultaneously constructing many fire bullets in the air to concentrate the attack and achieve extra effectiveness. For Aurelianne, this was the most effective way to strike. But its preparation time was also excruciatingly long. Soon, countless patterns began to intertwine, the patterns between several formations starting to connect. The moment the formation was complete, countless fire bullets flew towards the demon. Boom! Instantly, dust and smoke rose! The demon also stopped its useless rolling, continuously throwing rocks and dead wood at Aurelianne, its giant chain also constantly swinging towards her. These attacks, all seen many times before, were easily dodged by Aurelianne, countering each move. At this moment, it was the twentieth minute of their fierce battle. "This is the longest she has persisted," Vega said in surprise. But suddenly, a series of footsteps outside the barrier caught Vega''s attention. Looking through the white mist, it saw the Royal Knights, with Gwen at the forefront. And the princess''s royal guard was there too. How did they find their way here? Could it be? Vega suddenly had a guess. Countless people rushed through the white mist, and at this moment, everyone saw the scene before them. The huge monster broke through the thick smoke, carrying fine ice crystals, its body burning with fierce flames. Like a giant flaming meteor, it rushed towards Aurelianne. "Princess!" Everyone was stunned in place; at this distance, they couldn''t possibly save the princess in time. Gwen dismounted and drew her sword, ready to rush in front of the princess to protect her with her body, but then... Aurelianne raised her hand, a magic formation covering her left arm. [First-tier Magic: Repulsion] A slight repulsive force made the monster''s arm pause momentarily, but its strength was too great, and it still struck Aurelianne''s left arm. In that instant, an overwhelming pain filled her left arm, making Aurelianne feel as if it was about to be crippled. But, having experienced so many ''deaths'', this level of pain was nothing. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, her gaze becoming fierce and dangerous. Her right hand transformed into a blade of light, aimed at the demon''s barely visible chin. Stab! The erupting blade pierced through the Forest Demon''s vulnerable jaw, completely impaling its head. Blood spurted, staining her clothes and body red. Boom! With a thunderous sound, kicking up a dust cloud several meters high, the demon''s enormous body finally fell to the ground, collapsing in front of Aurelianne. She looked at the demon''s now lifeless eyes, panting heavily. As if not fully recovered from the battle, the power from using magic was slowly healing the injury on her left arm. But the countless people who witnessed this scene were almost simultaneously stunned in place. Including Gwen, who had tried to save Aurelianne. The number on the ground was frozen at "61", gradually fading away. Vega widened its single eye. "With such a huge disparity, how could she win..." Suddenly, Vega''s voice trailed off. Yes, the gap was so vast. How, then, could Viktor defeat a calamity that was like a natural disaster? Viktor didn''t respond to Vega. This was the environment he had prepared for Aurelianne. You can defeat me countless times, but... I only need to win against you once. At this moment, Viktor saw the level next to Aurelianne''s health bar. The number that had been fixed at lv15 increased lv16. Seeing this, Viktor nodded slightly. "Well then, the experiment was successful." Chapter 74: The Princess Awakens a Special Inclination About two minutes passed, and Aurelianne stood motionless in the pool of blood. She stared at her trembling hands, unable to believe it. The monster before her, capable of crushing her repeatedly, was now dead? It was the first time she had seen so much blood, killing a monster in such a cruel manner. But she didn''t feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, she experienced a novel sensation she had never felt before. Her mind, tense to the extreme, began to relax. Her whole body trembled, unable to conceal her inner excitement. Exhilarating! Because she had personally defeated an enemy she thought was completely unbeatable. Through repeated failures and "deaths," Aurelianne was left with only one thought. She had to defeat it! Then, kill it! It seemed only this could vent the emotions from her repeated deaths, only this could prove she wasn''t just a weak ornament. Aurelianne completely relaxed, sitting ungracefully on the grass, letting the foul-smelling blood stain her entire body. This was her trophy, proof of her victory. The Royal Knights stood far away, lowering their weapons, each knight''s eyes filled with shock. What had they just witnessed? "The fifteen-year-old princess personally killed a Forest Demon!?" The knights were very familiar with this type of magical beast. Every week, knights were assigned to patrol around the royal capital, clearing out surrounding monsters to prevent them from rapidly proliferating and becoming a disaster. The Forest Demon before them was the most troublesome existence for the knights. Each time they cleared one, it took at least a dozen knights to subdue it steadily. They never imagined that the little-known princess would possess such ridiculous strength. Most importantly, she was only fifteen years old! The female guard also rushed forward amidst everyone''s shock, hurriedly helping the princess up. "Princess! Are you alright!?" In fact, when she first entered and saw the monster pouncing towards the princess, she was almost scared witless. She had even thought about where her future grave should be buried. But then she witnessed a scene that instantly lifted her from rock bottom to the peak. Princess Aurelianne had actually killed that monster in retaliation!? Having protected the princess for so long, she naturally knew the princess''s capabilities. Although her magical talent was indeed unparalleled, able to learn spells taught by teachers with just a glance. But talent doesn''t equate to combat ability. Everyone in the palace knew that the princess, who had never had any real combat experience, would still be just an ornamental princess even after learning magic. But now, Aurelianne had slapped them all in the face. Whose ornament could defeat a Forest Demon single-handedly at fifteen years old? Perhaps even Erica, hailed as the current youngest genius in the royal capital, would struggle to achieve this. Aurelianne shook her head after being helped up by the guard, saying: "I''m fine." She hadn''t expected her guards to find her along with the Knight Order. A flame appeared out of thin air, and Viktor slowly emerged into people''s view. The female guard was furious at first sight of Viktor. If it weren''t for Viktor taking the princess away without any explanation, she would have already prepared for her head to be separated from her body. How could she not be angry? Viktor had nearly gotten everyone killed! "Viktor! Abducting the princess is already an unforgivable crime! How dare you bring the princess to such a dangerous place! You..." Viktor remained unmoved, but the princess frowned first, stopping her next words. "Cecilia." "You''re being too disrespectful to my teacher." Hearing the princess''s words, the guard called Cecilia began to stammer: "But, Princess, he..." Before she could finish, as if struck by a repulsive force, she was forced to step back involuntarily. Cecilia looked up to see a light glowing at Viktor''s fingertips. [First-tier Magic: Repulsion] After doing this, Viktor nodded to the princess, praising: "The final repulsion magic was used well." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Aurelianne was overjoyed at Viktor''s praise. It meant her efforts hadn''t been in vain. A beam of light fell, sweeping over the princess''s clothes, cleaning the blood stains. The materials from the corpse on the ground were also collected by Viktor. However, Viktor left the body in place, as it was Aurelianne''s trophy after all. He looked at the [Demon''s Heart] he had just picked up, then glanced back at Aurelianne. Although it was his student''s trophy, still... Viktor put the [Demon''s Heart] into his bag and looked back at Aurelianne. "Well, today''s lesson is over. Tomorrow, you can take a day off." As he spoke, he nodded to Gwen, who was approaching from afar. A blue formation rose beneath his feet, dissipating into points of light. Gwen watched Viktor leave and gestured to the Knight Order. "Temporarily seal off Milute Path! No one is allowed in or out!" ... The princess finally returned safely to the palace under the escort of her guards, bringing her trophy, a "Forest Demon." Emperor Obery was very pleased, shouting in front of everyone about rewarding Aurelianne. Soon, the news of Aurelianne single-handedly killing a Forest Demon spread through every noble circle in the royal capital. Some nobles believed this was a signal released by the royal family, that this little-known princess was finally going to step forward as a "genius" under the royal family''s groundwork. To increase the royal family''s control. The remaining nobles became interested in Viktor''s teaching. Under the royal announcement, everyone knew Viktor had become the princess''s private tutor. However, today''s lesson shocked them. Having a student kill a "Forest Demon" was actually Viktor''s lesson. What was Viktor thinking? ... Erica had been troubled recently. Ever since she blurted out "take me as your disciple" to the professor yesterday due to sudden brain overload, she had been thinking about how to persuade her father, Duke Levi. Just as Viktor said, she was her father''s only heir. How could he possibly agree to her continuing to do anything dangerous? But thinking of what Aurelianne had said at the banquet made her uncomfortable. "Are you trying to steal my teacher?" "I won''t let you succeed." Erica quickly shook her head, trying to shake off those unpleasant thoughts in her mind. The sound of the door opening came from outside, followed by a servant''s voice. "Duke." Father was back. Hearing Duke Levi''s voice, Erica pushed open the door, only to see Duke Levi''s face looking somewhat gloomy. Erica suppressed the words she had just prepared. After all, father was in a bad mood now, and she indeed shouldn''t talk to him about other things at this time. But hadn''t father gone to the palace? Could it be that someone had offended him while he was there? Erica asked curiously: "Father, what''s wrong?" "It''s too inappropriate." Duke Levi glanced at Erica, sighed, and said: "Viktor took the position as the princess''s teacher, but he used large-scale teleportation magic inside the palace to take the princess out of the palace." "When the Royal Knight Order found the princess, she was facing a Forest Demon." Erica covered her mouth, extremely surprised. Forest Demon, the well-informed Erica had naturally heard of it. This kind of monster seemed to be a lord-level creature appearing in dense forests, ferocious and difficult to kill. Logically, such monsters were usually dealt with by the Knight Order, or some passing adventurers who killed them. The dead bodies could even be brought to the royal capital for rewards. Why would the princess... face such a thing alone? But what shocked Erica even more was yet to come. Duke Levi continued: "Even though she defeated that monster, it''s still too inappropriate to let the princess take such risks!" There was some anger in Duke Levi''s voice, naturally directed at Viktor''s "bold teaching." The princess is His Majesty''s daughter, and His Majesty dotes on her greatly. If something really happened because of Viktor, how could Viktor still stand in the empire? Everything he had accumulated would collapse in an instant. Does he really not understand these things? The duke didn''t notice that Erica, upon hearing this, stepped back in shock. What? The princess actually defeated that kind of monster!? Alone? By herself? She suddenly remembered what the princess had said. Surpass her, become an even greater genius than her. Now, what Aurelianne had accomplished was deeply imprinted in her heart. "...Genius?" Duke Levi paused, looking at his daughter. For some reason, Erica was now lowering her head, making it difficult to see her expression. "Erica? Darling, what''s wrong?" "No... it''s nothing." Erica sighed softly. At this moment, she suddenly understood some things. Staying by Viktor''s side seemed... it wouldn''t create any substantial gap between her and the princess. Instead, it would make the distance between the princess and her grow shorter and shorter. Moreover... Since she already understood that her father would definitely not agree, why should she continue to make unreasonable demands? ''Erica, you should grow up too.'' She said to herself. So, Erica took a deep breath and made a request to Duke Levi: "Father, there will be a two-month vacation during the academy''s recruitment period. I want..." Duke Levi looked at his daughter, seeing her determined gaze, but with a different kind of confidence in her eyes. "I want to train with your Magus Corps for a while." Duke Levi stared at his daughter in astonishment. "Dull and boring magic learning is destined not to improve me much, so I need an opportunity to train." "Moreover, the Magus Corps is under your command, I won''t put you in a difficult position." Between admiration and understanding, Erica chose the latter. It wasn''t that her admiration for Viktor had diminished. On the contrary, the closer she got to Viktor, the more she could feel the charm of his personality beneath his cold exterior. She found that her previous self had been ridiculously wrong. Trying to catch up to someone by becoming their disciple would only make the gap between them grow larger and larger. Erica wanted to shine, wanted everyone to look at her with new eyes. Unfortunately, Viktor''s light was too bright, making everyone close their eyes, making everyone seem so dim and lackluster. It also almost made her forget. The strongest genius under twenty in the royal capital. Could only be her. A flash of gratification passed through Duke Levi''s deep eyes, and he slowly said: "I have an old friend far in the northern part of the empire, he is a powerful magus." "If you can endure the cold of the north, then, in a while, go train with my Magus Corps there for a period of time." Chapter 75: Want to Play a Game of Poker? The sky began to show the first light of dawn as Henie hurriedly rushed towards the training ground. "Professor Viktor! Professor Viktor!" Viktor, who was practicing swordsmanship, heard Henie''s voice and put down his sword. With a ''thud'', the sword pierced into the ground. "Professor Viktor, the batch of fine steel you ordered has arrived." Hearing that his ordered fine steel had arrived, Viktor nodded to Henie, sheathed his sword, and hung it back on the wall. "Let''s go." Viktor led Henie towards the mansion''s main gate. Seeing a cart full of fine steel outside the gate, Viktor merely lifted the cover to take a quick look, then called for the servants to receive it. "Professor, don''t we need to weigh these fine steel bars specifically?" "There''s no need for that." This batch of fine steel was of superior quality from the Delin family. Gwen paid great attention to this, so naturally, there wouldn''t be any shortages. The money had been paid in advance. The driver cracked his whip, and the cart gradually departed. Viktor turned and led Vega back to the mansion, while Henie remained in place, tilting her head as she watched him, muttering: "Why is the professor so busy every day?" She shook her head and skipped towards the flower patch. ... With a ''creak'', Vega smelled a damp, metallic odor. This was the basement of Viktor''s mansion, and also Viktor''s ''laboratory''. Vega knew that once Viktor appeared here, it meant he was going to tinker with his strange little toys again. Viktor laid some fine steel on the table, his gaze fixed on the player''s crafting book. To ensure a constant supply for the item shop, he would make two hundred bottles of magic potions in the basement every day, and always kept one hundred health potions on hand for emergencies. As a power leveler, the habit of stockpiling potions was ingrained in his soul. Because of this, his crafting proficiency had already risen to lv3. He could now start making some level three crafted items. Viktor took out a pile of various colored crystals from the player''s inventory. "Oh? These are the leftovers from what Gwen brought back from the volcano, and these are what the little princess helped you collect yesterday, right?" Vega looked curiously at the crystals in Viktor''s hand. But Viktor just kept his hand under his chin, frowning, staring at the air in front of him. Seeing him like this, Vega understood that Viktor definitely wouldn''t respond to it, so it didn''t ask any more questions. After searching through the crafting list for a while, Viktor finally found an item that satisfied him. According to the materials needed on the item list, Viktor weighed and prepared the crystals and fine steel. The weight was just right, without even a gram of difference. Soon, the table was filled with red and green crystals, with three uneven pieces of fine steel placed on top. Viktor gradually built a formation on the synthesis table, with triangular patterns as the core and square circles as auxiliaries, inlaying runes on top. Instantly, a burst of strong light erupted from the crafting table. Vega stared at this strong light, which immediately illuminated its fur like a white bird. In fact, it had never been able to understand Viktor''s crafting technique that only required materials, and could only attribute it to a one-in-a-million creation magic. As the light gradually faded, Vega widened its eye, looking at Viktor''s final product. These were two small, exquisite iron cards, glinting coldly, extremely sharp. The patterns on them were also different, with one card covered in green patterns and the other in red patterns. Viktor looked at the pair of cards before him, knowing he had succeeded not only in crafting a level three item but also in infusing it with wood and fire elements. "What''s the use of this thing?" Vega asked curiously, looking at the iron flying cards, unable to understand. No matter how powerful or sharp these things were, they were just flying cards after all. It would be great if flying cards could kill enemies, but such fragile iron cards might be easily dodged, and the two cards would completely lose their effect. Viktor didn''t answer it, just silently repeated the previous steps. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Bursts of strong light kept flashing from the basement. After who knows how long, Vega felt its eye was about to be dazzled. Viktor also stopped. Numerous iron cards filled the entire crafting table. "One, two, three... twenty... seventy-three... one hundred and eight." "You made two decks of poker cards? Want to draw a few out as jokers?" Poker cards existed in this world, as one of the few pleasures for gamblers. Back when he was power leveling, Viktor''s favorite thing to do in his spare time was to run to the casino and have an exciting gambling session with one gambler after another, always winning more. So, how to identify if an NPC is a gambler in the game? It''s simple, just ask if they want to play a game of cards. To some extent, NPCs'' gambling addiction is even greater than players''. But Vega was very confused. If he wanted to make weapons, why not make wands, or at least daggers for close combat? Unexpectedly, Viktor made a bunch of these things. Viktor put a deck of cards of the same color in a magic array. This time, the array had fifty-four small circles, with a position for each card, and the largest circle in the middle. Soon, another burst of strong light flashed. Vega''s vision went white, and it suddenly felt dizzy. It could only hear a harsh metallic collision sound in front of it, as if something was forcibly compressed together. As the light gradually dissipated, Vega only saw two iron cards, but compared to before, they were a bit thicker. "How did you do that? They merged together?" Viktor ignored it and just picked up one of the flying cards and threw it at the wooden dummy. The moment the red flying card flew out, one card instantly turned into a deck of cards. Fifty-two iron cards pinned onto the wooden dummy, bursting into roaring flames. As soon as the flames ignited, the cards returned, and a white mist like steam instantly rose, cooling down the temperature of the cards. They hovered around Viktor, the card bodies emitting a faint red glow, like loyal guards. Vega blinked, watching the numerous flying cards spinning around Viktor. Viktor calmly explained: "It can compensate for my shortcomings in close combat." Vega pondered his words. Shortcomings in close combat? That''s not what you say when you''re fighting warriors and knights in close combat. Vega thought Viktor just wanted to show off, but it had no evidence. At least it hadn''t seen anyone who could get close enough to Viktor to threaten him, not even Calamity could do that. "So, do these cool poker cards of yours have a name? I''ve never seen this kind of weapon before." Viktor narrowed his eyes, his consciousness slightly moved, and the flying cards stopped spinning, recombining into a deck, attaching to Viktor''s waist. "I call it, Fate." Vega said very supportively: "What a perfect name." ... Viktor put away Fate and walked out of the basement. As soon as he came out, he saw the little succubus running over very anxiously. "Pro-Professor!" She was a bit out of breath as she handed Viktor a letter. Viktor frowned in confusion. Delivering letters was usually done by servants. Henie rested for a moment and then explained: "Professor, I was about to go to the item shop when this letter flew into the mailbox at the door, addressed to you for signing." "So I brought it to you." Henie smiled happily, as if helping Viktor made her especially happy. Viktor nodded, no longer confused, but saw that Henie was still standing there, fidgeting, with a look of expectation in her eyes. Viktor: "?" As he was wondering if he had forgotten something, Henie spoke up somewhat embarrassedly. "Professor, you haven''t patted my head today yet." "..." Alright, daily pat. He put his hand on Henie''s head and rubbed it. Filled with a sense of happiness on her head, Henie was very satisfied. After Viktor withdrew his hand, she seemed a bit reluctant to part, but then suddenly seemed to realize what an outrageous request she had just made, and her cheeks turned bright red. "I-I-I... Professor! I''m going to work now!" Saying this, Henie ran away covering her blushing face. Viktor''s hand hung in the air. Just now, he had seen Henie''s level. lv7. Wasn''t this succubus leveling up a bit too fast? Vega stood by, its gaze thoughtful. "What are you thinking about?" Viktor asked the crow, and Vega slowly said: "I suddenly thought, primal demons are magical aggregates that induce emotions, they don''t have substantial physical bodies or souls." "I''m guessing a possibility that when you blasted Yem, part of its qualities didn''t completely leave Henie''s body, so Henie gained part of the power of greed." "In conclusion, the reason this little succubus keeps getting stronger might be because you''ve been satisfying her greed." Viktor pondered for a moment. This was quite bizarre; he had never seen such a situation before. But Vega''s words made sense, or rather, it was currently the only explanation for how a succubus could increase her magical power without going through certain special sexual acts. "If that''s the case, then Henie''s greed is really too easy to satisfy." Towards the end, even Vega didn''t quite believe it. Could it really be considered greed if all it took was a daily head pat and hug to self-satisfy? Viktor quietly listened to Vega''s words, weighing the letter in his hand. "It''s not harmful anyway." "You''re right, so, has the Mage Council sent you another letter?" The magical residue on the envelope was still very powerful, but this time there was no magical puzzle on it. Viktor took Vega back to the study and opened the envelope with magic. The illusory mage appeared on the letter once again. "We meet again, Lord Viktor." Viktor still looked at him coldly and said flatly: "If the council hadn''t agreed to my request, they wouldn''t have replied to me, but agreeing to all my demands doesn''t seem like your style." "Tell me, what matter is worth you inviting me at all costs?" The mage shook his head and smiled bitterly. There''s really nothing to hide from you, Professor Viktor. He straightened his posture, and a serious voice came out: "In fact, we of the Mage Council do need your help." "According to the prophecy, soon, Endymion will suffer a calamity." Chapter 76: Help? Thats a Separate Price! "The City of Magic will face a calamity?" Viktor took the words of the phantom mage to heart. He pondered briefly, or more accurately, he was recalling the game''s storyline. In the future, the City of Mages had once suffered a severe attack. It was an exclusive special mission for mage players; players of other classes couldn''t join. The reason was that a powerful sealed magical beast was about to break through its seal in the City of Mages and reappear in the world. The ''Dark Archmage'' Exodia. He was originally a mage, but due to his obsession with pursuing power, he injected powerful magic into every meridian of his body to make his physiology transcend human limits. Exodia did indeed become stronger, but the consequences were also obvious. Due to the magical backlash, he eventually lost his sanity. His body also transformed into a giant with three heads. With three heads, he had three consciousnesses. His thoughts constantly clashed, and his mind was in utter chaos. The endless magic gushing from his body naturally led to countless disasters. This was why he was sealed in the City of Mages. The seal of the Dark Mage was gradually loosening. According to observations from the City of Mages, his target was the city''s primary source of magic. Hyjal. It was Endymion''s first source of magic, also the foundation of Endymion, storing enough magic to flood the world. It was said to be the first great tree planted by the gods. Its vast magical power was what kept the sky city floating in the air, and also made Endymion warm as spring all year round, with a pleasant climate. If Hyjal were attacked and destroyed, the entire island''s magic supply would be completely lost, and the floating island would rapidly fall to the ground. This would be a devastating blow to any country. If it fell into the ocean, it would raise thousand-foot waves, swallowing half the countries. That would truly be a catastrophe for all living beings. Viktor thought for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. He appeared very calm, even confident. "You''re talking about Hyjal?" The mage in the phantom was stunned for a moment, taking a while to recover before saying with a bitter smile: "Lord Viktor, how... how much do you actually know?" Viktor''s tone was full of strategic confidence as he slowly said: "Not much, but enough." "So, you must have heard about the Demon War and decided to come find me, Mr. Heim." Viktor was also very clear about the man appearing in the envelope before him. Heim Horn, rumored to be a phantom mage on the continent. As a member of the Magic Council, he didn''t belong to any country, nor did he have any political stance. He was merely a fourth-tier powerhouse managing the City of Mages. Phantom Mage, as the name suggests, specialized in illusions and teleportation, but what was most envied was his unique phantom magic ''Phantom Clone''. The phantoms could copy Heim''s movements, and naturally, they could also copy Heim''s magic. However, each time a phantom appeared, it would weaken the magic released by the original body. But when each bullet becomes a dense forest, it can instantly penetrate a building. Heim immediately became serious and slowly said to Viktor: "To recognize my identity just from the magic, Lord Viktor, you continue to surprise me." His identity wasn''t something that needed to be hidden; in fact, he was quite famous as a council member in the City of Mages. What surprised him was that Viktor recognized him just by seeing the magic, something even some well-experienced mages would find difficult to notice. Before he could say anything more, Viktor clasped his hands together. "So, why should I agree to help you? I don''t have any sense of belonging to Endymion." Heim Horn immediately became anxious. He didn''t care if he would reveal more of Endymion''s secrets and quickly explained to Viktor: "Hyjal is Endymion''s last line of defense. If Endymion falls..." "It will lead to the destruction of the country and the collapse of the continent," Viktor finished for him. At this, Heim Horn swallowed hard. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He only saw Viktor smiling mischievously: "What does that have to do with me?" Heim fell completely silent at this. He thoroughly remembered what kind of existence the person in front of him was. He wouldn''t be morally bound by some grand cause. "Lord Viktor, we, the Mage Council, have agreed to your request..." "That was the payment for inviting me to join the council," Viktor said coldly. These were what he deserved. And if you want my help? "What you''re talking about, that''s a separate price." The old mage felt thoroughly angry at Viktor''s attempt to exploit the situation. "Viktor, what makes you so greedy?" He placed his hands on the table, tapping lightly. "I have a sister. She''s a merchant." "I don''t care how difficult your situation is, but if you want my help? Bring me my benefits." The old mage was silent for a long time, finally giving up. He sighed heavily. "Viktor, what... what do you want?" "A position as a council member." The old mage''s angry voice rang out. "That''s impossible!" "There can only be twelve council members at most. Your qualifications are not enough to become a member of the Mage Council!" As soon as he finished speaking, a raging fire suddenly ignited behind Viktor. The heat made even the air begin to tremble. The flames were like an angry male lion, instantly climbing onto Viktor''s body. The warning voice from its mouth was incredibly deep. Vega stood on his shoulder, and no one noticed that its eyes had gained a tinge of azure. Even though he was on the other side of the envelope, Heim Horn felt a vast sea-like magical power, as if it would completely engulf him. The scorching flames even made him feel a burning sensation. Such a level of magical intensity made Heim''s heart suddenly tremble. He hadn''t misjudged this person. At this moment, Viktor''s voice gradually rose. "Mr. Heim, remember, in this negotiation, you are the one asking for my help." "No position available for a council member? I don''t mind killing a fourth-tier mage." Viktor smiled, a somewhat creepy smile. Heim Horn was once again silent for a long time. He began to wonder if inviting Viktor into the Mage Council was really the right choice. But since he had thrown out the bait to lure the tiger, it was too late to persuade the tiger to go back. He could only say with a stiff upper lip. "The council member position, I can''t decide alone." "Viktor, your aggressiveness gives me reason to suspect that you are declaring war on the Mage Council." The lowest standard for a member of the Mage Council was to be among the best of the fourth-tier mages, and to be a person of high prestige in a region. If it really came to a fight, he didn''t believe Viktor alone could challenge the Mage Council. "I''m sorry, Mr. Heim, I might have frightened you." "Well then, tomorrow, I will visit the council. We can discuss the details then." Viktor pulled out the invitation from the envelope, which contained the coordinates of Endymion. He tapped the table with his finger, and the flames rose again, burning the letter to ashes. The dust flew out the window with the breeze, also incinerating Heim''s phantom. Vega took this opportunity to disconnect from Viktor, asking very puzzledly: "I don''t quite understand. Weren''t you chatting quite pleasantly before? I thought this matter was going to be settled through peaceful negotiations." "Why suddenly make it seem like you''re going to war with them?" Vega didn''t understand. Even if Viktor was confident, he had never been so reckless before. And this time... it was as if he deliberately wanted to provoke the other party. He even specifically asked it to build a magic link midway. Viktor flipped through the invitation in his hand. The coordinates clearly recorded Endymion''s current location. As a floating sky city, Endymion was constantly moving in the sky, changing position at any time. He began to explain. "Those who can become council members usually have high moral standards, like Rachel Azure." This old principal was one of the council members. As a person of the Empire, without a noble status, he built a magic academy with his own efforts, selflessly serving the country. He dedicated his life''s work to his academy. Although this morality had some ambiguities, and Rachel Azure couldn''t guarantee that there wouldn''t be any corrupt elements among the teachers and students in his academy. But at least he could say he had a clear conscience about his own morals. "So, no matter how fiercely I rant, the Mage Council won''t go to war with me, because the power I''ve displayed will make them need me very much." The Mage Council was an organization full of a sense of justice. If it could be classified as an alignment, it would definitely be Lawful Good. Chaotic individuals like Viktor naturally wouldn''t qualify to join the council. So in the two negotiations, Viktor consecutively demonstrated his value. Moreover, those words he just said were merely talk. As long as Viktor didn''t take action first, these mages had no reason to attack him. Can''t a person even rant a bit? "You still haven''t answered my question, why deliberately provoke them?" Vega was still puzzled, and then heard Viktor explain calmly. "To make them think I really need that council member position." They would think that Viktor wanted to become a council member by any means necessary. This way, the Mage Council would believe they could restrain Viktor. Because in their eyes, Viktor now had a need. And with a need, all negotiations would be easier. These mages could very well sacrifice a council member position to Viktor. This way, in their eyes, Viktor, who became a council member, would need to maintain this position and thus obey the Mage Council. "Perhaps these old mages are secretly rejoicing, thinking they can exchange just one council member position for a disaster-level mage who can defeat both calamities and demons, right?" Viktor smiled, his laughter full of calculation. "I still don''t understand, what benefit is there for you in becoming a council member?" "Although becoming a council member is already a good benefit, as you think, I indeed didn''t take this position seriously." Viktor shrugged, saying calmly. "The [Hyjal] of the City of Mages is what I need." Only council members have the right to access that core of the Magic City, and only Viktor knew what it really was. Strictly speaking, it was indeed a great tree planted by the gods. However, it was stolen by the mages of the past. The source core of the Wood Calamity, Druja. Chapter 77: Seeing Something She Shouldnt Have As dawn broke over the royal capital, the first rays of sunlight began to peek through. Aurelianne had been waiting early in front of the Kravina mansion, with a small army of guards standing behind her. Clad in cold armor and wielding heavy blades, each guard had an oddly shaped shield in front of them, seemingly inconvenient to carry due to its length. Having received the emperor''s orders early in the morning, they had been assigned to protect Aurelianne. Naturally, the royal visit couldn''t be taken lightly. A maid hurriedly ran towards the mansion. "Your Highness, I''ll go notify the master of the house right away." "No need," Aurelianne suddenly said to her. The maid, who was about to leave, stopped in her tracks upon hearing this. "It''s not proper for a student to wait for her teacher to receive her. I''ll go in and find my teacher myself." Although somewhat reluctant, the maid slowly opened the mansion gates, the royal title carrying too much weight to refuse. Aurelianne glanced at the guard beside her and said, "Celia." "Yes, Your Highness." "If you want to come in with me, you must not be disrespectful to my teacher like last time when we meet him." Celia nodded and responded with a "Yes." The two entered the Kravina mansion one after the other. "Your Highness, at this time, Mr. Viktor should be reading in his study," the maid informed. Aurelianne nodded and followed the maid''s lead to Viktor''s study. As she climbed to the second floor, full of anticipation, she was still pondering how to greet her teacher when she saw him. But the scene she witnessed in front of the study door left her dumbfounded. A girl was standing in front of Viktor. Although her loose robe concealed some of her charm, it was still evident that she was beautiful, with a natural air that made people want to cherish her. Who was she? The next second, Aurelianne''s eyes widened. The girl, as if expecting something, watched as Viktor reached out a hand and patted her on the head. She looked utterly satisfied, giggling foolishly, then, as if suddenly realizing something, blushed furiously and hurriedly bowed to Viktor. "Thank you, Professor! I''m off to work now!" Then she ran towards the staircase in a fluster. As she passed by Aurelianne, she nearly tripped, and upon seeing Aurelianne, she politely gave a slight bow. Aurelianne stood there slightly stiff, even forgetting to return the courtesy. By the time she turned to look again, the girl had already run down the stairs and left. "Aurelianne." Viktor''s cold, emotionless voice rang out from where he stood. Aurelianne snapped back to reality and instinctively looked towards Viktor. "T-Teacher." Viktor stood at the study door, gave her a bland look, and then walked back into the study. The door wasn''t closed, and Aurelianne knew this was an invitation to enter. Aurelianne walked over, somewhat timidly. After entering the study, Celia closed the door for Aurelianne. Viktor sat in his chair, with the crow on the table dozing off nonchalantly. Aurelianne stood in front of Viktor, feeling a bit nervous. She thought Viktor might be angry at her unexpected visit, but it didn''t seem to be the case. After she entered, Viktor barely moved. He held a book in his hand, occasionally turning a page, seemingly engrossed in reading. As if suddenly remembering something, Viktor, without raising his head, simply extended a hand. A chair materialized behind Aurelianne. "Sit." A simple, imposing word, carrying an irresistible command. Aurelianne clasped her hands behind her back, her icy fingers gliding along her long skirt. She gracefully sat down on the chair, as elegant as a noble swan folding its wings. Aurelianne had wanted to ask about the girl she had just seen, but before she could speak, a book fell from the sky out of nowhere. Aurelianne quickly caught it. The book had no cover, not even an author''s name. But it was thick, and Aurelianne curiously opened it. Inside were records of various magical beasts, their categories, habits, and weaknesses. What shocked Aurelianne most was that some of the creatures she had encountered were described in even more detail than in other books, down to the habits and intervals of their attacks! If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aurelianne took Viktor''s lessons very seriously. After the battle the day before yesterday, she had started wanting to learn more about wild magical beasts to reduce the number of times she would ''die'' in future lessons, saving her teacher some trouble. So, she had spent a long time in the library yesterday, just to learn more about those creatures. As expected of the royal library, the books and illustrations there contained records of a large number of magical beasts. But now, looking at this notebook Viktor had given her, Aurelianne realized that those resources paled in comparison to what was recorded here. This notebook could be considered an ''encyclopedia''! Aurelianne was puzzled. Had her teacher prepared this specially for her? "Remember to read it thoroughly and take notes. It will be helpful in the future," Viktor''s voice said flatly, and then he fell silent again. He continued reading his book quietly. Seeing this, Aurelianne also sat down quietly. She flipped through the notebook, and after just a glance or two, she became engrossed. She even forgot about the passage of time around her. After who knows how long, a voice broke her out of her trance. "It''s time to go." Aurelianne looked up to see Viktor putting away his book and standing up. The dozing crow also flapped its wings and perched on his shoulder. Aurelianne finally came to her senses, hurriedly put away the book, and stood up as well. She thought today''s lesson was about to begin, but then she heard Viktor say: "I''m taking you to a good place today." A good place? Aurelianne was a bit confused, but before she could react further, the teleportation array on the ground began to glow faintly. Seeing the teleportation magic appear on the ground, Celia became anxious. "I must accompany the princess!" As the princess''s personal guard, how could she be left behind by Viktor again? If the princess were to be alone with Viktor all the time, what if something went wrong? The next second, she might lose her head. But Viktor''s cold voice had already sounded. "Sorry." "Only one person." Whoosh The mysterious sound of the magic array suddenly rang out, and in an instant, the two turned into two blue beams of light that shot out of the study window towards the horizon. Celia was left alone in the empty study, staring blankly out the window, a nameless anger suddenly rising in her heart. Damn it, Viktor! He''s taken the princess away again! ...... As the light gradually faded, Aurelianne and Viktor appeared on a towering cliff. The sky was overcast, with lightning occasionally splitting the heavens. A cold wind blew between the mountains, and the chill made Aurelianne feel as if all the hair on her body was standing on end. She looked down at the deep, gloomy abyss at her feet, where a cold air howled up from the bottom, like countless wailing ghosts. And before the mountain, there was a vast ocean of surging, ink-black waves. Aurelianne felt short of breath, as if her legs were enveloped by a strange sensation, becoming weak and soft, almost unable to support her body. Is this the good place Teacher Viktor mentioned? She wouldn''t have to take lessons here today, would she? But Viktor''s expression remained calm, letting the cold wind blow his coat. "This is... the Talin Abyss." "The border of the Empire." Aurelianne opened her mouth, her voice a bit small due to the difficulty in breathing. "Teacher... why have we come here?" Viktor took out the invitation, gently pinched it, and threw it towards the sky. The envelope seemed to be guided by something, gradually rising into the sky as the wind blew. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced through the sky, and that clear space grew larger and larger. A floating island gradually appeared from within that bright light. It was Endymion. The City of Mages appeared in different locations every day but never entered the territory of any country. So Viktor had to wait for Endymion''s coordinates to appear at the empire''s border and then use the teleportation array to reach this place. The teleportation array he had prepared overnight was for this very moment. A white light gradually descended, enveloping Viktor. "Princess, please give me your hand." Aurelianne blinked and reached out to hold Viktor''s hand. A flash of light passed, and Aurelianne closed her eyes. Their bodies gradually floated into the air. This sensation felt very strange to Aurelianne, as if her free soul had suddenly been liberated to soar in the sky, feeling incredibly light. She felt herself gliding through the air. Gradually, she became immersed in this sense of freedom. After the bright light faded, Aurelianne heard a familiar voice: "You can open your eyes now." She slowly lifted her eyelids, and the scene before her made the world seem so unreal. Rune-covered circular arrays floated above the island, and those floating buildings above the rocks seemed to be constantly breaking apart, only to chaotically reassemble the next second. It was as if they were in a strange state between order and chaos. They would occasionally collide, and the giant rocks beneath the buildings would fly away in the opposite direction due to the force. The entire castle was also covered with various strange plants. For example, flowers with lion heads, and leopard-headed grass staring at the flowers, drooling. They probably never bore fruit. There were also some winged pigs flying in the sky, touching those floating rainbow bubbles. Strangely, those rocks would also touch the bubbles in the sky, but it was as if they hit a sponge, slowly bouncing back. When the little pigs burst the bubbles, they disappeared in an instant. Aurelianne had never seen such a place before. She was immediately attracted by the rainbow bubbles in the sky, and out of curiosity, she was about to reach out and poke them. "If you pop them, you don''t know where you''ll be teleported to," Viktor warned. Hearing Viktor''s warning, Aurelianne withdrew her restless hand. She silently prayed that the flying pig was safe and sound. Soon, mages came out to greet the two. A white cloud gradually floated over, and a long-eared elf rubbed her sleepy eyes, touched her long green hair, and looked up at the two. Many pink petals surrounded the cloud, and the elf mage stretched out two slender, fair, and delicate legs from within the cloud. Just as she was about to speak, she held back, touched the white cloud on her body, and then spoke again: "You must be Viktor." "We''ve been waiting for you for a while." Chapter 78: The Sleepy Elf Shut-in Who Just Wants to Sleep Viktor sized up the sleepy elf before him, her image gradually matching the character in his memory. Cocotte Yade was a nature elf. Even among elves, there were different races. Nature elves, who were more in tune with nature, found it easier to control elemental powers and were more likely to become mages. Her identity was also quite unusual. She was an elven queen who only wanted to sleep and had no desire to inherit the throne. She had run away alone to the magical city that almost no one could find, hiding from her people''s pursuit - a shut-in elf. Quite interesting. "Councilor Yade, I didn''t expect you to be the one welcoming me." The sleepy elf tiredly opened one eye, looking at Viktor with heavy dark circles under her eyes. "Huh?" "Interesting. When Haim mentioned it, I didn''t pay much attention, but now it seems you really do know everyone in the council." The fact that Viktor even knew her truly surprised Cocotte. As the least needed face in the council, she usually just slept in the garden or took big naps while drooling in the garden. Yet Viktor not only knew her name but could even say her surname. There was too much that could be delved into with that surname. The elf briefly looked over the human princess hiding behind Viktor, squinting her sleepy eyes. "Lord Viktor, you''re in quite a good mood, not forgetting to bring your lover even when coming to Endymion." She was indeed a sharp-tongued shut-in elf. Viktor straightened up slightly. Although he didn''t explain, there was a hint of danger in his eyes. "I can burn Haim''s letter, and I can certainly burn down your back garden." "..." Cocotte quickly sat up straight, and although still drowsy, she managed to force out a smile for Aurelianne. Even though the smile looked quite awkward. "Welcome to the City of Mages, little sister..." Viktor''s cold voice rang out. "Think about your own age before considering how to address others." "...How annoying." The shut-in elf pouted. Was it really necessary to be so unforgiving just because she had made one snarky comment? He really was quite vindictive. She put on a somewhat kinder expression compared to before, no longer forcing a smile, and simply nodded. "Welcome to the City of Mages - Endymion, young lady." "You can call me Cocotte. Today, I''ll guide you through the chaotic magical rifts in the City of Mages." There was a reason Endymion was called the City of Mages. The concentration of magic in the air here was extremely high. The powerful magical energy was constantly compressed within a certain range, forming a degree of chaotic collapse. Those rainbow bubbles floating in the air were the products of this magical chaos. Therefore, new mages all needed a guide to walk on the correct path. Aurelianne could feel her body constantly enveloped by endless magical power just by breathing the air. Her body had to give up absorbing magic from the air to prevent itself from bursting. She had been thinking about absorbing some magical energy in the City of Mages to expand her magical reserves. That idea should be abandoned now. However, Aurelianne still bowed to Cocotte to express her gratitude. She didn''t know what the City of Mages was like before. Strictly speaking, Aurelianne wasn''t a traditional mage. The emperor just knew about her talent and let her choose to become a mage. Cocotte led the way in front, chattering incessantly. She never actually walked herself, sitting on a floating cloud that served as her mode of transportation. Aurelianne looked at the floating cloud with surprise. "This thing can actually move?" Cocotte just smiled. After all, it was reasonable for Aurelianne to have never seen this kind of transportation on her first visit here. However, she didn''t intend to let Aurelianne understand these various magical creatures. She just said flatly: "The City of Mages is divided into seven levels. The magical concentration on each level is completely different." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "The higher the level, the higher the requirements for mages. If weak mages recklessly ascend to levels beyond their capability, they might lose an arm or a leg at best, or completely lose their connection to magic at worst." As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Aurelianne. Cocotte''s intuition told her: This girl before her, Was not normal, Very not normal. This young girl only had first-tier strength. Theoretically, even average second-tier mages would find it difficult to withstand the chaotic magic on the first level of the City of Mages. But the girl in front of her could withstand this strong magical concentration and seemed completely at ease. Cocotte''s reactions were all seen by Viktor. Her reactions were also within Viktor''s expectations. After all, no one would expect Aurelianne to possess a magical talent that could be described as heaven-defying. At this moment, Aurelianne was like a new, curious animal in a zoo exhibition being observed by Cocotte. Aurelianne didn''t mind it though. Endymion, called the City of Mages, didn''t actually have much of a city. It was merely a collection of extremely fragmented rock structures. The three walked for a while, not encountering any other people on the way. There were only some more peculiar magical creatures. Although they had only walked for a short while, the surrounding scenery kept changing constantly, sometimes becoming a quiet, bottomless starry sky, sometimes turning into a dense forest. Their shapes couldn''t be fixed. With each step, the lines and colors seemed to change constantly. After walking for an unknown amount of time, Aurelianne looked at the path ahead and fell into deep thought. There was no path around anymore. She now seemed to be standing on a rock, with nowhere to step around her. There wasn''t even a person beside her. When had she gotten separated from her teacher? Impossible. She had been following right beside them. Having experienced the previous battle, Aurelianne had become a bit bolder. She tentatively stretched out her small foot towards the endless void. Although it seemed to be nothingness in front of her, it felt like she was stepping on solid ground. Looking down, the infinite starry sky under her feet was constantly rotating. The island behind her had disappeared, leaving only stars dotting the black curtain above. It was as if she was wrapped in countless beautiful wishes. The scene before her was incredibly serene and mysterious. Aurelianne felt a shock to her spirit, as if she had fallen into layers of hazy illusions. The scene before her instantly became dreamlike. It was an indescribable, transcendent beauty. Aurelianne''s spirit seemed to be frozen in place just by looking at it for a moment. But her consciousness told her she couldn''t linger here for too long, forcing her body to step out of those hazy, dreamy colors. The paradise-like wonder instantly vanished. Suddenly, after a moment of dizziness. "We''re here." The haziness in front of Aurelianne''s eyes gradually dispersed, revealing the crackling snake-like lightning and the oppressive atmosphere of low-hanging clouds. A single stone bridge hung in the air, terrifyingly high. Cocotte began to introduce to the two of them: "This is the Magic Ravine. Of course, in some human stories, it''s called - the Rhea Ravine." Hearing this, Aurelianne''s body trembled slightly. "The Rhea Ravine actually exists?" She looked at the treacherous place before her in disbelief, feeling a bit dazed. She had heard such stories when she was young. That distant, legendary Rhea Ravine, those who passed through the trial would have the qualification to ascend to the seventh heaven. But now it seemed that the trial had some answers at this moment. This place was a road that every mage must experience when coming to Endymion. This was not just a natural path, but also the first test of Endymion for those who came. Endymion, this City of Mages, was not merely an island floating in the air. It was more of a sky city with consciousness. Facing different visitors, different levels of trials awaited them in this Rhea Ravine. The more powerful one was, the more dangerous the encounter would be. This also meant that all mages could enter Endymion, but different trials would allow this magical city to actively choose which level you could enter at most. Viktor was very familiar with this place. In the game, he had been here before. Although the Rhea Ravine was on this floating island of Endymion, it wasn''t part of the main body of the City of Mages. In the eyes of players, this was just a monster farming spot. He looked ahead again. The possible dangers ahead were all too familiar to him. Even the existence of that lord, Viktor still remembered. In the ravine, chaotic magical power constantly gushed out, with lightning and hurricanes surrounding the only narrow passage in the center of the ravine. No one knew if that stone bridge would collapse the next second due to years of erosion. She followed closely behind Aurelianne and Viktor. If danger appeared, she could also act promptly. Although the Magic Ravine generally wouldn''t have any danger, this place was just a series of trial grounds. The magic in the Magic Ravine was chaotic and violent. Ordinary mages stepping into it might have their magical source scattered by the strong turbulence, directly losing their connection to magic. Even fourth-tier mages'' magic would be severely limited. But in the game, the Magic Ravine was a very valuable leveling spot. The large number of magical beasts here were on average above level 35. Because they had lived in this magically chaotic area for years, they could instinctively grasp some elemental powers and even use them to capture prey. Under the immersion of magic, the temperament of these magical beasts had also become more violent. This ravine, in his memory, Viktor had walked through hundreds of times. "Aurelianne." Aurelianne was a bit puzzled. "Teacher, what is it?" "From now on, follow me closely, don''t move around." Cocotte glanced at Viktor and said lazily to Aurelianne: "You''d better listen to him, otherwise..." "Have you seen fireworks before? If you move around carelessly, you might... become fireworks in a moment." Hearing this, Aurelianne couldn''t help but shudder. Cocotte lay on the cloud, staring at Viktor carefully, who knows what she was thinking. "My lord, you only need to walk to the end of this ravine, which should take about two hours." "If your qualifications are sufficient, then, passing through here, you''ll be able to reach the legendary seventh level, the Sky Realm." Chapter 79: Is This Even Human? They slowly set foot on the path leading to the Magic Ravine. Viktor stared at the distant solitary bridge, where various elemental magical energies were swirling together. The depths of the ravine were covered with all sorts of strange plants. Viktor knew very well that the depths of this ravine were far from as peaceful as they appeared. Various violent elements could be felt even from afar, one could only imagine how terrifying the magical power must be deep within the ravine. The moment Aurelianne stepped in, she suddenly felt her breathing become incredibly heavy. But she still stubbornly followed behind Viktor. Viktor walked on the solitary bridge, his expression unchanged. No matter how terrifying the chaotic magical aura was, it couldn''t move him in the slightest. Soon, a heavy roar came from deep within the ravine. Viktor stopped in his tracks, his eyes fixed firmly ahead. In the blink of an eye, a gray figure lunged at Viktor from the depths. The magical beast looked like a fox, but its body was covered with hard stone shells, between which burned raging black flames. Seeing this, Aurelianne''s body trembled slightly. Her experience on the Milute Plains last time made her instinctively want to use magic to attack when she saw the magical beast. But no matter how she tried to mobilize her magical power, there was no response. The chaotic magic in the Magic Ravine prevented her from using magic. The power of mages was greatly restricted here! But almost the instant the magical beast appeared, a silver card whipped out from Viktor''s waist. It moved so fast that one could only see a flash of silver light before the silver iron card sliced across the magical beast''s throat, causing a spray of fresh blood to gush out. But this was just the beginning. The silver iron card flashed with a red light of flame, as if spreading like a combustible medium, and the beast''s body was instantly engulfed in flames. Soon, it turned pitch black and fell into the abyss below. Aurelianne stood dumbfounded at how easily a magical beast had been dealt with. In the Magic Ravine, she couldn''t even mobilize her magical power. Yet Viktor seemed completely unaffected, effortlessly disposing of that monster. And that iron card, what was it? So this was how a mage should really fight? Cocotte, on the other hand, showed no change. She sat on her cloud and yawned. It was normal for some magical beasts to appear at the entrance of the ravine. Viktor''s performance didn''t surprise her, although his methods didn''t quite seem like those of a mage. But as they went further, Cocotte became increasingly puzzled and confused. Why did she feel that this human was even more familiar with the path through the Magic Ravine than she was? He didn''t even need her guidance or reminders. But that wasn''t the main point. Theoretically, as one went deeper into the Magic Ravine, there should be fewer magical beasts, but correspondingly, the strength of the beasts should increase. However, the number of magical beasts actively seeking out Viktor was increasing. At first, it was just one or two, but now... Cocotte forced open her sleepy eyes, and the scene before her was hard to believe. Magical beasts were pouring towards Viktor like a flood. They trampled over each other, frantically approaching Viktor, completely disregarding their fallen comrades in front. Countless magical beasts surged on the solitary bridge. Due to limited space, the frenzied beasts were constantly falling into the ravine below. Yet they still swarmed forward eagerly. Soon, flying beasts also emerged from the darkness. Fanged praying mantises, sulfur flies with green slime in their mouths, and even green bats with four pairs of compound eyes covering their heads darkened the already gloomy sky as they flew towards them. And the target... was naturally Viktor. "This... this could almost be considered a small-scale beast tide..." Cocotte said lazily, but with a hint of shock in her tone. This level was already a ''sudden situation'' for the Magic Ravine. Theoretically, as a council member, she should be helping Viktor at this point. But... Cocotte looked at Viktor. At some point, dozens of iron cards had begun spinning around him, forming what seemed like an impenetrable iron wall. The moment those fearless magical beasts touched the iron wall, they were instantly shredded as if caught in a blade of wind, turning into a mist of blood without even leaving a corpse behind. Whether beasts on the ground or insects in the air, their fragile bodies were like blank paper before Viktor. Viktor walked forward with his hands in his pockets. Wherever he passed, not a blade of grass remained. "Is this... really a mage?" Cocotte questioned her century-long life as a mage for the first time. Viktor''s way of fighting was unheard of to her. Many powerful mages had passed through the Magic Ravine before. But without exception, every mage would choose to navigate carefully, and even when encountering magical beasts, they would avoid combat due to magical restrictions. Or they would use geographical advantages, using magic to make the beasts fall off cliffs on their own. Mages had a thousand and one tricks, but she had never seen a mage like Viktor. It was as if he was born for battle. He wasn''t limited to just using magic; Cocotte could see at a glance that this attack method was monotonous. It was merely using iron cards made of special materials and releasing a bit of magical power to control them. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As exquisite as... A machine with a well-programmed algorithm. The group walked through the ravine, during which everyone was very quiet, extremely silent. Aurelianne didn''t dare to approach and disturb Viktor, fearing she might distract her teacher and cause him to lose focus. After all, in this situation, if a mistake were to occur, the consequences would be unimaginable. She had Viktor''s help to constantly ''revive'', but Viktor himself didn''t. She always remembered that she was brought out by Viktor to broaden her horizons, not to be a burden. As they went deeper into the ravine, the surrounding vegetation gradually disappeared, replaced by more violent thunder and lightning and unrestrained black flames. The lightning was like countless vipers becoming agitated under the urging of war drums, flicking their tongues to threaten the group. The lightning instantly engulfed the low-hanging dark clouds in the sky, and before them, there seemed to be nothing left but endless lightning. "This is the Storm Land." "It''s constantly filled with thunder and lightning, one of the more dangerous areas of the Magic Ravine." Cocotte stroked her floating cloud, seemingly soothing its uneasy emotions, as she explained to Viktor. "Further ahead, the magical beasts are no longer ordinary ones." "They''re more like elemental aggregates." Viktor didn''t respond, as he had known all this from the beginning. A magical beast flickering with lightning emerged from nearby, but before it could make any move. A flaming iron card tore through the surrounding air, turning into a blazing arrow that flew at high speed towards the elemental beast. In a second, the iron card had sliced through the magical beast hundreds of times. The elemental beast, subjected to such powerful cutting force, vanished in a single pass, dissipating into wisps of smoke without a trace. The lazy elf, watching Viktor''s marvelous techniques, straightened her back and marveled inwardly: ''Even the magical beasts here are instantly annihilated, how powerful.'' In fact, she still didn''t understand why Viktor possessed such terrifying strength. Being in the Magic Ravine, even she felt her magical power restricted, making it difficult to use some complex and demanding powerful spells. If she were in Viktor''s position right now, frankly speaking, she couldn''t do it. Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder, constantly pretending to be an ordinary yet not-so-ordinary crow. After all, normal crows couldn''t enter the Magic Ravine. Feeling the chaotic magical power of the Magic Ravine, Vega inwardly sighed. ''What a monster.'' Although it had marveled many times before, Vega was still shocked by Viktor''s abnormal combat abilities every time. As they walked, Viktor suddenly stopped. Cocotte, seeing Viktor suddenly halt, asked puzzledly: "Viktor, why have you stopped?" Storms raged around them, with lightning pouring down from the sky in torrents. Viktor looked at the blue lightning streaking across the sky, narrowed his eyes, and said calmly. "All the spoils from killing magical beasts in the Magic Ravine will belong to me, right?" The two didn''t quite understand Viktor''s words, but Cocotte thought for a moment and said: "Hmm... indeed, there''s no problem with that." She couldn''t understand what Viktor meant by this, but in the next second, her drowsy eyes widened. At some point, the red patterns on Viktor''s coat began to flash on and off, suddenly brightening, as if lava was gradually flowing. Feeling a suppressed and scorching aura beginning to burst forth from Viktor. Cocotte hurriedly rubbed her eyes. Did I see wrong? But in the next second, Viktor''s aura made her even more certain of this feeling. It was as if a world-shaking magical beast was reawakening, a harbinger of its reemergence into the world. The elf stood stunned, suddenly understanding something. From the moment they entered the ravine, whenever Viktor released an attack, those red light stripes on his coat would constantly flash. At first, she didn''t think much of it, after all, she had always felt that Viktor''s coat was no ordinary item. It could be a special mage''s robe. Now, she suddenly realized something. Why were the magical beasts of the ravine so eager to attack Viktor? Magical beasts have a sense of territory. The more powerful the magical beast, the less it allows other magical beasts to invade its territory. She didn''t understand how Viktor was mimicking this terrifying aura, but now in her eyes. Viktor''s aura was like that of a powerful fire beast capable of destroying the world. Cocotte hurriedly sat up straight. "No way, is he really human?" What human would emit the scent of a magical beast? As an elf, Cocotte could sense more things. This aura, compared to a magical beast, was actually more similar to Pure, raging fire elemental energy. No wonder Haim''s letter could be burned, this completely solved the mystery. She seemed to realize something: Why did Viktor suddenly reveal this ferocious aura in the Storm Land? And what did he mean by what he just said? "Roar" A violent roar tore through heaven and earth, the surrounding lightning suddenly shed like thousands of vipers shedding their skin, transforming into countless small dragons, frantically swaying. The rubble in the Storm Land began to fall continuously, and strong whirlwinds rose again from the bottom of the ravine. A pale giant hand gradually extended from the bottom of the ravine, clinging to the surrounding mountain body, and dust immediately filled the entire sky. Behind that vast dust, blue lightning constantly excited under the shadows, and a giant head slowly revealed its outline. As lightning split the sky, everyone saw clearly the world-devouring magical beast before them. Cocotte''s eyes widened, her previous drowsy demeanor completely gone, her face now full of seriousness and concern: "The Storm Dragon King!? Why on earth did you provoke it?!" The crow on Viktor''s shoulder suddenly spoke, using the storm wind so that only Viktor could hear: "Viktor." Hearing Vega suddenly speak up, Viktor naturally understood what Vega meant. Magic link. But Viktor shook his head and said: "Not necessary." Viktor wanted to use his own peak strength to deal with this terrifying boss. The lord of the Magic Ravine''s Storm Land - the Storm Dragon King. An ultimate magical construct synthesized from magical power, it wasn''t a true dragon. Facing the terrifying magical beast before him, Viktor suddenly said: "Aurelianne." Aurelianne, whose robes were almost flying up in the storm behind him, suddenly came to her senses. The chaotic magic of the Reia Ravine made it impossible for her even to open her mouth. She could only prick up her ears, listening carefully to Viktor''s words under the raging storm and flashing lightning. "This is the lesson you need to learn today." "Remember to write a report when we get back." Viktor flung two cards towards the sky, and instantly, one hundred and eight iron cards began dancing in the air. They spun frantically around Viktor, forming a towering storm of cards. The interplay of red and green colors looked so dazzling under the gloomy dark clouds. But this was just the beginning. Gradually, his entire body was enveloped by a scorching red energy. The body under that coat was gradually covered with a solid shell interspersed with lava. On the coat, it was as if a pair of giant beast eyes had opened. Two rays of light as bright as the sun burst forth, like a sun piercing through the gloom in this Storm Land. His whole body radiated light, like a descending demon god. The lightning and hurricanes of the Storm Land gradually subsided, replaced by a red burning sky and a heat that melted everything. The scorching heat suddenly enveloped Viktor, and the ground beneath his feet immediately squeezed out spots of lava. Aurelianne''s face flushed slightly as she covered her mouth, looking at Viktor. Teacher, he''s... So... so cool! Seeing this scene, Cocotte froze for a few seconds. "The long-standing abnormal chaos of the Magic Ravine, actually changed by Viktor!?" This kind of magic that could change the environment... was a power that humans absolutely couldn''t possess. Suddenly, as if realizing something, she blurted out in a daze: "Calamity?" Chapter 80: Just Let Me Touch You Once Scorching magma began to surge from the bottom of the ravine, the dragon''s head looking particularly terrifying against the backdrop of dark clouds. But Viktor''s powerful aura seemed to transform into a calamity beast, even more dominating. On both sides of the ravine, searing flames constantly rose, enveloping the lightning. Bursting pillars of flame and bolts of thunder clashed, evenly matched. [Fire Calamity - Scorching Earth] Cocotte stood stunned at the surrounding anomalies: As a nature elf, Cocotte was very familiar with calamity beasts. Strictly speaking, they weren''t magical beasts. As embodiments of the world''s natural elements, they gradually developed their own consciousness during a long process of transformation. Wind, thunder, earth, water - nature had corresponding incarnations for each. Only calamities possessed the ability to change the natural environment. Cocotte was completely bewildered. Why? Why could Viktor use power similar to a calamity? He couldn''t be a calamity''s illegitimate child, could he? Nature elves revered and feared nature. Because nature elves'' magic power needed a natural environment to be released. And abilities like calamities that could affect nature were, in a sense, the fathers of nature elves. Cocotte suddenly rolled her eyes, pondering. She shouldn''t have offended Viktor just now, right... She should have been more polite. Cocotte fidgeted with her fingers, looking very nervous. Suddenly, she saw Aurelianne watching the battle not far away. Cocotte kicked the cloud under her feet and floated towards Aurelianne. When she floated to Aurelianne''s side, she no longer looked drowsy, and sheepishly tried to strike up a conversation with the princess. "Can I ask, your teacher... what''s his background?" Aurelianne glanced at her without answering, instead taking a few steps away from her. Seeing Viktor''s student distance herself so much, Cocotte suddenly felt that even sleeping wouldn''t be enjoyable anymore. She had almost forgotten, the young girl couldn''t speak. Helpless, she could only turn her head back to watch this epic battle again. Every mage in Endymion knew what kind of existence the Storm Dragon King was. It had slumbered for years in the deep abyss of the Storm Land, the most powerful being in this ravine. Even ordinary fourth-tier mages wouldn''t dare to easily engage it in battle without absolute confidence in victory. Not all mages could change the surrounding environment like Viktor. Under the original enhancement of the Storm Land, it would be even more dangerous. Or rather, it was because of the Storm Dragon King''s presence that this place became the Storm Land. Add to that the wild and chaotic magic flow within the Magic Ravine, which would further restrict mages. This sudden appearance of the Storm Dragon King was also unexpected for Cocotte. There usually wouldn''t be conflicts between the Storm Dragon King and mages. Mages only needed to pass through the Magic Ravine, and those magical beasts weren''t under the Storm Dragon King''s jurisdiction. It merely slumbered here as a manifestation of powerful magic, without much excess consciousness. Without active provocation, it wouldn''t attack others on its own. Viktor''s appearance, that violent calamity aura, made the Storm Dragon King sense the presence of a powerful enemy. With the environment and terrain changed, the Storm Dragon King considered Viktor an invader of its territory. But before Viktor, who had transformed into a humanoid calamity, the Storm Dragon King was nothing more than a giant insect. Cocotte shook her head. The calamity could change even the chaotic aura all at once; the Dragon King was likely to be in trouble this time. The Dragon King felt the scorching lava fall on its giant claws, let out a huge roar, and actively charged towards Viktor. Those giant claws, carrying ten thousand thunderbolts, rushed fiercely towards Viktor, with a sky-covering momentum that broke through the clouds. The high-speed sharp claws arrived in front of Viktor in just a few seconds. "Oh no! Too fast!" Cocotte saw that Viktor was already in danger, but it was too late to warn him now. The Storm Dragon King''s speed exceeded her imagination. However, the movement of the giant claws seemed extremely slow in Viktor''s eyes. He could clearly see even the constant trembling of the ten thousand thunderbolts surrounding the dragon''s claws. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With his hands in his pockets, in these few seconds, it was as if the world had been slowed down hundreds of times. Finally, after one second. The giant claw above Viktor''s head descended one centimeter. Sensing the approaching danger, the iron cards on Viktor''s body suddenly burst forth. Cocotte and Aurelianne stood together, staring up at the sky as if facing a great enemy. They hadn''t realized that the flash of cold light that had burst forth was already close to the giant dragon claw. In an instant, the flying cards split into hundreds, slicing across the Storm Dragon King''s limbs, fiercely piercing its joints. Completely severing its magical limbs. As a collection of magical power, the Storm Dragon King didn''t actually have a physical body. Those bodies were just products born from the collection of magical power. The hundreds of cards suddenly burst into dazzling light, red and green complementing each other. The flames burning the sky suddenly entwined around the Storm Dragon King''s body, and those giant vines also began to constantly restrain the Dragon King''s movements. The numerous branches and green leaves became even more scorching hot under the effect of the flames. Hundreds of flying cards continuously cut towards the Dragon King, like a veritable meat grinder of magical power. Before that vast collection of magical power could offer more resistance, the Storm Dragon King''s body gradually became smaller and smaller until it disappeared. Aurelianne''s eyes widened, filled with admiration. Her teacher was so strong! So strong that even the sky-covering Dragon King was no match for Viktor. As for Cocotte. She almost fell to her knees. Those eyes with barely noticeable dark circles stared at Viktor in disbelief. However, the Storm Dragon King wasn''t dead yet. "It''s not over yet. In this Magic Ravine, the Dragon King''s body will quickly reassemble." As soon as the words were spoken, the sky full of dark clouds once again flashed with lightning and rumbled with thunder. The magical power materialized as lightning gradually gathered in the air, veins, bones, and skin rapidly reconstructing the Storm Dragon King''s body. The next second, the Dragon King wrapped in lightning reappeared, its momentum even stronger than before. The Storm Dragon King''s health bar and level gradually appeared in Viktor''s eyes. Lv40 Viktor knew very well that the Storm Dragon King''s strength wasn''t particularly powerful. Its special feature was that it could endlessly revive using infinite magical power. Cocotte said the Storm Dragon King couldn''t be killed because Endymion''s mages had never seen it die. But Viktor knew clearly that the Storm Dragon King could be annihilated. As a player, he had to kill the Storm Dragon King many times every time he passed through the Magic Ravine. In Viktor''s eyes, this was just a large experience-giving monster. The Storm Dragon King''s revival time, behavioral patterns. He knew them all like the back of his hand! "Well then, I just need to kill you until you can''t regenerate with magic anymore." As the hundred iron cards returned to Viktor''s side, hundreds of magic arrays suddenly formed behind him. Those magic arrays, like the surface of a lake, gradually began to tremble. The runes and patterns were already uncountable, and overwhelming fire magic suddenly poured out. In the environment created by Viktor, Cocotte could see that all the magic Viktor was using was second-tier magic. But the power had reached the level of third-tier magic. "Is this... the Fire Calamity?" That fire magic seemed about to completely engulf the ravine the next second. Seeing this, Cocotte hurriedly pulled Aurelianne into the cloud to prevent her from being affected by this terrifying magic. Terrifying scorching white light filled the ground, and astonishing flames illuminated the entire Reia Ravine. Perhaps even the Reia Ravine hadn''t expected to have such a brilliant moment one day. The high temperature softened the rocks, burning them in mid-air. The Storm Dragon King, having just reconstructed its body, was once again bombarded to the point where it couldn''t fight back. In the blink of an eye, its body shattered again. "This... how long has it been!?" Cocotte stood dumbfounded. Was the Storm Dragon King this weak? How did it seem to be beaten without being able to fight back at all? The next second, the storm reassembled again, but Viktor was already prepared. Even before the Storm Dragon King''s body was fully restored, iron cards flew across, sealing and shattering its body once more. The third time, the fourth time... Its revival speed became slower and slower. The surrounding ravine had been bombarded by Viktor to the point of severe damage, on the verge of collapse. The bottom of the ravine gradually fell into silence, the intense hurricane had dissipated, leaving only heat waves constantly trembling in the air. Cocotte watched this scene, feeling Viktor''s unparalleled destructive power. No wonder Viktor had the confidence to provoke this Storm Dragon King. After fighting for so long, she hadn''t even seen the Storm Dragon King use any skills. It was one-sided, complete domination! Under Viktor''s relentless attacks, the Dragon King would be instantly shredded each time it revived. Countless gatherings of magical power, countless revivals. Over and over again, one hour, two hours... the result never changed. The ravine was beaten into pieces of stone, turning into constantly decaying ruins. Countless flying iron blades whirled around the Dragon King''s half-formed body, cutting into it again. Soon, a flash of lightning suddenly illuminated, like an explosion, like a breakdown. As the dust gradually settled, there was no sign of the Storm Dragon King reviving again. "Is it... dead?" The Storm Dragon King was dead? She had never seen such a simple and easy battle. It was as if Viktor had calculated everything - the Storm Dragon King''s revival position, how much attack it should endure. Not too much, not too little, just right, able to kill it directly each time. She poked her head out of the cloud a little, feeling that the surrounding heat was already unbearable for ordinary people. "This temperature... it''s terrifying." This kind of fire magic was definitely not something a normal mage could release. Cocotte thought that Viktor must have made some kind of deal with the Fire Calamity. She was half right, because this violent fire magic was something Viktor had forcibly stripped from Gulleton. The Fire Calamity had already been sealed by Viktor once. The calmed violent thunder gradually converged, forming a lightning core glowing with brilliant white light. Viktor reached out, and the core, as if recognizing its master, floated into Viktor''s hand. [Storm Dragon King''s Gene] [Description: A mysterious gene containing the power of ancient dragons, perhaps it could be combined with ancient dragons.] He looked at this core, feeling very satisfied. The lava coat also returned to calm, the red patterns gradually hiding, and the giant beast eyes on the coat also retreated back into hiding. Cocotte, very curious, came closer, getting very near, and tentatively asked: "Do you have some kind of relationship with calamities?" Viktor turned his head and gave her a cold look. "I''ve killed a calamity before, do you believe me?" Chapter 81: Old Mages Have Flexible Moral Standards "..." Killing a calamity? Cocotte didn''t believe it. Calamities were part of the world''s elemental incarnations. Although Viktor''s ability to defeat a Storm Dragon King was indeed shocking, For him to say he had defeated a calamity... The power gap between the Storm Dragon King and a calamity was simply too great. But she didn''t want to anger Viktor, so even though she didn''t believe it in her heart, Cocotte still nodded. After all, even she hadn''t seen the true form of a calamity. Even the fact that the Storm Dragon King was destroyed by a human mage for the first time was enough to shatter her worldview significantly. As they talked, they walked. Soon, the surrounding storm gradually calmed, and a long-absent ray of light peeked out. "We''re here." Cocotte, who had woken up at some point, suddenly said from behind Viktor. Aurelianne also stood in place, looking at the scene before her. The magical scene before her eyes made her feel slightly uncomfortable. The surrounding walls were like living organisms, constantly rising and falling. Floating staircases between the ruins swayed slowly like tentacles. The floating clouds were also slightly distorted, as if constantly reflecting the faces of creatures, and constantly transforming. As those transforming clouds gradually dispersed, she finally saw the scenery called the Sky Land. That pure white building with twenty-four constantly flapping noble wings, so white that the light shining upon it seemed to completely tear open the sky. The building was divided into seven circular levels, with a three-headed statue standing high in the sky above. The upper half of the three-headed human statue was broken, converging and suspended in mid-air. Under Cocotte''s guidance, they arrived at the third circular level. Pushing open the tilted door, a beam of pure white light extended from the sky. There was only one familiar figure on the council - Haim Horn. Like a fantasy in one''s mind, his face was unclear. A thousand faces, all different. Only a pair of eyes left a deep impression. "Welcome to the Mage Council, Lord Viktor." Haim''s voice was very kind, making one feel at ease. "Please don''t blame the Mage Council for the abrupt reception. The other council members are tied up with important matters. I hope you understand." "They only appear at the annual Mage Council meeting." Viktor nodded, naturally understanding this. He had met all the old mages of the Mage Council and knew that their identities were generally not low. In their high positions, they naturally had many things to do. Haim and Cocotte were both managers of the Mage City, but the difference was that Cocotte was completely forced to live in Endymion unwillingly. Although she was also a council member, she gave people the feeling of being more like a mascot. The Mage Council had twelve members, each a powerful figure in their own right. In terms of game levels, they were generally above level 48. They were at the peak of fourth-tier mages, but few had touched the realm of the fifth tier. Haim also noticed Aurelianne behind Viktor, gave her a slight bow, and said: "Welcome, Your Highness." Seeing Haim, Aurelianne hid behind Viktor a little. The mage before her eyes looked like a strange person to her. She was a bit nervous. When she came in, she could feel how powerful the mage before her was. However, this mage whose face she couldn''t see clearly seemed to know her? "Don''t be surprised, Princess Aurelianne." "A mage''s wisdom knows all things in the world, and one of our council members, you might know." Aurelianne was a bit confused, and the phantom mage didn''t conceal it, saying: "Rachel Azure, the dean of your empire''s academy." "But he''s currently repairing the destroyed academy in the empire, so, well, you won''t have the chance to see him here today." Haim''s gaze looked at the princess, keeping his amazement in his heart without showing it. Mages were all cunning. The moment he saw Aurelianne, Haim knew that Viktor had handled everything well. The Mage Council was indeed independent of any country, but that didn''t mean they were stronger than any country. Not to mention the empire''s strong national power, no mage was willing to provoke that monster Aubrey Sol. Of course, even without the princess, Haim was prepared to agree to Viktor''s request. Haim looked at Viktor again, feeling more and more pleased. Viktor''s powerful strength shown in the Magic Ravine made Haim realize that he was worth inviting at all costs by the Mage Council. Considering that Viktor''s position in the empire was not low, and he was even the private tutor of the imperial princess. This identity was also quite intimidating. Viktor had already met the council''s requirements in every aspect, except for morality. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. As for morality? Oh, my God, mages have very free morals. If a mage doesn''t do bad things, then they''re a good person. "Skip the flattery, where are the things I want?" While Haim was still pondering how to open his mouth, Viktor had already found the path for their transaction. "Don''t be impatient, my friend. What''s yours is always yours." Although Haim''s expression couldn''t be seen, one could hear the smile in his tone. He just waved his hand, and two spatial rifts formed in mid-air, from which a robe and a staff fell respectively. On the shaft of the black staff, many ancient runes were carved, with a jewel emitting a red glow embedded on top, very gorgeous and magical. The robe''s collar gradually descended with purple patterns, covering the seams. The body of the robe was simply a solid crimson black, looking very plain. "These two items are custom-made by the most top-notch dwarven magic craftsmen, priceless." "Of course, this is a gift I present to you on behalf of the Mage Council, Lord Viktor. It''s free." He chuckled, sliding his fingers, and the two pieces of equipment floated towards Viktor. Viktor examined the two extraordinary pieces of equipment, their attributes displayed before him. [Staff: Urulust] [Effect: Spell Power +700, All Resistance +50, Magic Chanting Speed +40%] [Skill: Copy - 30% chance to quickly copy and release the last spell without consuming mana when using magic. When equipped with ''Gaia'' at the same time, the effect probability increases by 15%] [Mage''s Robe: Gaia] [Effect: HP +5000, All Resistance +50, Spell Power increases by 30%] [Skill: Veil - Generates a magic shield that blocks one enemy attack every 360 seconds. During the shield''s shattering period, receiving enemy attacks won''t reset the timer. After the shield shatters, it causes a one-second stun within a 5000-yard range.] The attributes of the equipment satisfied Viktor very much. Undoubtedly, they were equipment he could use at his current stage. The conversation wasn''t over, Haim continued: "Lord Viktor, traversing the Magic Ravine has proven your strength. You deserve the status of a council member." He waved his finger, and a circular emblem flew towards Viktor. On the silver-white disc were carved three half-broken human heads. Viktor took the emblem, and a thread seemed to connect him to Endymion. Council member status, a novel experience. After all, no player had ever mixed into the position of a council member before. The council members of the Mage City would always receive help and support from the council. This status was very prestigious for council members in any country. "This council member status was collectively discussed by us. In the future, Cocotte will no longer be a council member of the Mage Council." There could only be twelve council members. With Viktor joining, naturally, someone had to leave. And this person, of course, could only be the mascot Cocotte. Cocotte just pouted and said: "I have no objections, as long as I can sleep." Vega narrowed its eyes and complained to Viktor in its mind. "Are your mages'' morals always this flexible?" This Haim, when discussing conditions with Viktor in the letter before, was still full of gunpowder smell. But now he''s smiling like an old chrysanthemum, just short of writing sycophancy on his face. But Vega also understood these mages. Viktor was powerful unlike a normal fourth-tier mage, and this power was beyond even its understanding. Before meeting Viktor, no one could understand why a mage could possess such terrifying offensive power. Wasn''t a mage supposed to be an elegant profession? A calm, strategizing, mysteriously chanting noble incantations, this was the image of a mage in Vega''s mind. Viktor? He only fit the strategizing and calm parts. The magic he played with, each more violent than the last! After doing all this, Haim planned to leave early. "Lord Viktor, since you have joined the council and the matter is settled, I must take my leave now." "If you have any questions, you can ask the former council member Cocotte." "Have fun, Lord Viktor." "Mr. Haim." As Haim was about to leave, Viktor called out to him. He was a bit puzzled, turned his head, and only a pair of eyes looked at Viktor. "Lord Viktor, is there anything else?" "Haven''t you forgotten something?" Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, calmly looking at the other. "Halgal, the energy source of Endymion." Council members of the Mage Council had the qualification to go to Halgal, where the natural energy was incredibly rich. Any mage who could practice in Halgal for a while would see effective growth in their magical power. Seeing Viktor state his intention, Haim fell silent. In fact, he had been deliberately avoiding this topic. Due to a prophecy, the survival of Halgal had made the council members panic. So everyone was avoiding discussing this matter. But before he could think of a reason to avoid this, Viktor''s voice had already sounded. "Don''t forget why you sought me out." "Asking for help requires sincerity, Mr. Haim." After hearing this, Haim shook his head and sighed. Since it couldn''t be avoided, he might as well go with the flow. "Alright, Mr. Viktor, please follow me." At this time, Aurelianne was still in a daze. Many of the things her teacher and this profound mage were talking about, she couldn''t understand. What was a council member? What was Halgal? She didn''t know much about Endymion, but the clever girl knew what to say at what time. So she didn''t ask. Haim turned to look at Aurelianne and said: "Your Highness, you must wait in the council for a while." "After all, only council members can enter Halgal." Aurelianne looked at Viktor, saw her teacher nod to her, and nodded, agreeing: "I understand." Cocotte yawned and pointed at herself. "Hey, what about me? Can I go too?" "Of course, as a former council member, you still have the right to enter Halgal." Haim Horn held the emblem on his chest in his hand and extended a finger to draw in the air. Twisted branches gradually extended from the void, sprouting several leaves, and a deep passage appeared before Viktor. There seemed to be eyes on those tender buds of leaves, staring at Viktor, blinking. "This is the passage to enter Halgal." "Mr. Viktor, let''s go." "Cocotte, you come along too." Under Haim''s lead, Viktor gradually walked into the lush, dark path, with Cocotte walking last. The small path wound and spiraled down towards the underground. Stepping on the transparent passage, except for the few plants at the beginning, the rest was all darkness and void. This was an alternate space. Soon, the group arrived at the end of the passage. As if passing through a transparent wall, what entered Viktor''s eyes was a huge, luminous green magical giant tree. The complex root system extended deep into the void. Viktor looked at the bottom of the void, exactly the same as in the game, completely unable to see the source of Halgal. The giant tree before him seemed to be cut in half, with the upper and lower sections of the tree separated. In the uneven gap of the trunk, magical substances like bark debris floated around a ball of light. That green ball of light constantly surged, continuously transmitting energy to the giant tree. The upper half branched out into lush branches and leaves slowly extending into the dome, but Viktor could see seven layers of white halos surrounding the tree crown. Each white halo represented a level of Endymion''s buildings. "Mr. Viktor, we''ve arrived." "This is the bottom of Endymion, Halgal." Chapter 82: Guess Why I Wanted to Be a Council Member? The giant tree trembled slightly, and the seventh layer of white rings seemed quite unstable. This place was filled with magical energy, surging like an ocean of mana. From the moment he entered this alternate space, Viktor sensed two powerful energies. Besides mana, there was another essence belonging to nature and life. It was like a calm lake. The closer Viktor got to Halgal, the more clearly he could perceive it. The two energies gradually mixed, forming a pure natural magic. This magic was completely different from Vega''s vast magical power; this energy couldn''t be directly used by humans. Natural magic, compared to ordinary magic, was more attuned to the elements, and the spells released were more powerful. But creatures capable of using natural magic were extremely rare. However... right now, there was someone beside Viktor who could use this type of magic. "Zzz... Zzz... Zzz..." At some point, Cocotte had fallen into a deep sleep. The natural energy here was so dense that for a moment, she felt as if she had returned to the realm of nature spirits. Under such abundant natural energy, Cocotte felt even more drowsy. This wasn''t her first time here; she was just accompanying Viktor this time. She had asked Haim before if she could sleep under this big tree, but was opposed by all the council members. Haim explained: "According to the prophecy left by the Grand Mage, Halgal will face a severe calamity in the future." The Grand Mage. The founder of the Mage City, who had lived for about a thousand years. Viktor remembered clearly. In terms of character strength, the Grand Mage was on the same level as the Emperor of the Carenthia Empire. But in the backstory, the Grand Mage relied on his own cultivation. While the Empire''s emperor relied on exploiting life and divine blessings to obtain supreme power. Although their strengths were similar, one had a long life, the other a short one. But everyone believed the Grand Mage had passed away, as he had disappeared from people''s sight for hundreds of years. Counting from the first emperor of the Empire, if he were still alive today, he would be over a thousand years old. Even long-lived elves like Cocotte had a maximum lifespan of only five hundred years. Thinking of this, Viktor felt like laughing. The Grand Mage was indeed alive, but he wasn''t human. His true form was a turtle. Why did Viktor know this? Because there wasn''t an NPC he hadn''t beaten up. "However, we don''t know exactly what crisis Halgal will face in the future, so we need more mage power to protect Endymion," Haim said, almost laying all his cards on the table. And this matter, besides the twelve members of the Mage Council, he had only told Viktor. After all, if other mages knew about this in advance, they might just desert immediately. Not all mages possessed righteous morals. The first principle of the Mage Council was ''morality'' and ''justice''. Viktor didn''t respond to Haim; he just looked at Halgal, at the towering tree before him. The crow on his shoulder flew towards the giant tree at some point. Haim watched this scene silently, not stopping it. After all, it was just a crow; could it possibly affect Halgal in any way? Viktor just said calmly, "Mr. Haim, before discussing help." "Do you know what Halgal really is?" "..." Haim didn''t respond to Viktor. Since he was born in the Mage City, Halgal had always existed in Endymion. It had supported Endymion floating in the sky for generations, using its vast natural magic to maintain Endymion''s spring-like climate all year round. And now, Viktor''s words made him question for the first time. What exactly was Halgal? Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Why could it support Endymion in the sky for so many years? Was it really the first tree planted by the gods? Seemingly receiving some message, Viktor looked one last time in the direction Vega had left, then withdrew his gaze. Suddenly. A red glow lit up on his black coat, and weak fire magic gradually connected with the natural magic throughout Halgal''s range. Haim also noticed this and quietly watched Viktor''s actions. He felt that Viktor must know something. He knew clearly what had happened in the Magic Ravine, how powerful Viktor''s natural magic was. That astonishing flame, like a corner of the sun''s crimson light, could easily incinerate the Magic Ravine with just a fraction of its power. Haim didn''t know what a calamity was. Calamities were rarely known to people, not recorded in any historical ancient texts, with only some fragmented shadows in the myths passed down from ancient times. They were true divine creations. Viktor''s magic gradually connected with Halgal''s. In an instant, countless green sprouts emerged from the void ground where Halgal stood. Their magic seemed to be guided, gradually growing into tufts of green grass around Viktor and the giant tree. Colorful flowers suddenly bloomed in this alternate space, turning into a beautiful garden. The waist-high green grass immediately surrounded everyone. A blade of grass peeked out from under Cocotte''s cloud, tickling her nose. "Ah~ Achoo!" Cocotte opened her eyes drowsily, seeing herself surrounded by flowers and green grass, and asked Haim: "Hm?" "What happened?" Haim couldn''t answer; he was also stunned. "This... why?" What exactly had Viktor done? Looking at the beautiful scenery before her, Cocotte felt as if she was in a dreamlike sea of flowers, seemingly forgetting about sleep, her eyes full of surprise and confusion. She loved this kind of environment the most. But, somehow, she felt that this lush greenery seemed... A bit strange? Viktor still stood in place, continuing to connect with Halgal''s magic source. To be precise, he was using Guledon''s power to connect with Druja, the magic core deep within Halgal. The six systems of magic were said to restrain each other, but this didn''t apply among calamities. The violent power of calamities could cause natural disasters, but the peaceful power of nature wasn''t wrong. Natural fire was the residual heat of the sun; it would nurture plants and make them grow rapidly. So, once a connection was established between calamities. It was the anomaly produced by ''fire'' and ''wood''. ''Photosynthesis''. Haim fell silent, unable to understand everything happening before him. For the first time. It was the first time he had seen such a change on Halgal. "Haim." At this moment, Viktor stood among the myriad flowers, like a nature emissary surrounded by all the beauty of life. Even Cocotte was a bit dazed looking at him. He didn''t turn to look at the powerful phantom mage, but called him by name. "Use your and Cocotte''s magic to construct a barrier that won''t affect the outside world." Haim was a bit confused, and for some reason, he now felt a sense of crisis running through his spine like an electric current. "Viktor, tell me, what are you trying to do!?" "Don''t worry, Endymion won''t fall." At some point, the crow had returned to Viktor''s shoulder. "Just watch." In Viktor''s eyes, a flash of astonishing azure color passed. Suddenly, from the void, a blazing sun slowly rose. A terrifying temperature rose around, and the surrounding plants seemed to receive a frenzied baptism, growing vigorously! Those sky-high vines suddenly soared from the ten thousand-foot void, gradually enveloping the entire space, instantly turning this place into a dense forest. Thick woody air immediately filled the entire area, enveloping everything. A pair of green giant hands covered in flowers slowly extended from both sides of the hollow in the towering tree. Soon, a second pair, a third pair... Until the ninth pair of green giant hands grabbed both sides of the giant tree, as if supporting the world, splitting the giant tree apart. Immediately, the seven layers of white rings began to shake violently. "Viktor! What are you doing!? If this continues, Endymion will be destroyed by your hands first!" Haim''s voice trembled slightly. At this moment, he had a thought of ''inviting a wolf into the house''. Was the prophecy left by the Grand Mage referring to Viktor? As soon as he finished speaking, a giant snake emerged from the bottom of the giant tree, revealing its entire body. Now, both Haim and Cocotte were stunned. There was actually a living creature inside Halgal!? It had three pairs of compound eyes on its luminous green head, and white light swept across the faces of the people in front, finally focusing on Viktor. Finally, its huge green tail with black patterns slowly pulled out from inside Halgal. Only then did everyone see the full view of the giant beast before them. Cocotte looked at the towering beast in terror and said tremblingly: "Calamity! It''s really a calamity!?" Haim was also dumbfounded, turning his head sharply to look at Cocotte. "Calamity? What''s a calamity!?" "It''s the thing in front of us! Quickly construct a barrier! Otherwise, Endymion will be completely finished!" Haim immediately understood the situation. Although he didn''t know what exactly a calamity was, he could feel that a crisis had suddenly enveloped Endymion. Cocotte and Haim quickly began to construct a convergence barrier around them, blocking all the aura within this alternate space from the outside. The formation was constructed very quickly; in just a few seconds, intricate patterns and runes were already inscribed on it. Now, they just needed to wait for it to activate on its own. Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, his coat fluttering under the aura. He gazed at Druja before him, a red stripe flashing across his coat. A scepter appeared in his hand - it was Urulust. As for the robe, Viktor had already put it on, though it was covered by his coat. The coat swayed wildly under the terrifying pressure, Vega''s azure eyes brimming with immense magical power. Viktor saw his mana value suddenly increasing, quickly breaking through the upper limit, soaring towards the extreme. Feeling the vast ocean-like magical power, he confidently gazed at the terrifying creation before him. Wood Calamity Druja! Chapter 83: How Can We Fight a Boss That Self-Heals? The surrounding vegetation grew increasingly lush, with grass gradually covering Viktor''s waist and surrounding everyone. Huge flower buds emerged from the sea of flowers, suddenly blooming in the air. "This is..." "[Samsara Fragrance]." Viktor named this field for everyone present. Just like the Fire Calamity Guledon''s ability. Druja also possessed the power to alter terrain. At this moment, Druja''s three pairs of eyes stared intently at Viktor for a while. It sensed a familiar aura from Viktor. But its kin looked... very weak. So weak that it seemed unable to withstand even a normal strike from itself. Viktor was also unwilling to show anything to it, his hands gradually beginning to construct a complex fourth-tier formation. The four-layered formation gradually converged in his single hand, the patterns once again overlapping after a long time. Soon, the empty four-layered rings were inscribed with countless runes and intricate patterns. Streams of golden light slowly rose from beneath Viktor''s feet. Attack, defense, magic power, agility... Numerous buffs began to stack continuously on Viktor''s status bar. Feeling many warm powers gradually spreading throughout his body, Viktor stared at the Wood Calamity before him and smiled faintly. Vega stood on his shoulder, seeming relaxed as well. After all, having fought alongside Viktor so many times, it was no longer as panicked as when it first encountered a Calamity with Viktor. Instead, it was extremely excited. "Viktor! Crush it for me!" As for why Vega wanted to beat up Druja so badly. It was because the Wood Calamity was what Vega had helped Viktor resurrect. The surrounding magical and natural forces intertwined, becoming very chaotic. In this environment, Viktor naturally found it difficult to locate Druja''s core essence in a short time. So Vega flew to the crown of Halgal, using its eyes to probe for magical vulnerabilities in Halgal. Through the connection with Vega, Viktor was able to use the power of the Fire Calamity to resurrect the slumbering Druja. This Calamity, imprisoned within Halgal by the Grand Mage and used as an endless source of magical power, was awakened once again. Finally, it seemed to come to its senses, realizing how long it had been imprisoned. A roar of anger echoed throughout the bottom of Endymion. Haim''s eyes widened; he couldn''t believe what Viktor had unsealed. The pressure created by just the roar of the giant beast before him was enough to make his whole body tremble. At this moment, he couldn''t even seek external help. Hundreds of phantoms identical to Haim were spread around the barrier, using all of his magic to support this defensive shield. All he could do now was try his best to ensure that the power of this terrifying calamity beast would not leak into Endymion. Cocotte''s condition wasn''t much better either. She almost fell off her cloud, kneeling on it with her heart pounding like a drum. If it were other Calamities, Cocotte wouldn''t have reacted so strongly. But the Calamity before her was the embodiment of wood energy. Most of Cocotte''s powerful nature magic was wood-based; if this Calamity became slightly displeased, she wouldn''t even be able to construct magic. She sat on the cloud, on the verge of tears, murmuring. "I believe it, brother, I really believe it now." Viktor hadn''t lied to her. He really had fought with Calamities before. The battle was about to begin. A health bar gradually lit up before Viktor''s eyes, seemingly endless at first glance. Above the start of the health bar appeared the Wood Calamity''s level. Level 55! It was a full five levels higher than the previous Guledon. After all, Guledon had been in a dormant state before, and even when awakened, its strength hadn''t fully recovered. But Druja was different. Having been beneath Endymion all this time, even though it had just awakened, under the magical influence of Endymion, it was more powerful than the freshly awakened Guledon. But unfortunately! Viktor faced the powerful Calamity before him. In the game''s storyline, this Calamity''s first appearance was after the Dark Archmage attacked the bottom of Halgal. As Endymion was about to fall, Druja revived. Upon revival, it used endless vines to re-anchor Endymion in the sky. All seven layers of Endymion were invaded by Druja''s vines. Thus, Endymion became a long-term dungeon for a period of time. After the Dark Archmage''s death, players could challenge the first to seventh layers of Endymion daily. The endless dense strange plants were the players'' challenge targets. Each layer had a boss waiting for players to challenge, until the seventh layer was completed. At that time, players could proceed to the 0th layer, which was Halgal''s location. To challenge the full-fledged level 60 world boss, Druja. In other words, in Viktor''s eyes. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. This newly revived Druja. Was not as strong as the one he had challenged countless times before! Suddenly, countless tree roots and vines continuously burrowed into the ground, then burst out again, lunging towards Viktor as if in a frenzy. Those huge flower buds also instantly released dense pollen, continuously weakening Viktor''s long-lasting buffs. Indeed, the Wood Calamity''s environmental tendency led to its unique difficulty. Under Druja''s environment, not only would wood-based magic be greatly amplified, but the duration of players'' buff enhancements would also be reduced by half. Because of this extremely unfair debuff, many players were so annoyed that they went to the game forums to vent their frustrations. Unfortunately, the boss''s difficulty would not be modified. This instead aroused the fighting spirit of a group of high-end players, who constantly tried various skill combinations and team compositions before finally defeating this green giant for the first time. As luck would have it, Viktor was one of those high-end players. And now, he didn''t need any team. He himself was already an army! Viktor merely glanced at the Wood Calamity''s offensive, and the two iron plates at his waist flew out accordingly. Those two iron plates instantly transformed into a myriad of blades, like countless attacking soldiers launching an assault on the giant enemy before them. Turning into a storm of flying feathers, they swept around Druja. Its nine pairs of giant hands on its head constantly swatted at the mosquito-like blades surrounding it, but each time they would be quickly dodged by the seemingly conscious iron plates, exposing its vulnerabilities. Under Viktor''s fierce assault with hundreds of flying cards, every inch of Druja''s weak points was thoroughly attended to. Soon, a slight gap appeared in its health bar. Intense pain suddenly struck its enormous body, and a mighty roar shook the surrounding flowers and giant trees. Druja''s three pairs of compound eyes suddenly lit up with a powerful green light, the radiance gradually spreading towards its wounds. Those wounds healed visibly, and the small gap in the health bar that had fallen also showed some recovery, now the lost sliver of Druja''s health was no longer visible. This was the Wood Calamity''s second annoying trait: every 3 minutes, Druja would recover 5% of its lost health. With its already robust health bar, under this skill, the battle would be drawn out endlessly. And under the environmental influence, the seemingly endless battle made countless players give up challenging it. Viktor''s expression remained unchanged; this situation was well within his expectations. Since it needed to recover, Viktor took advantage of this recovery time to continue outputting damage on its weak points. Druja stopped recovering and instead thrust its nine pairs of luminous green hands into the void, violently tearing open a huge green rift. "Here it comes." As Viktor''s words fell, countless magical beasts suddenly poured out from the four huge rifts. Flower spirits and tree demons began to flood into this space, followed by endless bizarre magical beasts. For example... hyenas with their eyes replaced by flowers, leeches with tails seemingly carrying red fruits... Countless magical beasts surged towards Viktor. Viktor distributed hundreds of flying cards around Druja to continue whittling down its health, while he slowly raised the black magic staff - Urulust. He placed the staff in front of him, slowly infusing it with magic. The intricate runes on the staff body slowly flickered with red light, and soon, the red orb also began to glow. [Fourth-tier Magic: Phoenix] A huge formation was constructed in mid-air in front of Viktor, with scorching heat already emanating from it at the formation stage. Soon, the formation kept rotating, and the center of the magic array gradually revealed a phoenix head. With a long cry towards the void, it suddenly emerged from the formation with its entire gigantic body. The huge fiery phoenix swooped towards the countless magical beasts above. The common magical beasts perished in an instant as the phoenix passed over them. Only those bizarre-looking magical beasts, with their tenacious vitality, endured the flames and slowly approached Viktor. With Viktor''s increased magic chanting speed, he quickly constructed a new spell again. [Fourth-tier Magic: Returning Flame] The formation was instantly completed, with several magic arrays slowly appearing in the air, and a completely revolving flame, like a spiral blade, pierced into the magical beasts'' bodies. The flying leeches, struck by the penetrating attack, fell towards the ground, their red fruits suddenly swelling. Viktor jumped backward, knowing what would happen next. In just a few seconds, countless red fruits exploded in the air, with phoenixes formed from the fierce flames weaving through the endless explosions, continuing to wear down the cannon fodder-like magical beasts. Viktor watched the bomb-like explosions constantly detonating in the air like fireworks, put down the magic staff in his hand, and retrieved the hundreds of flying cards. Those magical beasts were eliminated by Viktor in an instant, and now, Druja, seeing Viktor unscathed, roared again in anger. Its three green giant hands reached out to grab Viktor. This time, Viktor didn''t dodge, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes, allowing Druja''s attack to strike him directly. Feeling the approaching crisis, Druja was now unable to withdraw its attack, and intense pressure suddenly appeared on Viktor. In just an instant, the powerful air pressure violently burst. However, this time it wasn''t Viktor who was attacked, but the Wood Calamity. Due to the effect of the Mage''s Robe, the shield produced by Viktor caused severe damage to Druja. Viktor seized the Wood Calamity''s stun time, sending hundreds of flying cards shooting towards the Calamity''s chest. In an instant, they easily broke through Druja''s multiple defenses. Blood spurted from Druja''s body! This was Druja''s first real injury! Haim stood stunned, unable to comprehend how Viktor had the strength to engage with such a god-like being. And... even had some advantage? But soon, a luminous green color coated Druja''s body. The wounds it had just received, in the blink of an eye, recovered to an almost complete state. This terrifying recovery ability left both Haim and Cocotte dumbfounded. "This kind of being..." "Is it really... possible to defeat?" ... The surroundings fell silent. After everyone had left, only Aurelian remained in the Mage Council. Unlike the room she had imagined, at first, she thought the Mage Council would be some luxurious place. Like a palace, piled with gold and silver bricks, a symbol of the mages'' nobility. However, it wasn''t. The surrounding walls, which seemed almost alive, made her feel her sanity was under attack just by glancing at them, and she dared not look again. "Teacher will be back soon, I''m not afraid, I''m not afraid." As she spoke, a "whimper" sound came from behind her, startling Aurelian. To be honest, she was a bit timid. If she hadn''t known Viktor was there before, she wouldn''t have dared to fight with such monsters. "Uh... Teacher." Aurelian wanted to close her eyes in fear, but as she slightly raised her head. Suddenly, something appeared in front of her. A strange door appeared before her. The strange door slowly opened, as if attracting Aurelian to enter. She felt something was amiss and shook her head vigorously to clear her mind. "No, I should stay here." "I absolutely shouldn''t cause trouble for Teacher." But the door''s temptation made her feel very safe on the other side. She resisted the temptation and closed her eyes, trying not to think about it. But the moment she closed her eyes. The surrounding scene changed like a meteor shower. Even Aurelian herself didn''t notice. Soon, a faint ringing sound came from beside her ear. Hearing this sound, she opened her eyes in a daze and stood stunned. A library-like place appeared before her. This library-like place was very strange, like a spherical space, with stairs and bookshelves chaotically twisted and distributed on the surface of the sphere. Bookshelves and stairs were scattered between, like a suspended maze. Looking up, the scenery on the ceiling was the same as the bookshelves she had just seen, only it seemed to have been inverted. As if forcibly distorted, various psychedelic books were deliberately crammed into this spherical space. Some open books floated in the air, filled with runes that Aurelian couldn''t understand. "Where... is this?" Aurelian couldn''t understand why she was here when she had been standing still... Suddenly, a memory forcibly poured into her mind, causing her head to ache as she looked at this magical place before her. A word suddenly appeared in her memory. Aurelian murmured it out loud. "Magic... Library?" Chapter 84: The Big One is Coming! Aurelian stood stunned before the library-like maze. But soon, a warm flow slowly surged to her heart. This feeling was quite nostalgic. She remembered having this feeling as a child. Her father, the Emperor, had pointed at her heart, saying she possessed extraordinary talent and would surely make the Empire greater in the future. As a child, Aurelian didn''t understand her father''s meaning. In her impression, she only needed to be an obedient and sensible child, as her mother had said. So Aurelian always did just that. From a young age, she followed the royal family''s requirements, rarely leaving the palace or interacting with the outside world. Even within the palace, she maintained a very pleasing image, being polite to her elder brothers. These were all things she had to fulfill. She still remembered the first time she brought back the corpse of a forest demon to the palace. Her father wasn''t afraid or scolding. He just happily patted her shoulder. He said something that puzzled her. "Child." "I''ve protected you too well." Her heart gradually warmed, as if feeling some kind of power. As if possessed, she reached out a hand towards a floating book in the air. Silver-white patterns flowed slowly on the book, gradually forming a pair of eyes. The moment Aurelian''s hand touched the book, she felt a daze. When she looked around again, it was no longer the library scene from before. This place was like a world of magic. The ground seemed to have disappeared, and the sky was indistinguishable. Two moons hung overhead and underfoot. Aurelian gently tapped the ground below her. It was solid. But when she looked down, there was nothing beneath her feet, as if she were standing on a faintly visible transparent bridge. A long-hidden voice slowly sounded in Aurelian''s ear: "Welcome, child." "This is your world..." The voice faded away, and a flash of inspiration crossed Aurelian''s mind, revealing the form of the magic in her consciousness. It was magic that didn''t belong to the six natural systems. This powerful magic would only determine its power based on the strength of the user''s soul and will, without the constraints of hierarchy. Aurelian stood dumbfounded, recalling this special magic in her memory. It was a giant blade that could connect with the user''s soul to cause powerful destruction. Chaos system magic beyond the six natural systems. Named "Moonlight" ... The huge green body twisted continuously in the void, continuing to spread intense pollen and summon those strange creatures. The waist-high wildflowers and grass had long been devoured by flames, with raging fires burning in the air. As if to burn away all the overflowing natural energy. Those green plants seemed to start rebelling against the man with the aura of calamity before them, with two different environments appearing in the same void. On one side, world-ending flames rose and engulfed everything; on the other, thick natural energy nurtured countless plants. Viktor was wrapped in a layer of lava, with threads of fire flowing between the patterns. The eyes that appeared on his coat emitted a scorching light like the sun. A huge wave of natural energy rushed towards Viktor. "Is it coming?" Viktor murmured. Druja''s body emitted a faint green glow, slowly opening its giant mouth, its three pairs of compound eyes covered in white. Behind it, over ten green rings gradually appeared, as if a rippling lake had suddenly formed in the void. "Thousand Arrow Barrage." Viktor named Druja''s most troublesome skill. Thousands of green spears slowly revealed their tips from the ripples, aiming directly at Viktor. In an instant, those thousands of blades burst forth, piercing through the void. As they entered the scorching area, the towering flames seemed to be pierced like fragile white paper by the long spears. Viktor drew Urulust and held it in front of him, muttering incantations. A wall of fire appeared before him. The thousand spears seemed to strike a solid giant stone, penetrating fiercely but unable to break through. Swish! Swish! Swish! As the wall was continuously pierced, it became unstable. Suddenly, as if realizing something, Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder, motionless. But its thoughts had already begun to communicate with Viktor. ''Viktor, that little girl you brought has entered a strange place.'' Vega had kept an eye on Aurelian, ready to check if she would encounter any danger at any time. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "No need to worry about her." Viktor responded to Vega while dealing with the skills raining down from the sky. He calmly continued to build new walls behind the swaying fire wall, isolating all attacks outside. "That''s what she deserves." Aurelian''s ''Eternal Furnace'' was a very bug-like talent. This meant that as long as she saw how magic was used, she could learn it. Because of this talent, she could even learn magic outside the six natural systems. This was something players couldn''t learn through normal means. "You''re being so kind? I find it hard to believe." Viktor waved his wand, continuing to create powerful fire magic to burn away the small magical beasts before him. Some spears passed over the towering fire wall, but Viktor merely moved his body as if taking a stroll, perfectly avoiding those stray attacks. He could even spare time to calmly respond to Vega: "I got paid." Getting paid for the job was Viktor''s principle as a power leveler. However, one thing was indeed as Vega said. Bringing Aurelian to the Mage Council to strengthen herself was beyond the commission. In fact, without special class changes, players indeed couldn''t learn magic outside the six natural systems through normal means. But. If an NPC who had learned magic outside the six systems was willing to teach you. Then, Viktor only needed to pay some materials and Geo. Although no one knew about this. "Let''s look forward to it, to see how much useful magic she can learn." He had high hopes for Aurelian. After all, she was someone who was called the Eternal Witch when she ascended the throne at eighteen. Aurelian''s talent couldn''t be judged by common sense. After blocking the last wave of flying spears, Viktor turned, dodging the incoming natural energy, and refocused his attention on the Wood Calamity before him. After fighting for so long, Viktor was still using fire calamity attribute magic to counter. However, Druja, relying on its constantly reviving ability and its ridiculously high HP advantage, had barely allowed Viktor to cause much damage to it. Looking at it this way, it might be very difficult to even get Druja to enter its second phase. Viktor''s voice sounded faintly. "Haim, Cocotte." The two people watching this epic battle behind him were stunned, as if waking from a dream, both quickly thinking: Why did Viktor suddenly call their names? "Reinforce the barrier a bit more." "Isn''t it reinforced enough as it is now?!" Cocotte hurriedly shouted back, then Viktor''s voice sounded faintly: "At least to the degree that it can withstand war magic." Haim and Cocotte were both dumbfounded. "What did he say?!" In an instant, numerous blue potion bottles flew into their hands. These potions were completely different from what Viktor had sold before. The bottles seemed a bit larger, and the color of the magic potion was deeper. Because these were [Mana Potion (Intermediate)] A batch that Viktor had remade after upgrading his crafting level. "If you don''t have enough mana, drink this." "If you can''t hold on, what happens to Endymion is no longer my concern." This time Haim almost exploded, no longer wearing that gentle smile. After drinking a mana potion, he started cursing at Viktor: "Damn it! Viktor!" "If you blow up Endymion, I''ll... I''ll..." But his mana suddenly recovered by a large amount, leaving Haim stunned. Cocotte, standing beside him, said provocatively: "You''ll what? Say it." "Tch, I thought you were brave." Haim, enduring the sense of humiliation, once again divided into numerous identical phantoms flying to all sides of the barrier, continuously transmitting energy. What could he do? Could he beat Viktor? He couldn''t, so he might as well comply. Cocotte also chose to trust Viktor, drinking the blue potion and recovering some mana. Without time to marvel at the potion''s miraculous effect, she lazily drew in the air with her slender jade hand. Instantly, a vast amount of natural energy burst out from within her body, rushing towards the dome. The moment the natural energy touched the barrier, a huge green tree slowly descended from the sky, standing before Cocotte, supporting the constantly shaking barrier. Soon, they both understood why Viktor had asked them to do this. Suddenly, a surge rose from the scorching land, like flames breaking through the dome, rising from the ground. At this moment, Viktor was like an enraged beast, allowing the lava coat behind him to swing wildly. The black coat gradually became longer and larger, burning with layers of flames, turning into a fire cloud covering the entire sky. Like a blazing sun, covering his body. Terrifying pillars of lava completely changed the void, churning with thousands of fire pillars. Vega watched this scene before him with great anticipation. "The big one is coming!" [Wrath of Flame Severance] A surge of lava that seemed to completely submerge the entire space suddenly burst forth from the void, with the momentum to break through thousand-foot rocks, rushing towards Druja. The heat waves made the void distorted and swaying, and the surrounding darkness seemed to squeeze out drops of lava, falling onto the dense forest, instantly burning a huge hole. At this moment, Druja felt a strong sense of crisis. Its three pairs of compound eyes suddenly widened, gathering extremely thick natural energy at its snake mouth. Those lush plants were drained of energy in the blink of an eye, withering away. The thousand-foot lava turned into a giant dragon rushing towards Druja, while the huge natural energy transformed into a giant python, forming ripples rushing towards it! Boom! The powerful explosion produced a huge scorching air wave that swept everything away. A sudden white light completely engulfed the surroundings, and the entire space fell into a long silence. ....... A carriage slowly stopped in front of the Clavenna mansion. Lia slowly got off the carriage, surrounded by servants. As soon as she looked up, she saw a group of guards holding long shields standing in front of her family''s mansion. Lia was completely confused. Only the royal family had such a grand display. What was going on? Could it be that the princess had come in person? She quietly walked around the guards and entered the mansion. The servant opened the door, and Lia plopped down on the sofa, stretching lazily. Then she thought, at this time, Viktor should be in the study, and those guards also made her very curious. She slowly went upstairs, preparing to greet Viktor. "Viktor, those guards outside..." She stopped in her tracks. An unfamiliar female guard stood there. She looked at Lia, and Lia looked back at her. "..." After a few seconds of silence, Lia heavily closed the door and took out the magic crystal used for two-way communication from her waist. Soon, a voice came from the magic crystal. "Lia? Are you back?" "Gwen, don''t speak first, and don''t be impulsive. I have something to tell you." "...Hm?" A confused voice came from the other side, and then Lia very seriously said to the other side of the crystal ball: "It seems the princess has come to spend the night with Viktor." Chapter 85: Be Careful Not to Get Blown Up The white light gradually dissipated, and the two different areas on both sides suddenly turned into complete ruins, with billowing black smoke. The burning flames were also reduced by half by that intense white light. The lava was completely stripped of energy, gradually solidifying, and eroded by strong winds into an unrecognizable state. The dense forest and sea of flowers opposite this scorching land also looked lifeless. The flowers and grass that had been deprived of vitality became uneven and withered under the impact of this white light. The sparks flying in the void also climbed onto those dry branches, igniting new flames. The smoke and dust gradually dispersed in the air, completely obscuring Viktor''s view. Feeling the strong impact, Haim and Cocotte peeked out, surveying the devastating scene around them. From behind a broken rock without lava, they tremblingly asked Viktor: "Is... is it over?" The terrifying strike that produced the sun-like white light made the barrier supported by their combined efforts shake and nearly collapse. If it weren''t for the magic potions Viktor had given them, plus the extremely strong defense inherent in Halgal''s alternate space, Under this level of attack, the two of them wouldn''t have had enough mana to sustain this barrier. As the debris and smoke in the scorching land gradually dispersed, they looked along the curved lava coat to see Viktor standing on a towering giant rock, overlooking the front. The coat behind him seemed to still be swaying slowly in the void. At this moment, Viktor''s face seemed to have become somewhat thinner, with faint red patterns spreading across it. The eyes that had grown out of the coat still flashed with red light. His figure was still as firm as at the beginning, as if the powerful attack that had torn through space earlier had not affected him at all. "Viktor... won?!" At this moment, a weight lifted from Haim''s heart. Viktor''s strength was indeed extraordinary. He had just stood up and let out a sigh of relief. The next second, he was pulled back behind the giant floating debris by Cocotte. "It''s not over yet." "I can feel it." Cocotte''s face was heavy. She could clearly feel that the powerful natural energy was like a blade, held against her neck, chillingly cold. Suddenly, a huge roar sounded from under the sparks and smoke in the distance, blowing Haim down violently. He hurriedly hid beside Cocotte, quietly feeling the powerful pressure coming from not far away. Those withered grass and defeated flowers that had been burned to ashes were replaced by vibrant fresh flowers and green grass, looking so out of place among the red and green. The sparks on them were also extinguished, submerged by the thick life energy. Those extremely large flower buds regained their color and once again began to scatter pollen into the void. Haim saw the lush green scenery, but his heart was not happy. Instead, he felt worried and anxious. "That thing... it''s still not dead..." He didn''t know that the Druja before him was still far from death. Viktor looked at the extremely thick health bar of the Wood Calamity before him and pondered for a moment. With health as thick as a mountain, even under the extremely powerful attack just now, it had only lost about 20% of its health. Druja stood motionless in that green ocean, and Viktor also put away his flying cards, quietly waiting. Druja raised its giant snake head to the sky, sticking out its huge tongue, constantly trembling. Five tentacles extended from its head, vibrating along with the tongue, as if performing some mysterious ritual. Like a drop of water falling into the ocean, the influence produced by those five tentacles was like ripples. The surrounding flowers and wild grass also gradually began to shake, and even those huge flower buds swayed along with them. A wisp of green aura slowly rose from the plants, extending towards the few tentacles on Druja''s head. Tens of thousands of slender auras instantly gradually enveloped Druja''s entire giant snake-like body, becoming denser and denser until not a single gap could be seen. Soon, after a deathly silence, Druja seemed to break through its cocoon, and that snake-like body disappeared. Instead, it transformed into a six-eyed giant, its green body seemingly covered by a thick layer of black armor. The three pairs of compound eyes on its head were still familiar, and the five tentacles on its head gradually lowered. The sea of flowers at its feet was deprived of vitality, becoming withered again. The natural aura bursting from its body even began to erode the environment around Viktor. Green flower buds were born out of thin air on the lava, showing off to Viktor. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Viktor quietly looked at the transformed Wood Calamity before him. That was Druja''s final true form - Luxuriant Complete Form. "What?! That form just now wasn''t even its full appearance?!" Haim and Cocotte were shocked as they looked at Druja, which was bursting with green aura after its transformation. The powerful aura from before was still putting immense pressure on the two, and now it was getting even stronger?! "Viktor... can he still win..." That monster seemed to have just begun its prime state, but Viktor had already used up all his trump cards. How could he possibly defeat this monster with such a gap? Unless. "Unless Viktor can still use that kind of powerful natural magic from before." The astonishing lava pillars were something Haim and the others had never seen before, nor had they ever heard of such powerful magic. It seemed to use the purest natural force of this world. Haim felt somewhat unwilling. He was unwilling to hide behind this rock, letting Viktor face such a terrifyingly powerful being alone. If he stepped in, it would be one more force, one more chance to defeat this monster. Although such a powerful being seemed undefeatable in his eyes. He poked half of his body out, but Cocotte, seeing Haim''s intention, pulled him back and shook her head: "Haim, if you go now, it''s suicide." "Am I supposed to watch Endymion be destroyed by this monster?!" "No, no, no, Haim, you''re wrong." Cocotte waved her hand and said: "That''s not what I meant. I meant..." "If you rashly go to help, you might get blown up by Viktor''s magic." Haim: "?" He turned to look. At some point, Viktor''s aura had suddenly increased, and extremely dense, exquisite magic completely surrounded him. The most central red formation hovered in the middle, with those tiny formations revolving around the giant formation like satellites. The complex patterns on it constantly merged, like buttons connecting all the magic together. The intricate runes seemed to materialize, constantly fusing and replacing each other on several formations. Haim looked at the magic runes on it, utterly shocked. "These... these magic runes... it''s like an infinite combination of magic, how did he do it?" Bursts of thick mana erupted between the complex patterns, vast like an ocean. That was definitely not something a fourth-tier mage could use. Haim was a bit confused. The current Viktor seemed even more powerful than before. He couldn''t help but tremble, muttering: "Viktor... what exactly are you trying to do?" Viktor stood on the broken rock, allowing the luxuriant Druja to release skills at will. Soon, it was once again covered by dense jungle vegetation, only this time the towering tree trunks seemed about to break through the dome. Druja raised its head, and its previously lost health began to recover continuously, wrapped in a faint green light. Viktor stared intently at this moment, right as it began to recover its life. The countless spells behind him began to bombard Druja furiously. Fire snakes... phoenixes... suns... all poured out from the formation at once, rushing forward. In an instant, the entire void under the barrier turned into a chaotic sea of fire, with countless fire particles continuously attacking the same target. At this moment, Viktor seemed to have transformed into a pure spell machine gun, endlessly attacking without pause, rapidly consuming his mana. Druja''s attack method was completely different from Guledon''s. It mostly attacked players through recovery consumption and summoning magical beasts. Relying on its own strong defense and adaptability, it was more troublesome than Guledon, who focused on attacks. Viktor could only use powerful magic to continuously output and consume as much as possible. The life that Druja had just recovered had almost no effect under Viktor''s world-ending offensive. Bits of scattered fire energy continuously fell beneath Druja, and the withered grass and flower buds under its feet were engulfed by flames. The surrounding energy grew more vigorous, and the sea of fire beneath Druja actually turned into surging, violent lava, melting Druja''s wood magic power. Like a dagger cutting into Druja''s heart over and over, it caused it immense pain. Even its three pairs of compound eyes couldn''t distinguish the environment clearly. Focusing its gaze, all it could see was red surrounding it, with nowhere to hide. Cocotte stood dumbfounded. The Viktor before her had already become a magic god. He cast spells as if there were no limits, as if even mana had become an unnecessary condition. "He seems... as if he doesn''t need mana at all." Haim stood stunned, speaking as if confused. Why? Magic was indeed powerful, but the most fatal problem for mages was the incantation of spells and the scarcity of mana. This meant that the higher the tier of the mage, the longer the chanting time needed to use powerful magic, and the more mana consumed. So Viktor was an anomaly. He seemed as if he didn''t need to chant at all. After each spell was released, the next spell would connect perfectly. Giving a sense of continuity without interruption. Cocotte glanced at Haim and shook the blue bottle in her hand. "If you also stockpile a bunch of these, you can use magic continuously just the same." Haim suddenly came to his senses, dispelling all doubts in his mind. He had almost forgotten about these miraculous mana potions. They were made by Viktor himself! Thinking of this, he hurriedly took out a bottle of the remaining potion and took a sip. Feeling the recovery of mana within his body, Haim was filled with confidence. So he continued to divide into more phantoms, beginning to support Halgal''s barrier, transmitting energy to it... ... After leaving the illusory realm, Aurelian wandered in the library for a long time. She had never seen such profound and strange magic before. Walking among the bookshelves was like entering a treasure house where she could choose freely. Aurelian delved deeper into the library as she learned more. When her head began to ache, she shook it, realizing it was time to stop learning magic for now. She looked up and saw a dark fork in the maze-like library. Driven by curiosity, Aurelian slowly walked into that dark place. As she explored deeper, Aurelian gradually lost sight of the surrounding walls, leaving only darkness. Walking along the black wall, Aurelian turned a corner and stopped in her tracks. She saw a golden scale suspended in the sky. A flash of inspiration suddenly entered her consciousness. Aurelian looked at the scale and murmured: "The... scales of the Goddess of Justice?" Chapter 86: Has Someone Ever Admired Your Backside? The golden scales floated in the air, swaying up and down on both sides, as if sizing up the mysterious person approaching. Aurelian looked at the golden scales before her, slowly pondering: In the legends, there was once a goddess with a strong sense of justice. She descended to the mortal world, using scales to weigh right and wrong among humans. But the conflicts of the world eventually affected her. Constant wars made the deity lose all hope in humanity. Only the Goddess of Justice still wanted to believe in humans. However, disputes continued endlessly. Humans showed no reflection and continued their meaningless self-destruction. In the end, even the Goddess of Justice gave up hope and disappeared with her scales. But in the myths, it was never mentioned that the scales of the Goddess of Justice ultimately remained in Endymion. Now it seemed that Endymion was under the protection of the legendary Goddess of Justice. Aurelian''s mind suddenly became much clearer. It appeared that the Mage Council worshipped the Goddess of Justice. Aurelian carefully examined the golden scales for a while. But apart from seeing some residual magic power on it, she couldn''t feel any other aura at all. Aurelian shook her head. Perhaps the object before her didn''t hold much attraction for her. Such divine artifacts, unless recognized by someone, no one could take them away. She glanced at the scales one last time, then turned and slowly left the dark tunnel. As Aurelian left, the golden scales gradually balanced themselves. The light on them also gradually dimmed. ...... Time passed quickly. Standing there for so long made Aurelian tired, and she didn''t care if her clothes would get dirty. She sat down on a floating rock, following the line of her long dress, watching the fantastical clouds in the distance constantly changing shape. Aurelian found herself surprisingly captivated by the sight. Soon, the color of the sky gradually darkened, and the swirling nebula had unknowingly climbed onto the curtain of night. Only then did Aurelian realize that she had spent a full day here. "...Hm?" So she had been away from the palace with her teacher for a whole day? Before this, she had never even thought about leaving the palace overnight. Aurelian yawned, lying on the floating rock, her gaze fixed on the dreamlike sky, her eyes seeming to sparkle with starlight. "The feeling of freedom." "It''s really nice." ...... Clavenna Mansion. Outside the courtyard gate, those royal guards in iron armor were still waiting for the princess''s return. They had been waiting here for a day and a night. As long as the princess hadn''t returned, they wouldn''t leave for a moment. At this time, Lia was sitting at her desk, one hand propping up her face, pondering troubledly, her mind full of confusion and incomprehension. Where on earth had Viktor gone? It was one thing for him to disappear, but how could he take the princess away too? How were they going to explain this to the royal family? She really couldn''t understand what Viktor was thinking. Sitting beside her, Gwen patted her shoulder, sighed, and tried to persuade her: "Lia, don''t worry too much." "Last time Viktor did something similar, the princess came back safe and sound." "After all, he is the princess''s teacher. I believe he knows what he''s doing." Hearing Gwen''s words of comfort, Lia glanced at Gwen quizzically and asked in return: "Didn''t you used to hate Viktor the most?" Her eyes stared at Gwen, who was caught off guard by the question. She turned her head away and said in a very soft voice. "Well... at least he seems normal now." So you think he was very abnormal before, don''t you? Lia sighed slightly. Last night, when Henie learned that Viktor had disappeared with the princess, she seemed very worried. Even when she went to help at the prop shop this morning, she seemed a bit distracted. Seeing Henie like that, Lia understood a lot. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. There were quite a few girls who had feelings for that bastard Viktor. "Gwen." Thinking of this, Lia looked at Gwen again. Strictly speaking, she had always felt that Gwen and Viktor were not at all suitable for each other. After all, the two had always looked down on each other since childhood. Gwen disliked Viktor''s hypocrisy, while Viktor disliked Gwen''s sense of justice. But now, it seemed there was some change in their relationship. However... "You don''t seem worried at all." Lia sighed helplessly. "Worried? What should I be worried about?" Gwen was a bit confused. She didn''t understand what Lia meant. Lia didn''t say anything more, only complaining silently in her heart: Viktor had left with the princess for a day and a night, and they had been alone together for a whole night. Who knew what might have happened between them? Viktor was really bold, daring to take the princess away from the capital, and not returning for a whole day. If he wasn''t deeply trusted by Emperor Oberon, arrest warrants would probably have been sent to their doorstep by now. Even more terrifyingly, she might have already been arrested and thrown in jail first. Now it seemed that the old emperor almost completely acquiesced to the princess''s contact with Viktor. A knock on the door sounded, and Cecilia walked into the study. She held a royal message in her hand, standing in front of Gwen, and began to read: "Knight Commander Gwen, Chancellor Rachel has reported the whereabouts of Viktor and Her Highness the Princess." "The Princess has been taken to the City of Magic by Viktor." As a member of the Magic Council, Rachel naturally knew about the council''s invitation to Viktor. She had also received news from Haim that Viktor had arrived in Endymion with the princess. However, recently, for some reason. No matter how many messages he sent to Haim, he couldn''t get any reply. It was as if he was too busy doing something to spare any time. Gwen said happily beside Lia: "See, now you can relax." But Lia still looked troubled, thinking. Given Viktor''s reputation, it was strange that no one dared to use this opportunity to cause trouble for the Clavenna family. This didn''t make sense. Now it seemed that Viktor''s actions could indeed be trusted. He had handled everything well. Even when taking the princess away, he deliberately exposed all his actions to the royal family. All this was to make the royal family completely trust him. But there would always be people who wouldn''t let this matter go, and this was something Viktor couldn''t avoid. Thump! Thump! Thump! The sound of iron cavalry hooves rang out outside the Clavenna mansion, in perfect unison. Along with their horses stopping and neighing, a man in luxurious clothing slowly walked down from the carriage in the center of the iron cavalry. Jace Resser. Hearing the maid report the visitor, Lia narrowed her eyes. Sure enough, how could there be no one coming to cause trouble at this time? She wasn''t sure if Jace Resser knew about Viktor taking the princess to the City of Mages. But Lia was more inclined to think that Jace knew about this. As a fellow merchant, Lia knew something about Jace. His information network was very rich, and he must have come prepared. Lia stood up and walked out of the mansion. After all, that was the eldest son of the Resser family, and she needed to greet him personally. Lia came out, smiling as she led Jace into the meeting room. Lia and Gwen sat on one side, while Jace Resser sat alone opposite them. "Long time no see, Miss Lia." "You''re getting more and more beautiful." Lia interrupted Jace''s flattery. She sat with her legs crossed, leaning back on the sofa, and said frankly: "Let''s be straightforward." Jace Resser was a merchant, but so was Lia. She knew what Jace Resser wanted by coming at this time. "If I''m not mistaken, those families who wanted to buy the blue potion a few days ago were prepared by you, right?" "I won''t be polite with you. After all, you know very well what grudge our two families have. Tell me, what do you want to talk about this time?" Jace Resser responded with a smile. "It''s still about the sales rights of that magical mana potion. I just want to achieve a win-win situation with you, dear Miss Lia." Lia laughed coldly, responding sharply: "Merchants are driven by profit. I don''t believe you would owe so much just to be a sucker and send money to our family." Hearing her words, Jace laughed and said, "Ha ha." He stopped talking to Lia and turned his gaze to Gwen. "This is Mr. Viktor''s fiance, right?" Gwen didn''t respond, just coldly looking at the person in front of her. The aura emanating from Jace made Gwen feel very uncomfortable. However, Jace Resser didn''t shut up because of Gwen''s attitude. He continued with a smile: "If it was before, I would indeed have approached you with some prejudice and arrogance. I can admit that." "But now it''s completely different, Miss Lia." Jace smiled very brightly. "You might become royal relatives." Lia''s face darkened slightly. So this was what Jace Resser was waiting for. But she was also prepared and said calmly: "You mean the princess? Then Mr. Jace should have known earlier." "My brother, as Her Highness''s teacher, merely took the princess to the City of Magic to study magic. His Majesty is aware of this." "Moreover, Viktor has a fiance." She smiled slightly, her smile seeming somewhat dangerous. As if indicating something, Gwen beside her gave Jace Resser a cold glare. "Public opinion won''t affect Viktor, Mr. Jace. He won''t be swayed by public opinion, and neither will the royal family." "If you want to use the fact that the princess and Viktor have been away for a day without returning as a reason, then I want to ask you." Lia''s aggressive words reached Jace''s ears, making him frown slightly. "Have you never had a teacher? Or did your teacher also admire your backside?" Her words were very vicious, enough to make someone flush with anger and shame. Although Lia''s words were very sharp, Jace just looked at her calmly, chuckled lightly, and said slowly as if reminding her: "Miss Lia, I never mentioned the princess. I just wanted to tell you." "The Crown Prince, to this day, remains unmarried." Chapter 87: Is This Guy Really a Mage? "The Crown Prince remains unmarried to this day." Hearing these words, Lia''s face remained impassive. She leaned back on the sofa and asked: "So, what does that have to do with the Kravina family?" Jace Reiser shook his head and smiled at Lia''s feigned ignorance. "Miss Lia, you really don''t understand, do you? The Kravina family is now at its peak. Your brother has become the princess''s private tutor. If you were to marry the Crown Prince" As Jace spoke, Lia extended her hand, carefully examining her freshly manicured nails through the sunlight streaming in from the window. The afternoon sun was warm and gentle, casting a noble glow on Lia''s delicate, fair face. Without even glancing at Jace, she said nonchalantly: "Has Viktor agreed?" "Hm?" Lia looked up at the slightly stunned Jace Reiser and said coolly: "Mr. Reiser, my brother is the head of the family. You''d better remember that." "If he hasn''t arranged for me to marry, then even if the Crown Prince himself came, I wouldn''t marry. Please see yourself out." Jace Reiser seemed to want to say something more, but a cold glint flashed in Gwen''s eyes, causing him to narrow his own and chuckle softly. "Well then, I won''t trouble Miss Lia any further." "The Crown Prince will return in a while. We can discuss this in detail then." Jace Reiser stood up, brushed off his clothes, and left the meeting room with his servants. Lia remained seated on the sofa, with Gwen looking at her worriedly. "Lia, you..." "Don''t worry, I''m fine." Lia waved her hand dismissively, but in reality, she hadn''t expected them to set their sights on her. Was it because she was also a member of the Kravina family? It was indeed a good thing that when one person succeeds, the whole family benefits. But correspondingly, she had also become a part of the interests in others'' eyes. "What kind of person is the Crown Prince? I only know that he''s always been in the south, rarely returning to the capital." Gwen pondered for a moment before saying: "He''s said to be the prince who most resembles the current emperor." It was rumored that the Crown Prince was very upright and magnanimous, kind to the common people, and personally led troops to suppress the demon uprising in the south. There was a huge monster rift on the southern border of the empire, constantly spewing out magical beasts. The surrounding small cities were able to maintain their current stability because of the Crown Prince''s efforts in leading the army to protect them. He was a hero in the hearts of many people in the empire. For such a man to still be unmarried at thirty, he was admired by noble ladies both inside and outside the capital. Lia nodded and said: "I see." "From what you''re saying, a man with such leadership qualities and personal charm, who doesn''t lack for womenwould he really be interested in me?" After saying this, she couldn''t help but laugh at herself. Interests. She didn''t know whether Jace Reiser''s approach to the Kravina family had the Crown Prince''s permission, but regardless. Once Viktor became the princess''s teacher, the Kravina family inevitably became entangled in the royal whirlpool. Lia shook her head and said softly. "Viktor is a person who values interests. I can''t pin my life on him." Although... he seemed to have changed now. But who knew if this change was just some false pretense. She also hoped that Viktor would return and, as family, tell everyone. No one could restrict Lia''s freedom. But she didn''t want this to become a mere fantasy or wishful thinking. Lia rubbed her head and stood up: "Looks like I''ll have to handle this myself." Gwen quickly said from the side: "Is there anything I can help with?" Lia looked at Gwen with a smile: Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "No need." Gwen was too upright; someone as righteous as her didn''t need to be involved in such chaos. After all, this wasn''t the first time dealing with such matters. Lia stretched her fingers, and the magic crystal at her waist glowed faintly, seemingly transmitting some message. ... On the street, a plainly dressed passerby boarded a carriage. He sat down, facing the noble man before him. Owiser Sol, the second prince of the Carenthia Empire. "Your Highness, Jace Reiser just left the Kravina house." The second prince smiled, his eyes curving, as he listened to his subordinate''s report, unhurried. David felt uneasy and couldn''t help but ask. "Your Highness, if the Crown Prince really gets the support of the Kravina family, you..." "What makes you think Viktor would let Lia marry him?" The second prince narrowed his eyes, looking out the window. "You know, David, my favorite emotion is jealousy." David was a bit stunned, but he didn''t dare to speak, only listening to his master''s soliloquy. "Jealousy is interesting. It provokes people''s greed," "Because of jealousy, Jace Reiser will be angry, so he eagerly wants to help my foolish elder brother." "Thus, he will selectively forget some things, and eventually do something uncontrollable, but everything can seem reasonable and ordinary." He smiled, his laughter somewhat eerily subtle. "Jace Reiser is like this, and so is his stupid brother." "Because he''s just jealous." ... The next morning, the sun rose early, and the guards still stood steadfast at the main gate of the mansion. But everyone''s face showed signs of fatigue. Although the Kravina family had provided them with enough food and water, their mental state was inevitably tired and exhausted. Gwen hadn''t left the Kravina mansion, constantly protecting Lia''s side. Lia, however, seemed to have no worries at all, still in a normal state, and even had the leisure to scold those incompetent servants. But everyone knew clearly in their hearts. Viktor hadn''t returned, and this situation would continue. On the second day, the Kravina family had another visitor. But this time, it was Duke Levi. Unlike Jace Reiser''s aggressive approach. Duke Levi''s first words upon seeing Lia were to ask if she needed his help. He was invited by Lia into the conference room, sitting elegantly on the leather chair like a senior gentleman. Duke Levi picked up the teacup, the fragrant tea lingering on his lips. "I''ve heard about the situation, Miss Lia." "Your brother has helped me a lot in the past. Although I''ve reciprocated to the Kravina family, comparatively, your kindness is greater." Life-saving grace naturally outweighed everything else, especially since Viktor had saved his most beloved daughter. And also... The duke glanced at Gwen beside Lia. This youngest knight commander of the empire, Viktor''s fiance. She had also saved his daughter. Ah, truly, Erica owed so much to their family. Lia was a bit confused, wondering when Viktor had helped Duke Levi again. "That miraculous red spirit potion, was it from Viktor''s hand?" Lia suddenly remembered, that red potion that could even save someone from suicide by poison. It seemed she wasn''t the first person to know about this. So Lia nodded. "To be honest, I also have personal reasons for coming here," Duke Levi said, taking a deep breath. "My daughter, Erica." "She''s recently contracted a very strange illness. No matter how many doctors I''ve found, none can cure it." Lia understood that Duke Levi was pinning his hopes on the red potion. But she was still curious. "What kind of illness is it that even all the doctors in the capital can''t cure?" Duke Levi didn''t conceal anything and said straightforwardly: "Her body... is covered with strange flowers..." ... Viktor had been battling with Druja for two days. During this time, Cocotte and Haim had experienced shock, bewilderment, and now numbness. Terrifying magic spells were rampaging within the space one after another. Viktor seemed to disregard mana completely, his overwhelming fire attacks never ceasing. For two full days, he hadn''t stopped for a moment. Even though Druja had powerful regeneration and summoning abilities, it was hard to counterattack in the face of this lava sea of fire. The flower buds about to bloom around it were devoured by flames within a second. The dense forest of flowers that had been opposing Viktor was now completely ignited, with magma flowing between the flames. In Viktor''s eyes, Druja''s health had already dropped below 50%. Because the Wood Calamity had a very annoying revival skill, Viktor could only continuously attack to counter its recovery. A gentle green light slowly surged from Druja''s body, gradually merging into its huge form, instantly healing half of the burn marks on its body. But he didn''t hesitate in his magic barrage, continuously weakening Druja''s deep life force. Among the withered grass, some black vines rose from the magma like giant pillars. The vines swaying in the sea of fire were like writhing tentacles, becoming even more frenzied under the stimulation of the flames. The withered grass was completely broken and crushed by the huge objects, flying in the void above. The black vines gradually receded, and three huge monsters suddenly leaped out from within, transforming into three green iron balls rushing fiercely towards Viktor. Cocotte and Haim, numb on the side, watched the approaching monsters and suddenly realized something, but it was too late to warn Viktor. Just as the monsters were about to collide with Viktor, he pulled out the ''Evil Knight'' from his waist and quickly made three precise strikes on the rapidly rotating shells. Clang! Precise and perfect. After the monsters'' shells collided with the metal round shield, the three monsters became disoriented, their curled bodies gradually stretching out, exposing their soft underbellies to Viktor. His hand carrying the round shield moved with afterimages, quickly drawing a long sword from his backpack and slashing fiercely at the monsters'' weak points. In an instant, three monsters spurted black blood from their abdomens, lost consciousness, and their shells fell into the void. Meanwhile, Viktor''s other hand was still suspended in the air, controlling the endless mysterious magic behind him, continuing to output damage. He didn''t even turn his head, just saying calmly: "Is that all you''ve got?" He seemed to have calculated everything, even anticipating the attacks of the minions. The two mages who witnessed all this shuddered. "This... is this guy really a mage?" Chapter 88: Almost Got Combod to Death, Good Thing Im More Skilled As the first wave of black vines spawned three monsters, more small black buds began to bloom beneath the lava. Thick vine barriers separated the lava from the monsters, and those ball-like creatures continued to launch attacks at Viktor. Although they couldn''t effectively damage Viktor, they caused considerable trouble for his sustained output. The breeding ground gradually produced tiny flying monsters. They were like bats, but instead of sharp teeth on their heads, they had long, straw-like mouthparts. Black liquid was squeezed out from their constantly expanding and contracting abdomens, stored in their brains. When they could no longer bear it, they would suddenly turn that black liquid into a rapid arrow, piercing towards Viktor. At first, those fragmented black liquids couldn''t even graze Viktor, but as time passed, the bats around Druja gradually increased, and the black liquid became like a rain of arrows with each attack. Finally, the dense liquid grazed Viktor once. His lava coat made a ''sizzling'' sound, emitting wisps of white smoke. "What terrifying corrosive power!" Cocotte, hiding behind a floating rock, felt her heart clench with worry at the sight. Although Viktor could free his hands from the constant monster collisions, how could he avoid the sky full of black arrows? Viktor was also considering this point. Although the mage''s robe generated a shield that could resist these corrosive acids, Even the strongest shield couldn''t absorb all the attacks. Restricted, Viktor could only constantly dodge and evade, while resisting the incoming wheel-like monsters and avoiding the black liquid. He could only spare a thin stream of magic to restrain those flying monsters. If he stopped the firepower and let Druja find an opening, it would only allow it to start regenerating life. That way, Viktor''s current efforts would be wasted. Sparing a magic spell to deal with the bat monsters, the erosion of Druja''s life became somewhat slow, even matching Druja''s recovery ability. In Viktor''s eyes, Druja''s life value was neither increasing nor decreasing at this point. Before him, it was still a fierce battle. In the game, to deal with such a powerful boss, it usually required a team of multiple players. The frontline warriors would withstand those wheel monsters and corrosive attacks. The mages at the rear would take advantage of the gaps to constantly restore the warriors'' life and continuously output damage to the boss. Although only mages could enter Endymion, as the plot developed, after Druja occupied Endymion, all professions could enter the City of Mages. Through the mages'' teleportation array, they could reach the seventh layer of the dungeon. But now there was only Viktor alone. Although there were two mages beside him, they were of no help to him at all. After all, they had never even seen Druja before, and rashly joining would only drag him down. He had two ways to solve the current predicament in his mind: If he quickly dealt with those small monsters, it would indeed reduce a lot of unnecessary harassment. Taking advantage of the time before Druja could summon the second wave of small monsters, he could launch a full-force attack on its weak points. However, this method would only drag out the battle line longer. The Wood Calamity itself was good at prolonging the battle to wear down players'' spirits. This way, it would be falling into the trap. But the second method could only be done by some high-end players. Ignore the harassment attacks of small monsters and focus on attacking Druja. Because of Druja''s summoning mechanism, if the first wave of minions wasn''t cleared, or wasn''t cleared below a certain number, Druja wouldn''t summon small monsters again. As luck would have it, Viktor was that high-end player. He quickly changed his mind and gave up defense. When he reduced the number of monsters to two with high-temperature magic bombardment, he immediately moved his body rapidly in the space to avoid the attacks of small monsters. Finally, only two bat-like monsters flew in the air, sparsely and miserably but stubbornly attacking Viktor. But the only two left seemed to have been given steroids, the speed of spewing black liquid clearly increased several times. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Merely increasing attack speed wasn''t enough to cover the entire space. Viktor constantly flashed his body in the air, like a dancer gracefully stepping on raindrops under black rain, skillfully avoiding attacks. And his hands didn''t stop at all, pouring powerful spells that burned the heavens and earth towards Druja. Soon, under Viktor''s final concentrated attack, Druja, no longer reviving, had its health reduced considerably, with large blank spaces taking over the endless length. Now, Viktor only needed to face the last 30%. The crow on his shoulder suddenly spoke, asking Viktor: "This guy... will it also come with a world-destroying attack like Guledon?" "Yes." "Have you already prepared for it?" "Yes." Vega''s suspended heart relaxed. If Viktor said he was prepared, then there was no problem. Druja entered its final weakened state, the green fluorescence on its body flickering, as if it had become quite tired, and one of its giant legs even knelt on the lava. The white on its compound eyes gradually converged, and a strong natural aura burst forth from its body. Each Calamity has three stages: the initial stage, the second stage, and the final weakened stage. But the weakened stage is often the easiest to overturn. Because... Druja''s natural energy began to pour into the entire space all at once, and just the momentum alone made thisռ around it shake. The entire Endymion seemed to fall into an earthquake, shaking crazily. Haim was stunned, he didn''t understand what was happening. Wasn''t Endymion a sky city? How could there be an earthquake!? "Haim Horn, Cocotte." As if reminding the two of something, Viktor only said their names once and didn''t say more. But hearing this, the two quickly reacted and poured all the mana potions Viktor had given them into their stomachs at once. Feeling the powerful mana filling their bodies, the two felt as if their bodies were swelling, unbearably painful. Ignoring their own pain, the two poured all their mana into reinforcing this huge barrier. The barrier seemed to instantly increase by a whole circle. "Here it comes." The two of them had never seen a Calamity before, so they had no idea how terrifying a Calamity could be. When a Calamity believes it has encountered an unbeatable enemy, It would exhaust all its energy to release its final move. [Myriad Phenomena of Nature] As six lotus flowers grew from Druja''s three pairs of compound eyes, a creepy crack slowly tore open on its huge head. That vast natural energy was instantly sucked into its own body, its entire body swelling up like a hot air balloon, like a small planet floating in the void. It was as if it had swallowed the surrounding sounds and smells into its stomach, the entire void became extremely silent. Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder, only seeing Viktor''s mouth seem to say something, but it couldn''t hear anything. The next second, the powerful energy like a surging flood turned into seven giant snakes howling towards Viktor! As if wanting to stuff the entire Endymion into its mouth! Every space the giant snakes passed through seemed to be deprived of vitality, even the mere void could make people feel that the surroundings had fallen into a fated silence. Looking at the sky-high giant snakes twisting towards him, Viktor took out Ulust and held it in the air. At the same time, a thin thread connected between Cocotte, Haim, and Viktor. "[Foolish and hazy God of Fire, forget the prayers of the mortal world, bestow upon me truth and courage]" "[When the scorching sun hangs high, the primordial fire burns away illusions!]" Along with Viktor''s mysterious chanting, Cocotte and Haim behind him were instantly dumbfounded. What kind of blasphemous chanting was that!? Although they thought so in their hearts, their hands poured even more mana into the barrier. As Viktor shouted, the world around seemed to freeze. A tiny fireball gradually condensed in his hand, turning into a faint flame flying between the seven giant snakes, aiming directly at Druja. Time began to flow again, the giant snakes frantically colliding with the barrier, under the huge impact, many tiny cracks appeared on the barrier. "Viktor! Hurry! We... can''t hold on much longer!" Cocotte closed her eyes and could only urge Viktor, who was standing there in a daze, her heart filled with final despair. Haim and she instantly lost all their mana, perhaps due to the huge demand of Viktor''s magic, the two now felt as if they had been drained. The ocean-like giant snakes carrying silence were about to completely swallow Viktor in the next second. But for some unknown reason, they suddenly stopped in mid-air. "What a pity, Druja, in the end, it''s still me," "Who''s more skilled." The seven sky-high giant snakes began to be engulfed by red from the head closest to Viktor, and the natural energy gradually dissipated into the void. The seven giant snakes actually turned into a sky full of demonic flames! They completely scattered, turning into a fiery dragon carrying hope and pressure, charging towards Druja again! The Wood Calamity, which had fallen into weakness, no longer had the strength to resist such powerful high-level magic again. The moment that tiny flame touched itself, all the energy in its body seemed to completely lose its connection with nature. For some reason, its chest became unbearably hot. Druja stood there in a daze, only able to watch itself being completely swallowed by the fire dragon. [War Magic God''s Arrow of Avatist] Boom! A white light shot towards the sky, breaking through the seven layers of heaven, straight to the firmament. ....... Aurelian, already lying on the floating rock, lazily lay back on it, staring at the sky. She had been waiting for Viktor to return. The starry night sky was very tempting, like the God of Beauty had spread picked-up crystals all over the canvas. The next second, a violent white light tore through this wonderful starry sky. Aurelian sat up abruptly, looking at the white light towering into the universe before her, incredibly surprised. With little stars in her eyes, she excitedly said: "Wow!" "So beautiful!" Chapter 89: The Nuclear Blast Mage, Exploding Everywhere He Goes Endymion was ultimately destroyed. The seven layers of sky had become a complete mess. But fortunately, Endymion did not fall. Although several layers were so devastated that their original appearance was unrecognizable, the lower three white rings had become fragmented. But looking up from below Endymion, the upper four rings were at most slightly tilted, but still relatively intact. At the very end, that huge nuclear blast flame instantly turned the first three layers of buildings into ruins, with chunks of debris floating ethereally under the sky. The exhausted Haim, looking at the floating debris before him, suddenly understood Rachel, understood the impact on Rachel when the academy was destroyed. Haim was deeply pained. "Damn it, Viktor..." Saying that Endymion wouldn''t be destroyed was completely false. He''s a monster, a mage freak who explodes wherever he goes. What kind of mage regularly prepares such destructive magic for frequent use? According to records, Viktor had only engaged in three battles since becoming fourth-tier. The first was the initial demon battle, where the council recognized Viktor''s powerful strength and chose to invite him to join the council. The second time, in the Magic Ravine, he almost blasted the Storm Lands to pieces. And the third time was the battle just recorded. The battle recorded by the Mage Council as the ''Calamity War''. But these three records, without exception, all showed what a violent mage Viktor was. Everywhere he went, there wasn''t a place he hadn''t blown up! Soon, Haim calmed down considerably, accepting the current situation. "At least, Endymion didn''t crash." That''s right, this was a blessing in disguise. Viktor''s magic seemed to have the power of self-discrimination. Despite being in such a vast range, Haim and Cocotte were completely unharmed. Even the magical creatures living in Endymion weren''t affected by the magic. This resulted in only the buildings and terrain of the first three layers of Endymion being completely destroyed. Of course, all of this could be rebuilt over time. But if the sky city were to fall to the ground. No matter where it fell, Endymion''s chaotic magic would shatter the earth. The vast source of chaotic magic would affect half the countries, and at that time, it would surely cause widespread devastation. Cocotte sat on a cloud, exhausted, her whole body sprawled in the white cloud, not caring that her face was buried in the cloud, dragging out her words, weakly comforting Haim. "It''s better than Rachel''s academy, at least the magic library wasn''t affected." The magic library was in an alternate space, not existing in Endymion''s ''reality''. It was a ''reverse space'', storing the wisdom of countless mages from Endymion over hundreds of years. Although that was the case, hearing Cocotte''s comforting words, Haim still felt unhappy. So he glanced at her and said coldly: "Your sleeping place is gone too." "Huh?" Cocotte''s raised head immediately crashed back into the cloud, motionless. At this moment, she seemed extremely depressed. What Haim referred to was the ''Green Garden'' on the first layer. That is, the place where Cocotte initially welcomed Viktor. She had always lived in that magical garden. In Cocotte''s words, because the first layer was the closest to ''Hyjal'', the natural energy was abundant, perfect for sleeping. As a result, the ''Green Garden'' was destroyed, and her last hope was shattered. Cocotte said with some resentment: "When Viktor comes out, I must make him compensate me." "Otherwise, I''ll, I''ll..." Haim looked at Cocotte. "You''ll what?" "...I''ll stick to him and not leave." These old mages with flexible moral standards could only vent their anger verbally. Viktor''s astonishing combat power made them realize that this man''s strength absolutely couldn''t be treated as a normal mage. He didn''t seem like a mage, but more like a... Pure magic machine. It could be said that any of Viktor''s actions in battle were just right, completely born for battle. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. What''s more terrifying was that facing that kind of monster that humans could not possibly contend with, he alone could battle it for almost two days. Which mage could do that? Who else? Haim sighed and slowly said: "Is it possible that the prophecy left by the Archmage..." "Was referring to Viktor?" Cocotte looked at the ruins drifting between the star sea, filled with silver dust. It was like a homesick wanderer standing at the doorstep of home and then slowly leaving, lonely and helpless. "Think positively." "At least Endymion didn''t crash." ....... In the zero-layer space of Endymion. The surrounding void cracked with fine fissures, like a noticeable flaw on a crystal, emitting tiny flames. As the space gradually shattered, Hyjal had also shrunk considerably, and the once dazzling green fluorescence had now dimmed significantly. Viktor stood on the fiery molten ground, silently watching the frantically burning Druja before him. At this moment, Druja had reverted back to a giant snake with compound eyes, lying in the sea of fire, unable to move its body. It had lost, unable to rise again. The war magic finally shattered the barrier, and Cocotte and Haim ran out in time to activate Endymion''s defense measures. Even so, about half of Endymion was still destroyed. But that was no longer Viktor''s concern, he had only come for Druja. Hyjal was driven by Druja''s essence. If Druja left Hyjal, then Endymion would completely fall after a period of time. Viktor put the magic wand back in his backpack and made hand seals, personally drawing a green formation in the air. He divided the entire formation into four directions: front, back, left, and right. The surrounding natural energy was slowly attracted into it. A huge wheel ring connected the four formations together, depicting the brilliance of the sun, moon, and stars above the magic array. Soon, a ripple that resonated with this space emanated from his body. The ripple gently swept over Druja, and a luminous green sphere slowly emerged from the center of its huge body, flying towards Viktor. This was Druja''s wood essence. Once Viktor took this away, Druja would be forcibly put into slumber. Soon, Druja, whose essence had been taken away, gradually lost the last light in its three pairs of compound eyes. The depleted Hyjal, after being shaken by the ripple, used its last disposable energy, suddenly extending dozens of vines from the green sphere floating at its waist. Like cocoon silk, it wrapped around the Wood Calamity, dragging it back into the interior of Hyjal. The Calamity would not dissipate. Even if Viktor had taken away its essence, it would not become dormant because of this. Because it itself was a huge energy source. Although Viktor had taken away Hyjal''s energy source, he had given Hyjal a complete Wood Calamity. As long as no one appeared to awaken it again, Druja would continue to serve as Hyjal''s energy source, maintaining Endymion''s float in the air. Viktor looked at the green essence before him, preparing to merge it with himself. This time, the condition was much better than the last time. When preparing the final war magic, because Cocotte and Haim, these two fourth-tier mages, were beside him providing magic power, his mana value had not been completely exhausted. Moreover, he had already forcibly merged with a Calamity essence once, so he didn''t need to worry about fainting due to rejection reaction this time. The fire essence and wood essence in his body gradually merged, and his coat changed its appearance again. The coat that once flowed with lava now turned into red and green intertwining stripes. Energy slowly flowed between the patterns, constantly emitting a powerful aura. Viktor casually conjured a strange wheel ring in the air, and thick stems suddenly gushed out from that virtual opening. Vines carrying natural energy gradually grew throughout the entire void space. Green leaves began to grow in the ruined zero-layer space, and buds peeked out. The almost distorted Hyjal, under the natural magic, actually grew two vines. The upper and lower sides of the split giant tree were gradually pulled together, forming a complete giant tree. After doing all this, Viktor narrowed his eyes. In the game plot, Druja, defeated by the players, similarly did not dissipate. Like Guledon, Druja returned to Hyjal, becoming a dungeon boss that could be challenged at any time. But the background story in the game described Druja''s ending like this: The sleeping Druja once again became the energy source of Endymion, maintaining those seven layers of sky, making it eternally prosperous. Viktor watched as Druja, transformed into a strand of consciousness, returned to Hyjal, and said softly. "Wouldn''t a Calamity that''s always sealed in the same place feel bored?" Vega, tired, yawned, and hearing this, looked at Viktor with a confused face. "What did you say?" "Nothing." Viktor turned around, and behind him, the dense forest continued to grow wildly. The towering forest and sea of flowers completely covered the entire space. Hyjal stood in the lonely void, emitting a nimble radiance, no longer disturbed by anyone. ....... The crisis of Endymion''s prophecy was considered resolved. As he was preparing to leave, Viktor said to Haim. "If anyone tries to attack Hyjal in the future." "Then, the revived Druja will immediately awaken." Haim was a bit confused hearing Viktor''s words. Wasn''t the disaster the Archmage spoke of you? Could it be... Endymion would suffer such an attack again in the future? Thinking about the terrifying Calamity reviving again. Haim suddenly didn''t want to repair this sky city anymore. Let it be destroyed, quickly. Viktor stared at the three layers of broken ruins, lost in thought. In the game background, the Dark Archmage broke through the seal and came to Endymion''s zero-layer space, corrupted Hyjal, trying to seize the wood essence. At that time, Druja had fallen into a long slumber and didn''t wake up even when Hyjal was invaded externally. Therefore, the Dark Archmage could wantonly corrupt the sky land as he wished. The members of the Mage Council were powerless against this, and finally could only seek help from players on the continent. Even at the end of the plot, when players joined forces to defeat the Dark Archmage. The tragedy had already occurred, Endymion was no longer that legendary holy city, but had become a place of corruption. And now? Druja was awakened in advance by Viktor. This time, Druja would no longer fall into a long slumber. He was somewhat looking forward to seeing what expression the future Dark Archmage would have when facing the awakened Wood Calamity after invading Hyjal. Meanwhile, Aurelian sat on Cocotte''s cloud and slowly floated in front of Viktor. Only then did Viktor remember that the princess had been in the magic library for two days. He looked at the somewhat sleepy princess before him and asked. "Did you have fun?" Aurelian blinked and nodded. "Mm." Viktor asked again. "Do you want to come again next time?" At this, Aurelian was extremely happy, nodding continuously. "Mm mm!" Viktor smiled lightly and continued: "Then, show me the magic you''ve learned." "Let me test your learning progress, see if you''ve wasted these two days of magic study." Chapter 90: Call Me Councilor A nimble figure dodged the numerous guards at the entrance of the Kravina mansion, completely concealing herself in the night. She skillfully climbed to the second floor and opened the bedroom window. In her own bedroom, Lia was quietly reading a book on the bed. The figure entered through the window, closed it, and came before Lia. The pointed ears exposed on both sides of the newcomer revealed her identity. Lia didn''t even look up, asking indifferently. "Did you bring the person?" Leon nodded. "There were too many guards outside, so I put Chur in the basement of the prop shop." She tilted her head, looking at Lia, feeling a bit strange. How come Miss Lia started reading books? "I somewhat understand why Viktor loves reading so much now." Lia slowly closed the book in her hand, put it on the bedside table, and explained calmly: "Books can help me calm down and relax temporarily, which is very helpful for thinking about things." Leon stared at Lia admiringly, praising in her heart: As expected of Miss Lia, able to remain calm even at a time like this. As if casually bringing it up, Lia asked the elf in front of her. "Leon, if the Crown Prince really comes to propose to me, what do you think are the benefits for us?" "Feel free to speak your mind." Leon was slightly stunned, cupping her chin in thought. She naturally knew about Jesrether wanting the Crown Prince to propose to Miss Lia. Soon, Leon gave her answer. She frankly told Lia: "I don''t like it." Hearing Leon''s answer, Lia was taken aback. "What do you mean?" Leon answered Lia''s confusion straightforwardly: "I don''t know what benefits a political marriage can bring, but I just don''t want Miss Lia to marry into the royal family." Hearing Leon''s answer, Lia smiled lightly. "The royal family is so noble, there are quite a few girls who would love to marry a prince." Of course, she was definitely not among those people. If Lia wanted to get married so badly, she would have left the Kravina family long ago. Lia smiled helplessly. "Jesrether is really laying the trap right in front of my face." This was an open conspiracy. Jesrether vainly wanted her to marry the Crown Prince, binding the Clayverna family to the Crown Prince''s chariot. Everyone knew that this would not be allowed by the Second Prince. Moreover, Viktor had already become the princess''s teacher. Under Emperor Aubrey''s manipulation, Kravina should not support either of the two princes. Jesrether used this matter to attract the Second Prince''s hatred towards Viktor, and incidentally make the emperor disappointed in Viktor. Although Lia understood all these things, what made her feel somewhat suffocated was that. On the surface, Lia could not defy the Crown Prince''s proposal. She was just a family member without even a title, forced to depend on the Kravina family. It would be her good fortune if the Crown Prince took a liking to her, so if the Crown Prince really came to propose, and Viktor didn''t react, Lia would have no choice but to agree. At first, Lia believed that if Viktor was smart, he would definitely refuse. But she later realized. If so, it would mean Viktor actively declaring that he would never support the Crown Prince. Then the wind of support would quickly shift to the Second Prince. The Kravina family would be forced to oppose the Crown Prince, and because Viktor was the princess''s private tutor, he couldn''t possibly support the Second Prince either. Although they hadn''t supported either side, Kravina would directly become the target of everyone''s arrows. If it weren''t for the Duke''s visit today reminding her, she wouldn''t have even noticed this point. So, whether agreeing or not, it would ultimately lead to one result, which was that Viktor would inevitably have conflicts and opposition with these two princes. Then which side would the previous Viktor choose? Lia circled and drew on the book, finally circling the pen on ''Crown Prince''. Benefits. If he had to oppose one side, he would definitely oppose the Second Prince. Because now it seems that the Crown Prince is the most beneficial, as he is the one actively seeking marriage. "But that was before." Lia tore up the book page, the red gem on the Mage''s Hand glowed slightly with magic, burning the paper in her hand to ashes. She would not hand over her life to anyone. ...... In the morning, the dawn finally broke through the night, shining upon the capital. At this time in the capital, all the citizens were beginning to prepare to open shops and work. And inside the palace, everyone was also waiting, waiting for the court session to begin. Emperor Aubrey slowly sat on the throne, looking at the officials below. Jesrether led a group of ministers, standing on one side. On the other side stood the Second Prince. He also led a group of officials supporting him. Standing beside the emperor was Duke Rivi. Emperor Aubrey nodded to the officials below, indicating that the court session could begin. After receiving permission, Jesrether spoke first: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has returned this time with great achievements." "His Highness slew a dragon that had been troubling the empire for a long time at the border, making a great contribution, and is bringing back the dragon''s head to proclaim the pacification." The Second Prince just stood quietly on the side watching Jesrether''s praise, smiling without speaking. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Emperor Aubrey didn''t speak either, only listening as Jesrether continued: "The Crown Prince has not yet been married, but now, His Highness has already entered his thirties, it''s time to consider the matter of starting a family." "Regarding a spouse, I have a recommended candidate." "That is, Viktor Count''s sister....." Before he could finish speaking, Gwen walked in from outside the court, wearing armor, with a long sword at her waist, striding in briskly. "Lady Gwen! We haven''t reported to His Majesty yet!" Closely following behind Gwen were two eunuchs, stumbling and rolling as they followed behind Gwen, anxiously admonishing. But now Gwen had already come before the emperor. She was leading a disheveled man in her hand, and threw him towards the center of the hall. Everyone looked at the man thrown onto the hall floor, looking at each other in bewilderment. Someone couldn''t help but ask. "Who is this man?" "This man''s name is Chur, he''s a soldier from the Kingdom of Kant, who changed his identity to infiltrate the empire, became a grain merchant, and mixed into the Kravina family." "His target was to assassinate Viktor and his sister Lia." "But he failed, and was instead captured by Viktor''s sister." The ministers in the court gasped when they heard this. Previously, Viktor was a viscount, and moreover, a viscount with actual power over territory. However, such a nobleman, had a soldier from the Kingdom of Kant mixed into his inner circle? The severity of this matter made it hard not to suspect whether there were people within the empire communicating with the Kingdom of Kant. And the assassination attempt happened right when Viktor became a count and his strength reached the ranks of fourth-tier mages. Many people couldn''t help but look towards Jesrether. Why? Before this, no matter how dissatisfied the nobles present were with Viktor, they wouldn''t say to hire someone to assassinate Viktor. Because Viktor was a person of the empire, the grudges of empire people should be resolved by empire people themselves. What did it mean for a person from another kingdom to sneak in? Then recently, who held a grudge against Viktor, and who had this motive? These nobles who looked towards Jesrether didn''t say a word. But they had already made clear their current attitude towards Jesrether. Jesrether felt many malicious gazes directed at him, like dozens of sharp needles piercing him. The emperor raised his eyes, looked towards Gwen, and spoke his first words: "Where is that child now." "Your Majesty, Lia is waiting outside the palace." Emperor Aubrey nodded, saying: "Let her come in." Under the emperor''s summons, several guards brought Lia into the hall. She stood before the emperor, and under everyone''s gaze, she slightly bowed to the emperor on the throne. "Greetings to Your Majesty." Emperor Aubrey waved his hand, "No need for formalities." After saying this, he stared at Lia, smiling slightly. "Good, it''s good that you''re alright." "Otherwise, this old man couldn''t handle Viktor coming to make trouble for me." Everyone present heard the emperor''s intimate tone, his appreciation for Viktor even affecting his sister. Love extends to the whole house. Lia slowly stood up, glancing at Jesrether. There seemed to be intense mockery in her eyes. But this mockery disappeared in an instant, and in this sudden situation, no one noticed Lia''s expression. Following the emperor''s eye signal, a magus slowly walked forward, using the crystal ball in his hand to guide the unconscious Chur. A mark slowly appeared on the crystal ball, then turned red and dissipated. The magus turned around and said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, he is indeed not a person of the empire, and moreover, he has obvious thick blood energy." Thick blood energy indicated that the person was a warrior, and not weak in strength. This basically confirmed the truthfulness of Lia''s words. Let alone whether this warrior intended to assassinate Viktor''s family, just such a powerful warrior from outside the empire mixing into the empire was worth investigating. Duke Rivi appropriately spoke beside the emperor at this time: "Your Majesty, this matter should be thoroughly investigated." The emperor nodded, made an "Mm" sound, and smiled at Lia. "Child, come to my side." Lia bowed to the emperor again, slowly walking to the emperor''s vicinity. Looking at Lia coming forward, the emperor smiled and said: "Your brother is Aurelian''s teacher, by my side, you don''t need to be so formal." "I will investigate this matter, capturing such a kingdom warrior, you also have made a great contribution." Everyone present noticed the emperor''s words. He emphasized the relationship between the princess and Viktor, which was a warning to everyone present. Don''t bring your little tricks here to me. Kravina will not support either side. No one noticed that Jesrether slightly clenched his fist. Why? Why could the emperor be so good to these two? We are the royal relatives, Devon and I are your nephews! A seed named jealousy was inadvertently buried in the bottom of his heart, slowly taking root and sprouting in Jesrether''s heart. Suddenly, the emperor looked towards Jesrether and asked: "Speaking of which, you had something you wanted to say earlier." "Continue." Jesrether was stunned, at this moment, he became the one being roasted on the fire. Viktor''s sister had just experienced an assassination attempt, and he was going to bring up the matter of the Crown Prince marrying her... Wouldn''t that be asking for a scolding? "Your Majesty, I..." Jesrether opened and closed his mouth, the words were like a huge stone blocking his throat, he couldn''t say anything. The old emperor sighed, saying indifferently: "Come out, Viktor." "If you have anything to say, tell him yourself." Viktor? Everyone present fell into utter confusion. Where was Viktor''s figure here? Along with their rising doubts, a green vitality suddenly rose in the palace, full of life. Wild flowers and grass gradually covered the entire floor, winding vines gradually climbed to the top of the palace, the surrounding golden pillars were covered with tendrils. A cluster of flowers that appeared behind everyone gradually made unusual movements, as those flowers gradually retreated. Viktor gradually revealed his figure. He just appeared out of thin air in front of everyone, flicking his coat behind him. Viktor at this moment was completely different from last time. If Viktor last time was spreading terror and majesty, then Viktor at this moment was filled with coldness and elegance. But still giving people a sense of mysterious distance. His figure instantly disappeared, appearing ghostly behind Jesrether. Viktor leaned close to Jesrether''s ear, his eyes cold, slowly saying: "Some things I didn''t explain in advance, perhaps making you think there was some opportunity to take advantage." "But now, I want you to remember forever." As Viktor spoke, several vines suddenly wrapped around Jesrether''s neck, getting tighter and tighter. Jesrether immediately struggled, desperately tearing at the thick vines on his neck. His face gradually turned red, his hand movements becoming more frantic. But he could only hear Viktor''s cold voice indifferently: "Stay away from the people around me." Everyone was shocked to see this scene before them. Viktor''s sudden appearance, and his warning-like words. Even Gwen and Lia had looks of confusion and bewilderment. Why did Viktor suddenly appear? As if realizing something, several nobles standing behind Jesrether hurriedly shouted. "Viktor! Are you crazy?" "Are you going to kill someone in the palace?" Viktor''s eyes coldly glanced at that person, and the other person, like a little chick suddenly drowning in water, was choked and dared not say a second word. But he indeed didn''t commit murder, the vines gradually retreated from Jesrether''s body. He touched his own neck, gasping for breath. The long time unable to breathe caused his eyes to be full of bloodshot, extremely red and particularly frightening. "Viktor!" Jesrether''s voice was somewhat hoarse, but he wasn''t afraid. At this moment, the jealousy in his heart turned into intense anger, he wished he could tear apart the person in front of him with his own hands. But he couldn''t do it, he could only suppress his anger, pretending to be calm as he looked at Viktor. "What grudge do you have against me?" But Viktor seemed to have vented all his resentment, elegantly tugging at his collar. "Mr. Jesrether, before discussing your grudges with me, I hope you first face the status difference between you and me." Jesrether felt a sense of confusion and bewilderment, correspondingly, this confusion spread to everyone in the palace except the emperor. As if unintentionally, a round silver insignia was revealed on Viktor''s collar. The three broken human heads on it seemed to be displaying some kind of mysterious identity. Under Jesrether''s angry gaze, Viktor, as if mocking, or as if despising him, said indifferently. "Please call me, Councilor Kravina." Chapter 91: Difficult? Well, Then Dont Do It! "You... This is..." Jace Reiser stared at the peculiar insignia on Viktor''s chest, his eyes widening. Viktor was flaunting his identity, status, and power to him. Jace felt helpless; in Viktor''s eyes, he was nothing more than a failed dreamer. Others in the palace, upon seeing the badge on Viktor''s chest, couldn''t help but rub their eyes in disbelief. The nobles present all recognized this insignia; it would have been strange not to have seen it before. "This is... the emblem of the Mage Council!" "Viktor actually has such a thing. Could it be that he has become a councilor of the Mage City?" The Mage Council was an organization with immense international influence. Any councilor of the Mage Council would be treated as an honored guest of the state. They represented not only unparalleled power but also an extremely righteous moral code, which always commanded respect and admiration. Moreover, the Mage City monopolized a vast amount of powerful magical knowledge and even had dedicated magical research members. The magical luminous lamps commonly used throughout the empire today were the result of magical research and development by those mages in the Mage City. Although... Viktor''s moral principles were indeed questionable. But his becoming a councilor of the Mage Council was now an indisputable fact. Before Viktor, the empire had another councilor of the Mage Council - the principal of the Royal Magic Academy, Rachel. However, everyone present frowned. It was understandable for Principal Rachel to become a councilor of the Mage Council. He had long since become a fourth-tier mage and was highly respected. Everyone knew of his lifelong dedication to the Royal Magic Academy. The empire had many fourth-tier mages, but only Rachel could become a councilor of the Mage Council. This was because the Mage Council''s strict selection criteria had filtered out many mages who wanted to become councilors. But what about Viktor? He indeed possessed formidable power, but his morals... The nobles present had almost the same thought on this point: Practically non-existent. Was it just because he was the youngest fourth-tier mage in history? "Damn it! Why does Viktor get to be a councilor!" "Can someone with his moral standards really be accepted by the Mage Council?" Many mages present resented Viktor becoming a councilor, but his joining the council was already a fact, and this couldn''t be changed. Most importantly, many people realized one thing. Now that Viktor had become a councilor of the Mage City, his status was no longer limited to his current noble title. In other words, Viktor and Jace Reiser''s status and positions were no longer equal. Jace Reiser stood frozen, under Viktor''s cold gaze, he opened his mouth and managed to ask, "Viktor... Councilor Kravina, what exactly do you want? I was just making a suggestion." "Are you trying to make things difficult for the Crown Prince?" Viktor looked at him contemptuously. "Difficult? Well, then don''t do it." "I don''t care what you''re trying to do, nor do I want to know what orders the people behind you have given. Remember this." "Don''t provoke me." He stared into Jace''s eyes, constructing a small green formation within Jace''s pupils. In an instant, several wild thickets sprouted from the golden floor of the palace, their twisted branches lifting Jace and hurling him out of the palace. The people in the hall, witnessing this sudden scene, were stunned. This was certainly Viktor''s magic, but they hadn''t seen Viktor construct any formation in the air. But that was no longer important. At this moment, almost everyone present had only one thought. Viktor had flipped the table! He even dared to throw Jace out of the palace in front of everyone, even the Emperor! How could he be so arrogant? Just because he had become a councilor of the Mage Council? But despite thinking this, not a single person dared to step forward and say a word against Viktor. Faced with their shock and questioning looks, Viktor dusted off his clothes as if he had just done some trivial task. Afterwards, he turned to face Emperor Aubrey, bowing respectfully. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Duke Levi looked at Viktor with an appreciative gaze. Emperor Aubrey chuckled and nodded in response. "No harm done." ...... The court session ended abruptly due to Viktor''s sudden intrusion. Lia stood outside the palace gates, with Viktor''s pet crow perched on a nearby pole. Even now, Lia was still in a daze. She had prepared everything, even throwing out the Chur card in advance. But Viktor suddenly returned. And warned Jace Reiser with thunderous methods. "Stay away from the people around me." Recalling these words Viktor said upon his return, Lia''s mind was somewhat confused. Why? Viktor shouldn''t have been this kind of person. His behavior was tantamount to publicly flipping the table, turning everyone except the Emperor against him. Whether it was the Second Prince or the yet-to-appear Crown Prince, after Viktor''s big scene in the hall, they would definitely not send anyone to recruit him again. ''Once and for all.'' But this approach might have been a bit too abrupt. In Lia''s mind, she didn''t want the Kravina family to fall out with both princes. After all, it wasn''t clear who would be the final victor. Just as Viktor said, if the Emperor only had two years left... Then two years later, no matter who ascended to the throne. Viktor would face retribution for today''s actions. But on the other hand... Lia placed a hand on her chest. Somehow, there was a warm feeling in her chest. Perhaps it was the long-awaited hope that had finally been answered at this moment. When she thought she no longer expected anything from anyone, Viktor had once again solved everything for her. Lia turned her head to see Viktor finally walking out of the palace. Gwen was accompanying him. Finally, when everyone else had left, Viktor stayed behind in the palace, seemingly saying something to His Majesty. So he became the last person to leave the palace. Lia looked at Viktor, her mood somewhat complexly subtle. She opened her mouth, originally wanting to say some words of thanks, but what came out was: "Why did it take you so long to come back?" Her tone seemed to carry a hint of complaint. Viktor had his hands in the pockets of his coat. He looked down at Lia. "I was helping someone solve some problems." "Also, teaching magic lessons to the princess." Hearing Viktor''s casual reply, Lia was about to say something to tell him how angry she actually was, but before she could speak, she heard Viktor suddenly say: "Remember, you have your own freedom." "No one can force you to do anything." This abrupt statement interrupted Lia''s complaining mood. She stared blankly at the tall figure before her. Somehow, there was a strange feeling in her heart. She wanted to say something to vent her anger, to act spoiled towards him. As if she believed Viktor could tolerate all her unreasonableness. These words were too distant for Lia. After her father''s death, no one could protect and care for her as she wished anymore. But now, Lia felt a sudden impulse. "Bro..." She tried to let the end of this word slip out, but it got stuck in her throat and she couldn''t say it. In the end, she still couldn''t say it, because a fantastically luxurious carriage slowly drove towards them from the dark street corner, emitting a warm light. This carriage was quite peculiar. As a carriage, it had no horses pulling it in front, naturally no coachman to whip the horses, it was simply driven by pure magic moving the axles on the road. Lia looked at Viktor''s exclusive carriage that he often used for travel, slightly stunned. The door opened automatically, and Viktor calmly said. "Let''s go." "It''s time to go home." ...... The carriage stopped in front of the Delin mansion. Lia watched as Gwen got off the carriage, with Kevla already coming out to greet her at the door. Before leaving, Gwen didn''t forget to look at Viktor one last time, asking: "This time, you won''t disappear for a few days again, right?" Viktor nodded. "Then don''t forget to come over tomorrow morning." After saying this, as if realizing some misunderstanding, she quickly added: "I''m talking about tomorrow''s sword practice, don''t forget!" After finishing, Gwen hurriedly turned and entered the mansion, not daring to look at Viktor again. Seeing Gwen completely gone, Lia sat in the carriage looking at Viktor, her tone quite teasing: "Oh, so our mage lord knows how to communicate with his fiance?" Viktor didn''t respond to Lia''s comment, casually feeding Vega some bird food, then turned to look at Lia. "What did you want to say before getting in the carriage earlier?" Lia was taken aback, coughed lightly, and said nonchalantly. "Nothing, I just wanted to ask you some things, but we hadn''t left the palace yet, so it wasn''t appropriate to say." She wasn''t that sentimental, at her age, how could she possibly call him ''brother''? And she did indeed have things to ask Viktor. Now that they were in their own carriage, she could ask whatever she wanted. "Do you really intend to... support the princess?" Viktor nodded. Lia was very confused. "Why? The princess has no power base, and besides, the empire has never had an empress." "Then, she will be the first." Viktor''s voice sounded faintly, his tone leaving no room for doubt, leaving Lia somewhat stunned. Although she couldn''t understand the reason for Viktor''s confidence, she didn''t impulsively question further. The two remained silent in the carriage. Soon, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and Viktor opened the door, letting Lia get off first. The large group of guards at the courtyard entrance had already left, and it was now empty. The princess had long been sent back to the palace by Viktor, so naturally, the guards had no reason to stay here. A servant, seeing the master and young lady return, opened the main door. Entering the mansion, Lia seemed to suddenly remember something and began to say: "Oh right, the Duke came yesterday. It seems his daughter has some kind of illness. Did you have any..." As she spoke, her voice gradually became softer. Passing by the garden, was that a soft, fluffy cloud floating by? Lia blinked, her gaze following the cloud. On that cloud lay a sleeping slacker elf, dressed somewhat scantily. "?" A big question mark appeared above Lia''s head. What on earth was this thing? Chapter 92: I Just Summoned a Demon, Damn It! Staring at the scantily clad woman before her, various guesses flashed through Lia''s mind. Who was this woman? Why had she appeared in the garden? And what was the deal with the cloud beneath her? It looked quite impressive. "Her name is Cocotte, Cocotte Yade. She''s a former council member of the Mage City," Viktor explained, appearing behind Lia. Hearing Viktor''s explanation, Lia became even more confused. A former member of the Mage Council? Did that mean Viktor''s council position had replaced this woman? What was the relationship between these two? Cocotte was sleeping soundly, turning her head slightly, her pointed ears on both sides now visible to Lia. Looking at the slender ears, Lia felt a sense of familiarity. She blurted out, "An elf?" After all, Lia had her fair share of dealings with elves. This lazy elf lying asleep on a cloud seemed to give the illusion that she was isolated from the world. But that wasn''t the point. The real question was why Viktor had brought back an elf woman. Lia looked up, her eyes showing a hint of disapproval as she gazed at Viktor. "So, what''s her story?" "You went to the Mage City once and brought back a new flame?" "Huh, I really feel sorry for Gwen." Hearing Lia''s sarcasm, Viktor calmly said: "She''s a fourth-tier mage." "Now, she''s working for me." Lia''s disapproving gaze instantly softened, her eyes seemingly filled with calculation. "I see, you should have said so earlier." "I''ll make sure to take care of this too... I mean, take care of her meticulously." As if sensing something, Cocotte''s ears twitched, and she sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes: "Hmm~?" Cocotte let out a prolonged sound of confusion, gave Viktor a silly smile, and then, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, fell back onto the cloud. Thump! "Zzz..." She closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Lia: "..." Could such a lazy elf really be used as a tool? Viktor didn''t explain much more to Lia. In reality, Cocotte had become homeless. After losing her council member status, Cocotte could have stayed in Endymion for a long time. But Viktor had blown up the top three levels of Endymion, causing the most stable area of natural energy to disappear into the river of history. Without such a place, Cocotte couldn''t sleep well. Even when she managed to fall asleep, she would feel as if ants were crawling all over her body, making her extremely uncomfortable. So she simply followed Viktor to the Empire, becoming a mascot at the Kravina house. After all, she was no longer a council member, and the restoration of Endymion had nothing to do with her. Cocotte now felt utterly free. She even slept more soundly in the garden. And now that Viktor had attained the status of a count, he was qualified to recruit his own private army in the royal capital. It was fine both officially and privately. Viktor calmly said to Lia: "When she wakes up, remember to have her sign an indenture contract in my name." After all, the Kravina family didn''t keep idle people, and Cocotte would need to work when she woke up. Lia nodded, watching Viktor walk into the mansion as he left. ... In the study, Viktor walked to the bookshelf, examining it closely. He opened the cabinet and pulled out a thick book. It was a book recording parts of historical mythology, with stories related to the former ''deities''. Viktor quickly turned to the page he needed. "The Scales of the Goddess of Justice." Aurelianne had told Viktor everything about her experience in the magic library. Including her sighting of the scales. Viktor already knew there was a set of scales in Endymion''s magic library. It wasn''t a true divine artifact, just an ancient forgery. History described the Goddess of Justice like this: The justice of the Goddess of Justice was absolute. Those she deemed evil and impure would be completely annihilated by her, without any hope of escape. She used the scales in her hand to weigh the hearts of mortals, placing her dagger of punishment on one side of the scales. Legend had it that the weight of that dagger was as light as a cloud. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. While human hearts tainted by malice would have additional weight from resentment. Once the scales tipped towards the heart, The Goddess of Justice would mercilessly eradicate the evil person. Since the birth of human civilization, she had protected the humans on the continent, always believing that humans could achieve the absolute justice and fairness she held in her heart. But the actions of humans over the long span of time gradually disappointed the Goddess of Justice... Then came the more familiar story, the Goddess of Justice left the mortal realm. But in reality. Viktor pondered about the scales stored in the magic library. According to legend, the Great Mage had become dissatisfied with the actions of the Goddess of Justice and stole a sliver of her divine power to create these Scales of the Hypocrite. This was to weaken the divine will of the Goddess of Justice, and through the forged scales, reduce her numerous extreme followers. Those filled with absolute justice were eventually replaced by hypocrites. Finally, utterly disappointed with humanity, the goddess left the mortal world. But her departure made the people of the world breathe a sigh of relief. Because absolute justice should never exist in a society composed of humans. Hypocrites were also kind and just, they just wouldn''t fall into the vortex named ''extreme justice''. Thus, through these forged scales, the Great Mage established the Mage Council based on morality. ''Hypocrisy is also a form of justice.'' Vega, standing nearby, spoke up. "Are you interested in the Goddess of Justice?" "I''m just preparing for potential future crises," Viktor said as he closed the book. In the magic library, some players would be attracted to the ''Scales of the Hypocrite''. If a player''s sense of justice reached 80 points or above, they would learn a brand new passive skill. [Heart of the Hypocrite] As long as one holds justice and morality in their heart, they will receive the blessing of the ancient human will. For players, this skill''s powerful effect could increase all their character attributes by 10%, lasting for an entire battle. Of course, how could the real scales be inferior to a forgery? If players could join the church of the Goddess of Justice, joining that group of remaining extreme justice advocates. They would also receive the blessing of the Goddess of Justice from the void. The condition was to reach 100 points in justice. [Justice]. But this justice was extremely radical. To propagate absolute justice, they wouldn''t hesitate to use cruel violence and torture to achieve the merciless expansion of their ideology and will. The believers of the goddess were so severe that they only had a singular and absolute distinction between good and evil, with no room for any emotion. Viktor narrowed his eyes, as he was very familiar with this power. "Heart of Justice." That''s right. Before Gwen had grown up. The Goddess of Justice had already set her sights on this born believer. ........ Golden and bright, silk draping to the floor, silver curtains hanging behind the doors on both sides. The Second Prince sat on a soft sofa, with no one around him. He was very pleased, not just because Viktor''s actions in the palace today had slapped Jace Reiser in the face. Jace belonged to his foolish elder brother''s faction, and Viktor doing this was directly telling the Crown Prince: No matter what relationship you have with me, because of your subordinate. This grudge, we''ve settled it. Of course, although Viktor would definitely not support him either, at least he didn''t publicly slap him in the face. He and his elder brother were still in fair competition, nothing had changed. Even becoming enemies with Viktor, he still had to divert some energy to consider Viktor''s existence. However... "Who would have thought that Viktor would become a member of the Magic Council?" The Second Prince spoke as if chatting with servants beside him, but there wasn''t a single person around. On the surface, the council member status was definitely superior to Jace Reiser. And this council member status would also mean that even if the Crown Prince really wanted to marry Lia, he would have to consider Viktor''s council member status. Marrying the sister of a count and marrying the sister of a mage council member were two completely different concepts. "Viktor always gives me surprises." "Jace Reiser must be feeling incredibly angry with jealousy right now." The Second Prince laughed out loud, his body shaking constantly, laughing somewhat maniacally. This was the second reason for his happiness. Soon, the Second Prince changed like a different person, putting away his laughter and returning to his usual indifference, smiling as he said: "Jealousy can trigger many different emotions, that''s why I love this wonderful jealousy." "Get ready, Greed." "We should go welcome our new companion." ...... Jace Reiser walked on the street, followed by a group of guards. His eyes were red with anger, originally intending to go straight home by carriage, but the unrelenting fury in his heart made him realize he couldn''t go back. As the heir to the family, Jace needed to remain calm at all times. So Jace Reiser took a carriage to the East District, his instinctive anger guiding him to vent. He was looking for Viktor''s prop shop. That shop that only sold blue potions. He had been here a few days ago, setting a trap to make Viktor sign that seemingly beneficial contract, to cause them to incur losses. But Viktor hadn''t even considered agreeing to those families. Jace was a merchant, but he also knew how to play the role of a difficult customer. He walked towards the prop shop, intending to pretend to be a customer and deliberately cause some trouble in the store. But before he could enter, he saw Henie appear at the doorway. Henie was neatly arranging bottles of blue potions on the counter at the shop entrance, replenishing the spaces left by recently sold goods. Instinct made Jace want to approach this seemingly rustic girl and vent some of his anger. But after a few seconds, cold sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead, dripping onto the dusty ground. "No, something''s not right..." "What''s wrong with me?" The anger quickly dissipated from his mind, and Jace suddenly calmed down. He was no longer jealous, his brain felt as if it had been suddenly washed with clear water, his intelligence and rationality returning to their peak. "What have I been doing..." Jace Reiser held his head, carefully recalling what he had done these past few days. Constantly targeting the Kravina family, even taking the initiative to visit, running to arrange a marriage for the Crown Prince without his permission. Jace''s body trembled slightly as he suddenly realized the serious consequences of his actions. He hurriedly said to the guards behind him. "Quickly, let''s go home! Bring the carriage over!" "I need to see my father immediately!" With that, Jace quickly left the scene with his guards. However, Henie hadn''t noticed any of this at all. At this moment, she was still a bit troubled, after all, she had heard many things about Miss Lia recently. And there were always a few families coming to ask this and that, often mentioning to her about cooperations she didn''t understand at all. Henie was a little angry. Suddenly, she blinked, somewhat confused. A touch of red had appeared on the blue potion bottle she had just placed on the counter. But this red looked unnatural to her, like an impurity attached to the bottle''s mouth. "What is...?" She hadn''t had time to look closer when a voice sounded beside her ear. "Little girl, you''re much prettier than that man just now." "I admire your little bit of anger, why don''t we work together? Trust me, we could definitely pull off something big!" Chapter 93: Death Before Success Henie blinked, somewhat confused. Hadn''t she encountered a similar situation before? As she was pondering, a white-bearded old mage with snow-white hair walked up to her. The old mage looked very kind and nodded slightly to Henie. Henie immediately recognized this mage as a regular customer of the shop. "The same as last time." The mage pointed to the blue potions on the counter, indicating for Henie to get him two bottles. A heavy bag of Geo was placed on the counter, and he slowly left with the potions. Henie weighed the money bag, then turned to put it in the cash box inside the store. The rule of a maximum of two bottles per mage per day was actually quite good, at least for some mages. They didn''t have to worry about not being able to buy any because some rich person went on a buying spree. After the initial frenzy, the daily limit of fifty bottles had resulted in a more reasonable customer flow. After all, the price of one thousand per bottle wasn''t something an ordinary mage could casually afford. The customer flow hadn''t increased explosively, but there were also never times when it was completely empty. Strictly speaking, this kind of magic potion was, after all, a consumable item. Even if its effect was extremely powerful, it wouldn''t be used frequently. Most mages bought a few days'' worth of potions to keep on hand, just in case they encountered a crisis, so they wouldn''t have to worry about magical exhaustion. After their regular training and dealing with trivial matters, they naturally wouldn''t waste the precious potion, relying on natural mana recovery was enough. After the customer left, Henie came to her senses. The red impurity on the blue potion bottle had disappeared, but now, a red, wriggling thing was constantly approaching her. It looked like a red jelly. It seemed to have no physical form, and looked very strange. To Henie, it felt like... It didn''t seem very smart. "Hey, hey, hey? That''s strange, can''t you hear me talking?" The red jelly was trying hard to stretch its body, attempting to attract Henie''s attention. A small jelly hand extended from its body, waving at Henie. But strangely, Henie just kept looking at it, giving it no response at all. The red jelly retracted its small hand, quieted down for a moment, and deflated a bit. "Damn it! Say something, will you!" Wow! Mr. Jelly got angry!? Henie, seeing the jelly shaking with anger, felt a slight shock in her heart and hurriedly apologized: "I''m sorry." Hearing Henie''s apology, the red jelly seemed very satisfied. It squeezed out two things like snail antennae from its round body, slowly waving them in front of Henie. It seemed to be sizing up Henie, waving its antennae while asking: "There are few humans who can satisfy me. Tell me, who are we going to beat up?" Henie tilted her head, staring at this red jelly, thinking for a good while. "Then... can you tell me your name?" "Huh?" ...... The afternoon in the shop was quiet, leisurely time flew by, and night fell. Henie returned to the mansion, walking to the front door. Before she could reach out, the door was already opened by a servant. "Miss Henie." Henie was startled. She had always been living here as a guest, and hearing someone suddenly greet her, Henie felt a bit guilty and shivered. Looking up, she saw it was a familiar servant who had opened the mansion''s main door for her. Henie immediately felt relieved. But soon, a cold wind blew past Henie''s back, and she felt someone standing behind her. That person''s voice was utterly cold: "Henie?" The hair on Henie''s body stood on end, and she slowly turned around to look at the newcomer. It was Professor Viktor. As usual, a jet-black crow was perched on his shoulder. Somehow, the crow''s eyes seemed to have become much more frightening. Henie felt a bit excited at first: "Professor! You''re back..." "What did you bring back?" Henie was startled by Viktor''s question, trembling and shrinking her head, not daring to make a sound. Viktor glanced at the shaking Henie and dropped a sentence: "Come to my study." Henie could only obediently follow behind Viktor, looking quite pitiful. They quickly arrived at the study, and Viktor waved his hand, turning on the desk lamp. A warm yellow light shone on the desk. Viktor stood in front of the desk, while Henie stood at the door, head lowered like someone who had done something wrong and was being scolded. Their shadows wavered on the wall behind them. "Don''t you have anything to tell me?" "Professor, I wanted to tell you when you came back..." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Henie stretched out her hand, and a red, gel-like liquid appeared on Henie''s arm, plopping onto the desk. The light from the desk lamp shone on its small body, but its shadow wasn''t reflected on the wall. It began to shape itself like jelly, constantly changing, and finally settled into a very small... crocodile shape. The crocodile hadn''t yet realized what was happening, looked around, and then stared at Viktor, whose face was frighteningly cold. Sensing Viktor''s malicious gaze, the little crocodile suddenly stretched out a small paw, slapping the desktop with a ''pa'' sound. "What are you looking at?" It seems to be a not very intelligent demon, it apparently hadn''t yet grasped the current situation. Viktor narrowed his eyes. In the game, the spawning of primal demons had always been a mysterious thing. In the first chapter''s plot, the seven primal demons gathered in the Carencia Empire, with Greed leading the occupation of the imperial capital, and the remaining six demons in different cities. Until Greed was killed by the players, the remaining six demons seemed to receive an order and quickly disappeared within the empire''s borders. But in future plot chapters, players could find these primal demons in many places. And the little crocodile in front of him was obviously the Wrath demon. Leighton. That''s right, Viktor knew all seven demons'' true names, so these demons posed no threat to him at all. After all, his current identity was different from the game. In the game, players couldn''t interact with NPCs, and in the eyes of NPCs, players were more like "mute," "emotionless" machines. This meant that even if players could see the demon''s name in combat status, they couldn''t use the true name to restrict the demon. Henie, seeing the demon turn into a crocodile, was slightly startled. How did Mr. Jelly turn into a little crocodile in just one day? "Primal demons absorb the emotions of their hosts to grow stronger. If the corresponding emotions and magic power are sufficient, they can grow to a state that even armies can''t handle in just one day." Vega explained to Viktor on the side. In fact, the reason Viktor could directly notice the ''demon'' on Henie was because Vega had sensed it in advance. As an evil god, Vega was very sensitive to things like demons that transcended biological beings. The atmosphere in the study became a bit peculiar due to the silence. Viktor waved to Henie, indicating for her to leave first. Henie covered her eyes, nodded with a "wuwu" sound, and left the study feeling wronged. She thought she had done something wrong. It wasn''t until she left the study that Viktor looked back at the crocodile and slowly said: "Tell me, what deal did you make with her?" The crocodile obviously knew Viktor was asking it a question, but it wasn''t afraid of the mysterious man in front of it. It grinded its teeth a bit angrily while saying: "Deal? What deal!" "She just asked me what my name was, how could I make a deal?" "..." At least now he could be assured that Henie hadn''t been bewitched by the demon. The crocodile in front of him was still very weak, as if it had just been born. Viktor narrowed his eyes, Vega giggled on his shoulder, and only Viktor''s voice sounded in its ear: "Interesting." "First it was Greed, now it''s Wrath." "The demons clearly had better hosts to choose from, but they all chose this little succubus without exception." Each demon''s abilities manifested differently. The Greed demon could stimulate people''s desires, expanding their desires several times through constant gifts until they finally couldn''t repay. The Wrath demon would magnify the anger of the possessed person a hundredfold, causing them to overexert their strength and die of exhaustion in endless fury. Similarly, for demons like Lust... Viktor didn''t want to think about it further. But if Henie could attract different demons, then the remaining ones might also show themselves in the future. Whether this was good or bad remained to be seen, but Viktor could plan ahead. "Now then." Viktor narrowed his eyes at the little crocodile in front of him. The red crocodile shuddered, a sense of unease creeping over its body. "Getting angry randomly isn''t a good thing." "I''ll teach you how to control your anger well, Leighton." Hearing Viktor''s words, the little crocodile felt as if its limbs were locked by a shackle in its heart, unable to move. As if unwillingly, a line connected between it and Viktor. "Contract established." ...... Early the next morning, Henie was feeling a bit gloomy. She felt like she had done something wrong, making Professor Viktor unhappy, which had made her too afraid to approach Viktor until now. Just as she was thinking of going to the garden to clear her mind, a maid hurriedly ran over and said to Henie: "Miss Henie, the master is calling you to his study." Henie was a bit confused, but her steps still headed towards the study. She was anxious, constantly reassuring herself on the way that nothing was wrong. Pushing open the door to Viktor''s study, Henie saw Viktor sitting at his desk as usual, hands crossed. Two papers were placed on the desk, which Henie didn''t pay attention to. "Pro... Professor, you called for me." Viktor nodded, his eyes indicating for her to come to the desk. Henie obediently walked forward, staring at the two papers in front of her, her hands finding no place to rest, seeming particularly uneasy. Viktor spoke first: "In front of you are two contracts. The first is an invitation from the Royal Academy." "Sign this contract, and you will become an honorary associate professor at the Royal Magic Academy, with treatment equivalent to that of a professor, including a house of your own." Henie listened, slightly dazed. "Asso... Associate Professor?" It felt as dreamy as if a long-cherished dream had become reality. A warmth suddenly surged in her heart, spreading throughout Henie''s body. Her breathing involuntarily became a bit rapid. Viktor, however, continued unhurriedly: "The contract on the right is what I had Lia draft yesterday." "Sign this contract, and you''ll be a retainer of the Kravina family. You can choose a job within the family, or continue living here." "Of course, the treatment will be equally good." Henie was stunned again. One was a nomination for associate professor, the other was to be a retainer of the Kravina family. If she chose the second one, she would be... part of the Kravina family? But the position of associate professor... Ah ah. Life is full of choices, Henie''s teacher had once taught her. Before Henie, two choices were laid out. One was her long-cherished dream. It was the reward for her years of hard work and study. The other was the aspiration she wanted to follow for life. Finally, Henie looked at Viktor. She knew that everything she had now didn''t come easily. Therefore, Henie never thought her dream could compare to the aspiration before her eyes. So, she made her choice. "Professor, I want to choose..." "Wait." Viktor''s sudden words interrupted her. Under Henie''s somewhat dazed gaze, Viktor tapped the desk. A gentle breeze blew, sending both contracts to Henie at the same time. Henie was a bit confused and puzzled, but Viktor''s voice seemed to soothe her unease, sounding in her ears. "I never said this was a single-choice question." "..." Henie stared blankly at Viktor. Somehow, a faint moisture seemed to well up in the corners of her eyes, as if a layer of mist obscured her vision. But it wasn''t because of sadness, Henie knew very well. When happiness surged through her entire body, it was as if a faint light had redeemed her entire world. "Professor." At this moment, she was infinitely grateful for her life. The contempt, mockery, and abuse she had once endured. It seemed to be resolved as if bitterness had turned to sweetness. Henie''s hand was on her chest, her voice slightly choked. "Meeting you... really." "It''s so wonderful." ...... Henie, lv9 lv10. First-tier mage. Chapter 94: Even Capitalists Arent as Exploitative as You "Haa~!" Accompanied by a yawn, Cocotte stretched lazily. She blinked her eyes, looking at the contract handed to her. "?" Still drowsy, Cocotte lifted her head in confusion to look at the person in front of her. A tall figure with flowing hair. It was a woman. If Cocotte remembered correctly, Viktor had mentioned having a sister. Their scents were similar, so this must be her... "You''re Li..." "Cocotte Yade, am I correct?" Lia spoke first with a smile, causing Cocotte to pause. Pointing at the contract, Lia said: "You just need to sign your name here." As she spoke, Lia handed Cocotte a pen. Cocotte took the contract in a daze, reading the text. She suddenly became much more alert and sat up: "Work for the Kravina family... eight hours a day... weekends off... room and board included..." After reading it, Cocotte''s hands began to tremble uncontrollably. "This... this... this isn''t right!" "Hmm? What''s not right?" Lia looked at the contract with confusion. These were already the conditions for the lowest-level workers in the Kravina family. She looked at Cocotte and said as if suddenly realizing something: "Oh, I see what you mean." Cocotte sighed in relief upon hearing this, but then saw Lia take out another contract and hand it to her. In black and white, it clearly stated: Full-time rest, but the signatory must resolve any difficulties that arise for the Kravina family when needed. "This one is relatively more flexible." "Viktor mentioned that you''re a fourth-tier mage and a former council member, so this job should suit you better." Cocotte felt somewhat frantic. "No, no, no! Why do I need to work? I should just be able to sleep, right?" Lia maintained her smile. "Well, Viktor said we don''t keep idle people in the Kravina family." "Of course, you can choose not to sign." Cocotte suddenly saw a glimmer of hope. But then she noticed Lia''s smile turn slightly menacing, and a sense of unease rose in her heart. "Viktor said that if you don''t sign, he''ll tell your clan about your whereabouts." "Ah, I don''t really understand these things, I''m just passing on the message." At this moment, Lia''s smile appeared to Cocotte like that of a demon, penetrating her heart. "So, three choices. Which one will you pick?" Cocotte raised her head, slowly closing her eyes, allowing tears to flow down her cheeks. These were tears of ''sorrow''. Tears of ''frustration''. If she could choose again, even if it meant sleeping in the magical chaos of Endymion, she would never have chosen to run to Viktor''s mansion. He''s just a jerk! Cocotte opened her eyes, a few crystal tears still lingering in the corners. Since she couldn''t resist, she might as well comply. "The first one looks too tiring, I''ll choose the second one!" "Really?" Lia''s smile grew even brighter. "Really!" Cocotte nodded with certainty. Only then did Lia let Cocotte sign her name on the second contract. This contract had magical restrictions, probably some magic Viktor had attached to it. After all, only the magic of a fourth-tier mage could restrict another fourth-tier mage. As soon as Cocotte finished signing the contract and placed the pen in Lia''s hand, she fell back into her cloud. "I''ve signed it, so... there shouldn''t be anything else for me to do, right?" She clearly remembered that the contract stated she could rest all day, unless there was some trouble that required her to work. Uh... only if there was something? Cocotte suddenly realized something. If there was something every day... Wouldn''t that mean she''d have to work every day? Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Oh no." Cocotte couldn''t regret it now, she had already signed her name on the contract. She recalled with extreme frustration the verbal trap she had fallen into. Lia smiled at her and said: "Well then, let''s prepare for your first day of work." ....... The carriage slowly pulled up in front of Duke Levi''s mansion. Cocotte sat on a cloud, dozing off. Seeing visitors arrive, a servant hurriedly ran inside the mansion to report. Soon, Duke Levi appeared at the main door of the mansion. He was slightly surprised when he saw Cocotte. "Councilor Yade?" Cocotte covered her mouth, yawning while glancing at Duke Levi: "Oh, it''s you." During her time as a council member, Cocotte hadn''t met many other mages. But Duke Levi was one of the few she remembered. He had once visited the Magic City to learn some powerful magic and brought it back to the empire. However, Cocotte didn''t have much recollection of those details anymore. She said somewhat resentfully: "Don''t call me by that title, I''m not a council member anymore." "Oh, I see." Duke Levi nodded, understanding dawning in his mind. Viktor had become the new council member, but the Mage Council certainly wouldn''t break their rules just for Viktor. There must have been a sacrifice who had to give up their council member status. Now, Cocotte was that sacrificed person. Even though she was no longer a council member, as a former member, she was still a powerful fourth-tier mage. The necessary respect should still be shown. But this combination, to be honest, felt a bit strange to Duke Levi. Viktor''s sister, bringing a former council member to his house... It seemed odd no matter how he thought about it. "Duke Levi, I''m here to help you," Lia said. Previously, Duke Levi had been prepared to use his influence to help her out of trouble. Of course, after Viktor intervened, the matter was essentially resolved. So Duke Levi hadn''t actually helped Lia much. But... Before Viktor returned, Duke Levi had indeed stepped forward. Even if he hadn''t really helped much, Lia felt she should acknowledge this gesture. The Duke, looking at Lia who had come from afar, was touched. He was well aware that he had hardly done anything. But he wouldn''t be overly sentimental about it. It was a good thing that she was willing to come and help him. "Miss Lia, I appreciate your kindness." Cocotte watched the two of them from the side, completely puzzled. She didn''t understand what the two were talking about, and could only quietly lie on her cloud listening to them exchange greetings and converse. Soon, under the Duke''s guidance, Cocotte and Lia entered a room. As soon as the door opened, a rush of natural energy hit Cocotte''s nose. "This is..." "My daughter Erica''s room," Duke Levi answered Cocotte''s unspoken question. As Cocotte entered the room, she saw a beautiful, delicate blonde girl lying peacefully on the bed. However, strangely enough, Vines and flowers were growing on her body, and these plants had even spread out, twining around the floor and walls. The entire room was surrounded by flower clusters and wild grass. A flower on her body was constantly undulating its petals, as if breathing. Warm sunlight poured into the room, covering Erica''s body. Cocotte''s eyes lit up. With such rich natural energy, sleeping in this room would surely be wonderful. But she was still a somewhat responsible elf, knowing that it was her working hours now and she couldn''t slack off casually. Even though she was dying of sleepiness, she couldn''t actually lie down here. "My daughter has been like this for the past few days." "Strange plants grew on her body, and she fell into a coma at the same time." Levi''s brows were furrowed, his worry evident. He had sought out every doctor in the capital these past few days, but each doctor who came said there was nothing wrong with Erica. Even when examined with magic, she appeared to be in a very saturated state. Lia looked at Erica, who had flowers growing on her, and nodded. In this situation, no explanation was needed. How could a normal person have flowers growing on their body? So she took out a bottle of red potion from her bag. Earlier, when interrogating Chur, she had asked Viktor for five bottles, but ended up not using any of them. These five bottles of restoration potion were left over. "Duke, try giving this to Erica." Duke Levi took the potion. He naturally knew about the miraculous effects of these small red bottles. In fact, this was what he had been hoping for. The Duke could only pin his hopes on this potion now. He stepped over the flower bed, propped Erica up, and slowly poured the red potion into Erica''s mouth. After doing this, everyone watched Erica. But the expected recovery did not occur. "Huh?" Lia stared at Erica, hardly believing what she was seeing. The potion seemed to have made Erica''s life energy even more vigorous, and there were even more flowers on her body. "It... didn''t work?" If even this all-purpose potion made by Viktor had no effect... what could cure Erica? Duke Levi felt somewhat desperate, but he couldn''t show it. Lia was pondering, feeling a bit strange. "Is it possible that this isn''t a disease?" She had seen the miraculous effects of the potion with her own eyes. It could even bring back people on the brink of death from poisoning. If the potion had no effect, perhaps... these flowers growing on Erica''s body... Might be harmless? However, Lia wasn''t an expert, this was just her guess. At this moment, Cocotte looked with surprise at the wildly growing flower bed around Erica. "Such intense life force, what did you just feed her?" Lia suddenly realized. Right, she didn''t understand these things, but wasn''t there a ready-made fourth-tier mage right beside her? "Cocotte, your work begins now." "Eh?" The shut-in elf was a bit confused, after all, even she didn''t understand what kind of condition this was. Duke Levi also looked at Cocotte with some expectation. "Miss... Yade, please help Erica." "Uwah, don''t say anymore, I''ll help! I''ll help, okay?" After all, as a former council member, Cocotte''s sense of morality wasn''t low. She couldn''t bring herself to ignore someone in need like this. Most of the magic Cocotte had learned was nature magic, which could provide powerful and lasting beneficial effects to allies and herself. So she sat on her cloud, floating to Erica''s side. Under the expectant gazes of the two, she mobilized the natural energy within her body, constructing a magic array in the air. This was a relatively simple magic detection, mainly used to examine the energy structure of these strange flowers. Soon, Cocotte''s expression gradually became grave. Finally, she dispelled the magic, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and slowly uttered three words: "Druja?" Chapter 95: The Duke Was No Ordinary Man in His Youth "Druja?" Cocotte''s hand hung in mid-air as she stared at Erica, lost in thought, feeling the rich natural energy on her body, unsure of how to respond. This level of natural energy, she had only felt it on the Wood Calamity before. For a moment, Cocotte felt as if she had returned to that alternate space covered in dense forests, with flowers bursting and wild grass dancing. "Cocotte, Cocotte." With a call, Cocotte suddenly snapped back to reality. She turned her head towards Lia, who was calling her name, still in a daze. "What Druja?" Druja was the name of the Wood Calamity, actually told to her by Viktor. The Calamities had their own names, which was something Cocotte had only just learned. She didn''t answer Lia''s question, instead turning to the Duke and saying: "Duke Levi, don''t worry, Erica isn''t in any danger for now." "Maybe you''ll sleep tonight, and she''ll wake up tomorrow." Hearing this, Duke Levi''s brow relaxed a little. If even a former council member said so, perhaps Erica really was fine. He had done everything he could. The Duke sighed, bowed to the two of them, and said: "Thank you both." Cocotte hated these formalities the most, even forgetting that she was still Lia''s hired employee, and waved directly at the Duke, saying: "Since there''s nothing else, we''ll be going now." Lia also nodded to the Duke. "Alright, let me see you out." Levi closed the door, and the three slowly left. But no one noticed the unusual black color that appeared on the windowsill buried in green grass. A crow stood on the windowsill. Its single eye stared at the delicate girl lying on the bed, a strange light flickering in its eye. [Natural protector under the dark night sky, remove the last curse of life from the world] [Gaiusthea, strip away the life that has escaped the control of chaos and order] As if speaking from its abdomen with a heavy tone, the crow''s voice slowly echoed in the room. In an instant, a black formation was constructed out of thin air behind the crow, white patterns constantly swirling on it, converging on the dagger-shaped rune in the center. Black mist sprayed out from the center of the magic array, spreading throughout the room. The lush plants withered and shriveled the moment they touched the black mist, gradually dissipating into dust. The flower clusters on Erica''s body quickly withered and disappeared, and a faint green color appeared in Vega''s eye. Vega slowly spoke: "Power that you can''t control yet shouldn''t be released carelessly, little girl." "Let me keep some of it for you for now." With that, it flapped its wings and flew out the window. Only a black feather was left on the windowsill. ....... Erica seemed to have a dream. She dreamed that she was in the midst of chaos. Six huge lands floated around her, each filled with immense magical energy. Wind, Fire, Earth, Wood, Thunder, Water. The six elements on these six continents were as chaotic as newly born planets. Wind, rain, thunder, and lightning raged incessantly, and the six continents suddenly fell into silent darkness. One continent began to flicker, and Erica was drawn to the brightening land. The moment she approached, she felt as if she had sunk into a lush primeval forest, surrounded by countless vines and waist-high wild grass. Tall, thick cedar trees completely covered the sky, not a ray of sunlight visible. Erica instinctively began to explore this forest, moving forward in the deep mist. Strange ''woo-woo'' sounds echoed around her. The deeper she went into the mist, the more pronounced these sounds became. After walking for a long time, the sound gradually subsided. As the mist slowly cleared, a huge black object appeared before Erica. Instinctive fear didn''t make her retreat, but instead sparked her curiosity, drawing her towards the black shadow. One step, two steps... Soon, Erica walked up to the huge object and saw its true form. It was a giant green snake-like monster, with three pairs of compound eyes growing on its head. Sensing Erica''s arrival, the monster slowly turned to look at her. Before Erica could feel afraid, she saw that there seemed to be someone sitting on top of the giant beast''s head. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. She appeared to be about Erica''s age, but Erica couldn''t make out her features clearly. Under the heavy mist, everything seemed hazy. A beam of light came from behind the girl, and Erica raised a hand to block the dazzling light, falling into a blur. She wanted to try to peek through a gap in the light to see the other person clearly, but a familiar yet strange voice slowly came to her ears: "You''re still too weak, Erica." "How can you, like this, accept the future inheritance?" Erica fell into a strong sense of dj vu. She suddenly knelt down in the jungle, two streams of tears slowly falling. "Mo...ther?" That seemingly familiar voice plunged Erica into memories. But she didn''t wake up from this, instead falling into another void. Everything around was pitch black. Countless sinister black crows flew overhead, and among the millions of crows, only one one-eyed crow landed in front of her. It was a full circle larger than the other crows and glanced at Erica with its single eye. Erica recognized this strange crow, it was the one that followed Viktor. "God...?" The sinister crow seemed somewhat satisfied, flapped its wings, and flew away again. The surroundings shattered like a mirror, countless pieces falling into the void. The next second, Erica appeared in a sea of flowers. She slowly sat up, and in front of her floated a seed full of green vitality, trying to attract Erica to hold it in her hand. Erica reached out and grasped it, and the seed began to grow and sprout in her palm, gradually enveloping her, turning into a cocoon of green vines. ''Inheritance.'' As if waking from a deep dream, Erica suddenly opened her eyes to find herself sitting in her familiar room, on her familiar bed. Sunlight poured into the room through fragments of clouds outside the window, the breeze moving the curtains. Erica leaned against the headboard and opened her palm. What she held wasn''t a seed, but a black feather. Like a deceptive illusion, the seed in her dream had turned into such a tail feather. But the power in her body couldn''t be fake. Erica closed her eyes and imagined the scene of the flower sea in her mind. When she opened her eyes, a warm sea of flowers had already appeared before her, like a beautiful painting. And she was the artist of this painting. ...... Clang! Two silver swords clashed violently, making a crisp sound. Viktor effortlessly parried Gwen''s attack, withdrew his sword, and gave it a twirl. The two retreated, and Viktor nodded at Gwen. "That''s about it." Viktor walked backward, his fingers moving slightly, a cleaning spell removing the dust and sweat from his body. Kevra had been watching the two practice from one side of the arena from the beginning. Looking at Viktor, she frowned deeply. She felt that her brother-in-law today had a strange kind of annoyance about him. It gave her an irresistible urge to go up and give Viktor a couple of stabs in the kidney. But she thought this was just an illusion because only demons would give her this feeling. Unless Viktor himself was a demon. Gwen hung the silver sword on the weapon rack, wiped her sweat, walked to Viktor''s side and said: "You''ve improved quickly, and your stamina has increased quite a bit compared to before." This was natural, as the Wood Calamity''s core was life force. Viktor had absorbed the essence of the Wood Calamity, so his stamina naturally increased considerably compared to before. It could be said that the Wood Calamity had compensated for some of Viktor''s weaknesses as a fragile character. "Well then, I''ll come again tomorrow." Viktor nodded to Gwen and turned to leave. Gwen understood, standing in place to see Viktor off, but suddenly noticed his shoulder and felt a bit confused. Where had that crow gone today? ...... Viktor walked out of the Delin mansion alone, standing on the street waiting for a while. A black crow flapped its wings and flew onto his shoulder. Only then did Viktor continue forward. "Do you know about a place called the Inheritance Temple?" After a while, Vega on his shoulder asked. Viktor didn''t look at it, but walked directly towards the carriage not far away. He climbed into the carriage, pulled the curtains, and with a wave of his finger, the carriage started moving automatically. Viktor didn''t answer Vega directly, but instead asked: "Why are you asking about this?" "I saw this place in a little girl''s dream, and I''m a bit interested." Viktor cupped his chin, thinking. Inheritance Temple. In the game''s setting, mages'' magic included the six major natural systems. But strictly speaking, the six major natural systems didn''t refer to the six attributes of magic. Instead, they referred to the six forms of existence of natural energy. And the Inheritance Place belonged to the end of this mysterious energy. It existed at the six borders of the continent, within the void rifts. Any player could enter it, go through trials, and obtain the inheritance of the corresponding power. But few players could grind through all six temples consecutively, and Viktor was one of the few top players who had ground through all six temples back in the day. "I know the place, what about it?" "Good, I''m now interested in Duke Levi." Vega narrowed its eyes, its cunning eyes rolling in their sockets. Viktor immediately understood a lot and said calmly: "So you left just now to find Erica." "Let me guess, the resurrection of the Wood Calamity caused some anomaly in her?" "It''s more interesting than you think." A green light flashed in Vega''s eyes, and faint green vines climbed up inside the carriage. Viktor didn''t seem particularly surprised. This power, which even this useless evil god could use, had already roughly explained something. "The inheritance of the Wood Temple." "This is a stolen power. Duke Levi must have stolen something for this power to manifest in Erica." "How about it, isn''t this power very similar to the Calamity?" Vega giggled. Viktor looked at it expressionlessly. When a player completed the inheritance quests of all six temples simultaneously, A deity of the Inheritance Temple would appear as the final boss for the player to challenge. Viktor fell into deep thought. In his mind, it was a deity emanating divine light like the sun, but its appearance... Was like a combination of a butterfly and a moth. Six transparent, glowing wings constantly vibrated, its body and head fused into one, with two eye sockets also bursting with golden light. Below were a pair of floating tentacle-like tails. Could Erica''s mother, who had never appeared in the plot... Be that thing? "Duke Levi was no ordinary man in his youth." Viktor sighed. This was the first time he felt some admiration for someone, and it was an NPC from the game. "By the way, the academy has been rebuilt, and in a few days it will be the start of the new semester." "But my teaching assistant has become an associate professor, and there''s no one to write lesson plans for me anymore. Do you have any ideas?" Vega, who had been laughing just now, suddenly blinked. "Why are you telling me this?" "What do you mean?" Chapter 96: The Chief Professor is Giving You a Treat The first day of school was set for Monday. Students arrived at the academy with anticipation, their expressions a mix of excitement and uncertainty. The Royal Magic Academy had been completely renovated, with new marble buildings covering the grounds. Fresh flags fluttered on the brand-new castle. The cobblestone paths underfoot were still familiar, just with fewer signs of smoothness and age. The fountain in the square in front of the academy was dazzling, everything seeming to start anew from a fresh beginning. Rachel looked at the rebuilt academy, stroking his beard with a chuckle, and entered the principal''s office leaning on his cane. The academy as a whole had been rebuilt almost completely, but one place had been preserved. That was the deep crater blasted out by Viktor. A fence had been built around it to prevent students from accidentally falling in. Originally, such a deep pit wouldn''t need this kind of protection, after all, who would approach a big hole for no reason? But to everyone''s surprise, the area around the deep pit was now crowded with students, shoulder to shoulder, all observing the huge crater. This giant pit had a radius of at least half a kilometer, covering an enormous area. The bottom of the pit was also terrifyingly deep, about several dozen meters down. Falling in would be no different from falling off a building. Now the deep pit was no longer just a remnant of a great battle. It had become a memorial site for the Magic Academy. A memorial to that demon battle. A memorial to that mysterious, world-shaking experience. A group of students crowded at the front, looking at the huge pit with some pride. They recounted the terrifying scene from that day to the surrounding students, especially the juniors: "Oh my, you should have seen it, Professor Viktor''s magic was truly awe-inspiring." "Yeah, I saw it that day too, such a huge meteor, tsk tsk tsk." "And, we even helped Professor Viktor!" "We worked together to break through the black barrier that covered the sky!" The more they recalled the past, the more proud they felt. It was as if witnessing the battle that day had pinned a medal of courage on their chests. "It seems that this semester, Professor Viktor will become the Chief Professor of the Royal Magic Academy!" A bespectacled student suddenly shared this rumor he had heard in the crowd. Those around him immediately focused their attention on him. "But I just heard it somewhere." "That''s fine, keep talking!" Seeing the expectant looks of his classmates around him, the boy pushed up his glasses and continued mysteriously: "It seems that the principal is going to personally confer the position of Chief Professor to Viktor." "It''s for the great contribution Professor Viktor made in that demon battle." He kept talking, getting more and more excited, not noticing that the classmates around him were gradually leaving. He suddenly felt confused, and then felt as if a shadow had fallen over him. A cool voice sounded from behind him. "What are you talking about? Let me hear too." This voice... so familiar. The student turned his head and was startled. "Pro... Professor Viktor!" He shouted and then quickly left, chasing after the fleeing students. Viktor''s strength had gained recognition from many people, and naturally, he had also become more intimidating. Students both admired and feared Viktor. After the students left, Viktor looked at the deep pit in front of him, expressionless. Vega, however, was a bit emotional. "Our Chief Professor is really impressive, every student who sees him is scared." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Viktor ignored him. The nomination for Chief Professor had arrived yesterday. This honor would be personally bestowed by the principal during Viktor''s public lecture in a few days. That''s right, Rachel hadn''t forgotten about Viktor''s public class. Viktor''s public class was just before the end of the semester. After the class, with Viktor''s influence, it would definitely attract more new students to enroll. The youngest third-tier mage had become the youngest fourth-tier mage, and had also defeated demons. Moreover, he was a member of the Mage Council, as well as the current private tutor of the Imperial Princess. These titles were too weighty, so much so that they felt unreal. How could so many titles appear on one person? And each one was extraordinary. And soon there would be another title, Chief Professor of the Royal Magic Academy. "Pro... Professor!" Henie came running to Viktor''s side. Viktor looked down at the panting Henie. Today was her first day officially taking office, becoming an honorary associate professor at the academy. Although she was called an associate professor, it was only because her strength wasn''t enough. After all, she was still only a first-tier mage. In reality, she had replaced the former professor position of Devin Reiser. "What''s the matter?" For Henie to come find him in such a hurry, there must be something important. She caught her breath and said: "At the Arcane Hall, the students are fighting!" ...... The magic arena in the Arcane Hall was the academy''s open sparring area. If students of the Royal Magic Academy had any disputes, they could privately settle them on this magic arena. Because both parties would agree on the winning conditions, and the magic arena would record it to prevent students from cheating. However, from the players'' perspective, this was the PvP battle area. At this moment, the arena was filled with swinging vines, with a golden-haired beauty standing motionless in the center, while in front of her were more than a dozen students looking at her seriously. More and more students were attracted to the scene, each with admiration written all over their faces, staring dazedly at the beautiful blonde noble lady. "Facing more than a dozen seniors of the same rank alone and not falling behind, is this the strength of last year''s freshman champion?" "As expected of the duke''s daughter, go Miss Erica!" The surrounding students were whistling and cheering. The entire Arcane Hall was in chaos, with the audience below acting like cheerleaders. In the midst of the frenzy, suddenly... "Explain the current situation to me." A cool voice sounded from behind several students. All of these students ducked their heads, feeling an inexplicable pressure coming towards them. They slowly turned their heads to look, and suddenly froze. Holy crap? Professor Viktor? The bespectacled boy was still standing in front of Viktor, stuttering an explanation: "Well... Professor Viktor, I just got here..." "We didn''t start anything..." Viktor looked at him coldly. "The whole story." Several students gathered around Viktor, talking over each other as they explained everything to Viktor. Soon, he understood the cause of this dispute. Those senior students with more seniority had become very arrogant since arriving at the academy, even maliciously bullying the junior students from last year. They kept boasting that only students who had participated in that demon battle were brave and strong. They, who dared to truly face demons, were naturally a level above those lower-grade students who couldn''t help at all. So these people came to the Arcane Hall, openly mocking everyone inside. And coincidentally, Erica was also here. She couldn''t stand this behavior of bullying students with seniority, after all, she was also a freshman who entered last year. "Hey! They''re fighting!" Several students turned their heads at the sound, watching the battle between the two sides, constantly exclaiming. Those dozen or so arrogant students slowly chanted a long string of incantations, constructing many simple magic arrays in the air. Countless ice cones and small fireballs kept coming towards Erica. But Erica just moved her fingers slightly, not even constructing a magic array. Those so-called ''senior'' magics were all blocked by the vines commanded by Erica. Erica waved her hand again, and more than a dozen vines quickly extended, entangling their ankles and lifting them into the air. With another wave of her hand, they were neatly thrown off the magic arena. These people were forced to lose face, lying on the ground unable to get up. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The students below were suddenly dumbfounded. Is it... is it that simple? Easily defeating more than a dozen students single-handedly, is this last year''s top genius? After the academy was destroyed, they had a long vacation. Many students even forgot to study, clearly falling behind in magic. But Erica kept getting stronger. Some students looked at the invincible Erica on the stage and couldn''t help but lower their heads, feeling extremely ashamed. Viktor nodded at the solution of the person on the stage. Erica''s actions suddenly gave him some inspiration. After Erica had finished everything, the students below finally reacted, bursting into cheers. But she had no reaction, just reaching a hand behind her head, smoothing her hair, and walking down from the arena gracefully. But as soon as Erica got off the arena, she looked up and saw someone blocking her way, and was stunned. "Professor!?" Erica suddenly became flustered. That means, all of her performance just now was seen by the professor!? I hope I didn''t embarrass myself. At this moment, Erica felt a bit guilty, not knowing if what she had just done was the right thing. Viktor didn''t give Erica a second glance, he snapped his fingers. A magic array instantly formed in the air, and several gentle breezes blew, helping those disheveled students back to their feet. After doing all this, he looked at these students who didn''t even dare to raise their heads. "It seems that after experiencing some things, you''ve developed some kind of inflated ideas?" His tone was very calm, with no discernible emotion, but it left them speechless. The students present heard Viktor''s voice and all fell silent in unison. The pressure Viktor brought to all students was completely different from other professors. With Viktor, they could clearly feel a strong sense of authority. ''Teacher.'' This thought arose in their hearts. Viktor narrowed his eyes and slowly climbed onto the arena under everyone''s gaze. "It''s just before the end of the semester, I think, as the Chief Professor, I have an obligation to give you students a little test." Hearing Viktor''s proposal, the students curiously raised their heads. A test from the Chief Professor? Before they could react further, suddenly, the magic concentration in the Arcane Hall surged dramatically. In an instant, chaotic magical auras filled everyone''s surroundings. "This... such dense magical power!" Viktor stood on the arena, with the black crow perched on his shoulder, his coat fluttering in the chaotic sea, flashing with intertwining red and green patterns. A dual-colored aura suddenly burst from his body, swirling in the air. His cold gaze, contemptuous of everything, seemed to imprint two words. ''Invincible'' "You can go notify all the students in school, everyone can participate." Viktor said coolly with his hands in his pockets: "I''ll give each of you three minutes." "I won''t attack actively, all of you can challenge me. Whether it''s team cooperation or one-on-one." "As long as someone can make me move one step from this spot." The arrogant aura seemed to turn into sparks filling the sky, burning into a brilliant canvas in the heavens. Under the curtain of that sea of fire, his voice rang out coldly. "Just one step." "For the final exam, I''ll let you all." "Pass unanimously." Chapter 97: Folks, Now We Look Like Clowns The entire Arcane Hall suddenly became chaotic, with students looking at the arena, full of anticipation. A student on the arena slowly began to chant, gradually constructing a formation in the air. [First-tier Magic: Flame Bullet] Soon, that ball of flames rushed towards Viktor. Viktor just lifted his finger slightly, and the high-speed fireball instantly changed direction, heading back towards the student. Boom! With a loud noise, the students watched as Viktor, seemingly without any pressure, clapped his hands. A vine suddenly darted into the smoke in front of him, entangling the student and throwing him off the arena. The student felt a burst of pain, slowly stood up, and realized he had fallen off the arena. He saw a ''D'' grade appear on the flame canvas above Viktor''s head. ''Fail.'' On another canvas, the numbers of students at each level were being tallied. The students only saw that the ''D'' row had one more person. While the number of people with A, B, and C grades were all zero. He could only shake his head, sigh, and quietly leave. Countless students felt the incomparable pressure from Viktor. He didn''t even actively attack, just passively defended, yet it was enough to make people feel his mountain-like strength. "Next." The cold voice sounded faintly. The students were not deterred by Viktor''s strength, but rather seemed to have their fighting spirit ignited even more, rushing towards the arena one after another. Because Professor Viktor said he wouldn''t take the initiative, everyone wanted to be the one who could make Viktor move a step. Just one step, just make Viktor move one step! Final exam, everyone passes! Long queues had already formed inside and outside the Arcane Hall, winding from inside the hall all the way to the center of the academy square. Since this news was released in the morning, many students didn''t even attend classes anymore, throwing their books aside and hurriedly joining the queue to wait for their chance to challenge Viktor. This event also attracted other professors and lecturers. After all, with all the students gone, they couldn''t help but notice. A group of professors flooded into the Arcane Hall, watching the continuous battles on the arena, which left them puzzled. After learning the whole story, they were even more amazed. After all, Viktor''s test would be quite explosive in any academy. Although other professors also had the strength to overwhelm students, they wouldn''t go as far as not moving a single step. After all, this was a battle of attrition. Under the students'' continuous challenges, a mage''s magical power would eventually be exhausted. The longer it dragged on, the less energy there would be to deal with subsequent challenges. Let alone setting such rules like Viktor did. If he was forced to move one step, he would lose. "How to put it, Professor Viktor... he''s really strong." "Yes, and he has a bit of a wicked sense of humor." Other professors crowded below the stage, watching this scene with great interest. They nodded and praised. Viktor''s teaching method was really novel to them. Normally, they would only be responsible for imparting the corresponding magical knowledge in class, and how students learned was entirely up to their own initiative. After all, the professors didn''t care about these things. Mages learn knowledge for their own sake, and if students are unwilling to learn those boring magic courses, they pay for it themselves. So with each final exam, batch after batch of poor students would be weeded out. The Royal Magic Academy ensured through this survival of the fittest that only excellent students could graduate successfully. So, educators like Viktor who directly educated these students both mentally and physically were few and far between. The number of challengers was increasing at a visible speed, but Viktor still stood on the arena without moving a step. The defeated students, feeling the huge gap between themselves and Viktor, were amazed and at the same time, extremely disappointed and frustrated. Each of them went on stage with great confidence, but this confidence would be quickly shattered by Viktor after the challenge. After countless attempts, Viktor still didn''t move an inch. It was as if Professor Viktor on the arena would never feel tired. His mountain-like aura completely crushed the confidence of countless students. Finally, the students realized that one-on-one challenges in a war of attrition couldn''t do anything to Viktor. So, several students jumped onto the arena at the same time and asked Viktor: "Professor, it''s okay if we cooperate, right?" Viktor nodded coldly. Whether it was one-on-one or group combat, to him. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. There was no difference. In an instant, the leading students waved to those below, and a mass of dark figures suddenly appeared on the arena. Viktor glanced over lightly, there were about twenty. Fortunately, the venue was large enough to accommodate the challengers before him. The twenty challengers on the stage were already prepared, they were evenly distributed, constructing various magical arrays in the air. Different chanting voices gradually echoed in the air, and elemental magic of different colors appeared in the air. At this moment, the students seemed to see hope. If going up alone had no chance, then surely going up as a group would work. With so many mages attacking the professor at once, surely he would have to move at least one step? But Viktor really didn''t move at all, no one saw him do anything, but the hem of his coat faintly lit up with a green glow. Vines snaked from Viktor''s body to the ground, intertwining, and wooden figures emerged from within the vines. They seemed to have life, each head lighting up with a green glow. As if they had developed intelligence, they began to move on their own. Just as the students'' magic was about to be fully constructed, countless tendrils suddenly appeared on the feet of those wooden figures, binding their forms, and even the magic in their hands was forcibly stopped. A female student was trapped in a wooden figure''s arm, struggling desperately. But her magical power was as fragile as a bean sprout in the eyes of the wooden figure, unable to even break its defense. The students were startled, only able to scatter to avoid the colliding wooden figures, the scene became chaotic for a moment. Viktor stood in place, his voice cold: "Ugly." "If this were a real battle, do you think you could still stand safely in place?" Hearing Viktor''s mockery, the students could only purse their lips, feeling somewhat ashamed. Viktor clapped his hands, and the wooden figures entwined with vines put the girl down. Then, they all retreated to Viktor''s side, motionless, like faithful guards. "Prepare again, and come at me together." His gaze swept over the students, his tone cold, making it impossible to tell if there was any contempt in it. The students looked at each other, and finally walked to the front. This time, Viktor didn''t interfere, just calmly watching them chant their magic again. Whoosh whoosh whoosh Instantly, various elemental magic, as if turning into a rainbow, rushed towards Viktor all at once. Viktor didn''t even look, his coat slowly swaying. As if a heavenly chasm suddenly fell, blocking and isolating that converged seven-colored light. They could only watch as this magical impact hit around Viktor, emitting colorful light. Finally, it disappeared without a trace. Everything happened so suddenly. The students felt their feet slip, dozens of vines entangled their ankles, throwing them off the arena. As the crowd fell to the ground, a big ''D'' was drawn on the flame curtain above Viktor''s head. "Next." This time, countless observing students all fell silent. In the morning, Viktor had continuously responded to challenges from who knows how many students. As a result, not one person could make him move half a step. This time they thought there was great hope, but unexpectedly, even grouping up was useless, and they lost even more embarrassingly. Some students couldn''t help but turn their expectant gaze to Erica, who was also observing. Last year''s freshman champion, currently the youngest second-tier mage. Possibly the strongest student this year. Perhaps, she had a chance to force Professor Viktor to move a step. "Miss Erica! Please go up and try!" Someone hurriedly suggested beside Erica. Soon, more students around began to echo. "Yes, yes! Miss Erica, we''ve all witnessed your strength!" The expectant voices of one student after another did not make Erica move. She sat quietly below, ignoring the students around her. She just coldly asked one question: "Why?" One of the students spoke up. "If you go up, you''ll definitely be able to make Professor Viktor move a step..." "And then all of you will be able to pass this final exam, isn''t that right?" Erica finished their words for them. They looked at each other, only to hear Erica let out a faint snort. "Attempting to gain achievements that don''t belong to you with this illusory hope?" "Well, I understand the professor''s intention for this test now." Many students were confused by Erica''s words. They just wanted to pass the final exam, what did they do wrong? "Those who truly have ability never pin their hopes on others." "What does it have to do with me if you can''t pass the test?" "It''s not like I can''t pass." After saying this, Erica didn''t even look at these students, stood up, held her head high, like a proud and elegant white swan with golden feathers, passed through the crowd, and left the Arcane Hall. They watched Erica leave, suddenly realizing something. Erica wasn''t the only genius in the Magic Academy. But why, until now, had no top student appeared to challenge Viktor? Their gaze gradually fell on the surrounding crowd. Then, they saw. Several students with different temperaments, arms folded, quietly watching the arena. Many of them looked very familiar, they were also geniuses of the academy. In fact, these students had more seniority than Erica, they held positions in the student council of the Magic Academy, each one an excellent genius. But none of these people appeared. Compared to other students, their focus didn''t seem to be on how to make Professor Viktor move. Instead, they paid attention to the ridiculous actions of the students on the stage, as if watching some great joke. That look was as if to say: ''How interesting.'' A chill ran down their spines, and under Erica''s words, these people finally realized something. This test, from beginning to end, was not a shortcut. On the contrary. ''This is an education.'' Why didn''t any professor come to stop Viktor, and even the principal ignored Viktor''s behavior? It''s simple. Students who truly have the ability to pass the exam wouldn''t try to get any recognition from Viktor here. Because they all know very well, no one can make Viktor move a step. So they wouldn''t come up to compare with Viktor for nothing, there''s no need to come up and embarrass themselves. Only those who clearly know their level is poor would try to confront Viktor, to get a glimmer of hope from him. From the beginning, Viktor had made it clear. If someone could make him move a step, then everyone could pass the final exam. But he never said that if no one could make him move a step, it would lead to everyone failing. This is a performance. A brilliant performance by those trying to gain without effort. One student after another who couldn''t even last three minutes came down from the stage, and the number above Viktor''s head kept increasing. But still, not one person could break through from ''D'' to ''C'' grade. Viktor still stood in place, not moving half a step. His coat swayed on the arena filled with flying petals and green leaves, the whooshing sound seemed to be mocking those failed students. He stood on the stage, looking indifferently at one student after another continuing to come forward, his cold voice sounding again and again: "Next." Chapter 98: My Dear Count As twilight faded into darkness, the Arcane Hall grew dim. This mock battle, which had begun as a joke, continued well into the night. The number of defeated students grew, while the number of those remaining in the Arcane Hall dwindled. The professors and lecturers had long since departed, having their own duties to attend to. As for the students? Well, they had lost all interest in studying. Why bother with them anymore? The gifted students who had quickly grasped the reality of the situation gradually left, much like Erica, after watching the farce for a while. However, these students who hadn''t stepped up to challenge Viktor left a bitter taste in the mouths of those who had failed. If only these talented individuals had taken the stage... Surely, there would have been hope. Surely, they could have made Professor Viktor take a step. Their inaction had turned the fantasy of everyone passing into nothing but a bubble of illusion. When the last dozen or so students who had banded together were repelled from the stage by Viktor''s magic, there was no one left qualified to challenge him. Viktor dispelled his magic. The vines and flowers on the stage gradually withered, dissolving into a shower of green magical energy that returned to his coat. A faint green light flickered, and the magical arena fell silent as usual. The hall below was utterly quiet. In the vast Arcane Hall, only Viktor''s footsteps could be heard. Tap, tap, tap. Viktor walked to the entrance of the Arcane Hall, with the defeated students silently watching his back. Without moving his hands, the great doors slowly opened. The last rays of the setting sun slanted into the hall, illuminating Viktor and casting long shadows across the faces of the failed students, their expressions dim and lifeless. "It seems your abilities don''t match your confidence," Viktor said. "Class dismissed." The crow on his shoulder suddenly turned its head, its single eye seeming to mock the defeated students. As Viktor stepped out of the Arcane Hall, countless black feathers fell from the sky, enveloping him. It was as if a murder of crows had descended, and a crow-like black light shot towards the horizon. When the students came to their senses, Viktor had vanished. Only a single tail feather remained on the ground, like the final trick of a deceptive magician. The students remained silent, as if still trapped in a fantasy. The shadow of the entire Arcane Hall had been etched into their hearts. ... "Chief Professor Faces Thousands Alone, Doesn''t Budge an Inch Against Countless Students" "He Declares: If Anyone Can Make Him Move, All Will Pass the Final Exam!" "ShockingThree Things You Must Know About Viktor, Chief Professor of the Royal Magic Academy" The Second Prince flipped through the newspapers, a beautiful maid feeding him grapes by his side. He ate and read, occasionally laughing at interesting parts of the reports. "Impressive, impressive. As expected of Councilor Kravina." "He''s certainly in the spotlight." Suddenly, the Second Prince put down the newspaper and smiled at the maid beside him. "You may go now. Oh, and don''t forget to leave the fruit." The maid bowed, saying, "Yes, Your Highness," placed a plate of grapes on the table in front of the Second Prince, curtsied, and slowly withdrew. A blob of ink emerged from the Second Prince''s sleeve. The little toad quickly crawled onto the table, stretching out its long tongue to grab a large grape and swallow it. After eating, it slowly spoke: "When is this partner you mentioned finally going to arrive?" The Second Prince, not at all rushed, replied with a smile. "What''s the hurry?" "My dear elder brother is returning tomorrow. This grand gift prepared for him is not meant to appear just yet." The toad burped, looking at the Second Prince and sensing his intense emotions. "Tch." It, a mighty demon, reduced to eating grapes. How ironic. ... This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "From now on, remember to take this with you when you go out." In the study, Viktor called Henie to him and, with a flip of his hand, a small red crocodile appeared in his palm. Henie was surprised. "Isn''t... isn''t this Mr. Crocodile?" Mr. Crocodile, what an interesting name. The small crocodile was placed on the desk by Viktor, dozing off. As if sensing something, it raised its head, and upon seeing Viktor, its crocodile body trembled. "Big bro!" The crocodile seemed to try to stand up, saluting Viktor. Vega looked at Viktor, exasperated. How did you manage to train this once-ferocious demon into such a state? Viktor ignored Vega''s obvious look, merely tapping the desk lightly with his finger, saying calmly: "Didn''t you say you liked her scent?" "From today on, you''ll stay by her side to protect her, and your power will be at her disposal." "But don''t forget what I told you, control your anger." The tiny crocodile shuddered, hearing these words, and quickly nodded: "I understand, bro!" "From now on, I''ll treat her like royalty!" Regardless of whether it was living under someone else''s roof, Leighton was relieved in advance. Not having to continue following Viktor was definitely a relief for it. It had never imagined that it, a primal demon, would one day fear a human. Henie hadn''t quite processed it yet, looking a bit confused. She looked down to see the crocodile gazing at her pitifully. But she didn''t pay attention to the pitiful crocodile, instead pondering Viktor''s words. The professor is having it protect me... Is he worried about me? Henie was still thinking when she heard Viktor say: "Alright, you may go now." "Y-yes, Professor." Henie carefully placed the crocodile in her palm and turned to leave. After Henie left, Vega flapped its wings and said in a grating voice: "Viktor, I never thought you''d be able to keep such a filthy thing around!" Its tone was full of disgust. After all, it had said before that as a noble god, even an evil god, it found such disgusting things repulsive. Viktor merely responded calmly: "You once made a contract with a disgusting toad, and even deceived it." "We''re not so different." As he spoke, Viktor tapped the desk, and a book appeared in his hand of its own accord. In the now quiet study, only the occasional sound of turning pages could be heard. ... The sun showed its ruddy face, greeted by the morning glow. Today, the streets of the capital were extraordinarily lively. People gathered along the roads, gazing ahead, curiously observing the returning iron cavalry. The army marched in neat, orderly formations towards the inner city. Their full armor clanked rhythmically, and their horses'' hooves struck the pavement in unison. At the front of the procession was a man in golden armor. A plume of silver horse hair protruded from his golden helmet, and his face beamed with smiles as he walked down the street, occasionally nodding and waving to the surrounding citizens. Even the dogs by the roadside quieted down at this sight, tongues lolling and tails wagging, welcoming the returning heroes. Behind him, a massive open carriage rolled down the road. The enormous head of a magic dragon lay silently within, as if in a steel cage. Aubrey Sol. Today was the triumphant return of the Crown Prince, and the severed head of the magic dragon would be paraded through the streets for a day. People gazed at the giant dragon head, chattering excitedly: "That must be the head of the magic dragon. The Crown Prince is truly amazing!" "They say the Emperor also slew a magic dragon in his youth." "Thank the Emperor and the Crown Prince for keeping us commoners safe and worry-free." Accompanied by colorful flags and cheers from the streets, the residents smiled and offered blessings and praise to the returning troops. After all, this was the head of a magic dragon. Dragons were powerful creatures that existed in mythology. Not only did they have lifespans of thousands of years, but they also possessed extremely powerful elemental control abilities. Legend had it that dragons were the guardians of nature. They were beings capable of destroying entire cities. Those who could slay a magic dragon were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, achieving a level of greatness beyond the imagination of ordinary people. However, the festive mood had not spread throughout the entire capital. In the Kravina mansion, Lia sashayed into the training ground, finding Viktor. At that moment, Viktor was instructing Aurelianne. "Yes, that''s the posture." "Maintain that position." Aurelianne held a knight''s longsword in her hands, both arms suspended in the air, holding the sword in front of her. The longsword was very heavy, and Aurelianne''s face had turned red with effort. Beads of sweat gradually appeared on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks. Nearby, her guard Celia watched this scene with a pained heart. Thinking of how grueling her own training had been, she felt increasingly sorry for the princess. But this was the requirement of the princess''s teacher, and she had no right to interfere. She could only question Viktor: "Viktor, what are you doing?" "The princess is a mage, do you understand? A mage!" "You''re actually making the princess practice swordsmanship? Are you telling me that a mage needs to practice close combat? Or are you saying that you yourself are skilled with a sword?" Lia approached with furrowed brows, seeing this scene. She forgot what she had originally intended to say and just calmly remarked beside Celia: "He actually is skilled with a sword. No need for you to worry about it." "Uh..." A mage skilled in swordsmanship? Celia was completely baffled. Aurelianne managed to hold on for a while longer before she had to lower the longsword, supporting herself with it as she panted heavily. Her stamina was still lacking. After resting for just a moment, Aurelianne continued: "Teacher, I can keep going." Viktor took the longsword from her hands and said calmly: "I know you can, but we''ll put the practice aside for now." "Early this morning, I sensed the commotion outside. Tell me, what''s happening out there?" Lia spread her hands helplessly. "I thought our esteemed mage already knew." She straightened her posture and said rather seriously: "You should prepare. The Crown Prince has returned." "The prince is returning with his spoils of war, and all the nobles are expected to welcome and congratulate him." "You''re no exception, my dear Count." Chapter 99: Damn It, Wheres My Demon? "The Crown Prince?" Viktor pondered upon hearing this title. In his memory, neither of the princes had detailed stories in the game''s background. Between the two, Viktor knew more clearly that the Crown Prince guarded the border cities in the southern part of the empire. The southern border of the empire was a gathering place for adventurers. Because within the massive city, there existed an encircled monster rift. It was a high-difficulty dungeon area. The rift contained an endless stream of monsters, with extraordinary strength. The enormous spatial rift resembled a city gate, and behind the gate was a massive castle that served as the abyss of monsters. The abyss was divided into a hundred levels, each populated by monsters of different strengths and types. Adventurer teams formed by players could enter to kill various monsters for training and obtain considerable amounts of materials. Most importantly, every ten levels within the abyss contained extremely powerful items. Collectively known as ''Imperial Artifacts''. In the game, at every tenth level, an astonishing number of monster waves would appear. Players who could clear the level unscathed within the time limit, or under special restrictions, would qualify to obtain these Imperial Artifacts. And those players were few and far between. Imperial Artifacts could provide players with very powerful attributes and effects, but under such stringent requirements, very few players could achieve this. Fortunately, Viktor was still one of those rare players who had managed it. If given the chance, he was considering challenging it again. "The Crown Prince, huh..." In his player''s impression, the Crown Prince was basically untouchable. After all, as a prince, players couldn''t easily meet royalty like other NPCs. Moreover. Viktor glanced at Aurelianne, who was resting. Upon hearing the news of her brother''s return, Aurelianne didn''t seem to have much of a reaction. Although she probably knew about it already, this princess hadn''t stayed in the palace, but had come early in the morning to train for today''s lesson. ''Royal family affection.'' Both princes were cannon fodder-level characters. After Emperor Aubrey''s death, they were quickly disposed of by Aurelianne. So Viktor didn''t care at all about this prince who brought back a dragon to show off. "I''m not going." "I don''t want to waste my breath with those hypocritical nobles." Killing a dragon requires all nobles to welcome him? Your father Aubrey killed one when he was seventeen. "Tch, fine then." Lia shook her head helplessly, as if Viktor''s answer was expected. So she changed what she was about to say, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. "Our esteemed councilor indeed has the right not to go. Alas, poor me, I still have to go and deal with a bunch of fools." As she spoke, Lia secretly glanced at Aurelianne. The little princess had no extra reaction, and even nodded in agreement. Because she wasn''t going either. Seeing this, Lia was very satisfied and waved her hand with a smile. "Then I won''t disturb you two teacher and student. Have fun, Your Highness." She was about to leave when she heard Viktor''s voice: "Take Cocotte with you." Lia was slightly stunned, several question marks popping up in her mind. Take Cocotte? What for? Blinking, she seemed to understand something. "She is a former councilor after all." After saying this, Viktor said no more and turned back to Aurelianne. "Get ready, we''re about to start today''s lesson." Aurelianne quickly perked up. "Yes, teacher!" Viktor waved his hand, and several strands of green energy slowly fell to the ground, intertwining. Tiny monsters crawled on the ground, their green shells reflecting the sunlight, curled up in a ball. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Several green shadows appeared out of thin air, flying in the sky, flapping their wings, waiting for an opportunity in the distance. Since Viktor had acquired Durga''s ability and mastered the skill of summoning monsters, He no longer had to worry about finding suitable battle locations for the princess. Lia watched this magical scene and clicked her tongue twice, saying: "My, how caring." I wonder when he''s ever been this caring towards me, she added in her heart as she turned to leave. ....... At this moment, the palace was bustling with noise as many nobles gathered to welcome the Crown Prince''s return. In front of the golden castle gates, the nobles lined up in two rows, with the Second Prince standing at the forefront. The iron cavalry gradually approached the palace, and the man in golden armor at the front led his warhorse to the front of the line. The huge dragon head behind him was exposed to everyone''s view. Jace Resser was also among the noble ranks, but unlike before, he now lacked some of his previous gloom, seeming to have regained his vigor. It was as if he had completely forgotten everything that had happened before. The Second Prince narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jace Resser, feeling something was amiss. Strange. Although he was somewhat surprised, he didn''t show it deliberately. But no one would pay attention to him anyway. Because the huge dragon head attracted the attention of many nobles. They gathered around the dragon head, exclaiming in amazement: "So this is the magic dragon that was causing havoc on the southern border..." "Slaying a magic dragon, His Highness Aubrey has achieved such a feat, it''s truly astonishing." "Indeed, he truly has the style of His Majesty in his younger days!" Albanie , clad in golden armor, paid no attention to the nobles'' praises. He allowed these people to examine and admire the dragon head he had brought back. He himself walked up to the Second Prince with a friendly smile, saying slowly: "My dear brother, did Father send you to welcome me?" "I''m honored that Father thinks of me so." The Second Prince also wore a smile as he looked at the Crown Prince, saying: "Indeed." "Elder brother returning to the capital after slaying a magic dragon is a great achievement. Naturally, Father doesn''t want to neglect such a meritorious official." He emphasized the words "meritorious official" slightly, but the Crown Prince seemed not to notice at all, merely smiling at Owiser. "It seems that the years I''ve been away haven''t created a rift in our brotherly affection." "I''m relieved to see that." Albanie waved to the many nobles surrounding him, saying hospitably: "What are you all waiting for? Let''s go in, don''t keep Father waiting." Surrounded by the nobles, he slowly walked into the palace. Only Owiser was left standing in place, a wave of gloom rising in his heart. "It seems you don''t like him very much?" A voice not his own sounded in his ear. The Second Prince, watching the backs of the departing crowd, responded faintly: "A person who tries to be perfect only makes me feel sick." "But he''s lucky, everything he does seems to succeed." The nobles were busy flattering that noble man in golden armor, and his voice wasn''t heard by anyone. Gazing at his elder brother who was the center of attention, Owiser''s tone was cold. "Yes, that''s why I hate him." ...... In the great hall, Albanie knelt on one knee, with the huge iron cage containing the magic dragon''s enormous head placed beside him. Aubrey''s face was expressionless, but he still faintly praised the Crown Prince. "Well done." "Slaying a magic dragon is no small feat. Tell me, what do you want?" "Father, eliminating threats to the empire is my duty. The reward is not important." Hearing the Crown Prince''s words, the Emperor nodded. He was about to say something when Duke Rivi beside him leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Your Majesty, Count Viktor hasn''t arrived yet." "Oh? Hahaha, right, right." Aubrey seemed to remember something interesting, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Albanie . "Child, I have nothing much to reward you with, but there is one thing I must mention." Aubrey narrowed his eyes and chuckled lightly. "You and Owiser are not young anymore. It''s time for you to consider marriage." "Otherwise, if this news spreads, people might think that in my vast empire, with just two princes and one princess, all unmarried, that my children are incompetent." He looked at Aubrey, who had stiffened slightly in the hall, and said with a smile: "Jace." "Your Majesty." Jace Resser stepped forward and gave a slight bow to the Emperor. The Emperor slowly asked: "I remember, you said earlier that you had found a suitable candidate for Albanie ." "Why don''t you tell us today, who is this candidate?" Everyone else was somewhat stunned, not daring to make a sound. They all felt that the Emperor was using the Crown Prince to warn the Resser family. After all, the Emperor had been quite displeased with the Resser family recently, and Jace Resser had also offended Viktor again. But this time, Jace Resser wasn''t as impulsive as before. He spoke calmly and composedly: "Your Majesty, the matter of His Highness''s marriage should be decided by you personally. As an outsider, I dare not interfere in this matter." "Oh?" Emperor Aubrey was surprised. He looked at Jace Resser and nodded with satisfaction. "It seems you''ve rid yourself of those unnecessary emotions." "You may go back." Jace Resser bowed deeply again and turned to return to the ranks of the nobles. The Second Prince was nearby, his eyes looking somewhat frightening. Because he too had realized. The anger in Jace Resser had disappeared? That was the exquisite gift he had prepared for Albanie . What was going on? For the first time, he felt he was losing his composure. The Second Prince could barely control his emotions, his body trembling slightly. But just then, a eunuch came to the Emperor''s side and respectfully said: "Your Majesty, the Kravina family has arrived." The Emperor was somewhat surprised. The person coming this time wasn''t Viktor? Soon, Lia appeared in the Emperor''s line of sight. But more people focused their gaze on Lia''s side. ...A cloud? As the white cloud slowly approached, people finally saw that there seemed to be something lying on top of the cloud. It looked like a person. The elf raised her head, yawning, showing no respect at all for the royal family. She straightened up, and the moment she saw the Emperor, she waved at him without any hesitation, greeting: "Yo, Aubrey, long time no see." Chapter 100: My Vassals Vassal is an Elven Queen Silence. Absolute silence. Everyone present stared blankly at the sleepy elf sitting on a cloud, their minds simultaneously exploding with a single question: Who on earth is this person??? Sensing the gazes around her, Cocotte also came to her senses. She stuck out half her tongue, scratched the back of her head, and said with a grin: "Oops, my bad, I forgot." "You''re already the Emperor now.Adapt to local customs. I should call you ''Your Majesty.''" The others were utterly confused. This familiar tone, and the feeling in these words... It seemed that... the person who arrived was some kind of big shot. Aubrey was all smiles, not looking at all like an emperor with any authority. "Councilor Cocotte." "I still remember the last time we met, my father had not yet passed away." Coun... Councilor? Another one? The group of people immediately looked at Cocotte, feeling a wave of surprise in their hearts. Most importantly, she was brought here by Lia Kravina. Just how many councilors did the Kravina family have? Some people paid even more attention to His Majesty''s words. His Majesty said... during their last meeting, the previous emperor had not yet passed away? That meant... His Majesty and she were old acquaintances. That was at least thirty years ago. After all, Emperor Aubrey only ascended to the throne in his twenties. So how old was this councilor??? Aubrey slowly said: "Given your status, you deserve a seat... but now it seems you don''t really need one." Aubrey was referring to her being by Lia''s side, beside the vassal of his subject. However, this shut-in elf obviously didn''t realize the emperor''s deeper meaning. She just yawned, stretched lazily, looked at the cloud beneath her, and said absent-mindedly: "Ah, indeed, I don''t need one." "But you don''t need to call me councilor anymore. I''m currently working for Viktor." ... !? After a moment of silence, the entire palace instantly erupted into commotion. "What!? A councilor of the Mage Council is working for Viktor?" "What kind of ability does Viktor have to make a former councilor willingly do this?" "This councilor is also an old acquaintance of His Majesty!" People in the hall began to chatter, and for a moment, the entire palace became somewhat chaotic. But even more shocking things were yet to come. The emperor, as if intentionally hinting at something, said: "This Viktor lad, even the next Elven Queen is working for him?" The next Elven Queen!? The heavyweight news came too densely, stunning all the nobles present for a moment. The entire palace seemed to have become a chatting place for these two. Each word they threw out was like a bomb dropped into a calm lake bottom, stirring up waves tens of meters high. Although Viktor wasn''t in the palace, every sentence, every word... All pointed towards Viktor. At this moment, everyone understood. The elf before them was actually a queen who was originally about to ascend to the throne. No wonder she looked so young, yet her words carried a maturity that seemed to have lived even longer than the emperor. Because the longevity of elves was no lie. Even a three-hundred-year-old elf would possess the vigor of a human teenager. Elves are very mysterious beings. They can sense powerful natural energies and are even more likely to receive blessings from deities compared to humans. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Moreover, some people favored by elves would be extremely lucky. These special beings lived very secretively, rarely detected by humans, let alone anyone daring to capture elves. Such behavior would easily bring great calamity. At this moment, the crown prince''s return was completely overshadowed by the appearance of this elf. She made everyone feel a sense of unreality. "Can''t help it, I''m not in control of my own fate," Cocotte complained a bit annoyedly, then seemed to realize something. "Oh, oh, were you guys talking about something? I must have interrupted you then. I''ll shut up now." "You guys continue. I''m just here to protect this girl." Cocotte pointed at Lia beside her, then flopped down on the cloud and went back to sleep. However... At this moment, no one knew what to say anymore. The crown prince was still kneeling on one knee in place, almost forgotten by everyone. This should have been a moment of glory belonging to the crown prince. Noticing that everyone''s gaze was on her side, Lia finally made a move. She smiled and curtsied to His Majesty, slowly saying: "I apologize, Your Majesty. My brother is preparing for the princess''s lessons, so I came on his behalf." There was nothing wrong with these words. It was the emperor who made Viktor the princess''s teacher, and now he couldn''t come because of the princess. There really wasn''t anything to pick on. Moreover. Viktor Kravina was a current councilor. A mere prince was not enough to summon a councilor. Lia turned her head to look at the crown prince kneeling on one knee, her eyebrows slightly raised, but her tone carried the most sincere congratulations. "As for Your Highness, your fame precedes you. The news of you slaying the dragon has spread throughout the empire, north and south. Everyone knows about it." "My brother also said that you already have half the prestige of His Majesty in his prime." But many people heard the sarcasm in her words. Half the prestige. Isn''t it just half? Aubrey could single-handedly slay a dragon at seventeen, while you, in your thirties, still needed to bring an army... Perhaps it''s not even half. These words were somewhat piercing to the heart. Lia, however, seemed unconcerned, covering her mouth with a light laugh, and continued: "Your Highness." "You truly are a great hero." Aubrey was still kneeling on one knee in place, but others could only see his still straight back. No one knew what this crown prince was thinking, but everyone knew. This moment of glory belonging to the crown prince, after the arrival of the Kravina family, was ultimately destroyed without a trace left. Aubrey waved his hand, looking at Aubrey who was still lowering his head and kneeling on one knee, and said flatly: "You may rise, Albanie ." "After such a long journey, you should go back and rest." "... Yes, Father." Albanie Saul slowly stood up, dragging his clanking armor, and slowly walked out of the palace. As Owiser watched his royal brother leave, he didn''t feel much joy either. At this moment, along with the emperor''s attitude. Many nobles vaguely understood something. At some point, the Kravina family was no longer limited to their status as counts. With various titles to their name, they seemed to no longer need to play house with these princes like ordinary nobles. ... "Ha! Feels good!" Lia held a cup of wine, gulping it down in large mouthfuls. In the dim tavern, Lia sat at a wooden table, holding an oversized wine cup, shouting out. After one cup, her face was already flushed. Lia had never drunk before. As a merchant, she needed to keep a clear head at all times. However today, she truly felt what it meant to be refreshed. Those ugly nobles'' shocked expressions, one after another. The pleasure of no longer having to engage in hypocritical exchanges with these fellows. She didn''t even need to care about the prince''s attitude, even mocking the crown prince in front of His Majesty. Of course, Lia was very clear that she could do all this because of one reason. She had a brother who could hold up the sky. But the meritorious official beside her couldn''t be forgotten either. Lia raised her wine cup and said loudly, "Thanks to you, Cocotte. Have a drink too!" Cocotte hugged a large wine cup, sitting across from Lia, looking somewhat troubled at the large cup of wine in front of her. She had never drunk this kind of wheat wine before. As an elf, even in her clan, she only drank nectar and wine made from fresh fruits. Lia looked at Cocotte with a smile, then raised her wine cup and poured another mouthful of wine for herself. That''s right, this was a borrowed power play. When Viktor told her to bring Cocotte along, Lia understood Viktor''s intention. A former councilor, Cocotte''s value was not just her former councilor status and current fourth-tier strength. Having stayed in the Mage Council for decades, even if Cocotte were a pig, her followers would be countless. Not to mention she was an elf. With Cocotte by her side, Lia could completely ignore those nobles'' ugly faces, and even recklessly mock the crown prince she hated the most. As for why she hated him. I''ve never even met you, and you want to marry me? Lia didn''t want to become that kind of marriage tool, and when she got the background sufficient to ignore the prince, she would use this momentum to the extreme. These things, Viktor didn''t even need to teach her. Soon, Lia drank a bit too much, feeling her head becoming unclear and her vision blurry. Her words started to become a bit jumbled. Finally, she forgot where she was, fell face-first onto the table, and started snoring loudly. She didn''t even realize that a hand was placed on her shoulder. "How much did she drink?" Viktor''s voice sounded faintly, while Cocotte hugged her large wine cup and yawned. "Just two cups, really. Her alcohol tolerance isn''t even as good as mine." Viktor looked at the eight empty cups in front of Cocotte and raised an eyebrow. "You''re being modest." Cocotte kept yawning frequently. Her amount of activity today had clearly exceeded her limit. She continued to say: "Since you''re here, I''ll head back first." The clouds outside floated in and out, drifting into the private room. Cocotte fell headfirst onto the cloud, and it carried her out of the room through the window. Viktor looked at the completely drunk Lia, considering how to take her back. Looking at Lia who had completely collapsed on the table, he finally gave up on the idea of teleporting away with her. Teleporting with someone requires the other person to be clear-headed and fully aware that they are in the process of teleportation. Otherwise, they might fall into a random void in the spatial turbulence. He tried to prop Lia up, but obviously, her condition didn''t allow for normal walking. So, he could only bend down, put Lia''s hands on his shoulders, and carry her on his back. With no place on his shoulders, Vega had nowhere to stand. It could only stand on top of Viktor''s head, turning his hair into a bird''s nest. "... Viktor?" Lia''s confused voice sounded, but quickly received a reassuring response. "Mm." Lia, being carried on his back, squinted her eyes slightly and smiled stupidly against his broad back. "I know... *hic*, you wanted me to vent properly, that''s why... you let Cocotte follow me." "Thank you." Viktor didn''t answer. He casually placed a bag of Geo on the table, then conjured a wind magic in his hand to make his body incredibly light. He then carried Lia out through the window. Under the night sky, Viktor carried Lia, steadily flying towards home. He controlled his speed just right. Under the stability of the magic, not even a whisper of wind could be heard around them. So, Viktor clearly heard the girl''s soft murmur from behind: "Brother... when I was little." "Why... didn''t you like me?" Sigh... The magic seemed to lose some of its stability. Gradually, the long-absent wind brushed past Viktor''s ears. Like an answer, like silence. Chapter 101: I Can Really Drink (Proud) "Ugh... my head hurts so much..." Lia slowly crawled out of bed, holding her head. How much did she drink last night? It felt like part of her memory had disappeared. In her hazy recollection, Lia could only remember eight empty cups on the table. So it seems her alcohol limit is eight cups? For her first time drinking, that shouldn''t be too bad, right? As Lia pondered, she sat up in bed. She shook her head, slightly alleviating the dizziness. She was wearing pajamas, probably changed by the maid. Lia didn''t think about how she got back last night. After all, with Cocotte around, this fourth-tier mage certainly wouldn''t have let her drink too much and then neglect her. Thinking this, she stood up and pulled the curtains. In less than five minutes, Lia opened the curtains and walked out. By now, she had changed into a new outfit, once again becoming a sharp merchant. She tugged at her collar, revealing her fair neck and delicate collarbone, along with a pair of beautiful, lively eyes. Lia looked at herself in the mirror, nodding in approval. "Mm, not bad." She wasn''t used to letting maids do her makeup and grooming. It was too slow, and often couldn''t meet her exacting standards. After all, Viktor was a family head who completely ignored family affairs. This arduous task fell on Lia''s shoulders. Even though nominally, Lia wasn''t the family head, everyone knew that she was the true mistress of the Kravina family. Unless she married into another family. So Lia had to maintain her most perfect and beautiful appearance at all times. Her appearance represented the face of the Kravina family. After getting everything in order, Lia looked radiant. Her light makeup concealed her slight fatigue, restoring her previous powerful demeanor. Lia walked out of her room. The maid waiting outside handed her the financial reports as usual. Lia read as she walked, signing her name on them. Sitting at the dining table eating breakfast, Lia asked again. "Anything else from the territory?" The maid bowed and slowly explained: "Mr. Helnassen has adopted some more ''children'' who had nowhere to go." Lia nodded, quickly finishing her simple breakfast, and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Then she said, "Those old enough, let Leanne and the others train them." "Yes, ma''am." Standing up again and walking towards the office, the maid followed behind Lia, trotting to keep up. "Miss Lia, the batch of goods from the territory needs your inventory check." ... "Miss Lia, this is the earnings report from the equipment shop from the other day." ... "Miss Lia, recently there''s been some stagnation in the mining area, many workers are dissatisfied with their treatment." "If they''re dissatisfied, have Leanne and the others go over and talk to these workers. Let me see what they have to be dissatisfied about." "Yes, ma''am." ... Soon, the morning passed in tedious work. It wasn''t until the sun had risen to the center of the sky and started to descend that Lia finally had time for herself. She shook her creaking shoulders, relaxing a bit. Half a day of exhausting labor left her feeling incredibly tired. But there was no help for it. The entire machine called ''Kravina'' could never operate without Lia''s control as its operator. For everything, Lia tried to be as hands-on as possible, even though she rarely returned to the territory now. Of course, this only made her more tired, as the back-and-forth messages often missed the best judgment time. She could only rely on her experience to make the most appropriate judgments. Even so, Lia didn''t really want to go back. She didn''t know why. Lia sat in the rocking chair, lying on it, stretching out a hand to examine the glove on her hand from all angles. The glove fit perfectly, its six different colored gems particularly eye-catching in the sunlight. Not every magic stone is priceless, but ones like these, finely crafted and able to perfectly store and release magic, each would be worth millions of Geo on the market. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She didn''t know how Viktor had managed to completely fix the magic-storing power of the magic stones to the glove. Making it so that magic wouldn''t be released for a long time, and the magical power within the magic stones wouldn''t dissipate. Because of this, the price of this glove might be several times higher. But for Lia, she wouldn''t sell it no matter how much money she was offered. This was the first gift Viktor had given her, and to Lia, it was priceless. After all, ''This is what Viktor owes me for these years.'' "Miss Lia." In the sunlight, the maid''s figure appeared again in Lia''s vision. Lia had been planning to take an afternoon nap, but hearing the maid''s voice, she knew there must be something else. Sighing, just as she was about to get up, she heard the maid suddenly say, "This is sent from the royal family, saying it''s to express their apologies to you, hoping you can accept it." The maid handed Lia an especially luxurious gift box. The gift box looked dazzling in the afternoon sunlight, the entwining golden ribbons seemed to be made of gold thread, the outer shell of the box was painted with exquisite patterns, emitting a refreshing fragrance. Lia was stunned for a moment, untied the ribbon, and opened the box. The box was wrapped in a layer of golden silk. Lia lifted the golden silk, looking puzzled at the exquisite pendant lying quietly at the bottom of the gift box. The pendant had an extremely large and gorgeous diamond jewel inlaid in the center, surrounded by black gems with matching patterns. Beneath the pendant, there seemed to be a handwritten letter. "I am terribly sorry, Miss Lia Kravina, I feel extremely remorseful for my rudeness. Although it was Jace Reiser''s presumption that caused your dissatisfaction, I am also absolutely at fault. I wish to express my highest respect to you, and offer this as a gift to apologize to you." Aubrey Sol. In the sunlight, the envelope seemed to shine a bit. Lia sneered. "Tsk tsk, they say this crown prince is a perfect man, who knows how many young girls he''s hooked with this trick." "Unfortunately, I''m not falling for it." The luxurious pendant looked very valuable. Lia picked it up and directly tossed it to the maid beside her. "This thing, find a mage to re-engrave a few magic arrays... oh, no need, we have our own mage at home." "Anyway, change its appearance, and then take it out for auction later." "Why not take it when some fool is sending me money?" After this incident, she didn''t even want to sleep anymore. Stretching lazily, seemingly satisfied with having just earned a large sum of Geo. She wanted to share this as a joke, and for the recipient... Lia already had someone in mind. "Where''s Viktor now?" "Miss Lia, the master is in the garden." The garden? That''s Cocotte''s territory now, because only a lazy dog elf like her would choose to live in the garden. Lia stood up, waving her hand. "You go rest, I''ll go take a look myself." ... "You... don''t come any closer!" Cocotte tightly grasped the cloud beneath her, retreating backward in great fear, half of the cloud sinking into the flower bed, without even noticing. She was so scared that to an outsider, it looked like she was about to be violated. And Viktor was standing right in front of her. Finally, Cocotte''s voice sounded again. "I absolutely won''t be your teaching assistant!" "Don''t even think about making me work for you every day!" Viktor looked at her and said flatly: "In a few days, it''s the academy''s exam. I need your magic to construct some spaces." Cocotte was a fourth-tier mage, with enough magical power to open up some small spatial magic. And she was very proficient in spatial magic. After all, she initially learned this magic just for a good sleeping environment. Over time, she became more and more proficient in spatial magic. "So what? If I become your teaching assistant, wouldn''t I have to work for you every day?" As soon as Cocotte finished speaking, a contract fell in front of her. Lia had appeared beside Viktor at some point, smiling as she spoke: "Miss Cocotte, don''t forget the contract you signed." "According to the contract, if the Kravina family needs any help, you are obligated to help." Cocotte''s eyes widened. "Wah! What do you mean!" But a contract is a contract, and having signed this magical agreement, she had no way to back out. Viktor spoke again flatly. "Actually, you only need to work for me for a few days." "After the exam ends, the academy will have a break, and you''ll have time to rest." Cocotte blinked. "Really?" "Really." She didn''t notice Lia holding back laughter beside her, and nodded repeatedly like a bobblehead. "You said it! After it''s over, I don''t have to work anymore!" "If there''s anything else later, call me later. I''m going to sleep!" Cocotte always felt that this pair of siblings was up to no good, but being dependent on them, she could only silently protest by sleeping. She sat back on the cloud and slowly floated away. But she hadn''t realized. After the academy''s break, classes would start again. This was also why Lia was holding back her laughter. Viktor turned to look at Lia: "What''s the matter?" "Oh, oh, right, it''s this." Lia took out the letter, and with a gust of wind, the letter stood in front of Viktor. Viktor quickly scanned it twice, and a ball of fire burned the envelope. "Ignore him." The calm voice sounded, but it was filled with a sense of reassurance that Lia felt deeply. Since her mage lord said so, she certainly wouldn''t continue to care. The envelope slowly burned to ashes and dissipated in the air. Lia shrugged. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Viktor called out to her: "Drink less alcohol in the future." "Eh?" Lia was startled by this admonition, standing dumbfounded on the spot. A gust of wind coat fluttered in front of her, Viktor had already turned around, and Lia could only see Viktor''s receding figure. Under her gaze, it seemed somewhat dreamlike and hazy. But Viktor''s words still lingered in her ears. "I won''t come to pick you up every time." "..." Lia reached out a hand to touch her face. Her cheeks felt slightly warm. She didn''t dare to find a mirror to look, hurriedly lowering her head, not daring to let others see her current state. Somehow, she felt a bit happy. Lia seemed to understand why she didn''t want to go back. Chapter 102: Go Review After Reading This In the Royal Magic Academy, a massive round table stood in the enormous conference hall. Floating in the air was a crystal emitting a faint blue light. Its uneven shape exuded a powerful magical aura. Nine chairs were arranged around the round table, with Dean Rachel seated in the position directly facing the main door. He stroked his long, pale beard and took a deep breath. Scanning the professors around the table, his gaze finally settled on Viktor. Noticing the shining councilor badge on Viktor''s chest, he chuckled. "Professors, we''ll soon be welcoming the final exams." In each professor''s heart, they understood what the academy''s final exams meant. It was the most fair and powerful way to test all the students in the academy. Every year, many media outlets would report on the academy''s final exams, with the entire nation paying attention to the students'' results. This was an exam that would influence the future of magic students nearing graduation. Although those noble magic apprentices with better conditions didn''t need to worry about whether their final grades were satisfactory, There were still many commoner students for whom this exam would become a shortcut to achieving their dreams. The Yade Mage Corps. It was directly under the royal family, the empire''s strongest mage corps. Those who performed excellently in the Royal Magic Academy''s annual final exams had the opportunity to directly enter it. The Yade Mage Corps had numerous and complex members. Whether combat-oriented mages or those focused on healing and enhancement, as long as their abilities were sufficient, they could shine here. "So, professors, are the final exam questions ready for this year?" The professors looked at each other, their faces somewhat troubled. They had indeed prepared the final exam questions, but they never anticipated that the academy would experience such a significant event as the demon war. The professors had set this exam''s questions according to the normal teaching schedule. But because of the last battle, the academy was destroyed, and students were forced to take a long vacation. During that holiday period, professors couldn''t go door-to-door assigning homework. As a result, students enjoyed a very relaxed time. Although some students would hire private tutors for extra lessons, many commoner students didn''t have this option. If they continued to use the previously prepared questions, many students might not be able to pass. "The Diversity of Magic Use," "Fine Control of Elemental Abilities," "Monster Knowledge," "Mage History"..... And many mages had different major subjects. For example, Professor Gaia, who had ''fought side by side'' with Viktor last time, was a third-tier mage majoring in healing magic. After the demon war, the long holiday meant this professor had only taught two classes. The questions for this course would undoubtedly be a huge challenge for the students. Rachel looked at the troubled faces of the professors and sighed, tapping his cane on the floor, and said slowly: "After Devin Reiser''s disappearance, another professor position is vacant, so the pass rate this year might be even lower." The final exam rules of the Royal Magic Academy differed from other academies'' assessment methods. Every year, students could choose professors to take exams in related subjects, and the dean wouldn''t personally invigilate, so students only had eight professors to choose from. As long as they could gain approval from five out of eight professors'' assessments, they would pass. Before Viktor came, the academy had another professor. However, she left the academy because she wanted to travel the world. When she resigned, she left a letter on the dean''s desk. The words on the envelope read: "The world is so big, I want to go and see it." Coincidentally, at that time, Viktor came in as a connection, and the vacant position was given to him. The gazes of several professors gathered on Viktor, and suddenly the conference hall fell silent for a moment. Nominally, Viktor was still a professor of the academy, but everyone knew in reality. The gold content of this professor was almost a notch higher than the dean''s. Rachel turned to look at Viktor, chuckled, stroked his white beard, and said slowly: "Professor Viktor, I hope to give you Devin''s assessment quota this year. Students who pass the assessment from you will be equivalent to gaining approval from two professors." "Of course, if you''re already prepared, you can refuse this proposal. I don''t want to disrupt your plans." Viktor nodded expressionlessly. "I have no objections." Seeing Viktor agree, Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. If Viktor hadn''t accepted this proposal, he might have had to step in himself and quickly draft a new set of exam questions. That would have been a difficult task. "Well then, please prepare more, everyone. The final assessment will be set for Saturday, lasting three days." ...... Viktor walked on the cobblestone path in the campus, preparing to leave the academy. It was now off-work time, so he naturally didn''t need to stay in the boring mage tower. "Professor!" From afar, a voice called out to Viktor. Henie ran along the cobblestone path, reaching Viktor''s side, panting. After a while, she caught her breath and looked at Viktor with expectant yellow eyes. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. She had heard about this assessment, but as an assistant professor, she didn''t need to manage these things. However, this exam would last for three days. Henie wanted to help Viktor share some of the pressure, so her eyes held a glimmer of light: "Professor! Is there anything I can help you with?" If Viktor needed to prepare the final exam questions, Henie, with her strong knowledge base and proficient professional skills, could easily create a set of final exam papers. Henie asked while following Viktor to the academy''s main gate. Viktor didn''t reply immediately, he just stood at the school gate, waiting for the carriage to arrive: Rumble rumble A carriage without horses slowly approached, its wheels making a unique crisp sound as they hit the stone road. The Kravina insignia on it let Henie know this was the carriage the professor was waiting for. "During those exam days." "You just need to stay by my side." Henie tilted her head, somewhat puzzled. Just stay by the professor''s side? Viktor glanced at Henie, whose eyes were shining, and said flatly: "Get in the carriage first." "Oh, oh." Henie quickly nodded and happily walked towards the carriage first. It''s so nice to live in the professor''s house, being able to commute with the professor every day. This time every day was when Henie felt the happiest. ...... While students were busy preparing for the exam in the last few days, there were naturally also students who had completely given up. Soon Saturday arrived, and the assessment day came. Students stepped into the campus with very nervous and excited hearts, even feeling their bodies become heavier. The exam locations were in each professor''s mage tower, with seven different professors waiting in their respective mage towers for students to arrive. "Hey, have you heard? It seems the difficulty of this exam has been lowered?" "I heard that. Originally it was eight out of five, now it''s seven out of five." "It seems an extra quota was added at Professor Viktor''s." The meaning of adding an extra quota at Viktor''s was that if one could pass at Viktor''s, it meant passing two professors'' exams. "And, I heard that students who pass Professor Viktor''s assessment with excellent results will receive a letter of recommendation personally written by Chief Professor Viktor." If they could get this letter of recommendation, any mage corps might open their doors for them. Some students started to fantasize. But...... Is the school really lowering the difficulty, not increasing it? Students stopped talking when they discussed this. Just thinking about the Chief Professor''s test at the Arcane Hall back then made many students tremble. Some students were already considering whether other professors'' subjects might be easier. This exam would last for three days, and students could participate in any exam project within these three days at will. But as long as they could pass five exams, it meant passing the final assessment. Many students gathered in front of Viktor''s mage tower, with many wanting to try their luck here. After all, who wouldn''t be tempted by the chance to get two quotas at once, plus a personal recommendation letter from Professor Viktor? The location for Professor Viktor''s assessment was on the 50th floor of the mage tower. Erica was the first student to enter. She skillfully used teleportation magic to enter the mage tower. Around her, a blue light like starry sky slowly swept past her eyes. The next second, she appeared on a plain full of reeds. This was a magical dimensional space inside the mage tower. It was built specifically for the magic academy''s exams from the beginning and would only open once a year. The range was very vast, able to accommodate hundreds of students. After Erica waited for a while, many students gradually poured in. Those students were surprised for a long time when they saw Erica sitting in a patch of reeds. They didn''t expect this top student to come so early, they hadn''t even seen Erica''s figure. Perhaps, this top student had been ready for a long time. She came specifically for Professor Viktor''s assessment. In this exam, she was determined to succeed. ...... Students sat idly among the reeds, discussing and guessing what the exam range might be. Soon, three hours passed, and when the ten o''clock bell in the academy slowly rang, that string in all students'' hearts tightened. The exam was about to begin. Henie slowly walked to the front of the crowd. She looked at the hundred students who came for the exam. The many days of substituting for Viktor gave her a lot of valuable experience. This made Henie no longer timid when facing too many people. Moreover, now Henie was already an official first-tier mage. She suspended her hand in the air, waved it a few times, and an elemental scroll was gradually pulled out from the reed marsh, unfolding in front of the students. The scroll was colorful, as if various elements were mixed together, and the magical aura on the scroll was also very chaotic and unique. Only the center of the scroll was left empty. This magic surprised the students. Many students could see that although this scroll was only first-tier magic, its complexity and control of element shaping had reached a terrifying level. Indeed, this rumored assistant professor''s magic attainment was not simple. Even Erica was surprised for a moment. Henie had actually become a first-tier mage without anyone noticing? Although she had seen Henie use magic before, at that time, she was releasing it through demonic power. And this time, Henie was obviously using her own magic power. Henie slowly opened her mouth, and the magic scroll in the sky also began to deform gradually. "Hello everyone, I''m Assistant Professor Henie, the invigilator for this exam." "Next, I will explain the rules of this exam to everyone." The scroll twisted a bit, the colors at the edges gradually filled the white in the center, and those blurry color blocks also gradually re-converged into a picture. "To be precise, there are no restrictions on this exam. Students who enter the exam venue can stay in the exam venue and complete the assessment within three days to be considered successful." Many people felt confused. What kind of rule was this? But they continued to listen to Henie''s words: "Those who fail the assessment can immediately retake it, there''s no limit on the number of retakes. Of course, if you still haven''t passed the exam within three days, then it will be counted as a failure." Amidst the confusion of the students. On the scroll, the central image finally appeared. It seemed to be a scene within a scene drawn in ink. In the emerald green dense forest, a blurry human figure gradually appeared. Although the person''s face couldn''t be seen clearly, Erica widened her eyes at the colors of the clothes on the body. "Is that... Her Highness the Princess?" Other knowledgeable students also exclaimed. Even though they couldn''t see the person in the painting clearly, the strong aura and the clothes composed of gorgeous colors still made them recognize her. That was the princess? After single-handedly killing the Forest Demon last time, Aurelianne''s fame in the capital had increased considerably. She was no longer the flower vase princess in everyone''s eyes. In the scroll, Aurelianne dodged and maneuvered, constantly using various magics. Dark purple and bright green, scarlet and earthy yellow mixed together, attacking towards the edges of the scroll. And around her, some monsters curled up their bodies, turning into blobs of color rushing towards the princess. At the bottom of the distant scroll, several bat-like creatures flying in the sky were spitting black liquid. The princess looked very relaxed, those attacks seemed completely unable to touch her. Then, with a backhand strike, she easily disposed of those small monsters. The bursting fluid filled the scroll flat. At this point, the scene ended. The astonishment in the students'' eyes was all captured by Henie. She smiled and began to explain. "Above is the entire content of this assessment." "Now, I will repeat it once more." Henie smiled, spread her hands, and dozens of teleportation arrays appeared around. At the end of the arrays, a green light was glowing, seeming to lead to some dangerous place. "Welcome to [Viktor''s Forest Realm]." Chapter 103: The First Dungeon in Another World [Viktor''s Forest Realm] This was the name of this assessment. According to the rules explanation, each examinee would engage in four encounter battles within the Forest Realm. Each battle would involve different monsters, with varying strengths and numbers. The four battles would feature one, three, five, and ten monsters respectively. If one could successfully challenge the third encounter battle, then they would pass. Henie waved her magic on the scroll, and the rules of the exam appeared in the center. The students present looked at the rules on the scroll with some hesitation. They couldn''t believe it. Professor Viktor''s assessment actually required them to personally challenge monsters!? This was actually a practical combat exam!? Isn''t this risking their lives? "As mentioned before, there''s no limit to the number of attempts in this exam. Failed examinees can retake the assessment." "You don''t need to worry, if you encounter life-threatening danger, the realm will automatically teleport you out and heal you." Hearing this, the students looked at each other. Although such protective measures did provide some reassurance, hearing about actual combat still made them feel... Timid. The students of the Royal Magic Academy had no practical combat experience. At most, they had only tried releasing magic in the Arcane Hall, hitting wooden dummies. Even though Assistant Professor Henie said there would be no life-threatening danger, instinct still made the students somewhat resistant. The students were having second thoughts, and some at the back even took a few steps towards the exit. But perhaps because the chance to gain two passing qualifications at once was too tempting for the students. After hesitating for a long time, they still returned to the crowd. At least they would observe for a while before deciding. Of course, their retreat was all seen by Henie. "Well then, the assessment begins. Please queue up and enter the exam venue when you''re ready." Those dozens of green teleportation arrays were the so-called ''exam venue''. Henie waved her hand, and those green arrays were activated, bursting forth with waves of green energy. The many examinees knew that once they stepped in, they would face an unprecedented practical combat assessment. Erica was the first person to take action. She didn''t care about the timidity and shock of the surrounding students, and walked towards the teleportation gate in front of her on her own. The teleportation array under her feet gradually emitted light, and soon, Erica''s body dispersed like streams of magical energy, merging into the scroll. "She went in!?" "This... nothing bad will happen, right?" "Should we wait for Erica to come out and ask about the situation inside?" The students left behind discussed among themselves. However, the moment Erica fully entered the scroll, more than a dozen students squeezed out from the crowd and walked towards their respective teleportation gates. And these people were gradually recognized by the examinees. "These people...." "They''re all top students near the top of the rankings..." It wasn''t just Erica who was looking forward to Viktor''s assessment. They followed closely behind Erica, entering the realm one by one. Although they didn''t participate in Viktor''s test at the Arcane Hall that day, that was just a flashy but impractical education. True geniuses look forward to any challenge. Moreover. This was just an assessment, and one with unlimited attempts. If they didn''t even have the courage to enter, they might as well give up the exam from the start. After they all entered the array, most of the students fell silent. They looked at the glowing array, feeling a fire in their hearts urging them on, but this flame was quickly extinguished by a bucket of water named rationality. Finally. A small portion of the examinees automatically gave up this exam. They showed troubled expressions on their faces, shaking their heads and turning towards the teleportation exit of the mage tower. At the moment of leaving, their expressions seemed very complex. It was unclear whether it was frustration at their own cowardice or regret at their lack of ability. Henie saw them but didn''t stop them, nor did she urge the students to come forward for the assessment immediately. After all, it was just as these students thought. Professor Viktor''s exam. It was probably the most difficult exam the academy had seen in recent years. ...... Several strands of green light slowly fell in the dense forest, the glowing body making Erica feel somewhat light. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. But the thick leaves around told her this was not an illusion, but a real dense forest. This place was a series of challenge spaces repeatedly constructed using Cocotte''s spatial magic and the Wood Calamity''s terrain creation. Each space was independent, with examinees not interfering with each other. At present, Erica couldn''t yet see how marvelous this space was. She looked ahead, where there seemed to be a vague darkness behind a mess of branches and leaves. Walking forward, Erica saw a winding small path. The path was covered with weeds, making it difficult to distinguish. Erica walked carefully on the small path, not daring to take big or quick steps. In this dense forest, even without monsters suddenly appearing, the insects and mosquitoes between the dense bushes could be quite bothersome. She continued forward step by step, her feet stepping over weeds, leaving uneven footprints in the muddy ground. There was no sign of anyone around, and Erica tried to find some other paths nearby. She walked towards a side path, but it was like hitting a wall. "Ouch, ouch, ouch." Erica rubbed her shoulder that had just hit the ''air wall'', looking with some surprise at the other side of the air. It was all dense jungle, but completely isolated. "No other paths, just this one?" This unique exam made her feel a sense of novelty. It was as if she was in a mysterious space. Continuing forward, a beam of sunset light shone through the bushes into Erica''s eyes. It was the exit. She quickly took two steps forward, rushing out of the dense forest. "This is....." She looked at the endless plains around, the yellow foxtail grass swaying like waves in the gentle breeze. Just then, a mound of earth near Erica''s feet squirmed a bit. An earth-yellow monster suddenly burst out of the ground, leaping towards Erica''s face. The monster''s body was like a prairie dog, but its tail had a flower-like parasite growing on it. On its long neck grew several mouse heads with lush fur, making a strange cry that was a mix of squeaking and quacking from the neck. But what surprised Erica the most was. Its topmost head had a duck''s beak. "Is this... a mouse or a duck....." Seemingly hearing Erica''s questioning whether it was a duck, the monster got a bit angry, swaying its body and pouncing towards Erica. Erica twisted her body, retreating a few steps. The monster pounced at empty air, eating a lot of foxtail grass. Not to be outdone, it waved the flower on its back and attacked Erica again. [Second-tier Magic: Fireworks] A red array quickly formed in her hand, and two pillars of flame suddenly appeared in Erica''s hands, rushing towards the front. The pouncing monster was burned to a crisp in an instant. "Hmph, weak." Erica clapped her hands, and the charred monster was immediately swallowed back by the earth. "Is it over just like this?" Unlike other students, Erica had practical combat experience. Earlier, she had killed many local fire-element monsters on Mount Vesuvius. And these monsters were quite weak compared to the monsters on the volcano. Erica knew this was to accommodate all examinees by deliberately controlling the monsters'' strength, but it also made things much easier for her. Although she didn''t know exactly how Professor Viktor was controlling these monsters, this kind of assessment was interesting. Erica continued forward, and the second wave of monsters appeared before her. Two mouse-like ducks burst out of the ground, attacking Erica again. But this time there was another type of monster. From the distance, a tiny black dot flew towards Erica, rapidly approaching. A bat-like creature flapped four tattered, screen-like wings. It rode the breeze, continuously spitting three blobs of black liquid at Erica from the air. Erica did a somersault, leaping over the two mouse monsters. In the moment of being airborne, she twisted her body, avoiding the black liquid, stepping on the bat''s back, and leaping backward. Two spells were constructed simultaneously between her hands. [Second-tier Magic: Water Vortex] [Second-tier Magic: Fire Smoke Flight] One red and one blue, two magics appeared in her hands at the same time. As soon as the words were spoken, Erica stretched out her arms as her body fell towards the ground, and the two magics intertwined and flew towards the three monsters. Boom! The intense heat and bursting water droplets cut through the surrounding grass waves. A smell of burning slowly rose. Erica landed steadily on the ground, exhaling. Fortunately, she had trained for a while in her father''s ''Magus Corps'', allowing her to make a series of relatively flexible movements. If she hadn''t controlled the flying bat in advance, she might have stumbled here. The combination of two types of monsters, alternating between near and far, was still quite dangerous. Erica rested for a moment before continuing forward. Her intuition told her the third wave was coming. Sure enough, three duck-billed mice suddenly burst out from the ground. This was the name she had just given to this type of monster. This time, their actions were different from the previous two waves, becoming extremely swift. A bat flying rapidly from the distance made Erica concentrate. "No, there should be five monsters!" Erica''s sixth sense told her something was completely wrong, and the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. She looked back and saw a huge flying mosquito diving towards her. The flying mosquito was entangled with something like wooden vines, its entire body seemingly hidden in the greenery. If not observed carefully, one wouldn''t notice this clever predator at all. "As expected!" This time, Erica took a big step to the side, avoiding the duck-billed mouse''s attack. She then conjured a flame in her hand and struck it towards the approaching flying mosquito. The moment the flame touched the monster in front, it burst into flames. She rolled to avoid the danger from behind. But the burning flying mosquito suddenly flapped its wings, and the flames on its body were immediately extinguished. "Tch." This time, the monsters were stronger than before. Erica realized this, so she no longer held back. A bright green light shone from her chest, immediately enveloping the surrounding monsters. The power of inheritance. Erica, who had obtained this power, was no longer the same as before. The powerful natural energy had made her strength no longer limited to those simple second-tier magics. As the bright light gradually faded, it was as if a seed had been planted in those monsters'' bodies, suddenly sprouting and blooming. Sharp branches burst out from the monsters'' bodies. Those monsters immediately lay in the incomplete sunset, completely silent. The corpses slowly dissipated along with the wooden vines, and a green teleportation gate gradually lit up behind Erica. A cluster of text ignited in the air, lighting up in front of Erica. [Pass achieved. Continue the challenge?] This meant Erica had completed the exam, and she could leave now to take other professors'' exams. But... She didn''t want to be satisfied just like this. "Continue the challenge." After Erica confirmed, the teleportation gate disappeared. She turned back, and somehow a emerald green path had appeared before her eyes, looking very peaceful and harmonious in the sunlight. The flowers around the path swayed in the breeze, as if they were also happy for Erica''s courage. She took a deep breath, stepped over the grass waves, and continued walking towards the depths of the path. Chapter 104: Im Facking Eating, Eating, Eating, Eating, Eating, Eating!...... Not all examinees had it as easy as Erica. The top students who entered first were sent out one after another. Their dust-covered faces clearly showed dissatisfaction and frustration. Some students re-entered the magic array. But another portion of students, after coming out, began to curse loudly. "Is this f***ing possible for anyone to pass?" "This assessment is completely unreasonable! Why would three monsters attack simultaneously?" "It''s impossible for anyone to pass!" They left the mage tower, cursing and swearing with the anger of failure. Some even didn''t want to try a second time. Many observing students, seeing this scene, felt their hearts sink even further. Some students chose to leave with them, but most remained in place, watching for subsequent people to come out. Henie still stood in her original spot, smiling as she watched these students, completely ignoring any emotions they displayed. Soon after, those students who went in for the second time were once again kicked out. "Damn! I was so close! How could a mosquito suddenly burrow out?" "You made it to the third round? I can''t even get past the second!" "That cursed bat, how can it aim so accurately!" "I won''t accept this! Let''s go again!" This group of students, equally enraged, chose to enter once more. The same anger. But they were utterly different from those students who left in anger. The observing students also noticed this point, which made them curious about the world behind the teleportation array. Thus, one student after another stepped forward to touch the array. The time away wasn''t long, but soon enough, they too would be forcibly teleported out due to failure. And with a surge of heated anger, they cursed and swore. "F***! How can that duck-billed mouse even use vines to tie legs?" "Damn it, I can''t even get past the first round!" "I really don''t believe this! Charge!" There would still be some students who gave up due to the difficulty, but without exception, all these examinees'' hearts were filled with a strong anger. Either dissatisfied with the unreasonable difficulty of the assessment. Or because of the victory that seemed within reach, yet due to one moment of carelessness, they had to start all over again. But regardless of which point, the students'' anger constantly permeated the entire mage tower. Surrounding Henie. ...... At high noon, the base of Viktor''s mage tower was crowded with reporters, packed so tightly that not even water could seep through. The difficulty of Viktor''s assessment had already spread. Those students who gave up were swarmed by media reporters as they left, bombarded with questions. The microphones were almost shoved up the students'' noses. "Professor Viktor''s exam is extremely unreasonable!" "That insane difficulty is clearly just making things hard for us." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Students vented their anger into the numerous microphones before leaving. Until now, those reporters hadn''t encountered a single student who came out smiling after Viktor''s assessment. How ridiculously difficult was it? The content of the assessment was not allowed to be leaked before it ended, so even if the media interviewed them, students couldn''t reveal the content of this assessment. Long after noon, a student walked out. His expression was completely different from before, wearing a relieved and relaxed smile, extremely proud. As if he had accomplished some impressive feat in this exam. Those reporters were a bit stunned seeing this student come out smiling. Could it be that someone passed?! But it''s just passing an exam, is it worth being this happy? However, with ready-made news material right before their eyes, those reporters wouldn''t let it slip by. They swarmed around him, asking this and that: "Wait a moment, student! Did you come out after passing this assessment?" The happy student was stunned for a moment, looking around. "Ah, are you talking to me? Um, I guess I did pass." "Yes, yes, we''ve interviewed many students who came out of this mage tower, but they all failed without exception. I''d like to ask, what''s your view on the difficulty of this assessment?" The student thought for a moment. "The difficulty? It''s indeed very hard. I took about two and a half hours to barely pass." "From my enrollment to graduation this year, I''ve taken four final exams in total, and this should be the most difficult assessment I''ve ever taken." Those reporters'' eyes immediately lit up. They didn''t expect that the person they were interviewing was actually a graduating student. "I see you''re the first student to come out smiling so far. In your opinion, if this continues, how high do you think the pass rate for this assessment will be?" "Very high, that''s all I can say," the student said with a smile. "The difficulty of this assessment isn''t the problem. What''s important is whether students have the courage to try the challenge and the patience to keep repeating." "Uh, sorry, I can''t reveal the content of the assessment, so I can''t say too much." The reporter nodded understandingly and continued to ask: "By the way, I''d like to ask about your plans after graduation. What are you thinking?" "About that," the student said with a smile. "I''m a member of the student council. If nothing unexpected happens, I might stay at the academy to become a lecturer." "Ah, after all, Professor Viktor''s assessment is very interesting. I quite hope to stay at the academy and have more exchanges with this professor." He smiled and waved goodbye to the reporters, leaving with ease. But the reporters weren''t so calm after hearing his words. A member of the student council? Holy crap? From the student council?! The selection criteria for the Royal Magic Academy''s student council are extremely strict. While magical knowledge is indeed one aspect, strong abilities are also within the comprehensive consideration. Even a student council member needed more than two hours to complete the assessment. And it was just barely passing? This... what kind of assessment is this?? ...... Inside the mage tower, Erica was teleported out once again. Looking at the teleportation array in front of her that was gradually dimming, a surge of unwillingness rose in her heart, and she stubbornly plunged in again. Many examinees watching Erica''s repeated entries and exits were a bit bewildered. Because this was already her tenth attempt to challenge again. "Even the top student Erica has to repeatedly challenge? This assessment can''t be that difficult, right... "I just came from another professor''s exam, is it too late to leave now?" The newly arrived examinees asked their surrounding classmates with solemn faces. But those students just glanced at them with a belly full of resentment. Amid the gazes of many students, they couldn''t help but shudder. "Just arrived?" The new examinees nodded, so these people''s expressions softened a bit. "I advise you to try it yourself. After all, you can challenge unlimited times, might as well give it a try." "Experiencing it yourself is more accurate than wild guesses here. You''ll know the difficulty then." After a student finished speaking, he stood up, patted the dust off his body, and walked towards a teleportation array. Other students who had rested enough saw him stand up and also got up, following closely behind. "Let''s continue!" "Damn, if I don''t get past the third round today, I''m not eating dinner." "F***, I haven''t even had lunch yet!" Amidst a chorus of curses and swears, the new examinees watched them, one by one, re-enter the teleportation array. After they disappeared from view, these people blinked in bewilderment. Is it... this intense? Henie watched as the students entered one after another. Along with their heated anger-like emotions, streams of warm magic power flowed back, filling Henie''s body. Finally, a vast voice that didn''t belong to Henie directly resonated in her mind. "Such thick anger!" "I''m facking eating, eating, eating, eating, eating, eating!" Chapter 105: Today, Ill Be the Boss Erica du Cloye, having experienced the challenge numerous times, now appeared completely at ease. After effortlessly resolving the first encounter, she quickly moved on to the second. The positions where the monsters would appear were etched in her memory. Before they could fully materialize in her field of vision, Erica had already cast her spells, launching attacks towards both the sky and the ground. The poor duckbill rats, unable to offer even a hint of resistance, were instantly reduced to well-cooked meat amidst the raging flames. Arriving at the location of the third encounter, Erica had her spells prepared in advance. After experiencing many failures, she had become intimately familiar with the monsters'' attacks. The creatures in the first few levels were no match for her. Erica didn''t even need to waste her ''natural energy''; she could whittle down the monsters'' health bit by bit using only the magic at her disposal. The flying mosquitoes, hidden in the verdant wilderness, launched another sneak attack. This time, however, she merely took a few steps to her right rear, perfectly evading their assault. A fireball, readied long ago, was hurled towards the flying mosquitoes. One, two, three... Swiftly, under Erica''s skillful attacks, the monsters fell in quick succession. A teleportation array, glowing with green light, appeared once again behind Erica, but she didn''t look back. Instead, she walked straight towards the small path that had grown lush amidst the swaying grass. She knew that this would be the true challenge. Passing through the dark forest path, another vast plain appeared before her eyes. This time, there were no foxtails swaying in the wind, only dust flying and scorching earth. Erica walked to the center of the plain, suddenly hearing a rustling sound. On the ground, five mounds of earth began to stir. Without the concealment of grass, they were quite conspicuous. In the sky, five black objects were diving towards her. This was the final test. Simultaneously facing attacks from ten monsters. The first time she entered, Erica had appeared quite flustered. After all, she had never faced a situation where she had to deal with ten monsters at once. The difficulty of facing ten monsters versus five was certainly not as simple as multiplying by two. But after many failures, Erica had become thoroughly familiar with the monsters'' attack patterns. Now, standing here for the tenth time, her gaze held only the confidence of one who must succeed. Without a moment''s hesitation, she relied on muscle memory to retreat from the monsters'' encirclement. She constantly lowered her body, dodging the lunging attacks of the duckbill rats and the corrosive liquid spewed by the bats. As soon as she evaded one attack, the next monster would launch its assault. Multiple monsters continually surrounded Erica, making her feel at times that there was no safe spot to attack from, her survival space constantly being compressed. But this time, Erica was thoroughly prepared. She hid her body behind several duckbill rats. At this moment, the bats were adjusting their posture, filling their bellies with black liquid, leaving them no opportunity to attack Erica. Taking advantage of the moment when the monsters turned, she ignited fierce flames in both hands. [Second-tier Magic: Encircling Flame] The flames from her hands were suddenly flung out, enveloping the two monsters in front of her, completely wrapping them up. The intense burning in the sealed space created an explosive effect. The two monsters were blasted into bloody fragments, gradually dissipating in the air. Seemingly enraged by the demise of their companions, the remaining monsters charged towards Erica, emitting strange "gaga" cries. Stolen novel; please report. Once the number of monsters decreased, the difficulty naturally weakened as well. Erica didn''t panic. Watching the bats diving towards her, she constructed a green formation on the ground. After simply embedding a curious rune into the magic array, she stood still, waiting for the monsters'' attack. Three bats spat their viscous liquid and then attempted to wound Erica with their mouthparts. But the moment they approached, green vines suddenly burst from the sandy ground, trapping the bats'' mouthparts in the gaps between the vines. Erica snapped her fingers, and several spikes protruded from the vine barrier, completely impaling the monsters'' bodies. She clapped her hands, and the vine barrier gradually withered and disappeared, along with the dissipating corpses of the bats. The remaining few duckbill rats and bats were no longer a match for Erica. She formed two water balls in her hands and threw them towards the bats in the air. The powerful impact immediately destabilized the bats, their swaying bodies reducing their diving speed and power considerably. Erica wrapped vines around her hands and suddenly gripped the neck of the foremost bat. Like two long spears, she grabbed the bats and violently thrust their mouthparts towards the charging duckbill rats. The two collided, with the duckbill rat being impaled to death by the bat''s mouthparts. The vines also completely engulfed the bat, leading to its demise. Erica dusted off her hands, looking at the last approaching monster. "For the ones left, why don''t you just finish yourselves off?" Unfortunately, the monster couldn''t understand Erica''s words. It stubbornly spat out a few drops of black, viscous liquid. However, under her overwhelming power, the bat''s viscous liquid acted like a conductor. A bolt of lightning passed through each droplet, striking the bat''s body. The monster convulsed a few times in the air before dissipating under the blazing sun. The attack hadn''t even managed to scratch Erica. Erica blew a breath across her fingertips. Like the sole surviving gunslinger in the Wild West. Looking around at the empty space, Erica didn''t feel hollow, but rather filled with honor and pride. She had succeeded! Suddenly, the surrounding illusion began to change dramatically. The wilderness shattered like a mirror. In an instant, it seemed as if reality and illusion had been separated. "..." Erica blinked, looking at the scene before her that resembled a painting. A gentle breeze blew, and the starry sky rotated. The fields before her eyes seemed to stretch for thousands of miles, Green trees and colorful flowers, blue mountains and clear waters, endless and boundless. In the sky, countless points of light twinkled, as if stars were falling, illuminating the entire world. Windmills swayed, wind chimes rang. Such a wonderful landscape left Erica stunned. She couldn''t help but take a deep breath of fresh air, mixed with the fragrance of soil. Feeling the air fill her tired lungs, she realized for the first time how wonderful air could be. "Congratulations, Erica." "You are the first student to achieve a perfect score." A voice suddenly rang out, seemingly coming from behind the mysterious starry sky. Viktor''s figure slowly appeared, his coat fluttering behind him. The red and green patterns, under the night sky, appeared so mysterious. "Professor Viktor?" Viktor looked at Erica, his gaze seeming somewhat satisfied. "As the first student to pass, I can grant you one reasonable request." "Tell me, what do you want? The power of a mage will be bestowed upon you." ... It had been a long time since Erica had spoken face-to-face with Viktor like this. There were no other living beings in this space except for the two of them. Now, whatever she said would not be interrupted. All her impulses, all her curiosity. Perhaps the person in front of her would answer everything for her. Finally, she thought of a gift that would completely satisfy her. "Professor, I want..." ... "I want to challenge you. I want to know the difference between you and me." Yes. Erica said to herself: I want to know how hard I need to work to catch up to your shadow. Viktor didn''t answer, but the corners of his mouth curved up slightly. As if he had known all along that Erica would say this. "Your choice today will become a badge of courage for your entire life." "Well then." As soon as the words were spoken, the surroundings began to spin instantly. Vast forests suddenly burst forth from the plains, stretching their towering forms towards the sky. Wild flowers and grasses gradually climbed up Erica''s legs, and the night sky was swallowed by a huge sun, the myriad stars seemingly completely melting into the blue sky. Sunlight fell through the dense gaps, landing on Erica''s golden hair. Endless vitality, perfect temperature, nourishing the earth, all things growing wildly. It seemed to carry endless pressure, sweeping towards Erica. On Viktor''s coat, a pair of eyes opened. Between the eyes, red and green heterochromatic light burst forth. It was as if two monstrous beasts were suspended in the sky, hovering behind Viktor. In this moment, Viktor, displaying his full power, Was like a descending calamity. "I accept your challenge." Chapter 106: Beaten by a Big Shot Before Leaving the Newbie Village Viktor, floating in mid-air, fully mobilized his natural energy, causing the red patterns behind him to suddenly light up. Countless plants seemed to transform into lifeless, charred twigs, while the towering trees now appeared to have burning red treetops. White ashes swirled in the air, carried by the howling cold wind. The green leaves turned scorched and red, emitting tiny sparks. The sky was completely obscured by the black smoke rising from the burning trees, with only a few streaks of yellow sunlight barely piercing through the thick darkness. Erica, watching Viktor who resembled a demon god, felt the powerful natural energy rushing towards her like a raging flood. She clearly sensed that her own insignificant magic power, compared to Professor Viktor''s boundless natural energy, was like a gently flowing stream facing a bottomless ocean. Her mind suddenly went blank, with only one remaining thought echoing in her brain This is a deity. Viktor''s hands, entwined with two types of natural energy, seemed to be both praying and summoning as he began to chant obscure incantations. The lush green earth started to crack, with flames rising from the fissures between rocks, and vegetation being scorched by lava. A gigantic flower suddenly burst through the lava, twisting as it reached towards the sky. After several dozen meters, the tattered petals peeled off, revealing flowing patterns of flame. The enormous flower instantly bloomed towards the sky. Instead of any fragrant pollen, terrifying flames mixed with ashes erupted from between its pistils. A pillar of fire, with the momentum of devouring the heavens, shot straight up, piercing through the world. At this moment, the illusory sky shattered under the impact of the powerful natural energy, like an irreparable mirror gradually breaking apart. The powerful fire pillar instantly engulfed the flower, and the green and red energies intertwined, transforming into an enormous white light that spread in all directions, consuming everything and extending for thousands of miles. The world suddenly fell silent. Erica quietly watched as the white light gradually engulfed her completely, yet she was powerless to resist. She opened her mouth, but couldn''t even hear her own voice. It was then that Erica understood, In the face of Viktor''s overwhelming power, There wasn''t even time to feel fear for a moment. Boom As the white light gradually dissipated, sound returned to this shattered world. Everything around had fallen into boundless silence, even the crackling sound of burning had ceased to exist. Only the lonely smoke dispersed, with ashes slowly falling into the bottomless cracks in the earth. Suddenly, a light rain began to fall from the gloomy sky. It pattered on Erica''s stunned body. The cold sensation made Erica regain her senses. She blinked, seemingly unable to believe that she was still alive. As the sweet rain fell, Erica felt as if she had returned to that fierce volcano. However, this time, she could quietly feel the incredibly comforting rain awakening her. After this battle, No, perhaps it''s better to say, after this one-sided crushing, She had personally experienced Viktor''s shocking power. She also clearly recognized the gap between herself and Viktor. It was like the distance between heaven and earth. Viktor''s figure had long since disappeared, leaving only the remnants of this dreamlike illusion continuing to deteriorate. But the shock left in Erica''s heart Could not dissipate for a long time. ...... Inside Viktor''s wizard tower. The scoreboard on the edge of the scroll finally began to ripple, seemingly about to reveal the name of the first student to pass with a perfect score. The students crowded around, bewildered as they looked at the name that appeared. "Erica du Cloye." While they couldn''t even pass, Erica had already managed to achieve a perfect score!? But Erica''s name appearing there seemed somewhat reasonable. If even the top student couldn''t get a perfect score, who else could ace Professor Viktor''s test? Soon, Erica''s form appeared from the teleportation array. Her body was somewhat unsteady, and she looked dazed. Many students rushed forward, asking: "Miss Erica, how did you manage to get a perfect score?" "Miss Erica! How did you solve the encounter in the third stage?" "Miss Erica......" The students bombarded her with their questions, but Erica didn''t respond. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Her eyes were slightly vacant and lifeless, as if she had experienced a catastrophic disaster. Only Henie smiled and said to her: "Congratulations, Erica, you''re the first student to get a perfect score." "Your score will be immediately recorded in your overall results. Now, you can proceed to other exam venues to continue with other tests." Erica slowly raised her head, coming back to her senses, and nodded vaguely. She dragged her body towards the entrance of the wizard tower, disappearing from this space in a few streaks of green light. Many people stared at the dazed Erica, somewhat stunned. No one knew exactly what Erica had experienced. It was a scene capable of completely shattering their worldview. In some ways, these students were fortunate not to have encountered Viktor. But they still had to remain in this exam venue for a while longer. Comparatively, this was unfortunate. ...... The three-day assessment continued, with today being the final day. Generally, by the third day of the assessment, professors no longer needed to maintain the exam venues as they did at the beginning. Most students had already finished, with only a few candidates rushing to complete their progress, or aiming to gather more points by completing all assessment recognitions, continuing to take exams on the last day. Except for the area below Viktor''s wizard tower, which was still surrounded by more people, packed so tightly that not even water could seep through. Compared to before, there were even more reporters from news media. In this scorching weather, even mosquitoes were unwilling to enter the crowd, fearing they might be crushed into pieces by the sea of people in the next second. A large number of students still filled the interior of the wizard tower. Just as the first student who completed the assessment and left the exam venue had said. The pass rate for Professor Viktor''s assessment had become higher and higher. It was unclear when it started, but after the second student passed, it was as if some secret passage had been opened. Students who passed appeared as rapidly as bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Reporters gathered at the base of Viktor''s wizard tower, interviewing every student. But their answers were all the same, and their attitudes were invariably excited. With patience and constant repetition, along with that inexplicable rush, Yes, what supported these students to succeed was actually Viktor''s inconceivable exam rules. Students could retake the exam repeatedly until time ran out. However, it was precisely these monotonous rules that made countless students willing to stay in the wizard tower and keep trying! Wouldn''t they feel bored? Wouldn''t they feel tired? The news media reporters couldn''t understand at all. But what they found most absurd was that even though these students had already passed the assessment, They seemed addicted, returning again and again to challenge themselves! Finally, the bell for the last day rang, signaling the end of the exam. Inside the wizard tower, those students who were still taking the test, whether successful or not, were all hurried out. Some students forced smiles, some beat their chests in frustration. Another group wore proud expressions, with a sense of achievement overflowing from their faces. "Ah, I was so close. If those last two monsters had given me a little more chance, I could have gotten a perfect score." "At least I passed the assessment." The students couldn''t help but sigh. Henie waved both hands, and the scroll gradually rolled up, while the teleportation array in the wizard tower instantly disappeared. "The exam time is up, all candidates can leave the wizard tower now." Some students couldn''t help but ask. "Professor Henie! Will there be more assessments like this in the future?" This novel assessment had an indescribable feeling. It gave many candidates a sense of excitement. They really liked it. Henie nodded at them with an extremely friendly smile. Having received a satisfactory answer, many candidates felt happy. "Yay!" "I really want to attend Professor Viktor''s classes." "Oh no, I''ve graduated!" "I heard Professor Viktor''s lecture will be held in a few days, I''m already looking forward to it." The students left the wizard tower with a mix of excitement, regret, and various other emotions. After they had all left in an orderly manner, Henie remained standing in place. Feeling the vast magic power within her, like an ocean. No one knew what she was thinking at this moment. Henie experimentally raised her arm, and in an instant, a second-tier magic formation appeared in the air. The process of constructing the magic was very smooth and effortless. Henie froze in place. A gentle breeze brushed across her face, and a hand that made her feel at ease was placed on her shoulder. The familiar scent behind her made Henie turn her head in delight. "Professor!" "Not a bad improvement." Viktor responded calmly. In his eyes, Henie''s level had changed dramatically. Level 21 How long did it take Henie to become a mage? It seemed it hadn''t even been half a month. If this were to be made public, it would appear too shocking to the world. During the three-day final exam period, almost all students in the academy participated in this assessment. This unreasonably difficult assessment, coupled with the constant anger generated by the examinees, Had allowed the Wrath Demon on Henie to eat its fill. And all the emotions consumed by the demon were transformed into a source of magic power for Henie. This caused her level to grow as rapidly as a rocket, allowing her to become a second-tier mage in one go. "Keep up the good work, Henie." "I''ll be waiting for you ahead." As the words fell, Viktor took two steps towards the exit of the wizard tower. In the next second, a fierce wind suddenly blew up in the space, Henie''s robes were caught by this gust, and she couldn''t help but lower her head and shield herself with both hands. When the gale dissipated, Henie finally raised her head. But at this moment, Viktor''s figure had already disappeared. "Professor..." Looking ahead, Henie gradually became somewhat dazed. She understood where all this magic power came from. She had received too much help from the professor. It had always been the professor helping her, yet she couldn''t give anything in return. Soon, Henie regained her composure and looked determinedly in the direction Viktor had left. "It''s not enough, still not enough." Just as the professor had said. She was still too weak. "At least, I need to reach the third tier." When a certain desire rises in one''s heart, this desire can transform into endless motivation. For Henie, from beginning to end, she had been working hard for that goal. A red glow gradually appeared on Henie''s body, and a small crocodile lay on top of her head, yawning. What a rich desire. ''Pity, this desire isn''t the kind I like to eat.'' Chapter 107: Why Is He Riding in the Same Carriage as the Princess? The three-day final exams finally concluded. Early the next morning, students sitting at home received their report cards, delivered one by one by Principal Rachel''s [Natural Sparrow]. In an instant, some were joyful while others were worried. But what surprised countless people was that the exam originally deemed the most difficult of this final assessment, Viktor''s unique test, turned out to have the highest pass rate of all the exams this year. A staggering 80%! This left many professionals puzzled. Could there be some inside story to this? After all, this exam had been dubbed the "most difficult" by numerous media outlets. Of course, while the pass rate was indeed higher, very few achieved perfect scores. Barely a hundred people. This was quite unexpected. However, the content of the assessment would not be disclosed to the public initially. No matter how much those media reporters and outsiders inquired, Principal Rachel''s answer remained the same: "We won''t reveal any exam content in the near future. I can only say that Professor Viktor''s assessment was absolutely fair and without any inflation." "If anyone has doubts, three days after the students'' holiday, Professor Viktor will hold a lecture in the academy''s largest auditorium." "At that time, you can ask First Professor Viktor questions during the Q&A session." Principal Rachel''s responses to all interviews were watertight and skillful. After all, as an old mage, he naturally knew what to say and when. News of this lecture prepared by Viktor quickly spread throughout the capital. It naturally became a topic of interest among many nobles. The Kravina family was now at its peak, and Viktor was no longer despised by everyone as he had been before. After all, with titles such as the Princess''s private tutor, First Professor of the Magic Academy, and Councilor... Viktor, adorned with countless titles, was not someone an ordinary noble could afford to provoke. Was there anyone who still looked down on Viktor now? They''d better consider their own capabilities first. Viktor''s influence was enormous, and many nobles were begging to secure a spot to attend the lecture. Even those with status and background found it difficult to obtain a position for this lecture. It was truly worth its weight in gold. ...... Viktor watched silently as Lia busied herself before him. One moment she changed his tie, the next she switched his shirt. Lia was meticulously arranging Viktor''s attire and appearance. "Ready!" Finally, she put her hands on her hips, satisfied with her masterpiece. Before her, Viktor had changed from his old coat into a black tailcoat. He wore white gloves on his hands, and a straight black and white striped tie adorned his chest. A pair of shiny leather shoes seemed to reflect dazzling light, making him look very spirited. Lia seemed very pleased with her handiwork, constantly examining Viktor, admiring her brother''s alluring appearance. "Not bad." Viktor looked at Lia standing before him. Although she was also planning to attend this lecture and had prepared her gown early, she had delayed changing into it to help him dress up, even as the lecture was about to begin. So, Viktor expressed his gratitude. "Thank you." "Hm?" Lia glanced at Viktor, slightly displeased. "Don''t think too much of it. You represent our Kravina family, so you must dress to show your quality." After saying this, she looked back at Viktor in the mirror, narrowing her eyes and smiling gently, very satisfied as she said: "You better shine brightly for me." Knock! Knock! A gentle knocking sound came from the door. "Come in." Thinking it was a servant, Lia called out towards the door. But it was Henie who pushed the door open and entered. She was still wearing that black robe, looking rather plain and unfashionable. As the associate professor and formerly Viktor''s assistant, Henie naturally had to appear at such an occasion to help. Lia had originally wanted to give Henie a makeover as well, but Viktor immediately refused. Why? This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Not everyone had witnessed Henie''s charm beneath that robe. If this succubus with demonic qualities were to unleash her allure, the entire auditorium might fall into chaos because of her. The next morning, Henie could prepare to make the headlines. "Professor! Here''s the prepared speech for you!" Henie had come running, slightly out of breath, but didn''t forget to take out a thin stack of speech notes. Viktor took them and glanced over them. There were some opening pleasantries and format templates for responding to media questions. Henie still felt a bit guilty and said: "If only there was more time, I definitely could have written out the lecture content for you, Professor!" "You''ve done very well already." Viktor lightly praised Henie, snapped his fingers, and the speech notes in his hand dissolved into twinkling points of light in the air. Just one glance was enough for Viktor to memorize everything completely. "As for the lecture content, I''ve already prepared it." Vega flew to his shoulder, and Viktor continued: "It''s time to depart." ....... Royal Magic Academy. Many people jostled each other as they slowly made their way towards the grand lecture hall. Inside the hall, four deep red silk curtains hung gently from the ceiling, and under the focused lighting, the golden wood podium appeared even brighter. The seating area below was dimly lit, and those who arrived early quickly took their seats. Tonight''s lecture had a very large audience, and most of those able to attend were of very distinguished status. Even the Royal Knight Order had received overtime orders to personally manage the order. Gwen was at the forefront of the Knight Order, looking valiant. Her silver-white armor was smooth and gleaming, like a cold and stern Valkyrie. Several luxurious carriages slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the academy. The dark purple carriage signified the noble status of its occupants. The media immediately turned their attention to the carriage. "That''s... the crest of the Cloye family, isn''t it?" The carriage door slowly opened. Duke Levi was the first to step out of the carriage, appearing in the media''s view. Closely following him was the golden-haired Erica. The media present were momentarily stunned. "It''s the Duke and his genius daughter!" "I heard Erica is currently the youngest and most talented second-tier mage, and she''s likely to reach the third tier soon. Wonder if it''s true." "She''s incredibly beautiful!" But Erica paid no attention to the media and walked straight towards the lecture hall inside the academy. The Duke, however, waved to the media and then greeted other nobles cordially. Subsequently, a white stallion trotted up to the front of the Magic Academy. A group of guards followed behind the carriage, leaving the media even more stunned. It was someone from the royal family. The door of the golden carriage slowly opened, and two princes stepped down from the same carriage, adjusted their formal attire, and confidently strode towards the academy. Both princes walked into the lecture hall with amiable smiles. Along the way, they occasionally nodded and smiled at the media. "Wow!" "The two princes are so respectful of each other." "Even the royal family places such importance on Viktor''s lecture, it''s truly astonishing." People were even more amazed by Viktor''s ''connections''. Without realizing it, his influence had spread throughout the entire capital. But what surprised everyone was the absence of Viktor''s student. That rumored Princess hadn''t come? Amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, they noticed. A carriage driven by magical power was approaching the academy. A carriage without horses seemed to symbolize the status of its owner. The door opened automatically, and the protagonist of today''s lecture was the first to step out. Viktor. He wore a jet-black tailcoat with pristine white gloves. One hand held to his chest, he bowed elegantly towards the carriage interior and extended his other hand forward. From inside the carriage, a mysterious lady placed her fair hand on Viktor''s palm and slowly stepped down from the carriage. It was Aurelianne. She wore a white gown adorned with sparkling jewels that shimmered under the moonlight. A hairpin held up her long hair, giving her a touch of mature charm. Beneath her pure white gown, she appeared so gentle and beautiful even in the lamplight. Her aura was like that of a fairy tale character who had stepped out of the moonlight. The media were completely stunned, even dropping their recording crystals which rolled away. The Princess actually arrived in the same carriage as Viktor?? Huh? Who wouldn''t be confused seeing this? After alighting from the carriage, Aurelianne lifted her skirt with both hands and curtsied gracefully to Viktor in thanks. Afterwards, she walked towards the lecture hall first. As she passed by Gwen, she smiled and nodded at the knight commander. Gwen blinked in confusion but returned a smile to Aurelianne. After the Princess had proceeded to the lecture hall, a group of reporters hurriedly picked up their recording crystals from the ground. Not caring whose model they grabbed, they all surged towards Viktor. Given this situation, they were determined to get first-hand information from Viktor. Gwen frowned slightly. The Knight Order was here to maintain order, but these media personnel didn''t seem to take the Knight Order seriously. Originally, she thought Viktor would use magic to keep all these reporters at bay, but Viktor didn''t do so. He just stood there, allowing the group of reporters to surround him. At this point, Gwen had to step in. She walked behind Viktor, her armor clanking, and led several knights to surround Viktor. "Maintain order, your behavior is only causing us trouble!" The knights separated the group of reporters, and Gwen watched the disappointed faces of these people, yet remained as cold as ever. She turned back to look at Viktor. He wasn''t at all flustered by the media''s encirclement, appearing so elegant and proper. But Gwen couldn''t help but frown and said to Viktor: "Why don''t you drive them away." Viktor clearly had the means to leave on his own. Even without using magic, he could have accompanied the Princess. But he specifically stood in place, until the Princess left, and even without the protective umbrella, he still stood alone. As if waiting for someone. Who else could he be waiting for? Thinking of this, Gwen felt a bit angry. Viktor didn''t seem to realize what kind of commotion he was causing now. But Viktor just glanced at her, his voice soft: "I was waiting for you to come and rescue me." "I knew you wouldn''t watch me get into trouble." "..." Gwen was slightly stunned. In a daze, she seemed to see Viktor''s lips curling up slightly. Only his voice remained, echoing in Gwen''s ears. "Escort me, will you?" "My lady knight." Chapter 108: Who Introduces Themselves Like That? Upon hearing Viktor''s request, Gwen maintained a neutral expression. After all, as he had addressed her, she was a knight, and thus, she would serve Viktor. She walked in front, with Viktor following behind. The two moved one after another towards the lecture hall. This scene was witnessed by countless onlookers, all of whom expressed looks of amazement. "Is that... Knight Commander Gwen?" "Knight Commander Gwen is actually walking with Viktor. Are they really that close?" "Of course, they''re engaged to be married!" The media reporters all revealed envious expressions, and the rising and falling exclamations made Gwen feel quite uncomfortable. Her earlobes turned red from embarrassment. "These reporters are really annoying," was the only thought in Gwen''s mind. However, the reporters paid no heed to Gwen''s feelings. They observed this newsworthy scene, continuously recording it with magic stones. Viktor walking together with Gwen naturally provided material for a good story. After all, Viktor was now both a fourth-tier mage and a member of the Mage Council. Dressed in his gentleman''s attire, he exuded an air of stability and mature masculinity. "Knight Commander Gwen and Professor Viktor really make a good match." "Yes, indeed." Amidst the constant chatter, Gwen could only pretend not to care and quickly escort Viktor to the lecture hall. Finally, the two entered the hall together. The originally noisy lecture hall suddenly fell silent upon Viktor''s entrance. Viktor nodded to Gwen behind him, indicating that she need not accompany him further, while he himself walked towards the podium. The lights in the lecture hall suddenly dimmed, with several beams of warm yellow light focusing on Viktor. Dressed in a black tailcoat, he looked noble and elegant. He adjusted his tie and faced the audience. The entire lecture hall was packed to capacity. Gwen stood in a dim corner. She didn''t leave immediately but quietly watched Viktor standing in the spotlight. Seeing him as the center of attention, she couldn''t help but stare in a daze. The Viktor in her memory had never been like this before. Confident, proud, and powerful. He had changed. He was no longer so detestable, No longer so sinister and ugly. Finally, Gwen cast one last reluctant glance at Viktor, turned her head, and walked towards the dim doorway. The entire lecture hall was completely silent, as if each guest in the audience could only hear the breathing of those nearby. The crow on Viktor''s shoulder raised its head, scanning the crowd. Aurelianne, Lia, Erica... Many familiar faces. The princess smiled as she stared at Viktor, appearing very gentle and refined. Lia''s eyes were also full of excitement. Vega could see that she was cheering Viktor on. As for Erica... Her eyes were full of admiration, with a hint of melancholy. It could even see the two princes sitting among the crowd, surrounded by many nobles. Behind the podium, Henie secretly looked at the audience, fully prepared. ''Professor, please call me if you need anything!'' Viktor waved his hand behind him and looked forward again. Rachel sat in the front row of the podium, leaning on his cane, stroking his long beard with a kind smile. "Professor Viktor." The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "You may begin." Viktor tugged at his collar, raised his head, his gaze exuding full confidence, appearing so bright under the lights. "I''m delighted to see you all." "I am Viktor Kravina, the chief professor of the Royal Magic Academy, current member of the twelve councilors of the Mage Council, and a fourth-tier mage proficient in all magic systems." Starting with a self-introduction was a requirement noted in the speech draft. But this long string of achievements right at the beginning felt like a stunning slap to the large audience. What was this? Were these accomplishments possible for someone of his age? Countless people expressed bewilderment, but Viktor paid no attention to the shock below the stage. Even when facing thousands of people, he remained as calm as ever, his indifferent voice continuing to sound. "The topic is ''The Feasibility of Training Using Magically Shaped Real Combat Battlefields''" Whoosh The opening lecture topic was enough to amaze every listener present. Using magic to shape real combat sites? For training? This novel concept was something they had never even heard of. Only a few students and professors who knew the inside story of that assessment revealed knowing smiles. "As you all know, I am a combat mage." Viktor''s voice rang out, and the quiet audience below nodded in strong agreement. Mages were divided into different factions. Such as healing-focused mages, construction-focused artisan mages... But a mage''s strength inevitably had its specialized areas. Combat mages were a relatively common type, as they focused more on destructive power. Similar to Duke Levi, he was a long-standing combat mage. Everyone among the nobles present knew this well. Once upon a time, Duke Levi single-handedly wiped out three hundred thousand cult members at the border. His reputation for strength was well-known, but compared to Viktor... He seemed to fall a bit short. That crater blasted out in the academy was still kept as a scenic spot for people to admire. "As you all know, to become a combat mage, practical combat experience is indispensable." "But after my two tests, I realized that most students have never experienced real combat, and can only use simple formulaic magic." This point was also agreed upon by many people. Even though some were not mages themselves, the importance of practical experience was self-evident. But the Royal Magic Academy couldn''t do this. Because they didn''t dare to take risks. Within the academy, although there were quite a few commoner students who might have some initial understanding of magical beasts, Most were still those noble students. The frail bodies of mages, for the most part, could not withstand a single attack from those magical beasts outside the royal capital. This was also why, when Aurelianne killed a forest ogre, the news spread throughout the royal capital, shocking the entire mage community into silence. Although there was assistance from lecturers in the academy, if they were to start practical combat courses, they could provide supervision and protection. However, under careful care, it would actually reduce the teaching effect of practical combat. Conversely, if it were too relaxed, the lives of those students would be threatened. The academy was a place of education; they couldn''t joke with students'' lives. To protect the students, they could only focus more of the students'' energy on theoretical courses. Only occasional practical classes would allow students to try their hand at hitting wooden dummies. Students who had been in school longer might have some skill, but the actions of new students were practically indistinguishable from ordinary people. Many people couldn''t help but recall Viktor''s behavior that day. Challenging a group of students single-handedly, standing motionless on the arena. So Viktor was actually testing for this? "Therefore, in the content of the final exam, I implemented an early test of today''s topic." As Viktor''s words fell, the audience below all pricked up their ears, full of anticipation. That''s right, what many people were looking forward to was that final exam whose content had never been revealed. And this exam seemed to be about to get an answer in Viktor''s lecture. Henie backstage was already fully prepared, quickly projecting the prepared magic stone images from above the podium. A flash of light passed, and a shadow-like screen gradually appeared, floating in midair. In the image, many students were fighting in that lush reed marsh, Fire, ice, flowing water, rocks... The students were releasing the magic they had learned with abandon, facing several small magical beasts for the exam. Some failed and were dejected, but quickly gathered courage to challenge again. Some succeeded, their faces showing proud and accomplished smiles. Among them, Duke Levi even saw Erica''s figure in the flashing images, seeing his daughter narrowly deal with the final ten magical beasts that appeared simultaneously. He felt an indescribable sense of gratification and joy in his heart. "The above scenes are from the student perspective of this assessment." The image dissipated like smoke, and Viktor said calmly. Finally, someone raised a question. It was a noble mage, the weathering and wrinkles on his face showing the deep thought of a battle-hardened and elderly person. He raised his hand, slowly stood up, and asked: "Professor Viktor, I have a question." "As you say, how is the safety issue of the students resolved?" Viktor looked down at him and explained expressionlessly: "As you can see, after receiving a fatal attack, students are automatically teleported to a safe location." The old mage nodded and sat back down. But questions sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain: "Professor Viktor, may I ask, how do these magical beasts appear? Won''t they lose their sanity?" "Professor Viktor, how is this separate space formed?" "Professor Viktor, can this really achieve the effect of training students?" "Professor Viktor..." Viktor extended his hand and pressed down, lowering everyone''s voices. "There are too many questions, I won''t answer them one by one." "I think seeing is believing, and solving everything at once is my preferred method." With these words, the entire lecture hall suddenly fell silent. Everyone was a bit confused, their gazes fixed on Viktor, very curious to know how Viktor would answer their questions. Viktor spread his hands. "Get ready." "Don''t blink." No one noticed that Vega''s single eye slowly lit up with a faint blue light. Instantly, rampant vegetation began to appear above the lecture hall, large patches of dense forest like puzzle pieces, gathering from the ground, air, and surroundings towards where the guests were, instantly forming a lush forest. Although it was night, the sun hung high in the sky, warmly shining on everyone''s faces. Many people still felt they were sitting in chairs in the academy lecture hall, but the breeze around them and the sunlight hitting their faces all told them: This was already another place. Viktor stood in the sunlight, like a messenger descended from the sky. Soon, the surrounding seeds began to take root and sprout, flowers visibly began to bloom, and insects peeked out from the back of the wild grass. Not far away, huge flower buds suddenly bloomed, and countless magical beasts with flower petals on their heads and entangled with vines leapt out. In an instant, Viktor was surrounded by tens of thousands of magical beasts, as if leading an army of magical creatures. Like a towering general, he stood on the treetops and smiled faintly at everyone: "This is the main part of today''s lecture." "I call it Instance." Chapter 109: The Episode Where the Protagonist Talks the Most "What... what is this place?" All the guests present were shocked, even the two princes slowly stood up, surveying the dense forest around them. Was this space actually constructed by magic? The crown prince touched a nearby thick tree trunk, and the sensation on his fingers told him: This space seemed no different from the real world. Even the sounds of insects and the fragrance of flowers could be created out of thin air. Such a vibrant scene, if not seen with one''s own eyes, would be unbelievable in a lifetime. But... it seemed to be missing something. However, most people were still shocked by Viktor''s magical power. The entire lecture hall could accommodate thousands of people, yet Viktor alone had transported everyone here!? Even Rachel in the front row touched the wild grass nearby, feeling surprised. He sensed that the way this space was created was similar to his own Sea of Knowledge. Recalling that Viktor had been there before, Rachel thought he might have found inspiration from the Sea of Knowledge. But even Rachel himself couldn''t construct it instantly like Viktor did. And paint this space so naturally. As the surrounding crowd came to their senses, they became even more confused when they saw the magical beasts surrounding Viktor. Those magical beasts seemed like Viktor''s loyal guards. They would only obey Viktor''s commands. Magic that creates magical beasts? This... This marvelous magical power made them feel incredibly surprised. But no one would ask Viktor exactly how he did it. However, everyone became aware of the last thing Viktor had said. "Instance?" They noticed this novel word. Naturally, they had never heard such a modern term before. And Viktor wouldn''t forget to give them a subsequent explanation. "As long as there''s enough magical power, more identical versions of this space can be created." "The space range can also be reduced to decrease the consumption of magical power." "If conditions are sufficient, then after some students enter here, another group of students can enter an identical area, but these two groups of students won''t encounter each other, nor will there be any mutual interference." "This way, every student can benefit in such a space without any negative impact on other students." Some people listened to the explanation while falling into thought, carefully examining this space, and suddenly widened their eyes. Hiss! None of those who could appear here were fools. Soon, they all realized what an incredible new invention this was. In Viktor''s proposal, they imagined that future scene. Schools no longer need to worry about what risks students might encounter when joining actual combat, and will use this as a training ground to cultivate more battle mages. When those mage students graduate, each student will possess more proficient and powerful practical combat skills. But there were even more impacts. This kind of thing that only mages could do would inevitably further elevate the status of mages. Because the beneficiaries were not just mages. Warriors, magic users, knights... and various other professions. All could be cultivated through such methods. Similar to the Royal Knights, the annual selection would result in countless casualties. With such conditions, the royal family could adjust casualties to a minimum, and even the possibility of zero casualties might occur! Whether for the people or the country. This would bring an unprecedented prosperity to the Empire! "This..." "Viktor''s position as a councilor... is truly, without any inflation." "Genius, he really is a genius." Soon, everyone recalled Viktor''s reputation as a genius. His power and fame even made everyone overlook his current age. A fourth-tier mage at just twenty-nine years old. Viktor clapped his hands, and suddenly, the surrounding illusion began to collapse and dissipate like watercolor smoke. Various sceneries mixed together, falling towards the ground. Bursts of falling dust puffed up. As the watercolors dispersed, everyone returned to reality. The crowd returned to the lecture hall, the two princes slowly sat down, while Viktor was still standing on the podium where the lights converged. Until their eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, they realized they had returned to the academy''s lecture hall. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. But at this moment, everyone''s mood was completely different from before. Actually, many people didn''t have much hope for this lecture, thinking Viktor would at most explain some common topics. As the first lecture of his teaching career, playing it safe would be a normal thing. However, no one expected Viktor to be so bold! His topic exceeded the expectations of everyone present. Actual combat would be dangerous? Well, then practice repeatedly in this environment called ''instance''. Countless repetitions, challenges without fear of death, would eventually gain enough practical experience. Even Rachel was extremely excited, couldn''t help but pat the chair. "Professor Viktor, where did your inspiration for this come from?" As soon as the words fell, Rachel realized that such a question was too impolite. So he adjusted his emotions and said again: "I''m sorry, Professor Viktor, you don''t need to mind this question." "It''s alright, I can answer for you." Viktor tugged at his collar and said calmly: "Princess Aurelianne." As the words fell, that princess, like a bright pearl in the dark night, slowly stepped onto the podium under everyone''s gaze. The two princes also smiled as they watched their sister come on stage, their eyes full of gratification. Aurelianne unhurriedly came to Viktor''s front and gracefully curtsied to him. "Teacher." Viktor nodded to her, then looked at everyone and explained: "I think everyone should still remember the incident where the princess single-handedly killed the ''Forest Demon'' some time ago." That event spread far and wide under the influence of the royal family, and everyone naturally knew it very well. Could it be that today''s topic was also related to the princess? Amidst everyone''s confusion, Viktor calmly said: "When I was teaching the princess, she once mentioned to me." "If there could be a challenge that repeats endlessly until success, wouldn''t that be more interesting?" "So, I designed a unique ''challenge'' for her." As Viktor spoke lightly, everyone present imagined that terrifying scene. Rather than terrifying, it was more like it shook their minds. The fifteen-year-old princess, when facing that powerful Forest Demon. She tried again and again, repeating that challenge over and over. Falling down time after time, trying again, falling again, trying again. Even when exhausted, she refused to give up. Perhaps it was the body driving the brain, and finally, relying on extremely familiar experience, she defeated that seemingly insurmountable powerful enemy. Many people found it hard to believe that this topic was actually designed based on the princess''s inspiration? "To think the princess had such wisdom..." "Indeed, the rumors about her being just a figurehead were false." "How could anyone from the royal family be simple..." The nobles whispered among themselves, but all these words were heard by Viktor. He was very satisfied with everyone''s reaction, because this was exactly what he intended to say. Gwen wasn''t here, so no one could discern the truth in his words. Viktor could naturally lie through his teeth as he pleased. "This topic will be supported in the princess''s name in the future, and will undergo a one-semester trial at the Royal Magic Academy." "Well then, this lecture is now concluded." As the words fell, the entire lecture hall was once again brightly lit, and enthusiastic applause echoed throughout the huge hall, lingering for a long time. Viktor bowed deeply amidst the praise, shock and excitement of the crowd, and left the podium. Countless media headed outside the hall, chasing after Viktor who had already left. But after this lecture, there were still countless silent eyes in the audience, looking up at the stage. The wise ones had already thought deeper. ...... At this time, the capital was extremely lively. Various excited and exhilarated emotions spread throughout the city, not just among the common people, but even the royal family was the same. Viktor''s public lecture achieved great success. Even by the next day, the headlines of countless newspapers were all about Viktor''s ideas. "This 29-year-old genius mage is about to lead a brand new era called ''Instance''" Yes, countless people were crazy about it. If such a topic could really be completed, it would be of great significance to the entire empire. Especially since Viktor''s experiment. It also had the royal family''s name as a guarantee. That''s right, that mysterious princess would support Viktor in her name. This news quickly spread like wildfire, and countless mages even wanted to find Viktor to participate in this experiment. Just so that in the future, their names could leave a mark on this topic. The news spread throughout the empire, vaguely showing signs of spreading beyond the empire. But there''s no need to worry. Because the core technology of this topic has always been in Viktor''s hands. As a fourth-tier mage, and also a councilor. How could he worry about threats from others? ...... The news spread as fast as birds. Meanwhile, at the Delin mansion, in the training ground. Early in the morning, Kevla sat in a chair resting her face on her hand, watching Gwen training day after day. The person practicing swordsmanship in front of her was still Viktor wearing that coat. Although he was in the midst of the outside whirlpool, he seemed to be completely unaffected. In Gwen''s home, he was free from distractions, with only the sword in his hand on his mind. Clang! The two long swords clashed together, the blades vibrating slightly as they both exerted force and retreated at the same time. The two very tacitly sheathed their long swords at their waists and hung them on the nearby weapon rack. Gwen looked at Viktor, her eyes still filled with that satisfaction. Viktor''s skill naturally needed no explanation, it was extremely proficient. And after a period of training, his physical fitness was gradually catching up. Perhaps soon, Viktor would be able to move on to the next stage of practice. Viktor just shook his hands, once again washing himself clean with a cleaning spell, and as usual, said goodbye to Gwen before hurriedly leaving. Every time at this moment, Gwen would watch Viktor''s back as he left. Until he was completely gone. Kevla looked at Gwen, who seemed to have turned into a ''waiting wife stone'', and couldn''t help but pout: "If you want him so much, just keep him here." "Really, you''re such an unconscious fiance." Hearing this, Gwen''s cheeks flushed red, and she angrily said: "Sister! Don''t talk nonsense! Why would I keep him?" "Viktor is just here to practice swordsmanship." Kevla clicked her tongue twice and shrugged. "Say whatever you want, but I have to notify you of something." "Viktor''s influence is too great, so great that in just one day, news about him has spread all over the North." Gwen was stunned, seemingly not quite understanding Kevla''s meaning. However, Kevla just looked towards the north and said calmly: "Father has also heard about Viktor''s affairs, so he hopes I''ll bring you home for a while." "He wants to talk to you in person about your engagement to Viktor." Chapter 110: Should I Call the Police If Im Sexually Harassed? As Kevla spoke, Gwen''s gaze dimmed. From a young age, Gwen had been shaped by the code of righteous knights, orienting herself towards justice and constantly honing her knightly skills to strengthen herself. But her father was different. Angus Delin. He was an absolute utilitarian, viewing his offspring as tools to gain benefits for himself. Because the young Gwen, due to her excessive righteousness, could not bring him any benefits, Angus Delin sent her to the Knight''s Order to learn combat skills early on, never inquiring about her again. This resulted in Gwen having almost no childhood, emerging from endless grueling training since she was young. As for Gwen and Viktor''s engagement? After Viktor''s father died, this engagement seemed to become a joke. The Kravina family seemed to have completely forgotten about it, after all, Viktor was the one in charge. As the head of the family, if Viktor didn''t want to fulfill this engagement, he could naturally choose to ignore it. And what''s more ridiculous. Because Viktor became the head of the Kravina family, coupled with Viktor''s behavior of wasting nearly nine years, Gwen''s father believed that Viktor could not bring benefits to the Delin family. This engagement hanging over Gwen became a transparent existence. Only a part of the nobles knew about her engagement to Viktor. Until now. In a daze, Gwen saw Kevla waving a hand in front of her. "Gwen? Little Gwen?" Gwen''s eyes gradually focused, looking at Kevla''s fingers, she lowered her head: "Sorry, I was lost in thought." Kevla sighed, holding her forehead. She knew how much her sister hated those people at home. But this matter, even as the elder sister, she couldn''t make the decision. "So, are you going back?" Gwen lowered her head, clenching her fists, without making any response. ...... "The North?" Viktor sat at the desk, one leg crossed over the other, leaning against the leather chair back, fiddling with a novel item in his hand. It was two iron tags. Lia frowned as she watched Viktor intently engraving strange yet intricate runes on them. When she looked closer again, the patterns on the iron tags had disappeared. After so many years, Lia had long lost interest in things like magic. So she didn''t say much, just shrugged and patted the envelope on the desk in front of Viktor. "That''s what Uncle Angus said. It''s up to you whether to go or not. If you don''t go, I''ll decline for you." Early this morning, Viktor''s mansion received this letter from the Delin main family in the northern border of the empire. The content of the envelope was clear and concise, intending to invite Viktor to visit the Delin family. His "Uncle Angus" had some words he wanted to say to him. Viktor put down the iron tags in his hand, supporting his elbow on the armrest of the chair, holding his head in thought. Did he have time now? He had plenty of time. After the lecture, the academy was on holiday, and he had a long vacation. But his identity as a professor should be little known outside the capital. Until yesterday''s successful lecture topic, his professor title spread along with it. But it had only been one night. "It seems this uncle is very concerned about me." Thinking carefully, it was normal. After all, he became a professor with Gwen''s help. Perhaps the other party had also used the family''s influence. But it was hard not to feel that it was premeditated when the other party caught his vacation time to invite him. So, Viktor''s answer was... "Go, why not?" He slowly opened his eyes and answered calmly. Lia was surprised, not expecting Viktor to agree to attend such a troublesome invitation. She had thought that her coming to deliver the message was just a formality. "Gwen will go back too, right?" "Oh, you even know this?" Lia raised her eyebrows. Indeed, that uncle had already notified Gwen. At this time, she might already be preparing to go home. "Let her know that I will go back with her." "What?" Lia could hardly believe Viktor''s request. What''s wrong with her brother recently, has he become enlightened? Although somewhat confused, she still turned and left, obediently going to do as told. After Lia left, Vega opened its hazy single eye. "So, are we going out to play?" This crow seemed to treat this matter as tourism. But for Viktor, this indeed counted as a risk-free tour. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. "Angus Delin wants to invite me to the northern border for a trip, and incidentally call Gwen back early." "Obviously, he might want to do something about my engagement with Gwen." Vega looked at Viktor with some surprise. "How are you so sure?" Viktor pointed at its head, smiling faintly. "If you don''t use your brain, you can donate it to someone who needs it." Vega felt very angry because it heard that the other party was calling it brainless. "Why should I use my brain? I''m just a crow." "No problem, I respect you." Viktor picked up the two iron tags again, engraving magic power on them, and explained calmly: "In everyone''s eyes, my relationship with Gwen has always been ''fianc and fiance''." "Only this can serve as the motive for this uncle." He called Gwen back in advance, perhaps wanting to say something to Gwen beforehand. Then he might as well go with Gwen, and deal with whatever comes. Viktor liked to do this. Finally, something seemed to have been engraved on the two iron tags. Two primordial powers seemed to be infused into the cards, representing the power of ''fire'' and ''wood'' under two colors. On the back of the iron tags, a portrait of a ''joker'' was also engraved. On the side, a line of text was engraved. ''joker'' Vega curiously widened its eyes, tilting its head to look at the appearance of the two cards. "Are you serious?" "Did you really make two jokers? But what''s with this portrait, did you draw two clowns?" "No." Viktor tapped the table with his finger, and the two cards stood up straight. On the front of the cards, flickering flowing light seemed to be visible, vaguely as if the two clowns had come to life and were staring at the outside world. A faint energy radiated outward, but it was still possible to feel that it was a very extraordinary and powerful aura. Viktor''s eyes revealed a smile, looking at the two masterpieces with satisfaction. "They are trump cards." The cards instantly returned to Viktor''s waist, and that energy dissipated into the air with it, leaving no trace. Viktor stood up, patted Vega, and said calmly: "Let''s go see Henie." "I have some business with her." Vega flapped its wings and stood steadily on Viktor''s shoulder, quietly leaving the study with Viktor. At this time, Henie liked to stay in the garden. After receiving confirmation from the servants, Viktor walked towards the garden. And as soon as he entered the garden, he saw the scene before him: Cocotte and Henie were mixed in the flower beds, with Cocotte lying on a cloud. Cocotte was slowly constructing a formation in the air, drawing and explaining to Henie beside her: "Here, the Rune script can be inserted, which will cause the vibration of wood element magic, making it more flexible." "What about here?" Henie pointed to a blank space in the formation in the air. "If we connect the Rune script here, wouldn''t it be better to construct a new line between the Kaya scripts?" "No, no, this would make the magic vibration irregular, too flexible means unstable, then guess what would happen?" "Explosion." "That''s right." As a second-tier mage, Henie could now study and use more profound and complex magic. The two seemed to be discussing magic enthusiastically. After all, Cocotte was an old mage who had lived for who knows how long. As a former councilor, she could certainly be called a ''master'' in terms of knowledge. Cocotte, who was lecturing with her eyes closed, suddenly felt the sunlight in front of her dim. As if sensing some crisis, she suddenly opened her eyes. Viktor''s face appeared before her eyes. She immediately became alert, and the cloud beneath her quickly floated back a few inches. "Vi... Viktor, what are you doing here?" "I''m telling you in advance, I''m on holiday now, don''t think about making me work!" Without waiting for Viktor to say another word, Cocotte hurriedly kicked the cloud beneath her, and the cloud, transformed into a crying face, quickly carried Cocotte away. Seeing Viktor, Henie, who was overjoyed, didn''t care that Cocotte hadn''t gone far, and hurried towards Viktor. "Professor!" So Viktor casually rubbed Henie''s head. A warm current rose from Henie''s heart, and Henie was content. Although she had already become a second-tier mage, the experience points contributed by such daily head pats were not too much, but Viktor would still do it if he could. After patting her head, Viktor calmly said. "I will be leaving for some time in the coming days." "During this time, you need to pay more attention to things at home." He definitely couldn''t count on that shut-in elf, even tying up a dog would be better at watching the house than Cocotte. So he still had to ask Henie for help. Henie was stunned, she wanted to say that Miss Lia was there, but the words on the tip of her tongue became: "Where are you going?" "The northern border of the empire." Viktor answered calmly. "Lia has business to do in the territory, she can''t always handle affairs in the capital." "If you have any difficulties, go find that elf. When it comes to major issues, she won''t be lazy." Henie didn''t know what to say, feeling a bit disappointed, but still nodded. "Oh." Will it be a long time before I can see the professor? "By the way, give me Leighton." Henie nodded, she never questioned any reason for the professor''s requests. A red mass slowly coalesced from Henie''s body, and a small crocodile lay on Henie''s shoulder. It lazily yawned. "What are we eating today?" It had just asked this question when it saw the cold-as-ice Viktor in front of it, and suddenly shuddered. "Bi... Big brother!" "Don''t get excited, Leighton." Viktor stared at it for a moment, reached out his hand, and took Leighton into his hand. The small crocodile couldn''t move in his palm, it could only hear one sentence. "I''ll take you to eat something better." After saying this, Leighton''s consciousness retreated back into darkness, once again imprisoned. After doing all this, Viktor turned to leave, but saw Henie in front of him looking a bit shy. "What''s wrong, Henie?" When his subordinate''s state was off, he naturally had to show more concern. Henie just stole a glance at him, as if somewhat timid, and said in a very soft voice. "Could you, come a little closer?" Viktor didn''t quite understand, but he still tried his best to fulfill Henie''s request. "Like this?" He had almost walked to Henie''s front, at this distance, just reaching out, he could hug her. Viktor might know what Henie wanted. Probably a hug, after all, she liked it. But Henie didn''t do so, she just mustered up a little courage, looked up at Viktor, and continued to say: "Could you, lower your head a little?" "I want to tell you something." It must be too shy, some words are difficult to say. Viktor did as told, bending down as much as possible. Even so, Henie still had to stand on tiptoe to bring her mouth to Viktor''s ear. And she indeed did so. She tried hard to stand on tiptoe, wanting to whisper something to Viktor. Before Viktor could make any reaction, it was like a delicate bird lightly pecking on a tree. When he came to his senses, a trace of moisture had already been left on his cheek. He was slightly stunned, his gaze looking forward. Among the green leaves, the shy girl stood gracefully, her face flushed red, smiling slightly. "Professor." "I like you." The wind brushed past his ears, and the girl left in a panic. Only the softness that had once been on his face remained. Cleaner than the wind. Chapter 111: Press 1 for Lia to See You Off Erica had started preparing everything early. In recent days, she had been learning about the northern frontier of the empire. There were two relatively powerful forces in the empire''s northern frontier. One was the Delin family, a knightly house guarding the northern border. The other was a group of mages and magicians called the ''Pale Mage Association''. The Mage Association''s territory lay further north compared to the Delin family''s lands. That area already belonged to the extreme northern ice fields, a land of bitter cold. The land was covered by snow year-round, and deep inside lived a group of barbarian humans who were unafraid of the severe cold. These barbarians, with physical qualities far superior to ordinary people, were called ''Beasts''. The ''Beasts'' often invaded the empire''s territory, burning, killing, and looting the villages and towns on the edge, committing all manner of atrocities. Thus, the empire''s northern frontier defense policy was aimed at these barbarians. And Erica was heading to the mage alliance in the northernmost part, near the extreme northern snow fields. She would undergo two months of training there. "Are you ready, Erica?" her father''s voice sounded from outside the door, and Erica hurriedly replied. "Yes, father." Erica had prepared everything. In the last illusion, she had challenged Viktor. Viktor''s earth-shattering magical power didn''t plunge Erica into prolonged depression and despair. Instead, it sparked more competitiveness and aspiration within her. She was more eager than ever to become a powerful mage like Professor Viktor. "I can set off now." ...... Erica, wearing a cloak and riding a steed, carrying a heavy pack on her back, followed in the midst of the magician squad. The orderly magician army rode horses, surrounding Erica in a circle, slowly moving northward. Dozens of magicians, all with extraordinary strength, surrounded her. Erica only needed to follow these experienced magicians to reach the Pale Mage Association. Even taking a shortcut, they still needed to trek nearly a thousand kilometers. So they had to ride hard and fast. The harsh terrain of the shortcut wouldn''t allow Erica to sit comfortably in a carriage like a lady. So, Erica learned to ride a horse. Actually, it was very simple for this genius. Duke Levi didn''t come to see Erica off. This departure and journey were also a challenge for Erica. Although protected by the magician corps, Erica wouldn''t be in danger, but coping with the harsh environment was something she needed to solve on her own. The team slowly left the capital. After walking a hundred meters, Erica halted her horse. The team merely glanced at her and continued forward. If this young lady regretted it now, they wouldn''t indulge her either. Erica, sitting on horseback, looked reluctantly at the familiar capital, a trace of determination and resolution flashing in her eyes. ''I will definitely become stronger.'' She turned around, put on her hood, and caught up with the team again. Clop, clop, clop.... The chaotic hoofbeats became more and more distant, fainter and fainter, until they finally disappeared into the distant dense forest, no longer audible. Duke Levi gazed at the distant hillside, with a group of personal guards and subordinates standing behind him. He watched Erica''s departure, with no reluctance in his eyes. "My child, she has grown up." He had always understood what his child needed. With talent that exceeded ordinary people, what she had always wanted was more recognition. So, she always tried to do things that couldn''t be successful at this stage. She wanted to gain everyone''s recognition. But this wasn''t aiming too high. "You will get your own opportunity, Obtain your own great power." "For you, my child. I shouldn''t continue to be low-key either." Duke Levi stretched out a hand, and blue magic power began to intertwine and rotate between his wrists. An air current gradually appeared in his palm, and under the breeze, his cloak behind him rustled. The formation of fourth-tier magic was completed in an instant, which the mage subordinates present could see at a glance. At this moment, Duke Levi. Also gradually revealed his former sharpness. ....... Viktor had long been prepared to go north, but this plan had to be put on hold for a while. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Because Gwen didn''t want to go back. Although not knowing why, Lia couldn''t explain the reason why Gwen didn''t want to go home. Viktor knew that if Gwen didn''t go back, then his own visit to the Delin family would be meaningless. "So, not going?" Vega raised its head to look at Viktor. "No. We''re still going." Viktor said expressionlessly. Vega was very confused, because according to what Viktor said, he would accept the invitation of the Delin family head completely because of Gwen. But now it seemed that Viktor had other ideas? This was natural, Viktor calmly explained: "The extreme north, that''s the territory of the barbarians." "But if we go deep into the extreme north, reaching the northernmost border, there exists the place I told you about." Vega suddenly realized. The Inheritance Temple. "Hoo, interesting." "You plan to go there?" Viktor didn''t speak, but his attitude had already explained everything. Vega pecked at its feathers and came up with an idea. "Then why not construct a huge teleportation formation like before, and go there directly?" "After all, you know everywhere, go there for a quick trip and come back directly, oh, it''s simply a quick journey." Viktor shook his head. "Can''t do it." "The Inheritance Temple is a place protected by gods, those without qualifications cannot face the temple directly." "Teleportation magic can''t reach there." Vega narrowed its eyes. "Then how do you know if you''ll have the qualifications or not?" "It doesn''t matter." Viktor said calmly, as if his gaze had already penetrated space and seen the hidden Inheritance Temple. "If I don''t have the qualifications, then I''ll forcefully make it think I do." "I like your way of thinking." Vega giggled and continued: "But I hope you''re not running away in panic because it''s the first time a little girl confessed to you and you don''t know how to react." Viktor closed his eyes. "Vega." "What?" "If you still want to cherish your feathers, I suggest you shut your mouth." "Tch." ...... Three days later, early in the morning, Viktor walked out of the mansion. Lia followed behind him, asking worriedly: "You''re just leaving like this? Don''t you need to bring anything else?" Viktor looked at Lia and asked back. "What? Are you worried about me?" "Don''t misunderstand, I''m afraid my mage master will die out there, and it''ll be troublesome to collect the body then." Lia pouted, turning her head away as she spoke. Viktor nodded, chuckling softly. "This trip will probably take half a month before I return." "I''ve asked Henie and Cocotte to take more responsibility for the mansion in the capital, you don''t need to worry too much." Lia waved her hand, hurriedly interrupting Viktor: "I know without you telling me, alright, alright, hurry up and go." "I need to return to the territory for a few days anyway, I don''t have much time." Viktor nodded. "If anything happens, then." He reached out a hand and lightly tapped on Lia''s glove. The gem of the Mage''s Hand glowed slightly, and the stored magic power seemed to become more concentrated. Inside, Viktor had replaced it with more powerful third-tier magic. "Remember to use it." "Then, I''ll come back." Lia withdrew her hand, examining the gems on the glove that seemed to have become brighter. "......" Feeling a slight ache in her nose, she shouldn''t have this emotion. After all, Viktor was only leaving for a few days. So, she stubbornly turned her head away, no longer looking at Viktor. "Nothing will happen." "Don''t worry." But there was no longer Viktor''s voice responding to her. When she turned her head back to look forward, to look at the position where Viktor had just been standing. He had already disappeared and left, in the air, there seemed to still be a faint trace of magic power. Lia stood in place for a good while. Only then did she seem to realize that Viktor had already left. Turning around, she walked back towards the mansion. ...... At the crowded magic train platform, Viktor waited quietly. It was very crowded here, not knowing whether it was because the platform was too narrow or because of the large flow of people. The magic train, a huge vehicle driven by magic as its power source, was used to travel to other regional cities of the empire, or even leave the empire. This behemoth was a magical device made by the mages far up in the sky of Endymion. It was an idea proposed by a dwarf councilor, and when the idea became feasible and was put into practice, after decades of laying tracks around the world. It finally became the most convenient means of transportation between empires now. But this kind of thing could only be afforded by a minority, apart from long-distance travel, most people would still choose carriages as transportation. Of course, in the game, the magic train was just a station for players to travel to other cities. This was a relatively reasonable setting in the game, otherwise, with such a large continent, it would be too forced for players to only use teleportation formations to go to the places they wanted to go. The magic train was a good choice. Soon, a train slowly decelerating towards the platform appeared in the distance. Using the power of burning magic stones as its driving force, the track transmitted vibrating sounds. Whoosh! The train spewed out a thick white smoke from its top, slowly stopping in front of Viktor. The train was all black, with countless iron wheels hidden under the huge sectional carriages, a huge chimney standing on the head of the train, and red doors dividing the train into sections. People seeing this kind of beast for the first time would inevitably think it was a giant snake that could devour heaven and earth. The ticket Viktor had booked was for the first-class carriage of this express train. He was just about to step onto the train when a familiar voice came from behind. "Hey, Viktor!" Turning around, it was a familiar purple-haired woman. It was Gwen''s elder sister, Kevla. Viktor naturally remembered her. Viktor stood in place watching Kevla waving at him while running over, smiling and saying: "Are you going to my home?" "I happen to be going back for a while too, also on this train." She waved the ticket in her hand, which read ''Express train, first-class carriage'' It was a ticket for the same carriage as Viktor. "Looks like we''ll be going back together." Chapter 112: Old Man, Youre About to Get Beaten Up Whoo! The train gradually started, and the steel beast began to vibrate as it moved along the endless tracks. The passengers in the carriage had already taken their seats, and Viktor was no exception. He was sitting in the first-class carriage of the train, leisurely pouring himself a cup of coffee. The wisps of steam rising from the coffee lent an air of quiet elegance to the entire first-class carriage. Viktor looked out the window. On both sides of the track, the scenery flew by. Outside the window, towns had already whizzed past in a blur. The vast forests and lush vegetation were like beautiful flowing paintings, frame by frame. He looked at the sunlight outside, finding it a bit dazzling. Kevla sat opposite Viktor. Since boarding the train, her gaze had been fixed on the scenery outside. Watching the constantly flowing scenes, Kevla said softly: "Because of my profession, I need to travel frequently, so I often take the magic train." "The scenery outside always gives me a sense of momentary peace." Viktor turned his head back, looking at Kevla in front of him. Putting aside her personality for now, she was indeed a stunning beauty. Her purple hair was as noble and elegant as a violet. Only when Gwen wasn''t by her side could Viktor feel the steadiness and maturity of this elder sister. To be honest, Viktor didn''t want to be alone with this huntress sister. He understood Gwen, but he didn''t know Kevla. After all, a character who had already died in the original plot wasn''t worth Viktor digging into her story. So he had been keeping silent. Loose lips sink ships. In the brief silence, it was Kevla who spoke first: "Let me ask you a question." She said, looking out the window, as if casually bringing it up. "If my father wants to cancel your engagement with Gwen when we get back, what will you do?" "He has no reason to." Viktor said calmly. If Angus Delin was a utilitarian, he would only solidify the engagement between him and Gwen, or even prepare to have Gwen marry him immediately. Because now, Viktor was a different man. He was now like an eagle that had spread its wings. From being gradually forgotten as the empire''s former magic prodigy to now having his name sung throughout the capital and even the entire empire, it had only taken a month or two. Countless nobles were eyeing the position by Viktor''s side. And Viktor''s ability to remain stable until now was basically due to the layer of protection provided by his engagement to Gwen. Once the news of the engagement being canceled spread, it probably wouldn''t take until the second day before countless people would be ready to send their daughters to his side. This was the nature of those dirty nobles. They wouldn''t care that Viktor had once been looked down upon by them; they only knew that Viktor was the goose that laid golden eggs. Once they had a relationship with him, they might not dare to say they''d become phoenixes perched on a branch, but they would definitely not lack the expected benefits. However, Viktor didn''t know Angus very well as a person. Although he was also a boss unit and had been beaten by Viktor back then. But for Angus, his deepest impression was still... Gwen, in her period of absolute justice, killing her own father for the greater good. Because Angus''s actions had tainted the justice that should be inherent in his knights, so that righteous Valkyrie killed her father with her own hands. The appearance of this plot was once criticized by some players, who thought Gwen had no familial affection in her eyes. But when players carefully considered the background at the time, they could understand. At that time, the Delin family had almost occupied the north of the empire, and in their arrogance, they didn''t even obey the orders of the new empress. They united, intending to rebel and overthrow Aurelianne''s rule. But by then Viktor was already dead, and the new empress no longer needed to focus all her energy on Viktor. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Her mage army only needed to regroup slightly to be able to completely crush the north over and over again. For this, Angus Delin even allied with the northern barbarians, just to be able to wrestle with Aurelianne. In the end, this alliance didn''t materialize. Gwen, who returned early, killed Angus Delin. She returned to the capital with her father''s head, thus preserving the name of the Delin family. Viktor came back to his senses. In the game, Angus Delin was also a villain character, an object that needed to be subjugated by players. It was also at that time. This father-in-law was beaten by him over and over again. "Is that so." Kevla smiled, but there was no usual vivacity in her smile. "He doesn''t have only Gwen as a daughter." As she spoke, a strange light passed through her eyes. The blue outside the window reflected in her eyes, and the surging waves made her heart a bit unsettled. Under her purple eyes, a hint of melancholy had unknowingly appeared. Viktor took a sip of coffee and turned to look out the window. Outside, the surging waves rushed towards him quickly, but the distant sea surface, unlike his mood, was restless on its own, with the undulating horizon separating the sky and the earth. The blazing sun reflected on the water surface, with the slanting light soft and gentle. Kevla''s every breath seemed to carry a faint sorrow, which, for some reason, lingered for a long time. ...... Time flew by, and a day passed in the blink of an eye. In their silence, it seemed the entire carriage had become much quieter. Whoo! With a loud whistle from the train, the clanking sound gradually entered people''s ears. This meant they were about to arrive at the station. Viktor stood up, and Kevla walked towards the carriage door even before him. As soon as the door opened, a strong cold air current immediately swept through the entire carriage. Kevla shivered and quickly wrapped her fur coat tighter. She looked up and glanced at Viktor, who remained unmoved, raising her eyebrows. Outside the carriage was very desolate, with only large snowflakes constantly dancing on the empty and lonely station. On the not-so-thick snow, no plants with any signs of life could be seen. A group of knights wearing heavy cotton cloaks stood on the platform, forming two rows. Upon seeing Kevla appear, they bowed in unison. "Miss Kevla, the teacher instructed us to come and welcome you." As a great knight, Angus didn''t like his subordinates calling him by overly respectful titles. He had countless students, and these students had become knights of the Delin family. So, he preferred these family knights to call him teacher. Kevla stepped out of the carriage, but she didn''t move. The knights felt a bit strange, suddenly seeing a strange tall figure coming down behind their young lady. The man wore a trench coat, which seemed a bit thin in this cold northern climate. A one-eyed crow perched on his shoulder, which for some reason looked quite sinister. The snow blew against the man''s face, but it seemed to turn into weak steam and dissipate in the air the moment it touched him. Viktor looked at the two rows of knights with a cold expression, and an incomparable sense of terror immediately spread across this wide platform. It was as if a terrifying beast had appeared on this slightly cold snow plain. At this moment, an overwhelming pressure enveloped the knights'' heads, and their hearts couldn''t help but beat faster. The lead knight even became alert, placing his right hand on the hilt of his sword. Why did they feel such a terrifying pressure from this person? Who exactly was he? Kevla smiled and explained to these knights: "He is Viktor, the fianc of Miss Gwen whom you all admire the most." This... this... Many people blinked, a sense of absurdity rising. The northern part of the empire was Gwen''s hometown. The knights all knew how powerful this Gwen, who served as the Grand Knight Commander in the capital, truly was. Moreover, she was a woman. This independent and powerful female knight naturally attracted the admiration of countless knights. But among them, quite a few were hearing for the first time that Miss Gwen had a fianc. Immediately, their hearts sank. The man before them looked very formidable, but no one dared to say anything at this juncture. However, some people, upon hearing Viktor''s name, felt a bit familiar. "Viktor?" "Holy shit, that youngest fourth-tier mage in the capital?" "Shh, keep it down! I heard this guy is vindictive and holds grudges. Anyone who''s crossed him has been thrown into the sea to feed the fish!" The knights became even more nervous, holding their breath and swallowing hard in unison. Seeing their reactions, Kevla nudged Viktor with her elbow, smiling and saying softly: "Wow, your reputation is quite something. Even the knights in my family know you." Viktor still maintained that cold as ice expression, not even acknowledging Kevla. He just stepped forward, his gaze glancing at the lead knight. Under his overwhelmingly oppressive gaze, that lead knight couldn''t help but tremble a bit. Even the cold of the extreme north seemed far less chilling than the coldness brought by this man before them. He removed his hand from the sword hilt and clenched it into a fist, as if trying to encourage himself. Viktor, however, just said coldly: "Lead the way." "Go... go where?" As soon as the words fell, a burst of white smoke suddenly erupted, turning the surrounding dry cold air into fuel. Sparks immediately burst out, surrounding Viktor. The snow underfoot melted completely, and the nearby white snow seemed to be ignited by the flames, reflecting a strong firelight, turning the surroundings a warm yellow. The knights felt a scorching heat spreading from their front to their entire body. Viktor looked straight at this knight. "To where you should take me." "Don''t make me say it again." "Yes! Yes!" The poor knight would never understand how he had angered this mage lord, he could only wave his arms, hurriedly calling for the knights to regroup. The knights tremblingly dispersed, mounting their horses, their long-trained orderly formation seeming to be a bit chaotic. Viktor walked up to a white stallion and mounted it with a swing. He glanced back at Kevla and said calmly: "Don''t worry." "I won''t beat up that old man... for now." Chapter 113: Listen to Me, Dont Rush The knights, trembling, escorted Viktor and Kevla back to the territory of the Delin family. The icy, snow-covered journey finally came to an end, replaced by an enormous steel castle looming before them. Its impenetrable defenses were enough to make any would-be invader despair. Once inside the city, they saw groups of new knight recruits everywhere, engaged in various grueling training exercises. This was the domain of the Delin family, the largest frontline on the northern border of the Empire. While peace reigned within the Empire''s borders, numerous potential crises lurked beyond. To the south lay the long-standing magical creature rifts, to the north were tribes with special powers, and to the west was the Kingdom of Kant. However, thanks to Aurelianne''s presence, the Empire and the Kingdom maintained a relatively peaceful relationship, rarely crossing each other''s paths. Of course, each region had its corresponding family to guard it. The Delin family was stationed at the northern defense line. This was the territory of Earl Angus. This massive castle was renowned as a breeding ground for knights. As such, the Delin family''s power was formidable, even reflecting their status within the Empire. The steel beast''s great maw slowly opened. Before the enormous castle, the two of them looked like tiny black insects. They rode their horses, slowly traversing a long, dark path. Upon fully entering the castle''s interior, Kevla waved to the knights escorting them from behind. "You may leave now." Upon receiving the order, the knights, as if pardoned by an emperor, scattered with obvious relief, not wanting to stay near Viktor for a second longer. The lead knight, seeing his subordinates suddenly disperse, hesitated for a moment. Looking at Kevla, he hurriedly said, "Well... um... Miss Kevla, I''ll... I''ll go inform the master!" With that, he quickly followed the knights who had left earlier, disappearing from sight. After everyone had left, Kevla looked at her ''brother-in-law'', whose expression remained cold, and teased: "What''s wrong? Angry because you think my father wants to change your fiance from Gwen to me?" Angry? That wasn''t quite the emotion. On the train, Viktor had just felt a bit gloomy. He had been trying to handle everything. He only needed some time to help Gwen escape that future righteous posture. He only needed a little while to feel at ease, to no longer have to worry about that righteous Valkyrie, to obtain that divine power. Perhaps because the future Viktor would die by Gwen''s spear. Viktor had been constantly in contact with Gwen, gently trying to change their relationship. However, what Kevla had said to him completely disrupted Viktor''s plans. If Viktor and Gwen''s engagement was canceled, he would have no reason to continue monitoring Gwen. He didn''t know when Gwen would become stronger, when she would turn into that absolutely cold-blooded righteous figure. No matter what, this engagement had to be maintained. "I didn''t expect you to be so devoted," Kevla said with a smirk. "Ah, big sister here wasn''t chosen, I''m really heartbroken." Viktor gave her a cold glance, his voice somewhat indifferent. "You didn''t have this attitude on the train." He had made a deal with Kevla. No matter what Angus intended to do, Kevla would do her best to help him keep the engagement with Gwen. Although Kevla was just guessing. Being a monster hunter was just her part-time job. As a politician, Kevla only needed to think a bit to guess her father''s intentions. Viktor''s current status wasn''t worth a family''s cast-off child marrying into. Yes, a cast-off. Kevla knew very well that the family didn''t take Gwen seriously at all. From childhood, she had only received training as an ordinary knight. Her current development was entirely due to her own efforts and talent. Even though Gwen had become the captain of the Royal Knights, and even the Emperor favored her, without access to the family''s internal power, she would always be a family outcast. Anyway, the engagement was there, and in her father''s eyes, Viktor and Gwen had no feelings for each other. So even if the engagement was changed, it didn''t matter. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. As long as it ensured a deeper relationship between their Delin family and the Kravina family, that was enough. And who would be the new sacrifice? Unless Angus had gone mad and wanted his most satisfactory heir to cross swords with Viktor. So that person could only be her. Kevla Delin. However, once she relaxed, she still couldn''t control her mouth, and teasingly said to Viktor: "Hmm? So do you like Gwen more, or do you like this big sister more?" "After all, big sister is so old now, even if I wanted to get married, no one would have me." Kevla asked with a grin: "Why don''t you just marry me too?" Viktor coldly lowered his head and swept his gaze over Kevla. His eyes shamelessly appraised her body. And then... "Heh." It was just a faint, cold chuckle, but it seemed filled with endless mockery. Viktor rode his horse forward on his own, not caring about Kevla left behind. Kevla, however, had a puzzled expression, but inexplicably felt a surge of anger. "What did he mean by that?" She really couldn''t figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it and hurried to catch up. Arriving at the Delin mansion, a huge black wooden house stood before them. A family knight slowly bowed to Kevla, gently pushing open the black wooden door in front of them, making a gesture of invitation to the two. The family had already received news from those knights that Kevla would return with Viktor. Entering the mansion, Viktor surveyed the room inside. This huge house was filled with various furniture made of fine black walnut wood. The entire black tone reflected a lot of conflicting ruggedness and elegance. Several large beast furs were nailed to the wooden walls of the house, and warm flames crackled in the fireplace. Although simple, it was very cozy. The Delin family had to cultivate the Empire''s knights at all times, resulting in huge family expenses. Angus hadn''t wasted a penny on home decoration, the setting was just right. Soon, a white-haired butler appeared before the two. "Mr. Viktor, please wait for a moment." "The master will be back soon." He turned to look at Kevla and slowly said: "Young miss." "The master said that there are some things he wants to discuss with Mr. Viktor personally." This was her father intentionally keeping her out of this matter. Kevla clearly felt this signal. But why was this? If her father intended to replace the fiance with her, then she should be present. Could it be that she had guessed wrong? Kevla looked at Viktor with some concern, but only saw him nod slightly, following the servant, moving ahead towards the meeting hall. Kevla was about to say something, but the butler had already said: "Young miss, perhaps you should go see your brother." "Master Jaxu is looking forward to your return, and he misses Miss Gwen, his sister, very much." Father was displeased about Gwen not returning. So he questioned her in the name of her brother, isolating her from this event. Huh, truly a flawless tactic. Kevla watched Viktor''s back disappear completely as he followed the servant, then nodded faintly. "Lead the way." "Let me see if Jaxu has made any progress in recent years." The butler bowed respectfully to Kevla again. "Yes." ...... Led by the servant, Viktor was brought to a slightly more luxurious hall compared to the others. The feel of the sofa beneath him made Viktor relax a bit, and the black walnut table in front of him also exuded a natural aura. The maid gently placed tea in front of Viktor and retreated. As the butler had said, the master would be back soon. The door was slowly pushed open, and an imposing middle-aged man walked in. He was wearing a white cloth inner shirt, which seemed to have some sweat stains on it, obviously having just taken off his armor. Angus''s build wasn''t particularly burly, but his silver hair was quite messy, seemingly unkempt due to years of training. His face also had some white stubble that hadn''t been cleanly shaved. But Viktor knew that this man was of the same generation as his deceased father. So, he stood up first. "Uncle Angus." No matter what followed, proper etiquette couldn''t be neglected. "It seems that our long separation hasn''t made you lose your due courtesy, my nephew." Angus''s expression didn''t change much, he just calmly looked at Viktor and sat down in the leather chair. Viktor also sat back down, his eyes showing no more fluctuation. Finally, Angus spoke first. "I''m very curious how the offspring left by my late brother has become so outstanding." "Outstanding to the point where my daughter is no longer worthy of him, outstanding to the point where my family doesn''t know how to approach him." Viktor just quietly listened to him speak, he had no extra response at all, just being a polite listener. Finally, Angus moved again. He tucked both hands into his sleeves, seemingly a habit formed from years of severe cold in the north. Then, he stood up and began to slowly pace around the room. "I think you must be very clever, Viktor." "Perhaps when that letter was delivered to your home, you already knew the purpose of my invitation." Viktor''s gaze never left him, trying his best to maintain a silent demeanor. "But..." He stood still, looking directly at Viktor. "There''s one thing I''m most curious about, it puzzles me endlessly." "If I can''t get an answer to this, I can never feel at ease entrusting Gwen to you." "So, I need you to tell me..." Swoosh! Before he could finish speaking! A cold, sharp light flashed instantly, tearing the surrounding air into a vacuum at a speed that left no time to react. Clang! A round shield appeared out of thin air. Viktor tilted his head slightly, holding the shield on his left arm, easily blocking the sharp blade. In a moment of daze, health bars and levels appeared in front of Viktor. Lv45 Angus showed an ''as expected'' expression, his voice carrying a hint of coldness. "Who exactly are you?" The crow cawed in a hoarse voice, its tone icy cold. Viktor''s eyes slowly filled with a flowing azure light. "Patience." A faint smile played on Viktor''s lips, exuding confidence and nonchalance. "In a moment, the one taking the beating..." "Will be you." Chapter 114: Weapon Master! As a seasoned player, Viktor always kept an eye out for potential health bars appearing nearby. When Angus launched his initial attack, Viktor immediately noticed the health bar that suddenly materialized. So. Regardless of who his opponent was. The first order of business was to strike! Instinctively, Viktor swung his round shield, skillfully deflecting Angus''s attack with perfect precision. Years of rigorous training in harsh environments had forged Angus''s body and will into steel. As a knight, his close combat skills were naturally honed to the highest level, with the ability to judge and respond to attacks becoming second nature. So, when Viktor perfectly deflected his attack, Angus quickly adjusted his posture and stepped back. The dizziness lasted less than a second. Angus held a silver longsword engraved with beast patterns, his aura instantly filling the space around Viktor. He coldly stared at Viktor. Despite his not particularly bulky frame, a powerful beastly aura constantly emanated from him, like a cold-blooded wolf. "Exquisite reaction speed." "Even if you had trained since childhood, you shouldn''t possess such close combat skills." "Remember, you are a mage." Viktor smiled. "Is that so?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became unstable. Several bright lights began to swirl around Viktor''s body, like fish in water. Formations slowly began to construct themselves around Viktor in all directions, his various abilities suddenly increasing. Beneath Viktor''s clothes, a faint magical power flowed between his flesh and blood, coursing through his meridians. Attack, defense, agility... Quickly, various enhancements surrounded Viktor. The buff bar under his health bar was instantly filled to the brim. As the magic began to dim, Viktor transformed into a flying arrow, swiftly charging towards Angus. From beneath his coat, several robust green vines quickly extended, intertwining to form an oddly shaped wooden sword in Viktor''s hand. Strangely, though, the wooden sword seemed to flash with gleams of cold light, appearing incredibly sharp. Clang! As Viktor swung the wooden sword, Angus instinctively raised his sword to block. Upon feeling the steel-like collision, a force actually made his hands tremble slightly. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes. Viktor held the wooden sword, locked in a stalemate with Angus. His arm holding the longsword remained motionless, his tone brimming with confidence. "Then let''s," "Have a little duel." A blue glow quickly appeared at his fingertips, and one or two runes suddenly seemed to be engraved on the formation by an invisible giant hand. Instantly, a new energy flashed across Viktor''s arms. [Strength Increase (Large)] Angus suddenly felt an immense pressure, his hands holding the longsword beginning to tremble under this suddenly increased force. Because Viktor had formed a link with Vega, he now had infinite mana. In the blink of an eye, dozens of small enhancement spells appeared behind him once again. As if enveloped by a rainbow, Viktor''s body erupted with terrifyingly powerful energy. With the enduring stamina from the Wood Origin, Viktor had enough energy to sustain a close combat battle. What, never seen a mage engage in close combat? Well, today you have. After the first unsuccessful strike, Viktor retreated, leaping back several meters, his speed already fast enough to tear through the surrounding air. With a slight push of his back foot, his figure instantly began darting around the massive room, leaving afterimages everywhere. Angus wasn''t intimidated by Viktor''s powerful enhancement magic. On the contrary, his aura grew even more intense. Among the countless illusory figures, he quickly locked onto Viktor''s aura. Behind him! Angus instantly swung his longsword, using tremendous force to slash towards his back. Boom! The two weapons collided again, producing a powerful sound wave that shattered the glasses on the table and the wardrobe glass not far away. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Following the sound wave, a delayed gust of wind scattered all the surrounding furniture into pieces, debris flying everywhere. Angus remained calm, holding the longsword with one hand. The next second, his large hand reached behind him. "I admit, your strength has earned my recognition." "But don''t forget who I am." As soon as he finished speaking, a knight''s lance was suddenly pulled out from the rift behind him. Angus exerted all his strength to swing his arm, deflecting Viktor''s sword. His other arm tightly gripped the massive lance, thrusting it towards Viktor''s chest. But almost simultaneously, Clang! Green light suddenly erupted throughout the entire room, completely enveloping Viktor. Vines seemed to appear out of thin air, quickly coiling and twisting around one of Viktor''s arms, forming a wooden lance. In an instant, the two lances collided, and a powerful wave of energy immediately engulfed everything around them. The figures of the two men instantly began dodging and evading in the space, their dark afterimages constantly colliding, swallowing everything completely. Angus continuously drew weapons from the void, a battle axe suddenly appearing, chopping desperately towards Viktor. Just as it was about to touch Viktor, he slightly tilted his body, using the force of the colliding swords to swing himself behind Angus, avoiding the fatal blow. Angus instantly sensed Viktor''s change in position. A flail emerged from in front of him, swinging fiercely towards Viktor''s legs. The flail was incredibly violent, charging straight towards Viktor''s calves. One of Viktor''s arms was instantly wrapped in vines, transforming into a long chain, whipping the flail once and deflecting its angle. The vine chain continued to swing forward, seemingly about to whip Angus''s body. Angus decisively took a step back, tilting his body downward, avoiding the chain with its momentum cutting through the air. The chain instantly transformed into a sharp arrowhead, suddenly slashing across Angus''s cheek. Angus furrowed his brow, a bright red wound slowly appearing on his face. The two continued fighting, locked in an intense battle, sparks constantly flashing in mid-air, suddenly illuminating everything. Viktor snapped back to reality from the immersive battle, staring intently at the powerful enemy before him. Indeed, Angus was the strongest opponent he had faced in close combat. Every one of his moves was aimed at killing his opponent. If Viktor had been careless for a moment, he might already be a corpse. But... He was far too familiar with Angus''s fighting style. Weapon Master, Angus. He represented the pinnacle of knightly martial arts, which meant Angus would never use the same weapon in his next attack. He had taken the knightly tradition of not being confined to any single weapon to the extreme. This was also why knights could equip any weapon except staves. "But unfortunately." Viktor was at ease in this battle. His impassive face still exuded great confidence. "I''m not bad either." [Item: Omnipotent] [Skill: Thousand Changes Transform into different tools based on the user''s mana input and mental control.] [Skill: Magical Energy When attacking enemies, it can inflict corresponding elemental damage] By injecting powerful wood-attribute mana into his arm and visualizing the shape of a longsword in his mind, a wooden longsword would appear in the user''s hand. Naturally, if fire-attribute mana were injected, a flame-attribute blade would appear. This item was a reward obtained after defeating Druja. Unlike world-class items, the Omnipotent was not a one-time use item. It could be used at will. The next second, the two pulled apart to a great distance, countless weapons flying through the air. They struck each other, both sides showing no weaknesses. But the problem was, Viktor was a mage. Angus deeply understood this point, which made him even more wary of Viktor. So he had been constantly attacking Viktor with weapons, aiming to prevent Viktor from using powerful magic that required preparation time. As long as Viktor had no time to chant, he would always have the upper hand. But what Angus didn''t realize was that Viktor had never intended to chant magic. The confident Viktor had only one thought in mind. "Defeat you in your strongest domain." He had this ability. Several red patterns suddenly lit up on the coat behind him, and the wooden sword in his hand was instantly ignited, transforming into a huge blade of raging flames. The temperature immediately engulfed everything around, and the scorching heat instantly spread throughout the entire house. That flame blade swung fiercely towards Angus, powerful heat waves instantly eroding him. Angus instinctively swung his longsword to block, but that flame blade passed through Angus''s weapon as if it were an illusion. He had no time to respond as his chest was struck hard by the blade. There was no bleeding, but the flesh was instantly charred black. As if feeling no pain, Angus stepped back several paces, regrouping. Viktor stood in place, not choosing to press his advantage. The flame sword in his hand seemed to lose its power, gradually dissipating into the air like ashes. Viktor gazed at Angus, and Angus looked back at him. The hall was suddenly engulfed in wind and snow, white fragments beginning to dance constantly in the space. As the high temperature disappeared, the flurrying snowflakes immediately obscured everything around. Angus reached behind him, and several rifts instantly split open. Knight''s armor burst out from that void, assembling onto various parts of Angus''s body. In an instant, a suit of steel armor completely enveloped his body. Dozens of different weapons once again emerged from the rifts in the sky. Angus extended one hand, gripping a massive lance. The other weapons didn''t dissipate, but instead surrounded Angus. He stomped his foot slightly, and in an instant, the scenery around them changed dramatically. The huge house completely disappeared, replaced by an endless expanse of ice and snow. At this moment, the two seemed to be standing on an endless snow plain. Viktor stood in the snow, feeling the biting cold temperature around him. This was the ''domain'' of a fourth-rank great knight. [Snow Mastiff Knight] This place was the ability domain of this powerful knight. Beneath the silver-white armor, two red-glowing eyes were revealed, killing intent and coldness instantly enveloping Viktor. "My dear nephew." "Now, it''s time we show our true mettle." Viktor raised one hand, and wooden vines coiled around the sleeve of his coat, eventually morphing into the most suitable wooden sword. He gazed at Angus with a cool demeanor, his coat billowing and whipping in the raging blizzard. "Indeed." "But you stand no chance against me." Chapter 115: A Taste of Eldritch Shock, Kid The fierce wind howled, and the blizzard danced almost maniacally beneath the sky, like frenzied ice spirits. Viktor stood his ground, wooden sword in hand, facing off against the heavily armored knight before him. This was Angus''s second phase. Angus now resembled a berserk snow wolf of the tundra, having lost all reason. His body emanated a powerful aura of blood essence, and his murderous intent instantly filled the entire space. Surrounding his body were dozens of weapons, suspended in mid-air, connected to his armor by thin silver threads. It was precisely because Angus was proficient in various weapons that he had countless disciples under his tutelage. This was why he was revered as ''teacher'' by many knights. However, today, this title of Weapons Master was about to change hands. Angus charged forward in an instant, his footwork several times more terrifying than before. The snow-covered earth shattered under the immense impact, his entire body breaking through space like a massive cannonball. This time, Viktor couldn''t meet Angus head-on as he had done previously. Angus''s armor was forged from cold iron blessed by ice elementals, with his own blood used as a catalyst to create this magical armor. Clad in this armor, Angus''s defense had increased by an unknown factor. Ordinary attacks against this armor were like red-hot toothpicks scratching fur. Not only did it enhance his defense, but it also elevated his offensive capabilities to a new level. At this moment, Angus was unleashing an attack with his full might. Viktor used his wooden sword to deflect Angus''s knight''s lance. Although Viktor''s strength, even with enhancements, was no match for Angus''s, the interaction between their weapons was enough to cause a disturbance. The lance''s attack trajectory was slightly altered. Seizing this opening, Viktor extended his other hand, Striking hard at Angus''s chest. Boom! Intense heat instantly spread across the chest plate of the armor. The collision of the immense ice elemental magic and fire elemental magic triggered a massive shockwave. The surrounding snow, meters thick, was blown away, and the trajectory of the falling snow in the sky was disrupted by this single strike. Warmth and cold intermingled, smoke rising, and several silver streaks, hidden in the snow''s whiteness, shot towards Viktor. Clang! Clang! Clang! In an instant, Viktor extended the wooden sword on his arm, swiftly deflecting the arrows. Just as the three streaks were blocked, a massive axe suddenly cleaved down from the sky. Its speed was extreme, instantly splitting the dry, cold air in two, raising a thousand-foot snow wave. An ordinary person would never have been able to react to this attack. But Viktor had sensed this attack long before. Before Angus could land from the air, Viktor leapt several meters to the side, dodging to one side of the axe. The sword in his right hand was instantly ignited, transforming into a giant, raging hammer of flame. The flame hammer struck Angus''s body head-on, the terrifying force sending him flying the moment it touched his hard armor. His body, trailing slight flames, flew like a blue meteor towards the snowy ground. The surrounding ice and snow vaporized into white smoke due to the sudden appearance of high-temperature flames. Mid-air, Angus suddenly drew out two chain hooks, piercing them straight into the ground, propelling himself towards the earth. As the billowing snow slowly settled, Angus stood firmly on the ground. At this point in the confrontation, Viktor held the upper hand. Angus found it difficult to comprehend. It seemed as if Viktor had completely seen through his every move. It was as if... He had fought with Viktor hundreds, or even thousands of times before... Angus could sense that Viktor''s close combat skills were indeed extraordinary, but this level of close combat ability couldn''t be described as exquisite. In other words. Viktor''s every move seemed like... It was specifically designed to counter him. He narrowed his eyes. A cold glint flashed in his gaze. His voice resonated heavily within his armor: Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "If my brother were still alive, he would surely be delighted to have such an outstanding child." "But I grieve for him." The dozens of weapons around him seemed to merge into a large, irregular iron block, constantly surging like flowing mercury. In an instant, the iron block began to extend towards both ends, transforming into a sword hilt and blade. Without even the structure of a cross-guard on either side, a massive blade that seemed to pierce through heaven and earth suddenly appeared above Angus''s head. "I knew that child well, he was indeed a genius, and so are you, of course." "But geniuses know how to be modest, while you do not." As he grasped the sword hilt, time seemed to slow down, the falling snow becoming visible to the naked eye, its speed decreasing more and more. "Whether you are him or not, it doesn''t matter to me." "Eliminating you now, to me." "Is of utmost importance." In Viktor''s eyes, Angus seemed to transform into a barely perceptible phantom, several shadows beginning to shift around him. As the long moment passed, Angus''s speed gradually increased, until finally, the several shadows transformed into streaks of black light. It seemed as if in the blink of an eye, he could appear before Viktor. A voice, like a whisper, sounded by Viktor''s ear: "Die." But the moment his words fell, Instantly, countless iron cards began to revolve and fly around Viktor, the terrifying card wind completely enveloping him. The airflow formed by the card wind caused the falling snow to continuously swirl. Angus''s attack was forcefully blocked by these strangely flying iron cards. Viktor slowly raised his hand, holding two iron cards. On those cards were engraved images of two jesters, with text and patterns that seemed to be flowing slightly. ''Joker'' That pair of differently colored iron cards instantly flew out, carrying terrifyingly powerful magic that completely engulfed the surroundings. A shrill, eerie laughter, like that of jesters, rang out all around. Two jesters suddenly appeared in the midst of the wind and snow, vaguely visible. Red and green colors appeared behind Angus, appearing extremely bizarre. Like some kind of surprise, it left Angus stunned in place. "Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee" The dual laughter of the jesters continuously rang out, like soul-comforting specters, or like horrifying puppets being pulled, slowly moving forward. Everything around became incredibly hollow, as if invaded by an evil aura that had occupied their consciousness. Angus could no longer sense the domain not far away. The two jesters played with a black sphere in their hands, constantly rotating it. The sphere continuously absorbed and suppressed the surrounding space. The darkness gradually collapsed, with only red and green colors dividing half the sky in the void. The ice and snow world instantly began to collapse and be destroyed, the goose feather-like snow falling from the sky turning into red and green ribbons. Everything around seemed to be constantly distorting, moving towards the sphere in the jesters'' hands. Whoosh! In an instant, the earth and sky completely disappeared, and the two people around were thoroughly trapped in the differently colored void, incredibly psychedelic. Angus stood in the void, feeling nothing, with not a trace of vitality existing around him. And he himself, It was as if he was completely trapped here. Angus was slightly stunned. Suddenly, one red and one green, two jester cards, hovered in the air in front of him. The ''joker'' text on them was particularly eye-catching. Finally, an incomparable sense of crisis spread throughout his body. An intense white light burst forth from the two iron cards. It was as if all the energy transformed from the domain was unleashed towards him at once. The dazzling white light instantly engulfed the red and green sky, everything completely submerged in the light. [Trump Card] When the void reappeared, the ice and snow world seemed to be restored like a puzzle. But the knight was kneeling on the ground. The eyes beneath the helmet became incredibly hollow. In a mist of snow, a black crow''s feather slowly fell, and the moment it touched the snowy ground, Viktor''s form slowly appeared. The two ''joker'' cards on the ground, as if sensing a summons, returned to Viktor''s waist. He patted Angus''s shoulder, his tone calm. "I told you." "You can''t beat me." Angus didn''t move. He knelt on the spot, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse. "Viktor, do you remember what you promised me?" His hollow eyes watched Viktor''s reaction. But he could only see his expressionless face. So, Angus laughed. "Indeed, you are not Viktor." Angus raised his head, exhaling, white breath escaping from his helmet, very noticeable amidst the ice and snow. "Tell me." "Your identity." Viktor bent down, making a bowing gesture. His head leaned close to Angus''s ear, chuckling softly. The mischievous crow flashed an arrogant light, the black feathers forming a rapidly rotating storm that covered Viktor''s body in the explosive wind and snow. A faint black light made him appear incredibly mysterious. "Uncle Angus, what is it that makes you want to protect Gwen at all costs?" "Is it because of the divine power that exists within her?" Angus suddenly widened his eyes, his gaze filled with disbelief. "Don''t be surprised." He stood up, adjusting the inner lining of his coat. "I know your god-making plan like the back of my hand." "However..." Viktor''s eyes flashed with the same light as Vega''s, and even his voice became cunning and mischievous. It was no longer Viktor''s voice, Angus knew clearly. "Attempting to become a god? Hee hee hee hee hee hee" The crow stood on Viktor''s shoulder, contorting every joint of its body almost beyond physiological limits. At that moment, the fierce wind gradually calmed. A terrifying aura, devoid of vitality, instantly covered everything. As if inverted in the sky, a giant dead eye broke through the sky and clouds, staring at Angus on the snowy ground. On the snow-covered ground, for some unknown reason, intense flames suddenly flickered, even the earth becoming an offering to the divine. Angus felt the heaviness and stickiness in his throat, his gasping breath like the last straw of human rationality. A strange, chaotic voice gathered from all directions of the world. "Kid, you seem to be ignoring a true god." Chapter 116: Changing the Father-in-laws Faith [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... A massive eye hovered in the chaotic sky, with droplets of pitch-black mist seeping from its edges. Angus felt a chill run down his neck and suddenly glanced to both sides. At some point, the earth had become covered with indescribable, strange entities. They resembled humans, yet were not human. Their five limbs seemed dislocated and constantly twisting, and under the giant eye, the facial features of each being were mechanically performing bizarre rituals. Angus stood up and looked behind him. The dark disciples, spreading for thousands of miles, all exuded an aura of terror and ill omen. Soon, those inhuman creatures struggled to stand upright, forcibly moving their decadent bodies, and began to dance in circles in opposite directions, as if welcoming the deity observing the world from above. A giant crow flew in the sky, its beak slowly opening, with several spiraling tongues waving in the air, gathering the black smoke seeping from the sky into its mouth. In an instant, its single eye flashed with various scenes of madness. Angus''s head was pressed down by an invisible giant hand, forcibly turning it back, his eyeballs seemingly pinched, staring blankly at the crow. The moment he looked into the crow''s eye, Angus''s sanity began to collapse continuously. Everything before him seemed to become more turbulent, and the obscure cries from the disciples'' mouths gradually became clearer. His eyes, as if corroded by smoke, became murky and unclear, his mouth slowly muttering: "God." ...... Monotonous black ancient trees filled the entire room, with only a few animal furs adding some color to the space. Kevla sat in a chair, leaning against the backrest, holding a teacup, facing a thin man. The man before her was her brother. Jaxu Delin. The man had delicate features, with proper and three-dimensional facial features, always wearing a kind smile. His body also lacked robust muscles, seeming excessively thin for a knight''s family. Kevla was somewhat agitated, occasionally putting her teacup on the table and picking it up again. The meeting hall had been quiet for so long, and she didn''t know what her father and Viktor had been discussing. "Sister, calm down a bit," Jaxu said with a smile, as if seeing Kevla''s restlessness. Kevla looked at Jaxu, adjusted her emotions slightly, shrugged, and said to her brother: "It seems you want to talk about something with me?" "Speak up, what exactly do you and father want to do?" To call Gwen back to discuss the engagement, and even to summon Viktor as well. The only thing Kevla could think of was changing the person in the engagement. But her father had excluded her, which made Kevla even more confused. What exactly did they want to do? Jaxu took Kevla''s cup with the remaining tea, replaced it with a new one, and refilled it with hot tea, smiling. In this extremely cold place, a cup of warm tea was simply perfect. He pushed the hot tea in front of Kevla and spoke as if casually bringing up a topic. "Sister, what''s your standard for judging justice?" Kevla frowned, somewhat puzzled. "Why ask this?" "You''re older than me, so you should know better what kind of personality father had back then." Hearing Jaxu''s words, Kevla lowered her head, as if falling into a long reminiscence. When she was very young, the Delin family was not yet in the northern frontier of the empire, so her impression of childhood was very vivid. At that time, Sol VIII had just ascended to the throne, and it was a time when he needed to win people''s hearts and consolidate his position. Back then, Angus was also one of Emperor Aubrey''s capable assistants. But his sense of justice was even more obsessive than Gwen''s current state. It had even reached a pathological degree. His eyes couldn''t tolerate any evil. Once there appeared an existence that didn''t conform to his standard of justice, it would be completely erased by him. As a politician, Kevla naturally knew about the affairs between nobles. There were those benevolent nobles who did charity and helped the poor, but there were also quite a few nobles who exploited workers and committed evil deeds. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. If Kevla were to give a standard for judging kindness. Judge by actions, not intentions. But Angus at that time was different. Even those nobles who did charity, once Angus knew their motives were impure. Then this powerful knight would let them taste the sharpness of his blade. So this obsession could no longer be called justice. However, Kevla, who was young at the time, didn''t understand these things. She was just like an ordinary daughter, admiring her towering father. Until Emperor Aubrey felt that Angus''s obsessive justice was uncontrollable. So he had the Delin family move to the northern frontier, sending them to guard this cold land. Although guarding the northern frontier was still a very important position, for Angus at that time, it was no different from the emperor''s distrust of him. Thus, Angus felt that his faith had suffered a heavy blow. He had always believed that everything he did was right. But when even the monarch he followed thought he was full of errors, what was the point of maintaining this sense of justice? After moving to the north, Angus began to behave himself, widely recruiting apprentices here, promoting his knightly school, and wholeheartedly guarding the northern frontier. His justice was no longer so obsessive, and it even seemed as if he had forgotten the justice he once held in his heart. Later, as Kevla grew older, her brother Jaxu also gradually revealed his talent and sharpness. Finally, Gwen was born. Kevla liked this sister very much, but for some reason, both her father and Jaxu seemed to avoid this sister. Until Gwen grew up and showed her unusual ability. The Heart of Justice. As a result, Gwen never received parental love from childhood. The once righteous Angus was no longer righteous, so Gwen''s birth, for Angus, was more like a mockery and shame. At least, that''s what Kevla used to think. "So why are you talking to me about all this?" "This seems to have nothing to do with the engagement between Gwen and Viktor." Jaxu shook his head, smiling enigmatically. "No, of course it''s related." "The engagement between them can''t continue." Hearing Jaxu''s answer, Kevla was puzzled. She stared at Jaxu, staring at this brother who had spoken so surprisingly, as if wanting to get a suitable answer from him. "Why?" The atmosphere suddenly dropped to freezing point, as if even the air could form ice crystals. Jaxu sighed. "It''s time for you to know some things now." "Do you really think Gwen''s Heart of Justice is just an ordinary innate ability?" Hearing her brother''s words, Kevla''s face immediately darkened, becoming extremely serious. Jaxu continued speaking calmly. "If you''ve read the description of the Goddess of Justice, then you would feel how similar that goddess is to Gwen." "The same obsessive justice, the same ability to judge good and evil." Jaxu''s cold words entered Kevla''s ears one by one. Kevla understood everything. Why her father had always been silent about Gwen. Why they wanted to dissolve Gwen''s engagement to Viktor. "Because Gwen needs to maintain this sense of justice constantly, so absolutely no one can influence her." Viktor was the one who might influence her. Gwen couldn''t like anyone, she couldn''t admire anyone. Once those unnecessary feelings arose, the justice in her heart would be biased. That''s why Gwen had no access to familial love from childhood. As for that ethereal love? Heh, her fianc was Viktor. If it were the Viktor of the past, this marriage could have continued without issue. Because Gwen, who disliked Viktor, wouldn''t have her sense of justice affected by him at all. But now, Viktor was subtly influencing Gwen. Anyone could see that Gwen''s feelings towards Viktor had gradually changed. "So, she must always maintain absolute justice in her heart." "...Is that so." Kevla was silent for a moment, then looked at Jaxu mockingly. "You and father want Gwen to become that Goddess of Justice?" "Not me, it''s father." Jaxu corrected Kevla''s mistake, smiling coldly. "From the beginning to the end, father has always been a follower of that goddess." "Never changed." ...... "How ridiculous." Kevla suddenly laughed, with a hint of sadness in her laughter. "In my eyes, he has never changed either." "Although I know he''s not acting for personal gain, now, his behavior disgusts me even more." Swoosh! A silver dagger was instantly pressed against Jaxu''s throat. Jaxu sat in the chair without moving at all, as if the person whose life was threatened wasn''t him. Kevla''s slightly trembling voice sounded: "Gwen is his daughter, my sister, a living person!" "Just because of that ethereal legend, she''s deprived of the love and life a normal girl should have." "Jaxu, are you not human either?" Jaxu reached out with one hand, slowly pushing the dagger away from his throat. "Sister, the proportion of familial love in you is really too high." As if absolutely certain that Kevla would never act, he said calmly: "There are some things worth father dedicating his whole life to, and as his offspring, I should also share his burdens." Kevla''s hands became somewhat weak. She tried to grip the dagger tightly, to press it against Jaxu''s throat again, but she couldn''t do it. Just as Jaxu said, familial love really occupied too much in Kevla. But... "I''m sorry, but you''ve already failed." Kevla put away the dagger, her expression neither sad nor happy, just slowly explaining. "Gwen''s Heart of Justice has already malfunctioned." "...?" Suddenly, a tremendous explosion erupted from the meeting room, the powerful shockwave causing even the windows of the building where Kevla was to vibrate frantically. The enormous blast completely captured the attention of both of them. Kevla was momentarily stunned. What''s going on? Did Viktor actually come to blows with his father-in-law? Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! [email protected]/BZDXG [Replace ''@'' with ''a'' to access Patreon normally] ... There are two novels available for advance reading on my Patreon page I hope everyone enjoys reading! .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 117: Your Husband Beat Up Your Father and Brother [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... The hall was in ruins, furniture completely destroyed, with a cloud of dust swirling in the spacious area, obscuring everything in a hazy veil. The house had fallen into disrepair, several cracked boards barely clinging to their frames. The fireplace lay shattered, its pieces scattered across the floor, charcoal strewn about haphazardly. Viktor adjusted his coat, standing before Angus, who had shed his armor. Angus knelt on the ground, his eyes lifeless and clouded, as if he had witnessed something unspeakably terrifying. He seemed to have lost all sensation, his eyes sinking into darkness, deaf even to the howling wind and snow behind his ears. The fierce blizzard lashed at his body, but even as the cold froze him stiff, he felt nothing at all. Viktor stood silently beside him, the crow perched on his shoulder, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Hearing the enormous blast, people rushed to the scene. Viktor turned to see Kevla stumbling towards them. Behind her trailed a frail young man. And then, a group of knights arrived, their heavy armor clanking. Everyone froze at the sight of the ruins and Angus kneeling on the ground, his eyes vacant. What on earth had happened here? Angus''s body was covered in wounds, bright red blood not yet congealed in the severe cold, slowly trickling down from his injuries, mixing with melted snow. It was clear he had just been through a fierce battle. Kevla looked bewildered as she slowly raised her head to look at the expressionless Viktor. "Is this what you meant by... having a good talk?" At this point, she could hardly imagine what Viktor and her father had been through, or why they had come to blows. And what was even harder for her to accept was... Viktor had actually emerged unscathed? Had he become so powerful that he could now face off against one of the empire''s great knights? At this moment, Kevla''s emotions were incredibly complex. No matter how dissatisfied she was with Angus''s actions, he was still her father after all. Jaxu, seeing his father kneeling on the ground in a daze, didn''t seem particularly surprised. He simply raised his head again, looking coldly at Viktor. "Viktor Kravina is suspected of assaulting the head of the Delin family, Earl Angus." "In the name of Jaxu Delin, son of Earl Angus, I demand the mobilization of all Northern knights to apprehend Viktor Kravina." "This matter is to be reported to the royal capital immediately." Hearing this, Kevla looked at Jaxu in disbelief. "Jaxu, what are you do-" "The facts are before your eyes. Regardless of Father''s current state, Viktor attacked him." Kevla knew very well that there were countless knights present who could testify. Jaxu''s gaze never left Viktor as he coldly stated: "I know you''re very powerful. You could kill any of us." "The strongest among us has already been defeated by you. Now, no one can stop you." "But even if you kill all of us, you can''t prevent this news from reaching the royal capital." As Jaxu''s words reached Kevla''s ears, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly swept through her body. At this moment, Kevla felt her relatives were utter strangers. From the very beginning of the invitation to Viktor, they had been scheming. Angus would certainly make a move against Viktor, and at that time, regardless of the outcome... The battle between Viktor and Angus would definitely be reported back to the royal capital, to the emperor''s ears. But most importantly... It would reach Gwen. Hadn''t Gwen lost her sense of justice? Well then. When Viktor, who had allegedly killed her family members, stood before her. What would Gwen choose? The answer was already obvious. In her stubbornness, she would only see Viktor as a criminal. Even if Viktor hadn''t actually done it. It would be impossible to defend against a hundred accusations Unless Gwen''s sense of justice was restored, and her ability to discern good from evil, truth from falsehood, returned. But if that happened. Gwen would once again become that stubborn and righteous knight. This, in turn, would align perfectly with Angus''s plan. In an instant, Kevla understood it all. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Jaxu wasn''t giving Viktor a choice at all; he was only making Gwen choose. Either Viktor would be found guilty. Or Gwen''s abilities would be restored. Only one of the two could be true. Kevla''s voice trembled: "Jaxu..." "You... you''ve become a stranger to me." Hearing Kevla''s confusion, Jaxu paid her no mind, continuing to stare at Viktor. He didn''t even have any defenses up, just standing there. Even if Viktor were to raise his hand in the next second, he could easily kill him. He showed no fear of death; perhaps he believed his sacrifice would make this plan even more perfect. And so, Viktor made a move. "Not a bad bit of cleverness." He looked straight at Jaxu, his eyes filled with his own unique arrogance. "Perhaps I have to admit, your threat is indeed something I hadn''t considered." "But aren''t you underestimating me a bit too much?" A ball of flame suddenly ignited in front of Jaxu, and in the next moment, Viktor had transformed into an elemental flame, with only his head visible in the air as he looked at the frail young man. The terrifying temperature made Jaxu feel short of breath, but he didn''t panic at all, even though he was now facing death directly. "Young Master Jaxu!" Seeing this scene, the knights immediately brought out their silver shields and drew their long swords, shielding Jaxu. But they could only protect Jaxu from the front, as the intense fear prevented them from taking a step forward. The horrifying temperature continued to spread even under the heavy snowfall. Snow frantically poured into the house, turning into dissipating white smoke the moment it touched the ground. Even though they were quite far away, the heat felt like facing a volcano, rushing towards them. Kevla was equally shocked. Standing next to Viktor, she looked at him with an almost pleading expression. "Viktor, don''t..." But Viktor paid no attention to Kevla''s plea. He just coldly looked at Jaxu in his current form. "What exactly gave you the illusion that you could manipulate me?" "Do you really think you''re qualified to threaten me?" Behind Viktor''s flame body, a giant hand that seemed to burn the sky instantly formed, gripping Jaxu''s frail body. The intense burning sensation invaded Jaxu, and the air around him was completely burned away. The extremely low oxygen content made his lungs crave desperately, but he was powerless to do anything. The fear of death gradually spread to every part of his body. In Viktor''s eyes, Jaxu''s health was almost at its limit. Just a few more seconds. He would become the experience points contributing to Viktor. Swoosh! Swoosh! Two silver daggers, as if cutting through magic, inserted themselves between the two, causing the magic to become slightly unstable. Kevla''s lightning-fast figure flashed by, snatching Jaxu away. Viktor, who had transformed into a body of flame, didn''t stop Kevla. He just coldly watched everything, his icy gaze not even sparing a glance for Kevla. Kevla had saved Jaxu, but under the scorching heat, Jaxu had already fallen unconscious, consumed by the flames. She placed Jaxu on the ground, then turned to face her brother-in-law, who seemed to be engulfed in rage, and lowered her head. "Viktor... I''m sorry." "Why are you apologizing to me?" The colder Viktor''s voice became, the more intense the flames he emitted seemed to grow. "Do you think their actions have angered me?" Kevla remained silent, her head lowered, not knowing what expression to wear when facing Viktor. Perhaps he had come to her home full of expectations, accepting the invitation. But instead, he had been subjected to such scheming. She dared not say what Viktor''s emotions were now, but he would certainly be displeased. The flames before her gradually extinguished, and the wind and snow lashed at Kevla''s body like whips. The cold once again took over her entire body. Viktor stood steadily in the snow, wearing that familiar coat. The fierce wind and snow continued to roar, drowning out the sound of his fluttering coat. The coat, flickering with red light, gradually dissipated into the deep snow, and a faint light slowly brightened. "Tell Gwen to find me in the Far North." Kevla watched Viktor''s figure gradually disappear into the heavy snow. Without realizing it, she seemed to notice the crow perched on his shoulder. Its eyes seemed to be filled with a calculating light. Finally, Viktor completely vanished in the wind and snow, leaving only a sentence floating, carried by the wind and snow. "My feud with your Delin family, from now on." "Has just begun." Whoosh The huge and indifferent cold wind completely engulfed everything, burying it in the Far North. Kevla let the cold wind rush into her clothes, kneeling powerlessly on the ground. The dazed Angus and the unconscious Jaxu were on either side of her. But she could only watch helplessly as this tragedy unfolded. Powerless. ...... Royal Capital, Delin Mansion. Gwen suddenly woke up with a start. She felt the soft bed beneath her, clutching her head with a furrowed brow. "That strange dream again." In her dream, Gwen always saw a golden scale suspended in the air, while she stood at a distance, watching the peculiar balance. A faint voice gradually reached her ears, always seeming to attract her to touch it. What Gwen found strange was that whenever she couldn''t resist the temptation and reached out to touch it, Viktor would always appear in her dream, taking her outstretched hand into his embrace. Every time this happened, Gwen would wake up. Her face reddened, feeling very confused. Why did she keep dreaming about Viktor? Perhaps it was because Viktor had been training with her in the mornings recently. Or maybe it was because people often mentioned Viktor in front of her lately, along with comments about how well-suited they were for each other. Shaking her head, Gwen tried her best not to think about these things anymore. She wondered how Viktor was doing. She had stubbornly refused to go home, but she knew Viktor had accepted her father''s invitation to visit her family. With her sister''s support, surely nothing would go wrong. Thinking this, Gwen threw back the covers and got out of bed. Ten minutes later, a well-groomed Gwen stood in the training ground, ready to begin her morning practice. Just as she drew her sword, she saw a servant running towards her with a very serious expression. "Miss Gwen..." "Hmm?" Gwen was a bit surprised. What could be so urgent this early in the morning? The servant stammered as he delivered the message. "Miss Kevla has sent a reply. She, she says..." "Your father and brother were beaten by your fianc." Gwen: "?" Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! patreon.com/BZDXG [Replace ''@'' with ''a'' to access Patreon normally] ... There are two novels available for advance reading on my Patreon page I hope everyone enjoys reading! .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 118: Gwens Pursuit of Her Husband [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Bright red wanted posters plastered every street and alley throughout the Northern Territory. The portrait on these bounty notices was none other than Viktor! Many of these wanted posters fluttered in the air, swirling amidst the heavy snowfall. The reason for Viktor''s pursuit? He had assaulted the Great Knight guarding the North, Earl Angus. Rumors spread like wildfire among the common folk, claiming that Viktor had beaten Angus into a vegetative state, with no signs of recovery even after a full day. The news that the Delin family heir had been severely injured and remained comatose had caused an uproar throughout the entire Northern Frontier. From the Northern gentry down to the commoners, everyone was abuzz with this information. Spies swiftly carried the news to the royal capital, and within half a day, it had spread throughout the entire city. The ministers, naturally, paid extra attention to this matter, for it was indeed an extraordinary situation. Viktor fighting Earl Angus wasn''t the main issue. The problem lay in the aftermath of the battle. Viktor had actually defeated Earl Angus. Of course, winning wasn''t the real problem either. The issue was that he had beaten Angus to the point of losing his senses! Even that could be considered a minor matter. But Angus was Viktor''s father-in-law! This... this was beyond comprehension. When the news reached the royal family, even Emperor Aubrey furrowed his brow slightly. He hadn''t encountered such a troublesome situation in his decades on the throne. Aubrey waved his hand dismissively and asked: "Is Gwen aware of this?" "Knight Commander Gwen is already en route, Your Majesty," a minister quickly responded. After these words, the entire court fell into a prolonged silence. Indeed, Viktor had gone too far in this matter. Normally, nobles who already held grudges against Viktor would seize this opportunity to criticize him and pick at his faults. However, the problem was... Viktor was currently at the height of his popularity and deeply favored by the emperor. Little did they know that the Kravina family had caused a commotion in the palace three times, and this old emperor had merely watched the events unfold with a smile, never intervening. He didn''t even protect his own son and nephew. Moreover, Viktor had recently proposed a concept called ''instances,'' which had garnered the emperor''s full support and expectations. So in this matter, even if Viktor was truly in the wrong, No one dared to speak out against him. Emperor Aubrey''s fingers, adorned with a heavy ruby ring, tapped on the throne as he let out a deep sigh. "Angus leads the Northern knights and is responsible for guarding the North." "If he truly is in a state of confusion, then his title can only be inherited by his successor." At this point, the others fell silent once again. Successor? Angus''s heir was about to become disabled. Could he still inherit Angus''s position? So who could ultimately inherit the Delin family? Angus had three children, among whom Kevla was well-known to many. As a politician, she wasn''t a knight and certainly couldn''t lead those Northern knights. Who was the only person qualified to inherit the Delin family? Everyone unanimously thought of one name. Gwen Delin. "..." For a moment, the ministers'' faces darkened, and they fell into an even deeper silence, seemingly even slowing their breathing. They were even considering whether Viktor''s attack on Angus was intentionally orchestrated by the emperor. Gwen was Viktor''s fiance. If Gwen were to inherit the Delin family, and then marry Viktor... Two earl families would become one. "This..." Viktor''s power would become even more formidable, and if either of the two princes were to gain this foundation, it could directly secure the future throne. But the problem was... Viktor was the princess''s teacher. And there was an even more important issue. If Viktor obtained the knightly foundation of the Delin family and his power grew immense, could future monarchs truly keep him in check? They dared not continue this line of thought, as it would be disrespectful to future monarchs. They couldn''t ponder further, couldn''t fathom what exactly this aged and weakening emperor was thinking. "Your Majesty, Knight Commander Gwen has arrived," a eunuch hurriedly ran to the emperor''s side and reported in a low voice. As soon as he finished speaking, Gwen entered the great hall, clad in silver armor that gleamed coldly. She held her knight''s helmet in her left arm, standing tall with her chest out and head high. "Your Majesty." All the ministers present focused their gaze on Gwen, feeling a cold aura of authority and intimidation emanating from her. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Her face was extremely gloomy, and her brows seemed to carry the extreme frost of the Northern Frontier. She stood before the emperor and gave a slight bow. The emperor waved his hand dismissively and said calmly: "Gwen, you must be aware of the situation in the North by now." Viktor''s wanted posters had spread throughout the North overnight, with countless knights searching for his whereabouts. She had already learned of this from Kevla''s reply letter. Gwen didn''t respond, but obviously, everyone knew that this knight was already aware of everything. The emperor looked at her and continued to ask: "You are Viktor''s fiance. By rights, this should be handled as a family matter, and I shouldn''t interfere." Then, Aubrey chuckled a couple of times. "However, after this incident, can you and Viktor really maintain this engagement?" With these words, many people couldn''t help but ponder the emperor''s intentions. He was making Gwen choose. Right now, you are Viktor''s fiance. Your fianc has assaulted your father, and this is your family matter, not yet escalating to a more serious level. But if your engagement is broken off... Then it becomes Viktor maliciously collaborating with Northern barbarians to attack the Great Knight of the North, Angus. The Empire would naturally mobilize troops to capture Viktor and bring him back. At that time, it would be handled officially, and the royal family would investigate this matter thoroughly. And afterwards, the engagement between the two naturally couldn''t be maintained. If Angus doesn''t wake up, and his heir is severely injured and disabled. Gwen would return to the North to become the Countess, replacing her father in guarding the Northern border. As for Viktor? As long as the charges aren''t established, he would still be that Earl, the princess''s teacher. It seemed the emperor was still rational. Although he could indeed keep Viktor in check while alive, Future monarchs might not necessarily be able to control two Earls with military power and strength. Many people contemplated the emperor''s deep intentions. So now, it all depended on Gwen''s choice. Gwen responded without even a moment''s hesitation, her expression unchanging, as if describing an insignificant matter. "Your Majesty, I have come to request that you relieve me of my duties as the Royal Knight Commander." As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of shock swept through the entire hall, stirring up a tide of astonishment. Gwen herself possessed extremely powerful strength and solid capabilities, and the position of Knight Commander was even personally appointed by the emperor. But now, she actually intended to step down from her position? Could it be that she truly planned to return home and inherit the legacy?! The emperor, hearing Gwen''s response, revealed a smile. "Oh? Do tell." Gwen''s expression remained cold. "Viktor is my fianc. As long as he doesn''t intend to cancel it, our engagement remains valid." "Therefore, I will personally find him and ask him about everything." The sense of justice in her heart meant she would absolutely not shield anyone. If Gwen discovered that this incident was truly Viktor''s fault, then... "I will challenge him, even though I have no chance of defeating him." Gwen''s eyes held absolute determination, unwavering in the slightest. "Even if it means dying by his hand." Acting for justice, taking responsibility for goodness. Gwen was just, but her justice was never stubborn or absolute. She would not judge others'' good or evil, right or wrong, based on appearances alone. All matters in the world have two sides, and she was willing to give her life for all injustices. This was the small justice that Gwen held in her heart. After saying this, she ignored the shocked gazes of those around her, merely dragging her heavy armor as she bowed deeply to the emperor. "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty." Gwen turned around and slowly left the hall. The bright yet scorching light shone on Gwen''s armor, flickering with a brilliant radiance. At this moment, Gwen was like an angel purifying the dust. Even more like a stubborn beast, slowly walking towards a glimmer of light. All for the sake of upholding that Justice in her heart. ....... The wind and snow in the Northern Territory were ultimately bitterly cold and biting. Vega ruffled its feathers in dissatisfaction. Even though it wasn''t afraid of the severe cold, the wild wind constantly messed up its plumage. The damned Viktor wouldn''t even cast a wind-blocking spell on it, despite all the help it had given him. Suddenly, Viktor stopped in his tracks amidst the blizzard. "Hey, why did you stop?" Vega called out in displeasure, but Viktor ignored its tearing cries, simply gazing silently ahead. In the distance, shrouded in darkness, amidst the all-encompassing snowstorm, there seemed to be a tribe with burning fires. In this howling, wind-swept remote area, there was actually an encampment with lit fires. A bright red flag fluttered in the wind and snow, embroidered with a giant sword engulfed in flames. Vega also noticed the distant camp and was somewhat curious. "Look at the flag above, that''s the territory of the [Blazing Sword]," Viktor said calmly. [Blazing Sword] was one of the two largest barbarian tribes in the far north. These people were distributed in remote frontier regions, followers of the Fire Giant, that terrifying giant with demigod-like powers. They always believed in endless strife and the ever-burning power of flames. As devotees of the Fire Giant, these barbarians possessed the power to withstand severe cold and fire due to the ancient giant''s favor. This was why these barbarians could continue to live here for many years. "It looks like just a small sub-tribe," Vega said, squinting its eyes. "Barbarians are no good, but I need them to find the way for me." Viktor spoke calmly, suddenly constructing a white formation under his feet, a levitation spell taking effect on him. Viktor slowly floated into the air above the tribe. At this moment, Viktor could see more clearly. Below, the tribe was constantly burning with roaring flames, numerous animal skins piled together, even the roofs of the houses were made of various animal skins sewn together. Viktor slowly formed a red formation in his hand, muttering obscure incantations. Soon, a striking and terrifying fire-red appeared between the cloud layers. That magnificent and high temperature seemed as if it would incinerate the entire sky. [Fourth-tier Magic: Heaven Incineration] Instantly, the wind and snow above the tribe gradually ceased, replaced by unbearable heat. Huge fire serpents continuously fell from the sky, constantly bombarding the massive camp. In an instant, flames engulfed half the sky, and the entire earth began to crack continuously. A large group of men wielding weapons emerged from the tribe, their bodies covered in red fur, like a group of uncivilized beasts. They gathered together, shouting something unintelligible at Viktor in the sky. Viktor waved his finger, and a ferocious fire serpent plummeted towards the crowd. Endless flames instantly engulfed the crowd. Patches of barbarians, their bodies burning with flames, ran in all directions, trying to extinguish the fire on their bodies. But ultimately, it was to no avail. As one barbarian after another turned into charcoal and fell in the wind and snow, the entire camp fell into silence. Only the crackling sound of flames consuming buildings could be heard. Viktor watched the tragic scene, slowly descending, staring at a barbarian trembling in the flames. He was curled up in the fire, staring at Viktor, his eyes filled with endless fear. And those flames seemed not to burn him at all. Viktor looked at him coldly and said slowly: "Lucky you, I found you in the very first tribe." "Temple Qualifier." Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! [email protected]/BZDXG [Replace ''@'' with ''a'' to access Patreon normally] ... There are two novels available for advance reading on my Patreon page I hope everyone enjoys reading! .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 119: A Plan to Eradicate These Barbarians [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... The Inheritance Temple was a place of extraordinary significance. It would seek out qualified inheritors in the vicinity and bestow divine power upon them in advance. This bestowed divine power often manifested in the form of special physical attributes in the qualified individuals. In the Far North, only these barbarians could gain recognition from the Inheritance Temple as qualified inheritors. Only the qualified could awaken the temple. Viktor had anticipated needing to search through several tribes to find such a qualified individual, but fortune smiled upon him. The sole survivor was a barbarian youth who appeared to be barely in his teens. The red fur on his body had only just begun to grow, and his limbs were exceptionally muscular from years of enduring extreme environments. He wore a large white spotted animal skin. The animal skin garment had been scorched black under the terrifying flames. Yet, despite being engulfed by such intense fire, his body remained unscathed. This was the manifestation of his divine power - immunity to high temperatures. In gaming terms, it would translate to immunity against fire-based damage. The barbarian youth gazed at the indifferent Viktor, shouting incomprehensibly while gesticulating wildly, appearing extremely agitated. Seeing that Viktor remained unmoved, the youth fell to his knees before him, kowtowing repeatedly, and finally prostrating himself motionless. It was as if he perceived Viktor as a deity embodying fire itself. Viktor, however, only observed his actions with cold detachment: "Uncivilized savages, wreaking havoc on the borders of a vast empire with just a modicum of power obtained from external sources." He turned his gaze towards the nearby poles, where various pieces of flesh were hanging. Through the haze, Viktor seemed to discern some indescribable flesh. Above, there appeared to be some garments that had already been frozen stiff. The sight filled Viktor with utter revulsion. He wished he could resurrect these dead barbarians and grind their bones to dust a thousand times over. "You know, Vega," he said. "This is precisely why, with the exception of Gwen, I despise all the knights of the North." Including Angus. Self-proclaimed righteous, his mind was consumed solely by thoughts of inheriting the legacy of the Goddess of Justice. Until this inheritance finally fell to Gwen, even the Goddess of Justice herself deemed Angus''s actions to have become so obsessive as to be evil. So, Gwen eliminated him. Not merely because Angus intended to unite the North in rebellion against Aurelianne''s rule. More significantly, because Angus was already steeped in sin. Even if he had taken no direct action. But this was the North, where those barbarians, dubbed ''evil beasts'', lurked on the borders. His inaction was, in itself, a grievous sin. Viktor didn''t care whether Vega would respond to him or not. He just looked at the prostrating barbarian at his feet with disgust, and suddenly a giant hand forged of lava materialized behind him. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. In an instant, the barbarian youth before him was seized and lifted, held within that colossal lava hand. The giant hand contracted violently, as if intent on kneading his body into pulp. In the endless howling of wind and snow, even from a hundred meters beyond the tribe, one could clearly hear the agonized screams and the sickening crunch of bones being crushed. Just before he might have squeezed the life out of the barbarian youth, he halted the contraction of the giant hand, no longer paying heed to the poor wretch barely clinging to life in his grasp. As long as he still drew breath, Viktor would not spare him another glance. The journey to the Inheritance Temple remained long. He carried the now mangled barbarian, continuing his solitary trek through the wind and snow, leaving behind the tribe that had been reduced to smoldering ruins, engulfed in fierce flames. ....... On a snow-covered plain, light snow drifted through the air like delicate, fragmented petals. An old man with snow-white hair stood amidst the flurries, his white hair and eyebrows allowing him to blend seamlessly into the wintry landscape. Clad in a white furry coat, as snowflakes settled upon it, it exuded an air of frigid indifference. Surrounding him were dozens of exceptionally muscular barbarians. Each barbarian brandished a weapon, the sharp ends of which blazed with bright red flames. They bellowed from their throats, waving their weapons as they charged towards the old man. Watching several barbarians attack, the old man showed not a hint of panic. Instead, he slowly raised his arm, his fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air, drawing white and blue designs in space. Frost slowly began to crystallize on his gloves. Suddenly, an immense ice battle axe materialized in the old man''s right hand. He swung the colossal axe with a speed that left afterimages, felling the charging barbarians with a single, devastating strike. Observing the scattered limbs of the barbarians, the old man merely shook the remaining blood from his ice battle axe. Seeing the remaining barbarians trembling and retreating, he burst into laughter. "Come now, don''t stop there," he taunted, beckoning to the remaining barbarians. The barbarians exchanged uncertain glances, caught between advancing and retreating. They hadn''t come here to challenge this old man. On the contrary, they found themselves surrounded by him. Many barbarians had seen his visage before and knew exactly who he was. Vladimir Lebedev. The North''s most formidable fourth-tier magic master, known as the "Supreme Penitent of Extreme Ice." These barbarians had originally come to forage, hoping to find something to plunder or creatures to serve as future sustenance. But unexpectedly, they encountered this nightmare of the barbarian tribes. However, retreating without a fight was not the barbarian way. Although one of their own had fallen, they still believed they could vanquish the demon that had long plagued their kind. The barbarians let out a thunderous roar to the heavens, as if beseeching for strength, and began to shout in their incomprehensible tongue. As if having completed their preliminary invocation, the barbarians began to wave their flame-wreathed weapons, circling Vladimir and steadily closing in. "What gibberish are you spouting? Not a word makes sense!" he scoffed. He laughed heartily, then furrowed his brow, unleashing a frosty aura that began to permeate the air. As a magic master, Vladimir was more accustomed to augmenting his physical combat with magic. A barbarian, wielding a flaming spear, thrust fiercely at the back of Vladimir''s head. Vladimir deftly sidestepped, his palm encased in an ice gauntlet formed from frost, firmly grasping the fragile spear. The frost gradually crept along the spear tip towards the burning shaft. The barbarian suddenly jerked back, only to find that the spear seemed to be stuck fast. He abandoned the weapon and charged at Vladimir with his muscular frame. In a flash, the old man swung the icy spear, hurling it violently behind him. The high-velocity icy projectile pierced through the skull of a dual-wielding barbarian who was preparing to attack from afar. Glancing back, Vladimir saw the charging barbarian had already closed to within ten meters. His right leg lashed out with terrifying force, his icy foot shattering the barbarian''s head into fragments. The blue glove on Vladimir''s right hand emitted a soft glow, and an ice dagger materialized in his palm. He plunged it into the body of the headless barbarian, then hurled the corpse towards a red-haired barbarian brandishing a battle axe not far away. The corpse collided with the living body, and the tremendous impact instantly reverberated through the entire snow-covered plain, violently tearing open a deep, gaping chasm. Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! patreon.com/BZDXG [Replace ''@'' with ''a'' to access Patreon normally] ... There are two novels available for advance reading on my Patreon page I hope everyone enjoys reading! .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 120: The Old Mans Matchmaking Plan（Mega Chapter！！！） [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... The barbarian plummeted into the valley along with the corpse. Vladimir leisurely placed a cigar between his lips as he caressed his gloves. Mages typically possess a single magical attribute. However, for mages with formidable physical strength, even a solitary magical ability can serve as an incredibly potent asset. With an unlit cigar dangling from his mouth, he sauntered towards a retreating barbarian. Perhaps it was the sheer terror induced by Vladimir''s imposing presence. The barbarian stood frozen, seemingly forgetting the chain hammer in his grasp. Vladimir stomped the ground, instantly materializing before the barbarian. His strike was masterfully precise; the immense force merely sent violent tremors through the barbarian''s internal organs. The barbarian staggered back several steps, tumbling off the cliff. In a last-ditch effort, the barbarian''s massive hand clutched at the snowy ground, attempting to claw his way back up to face his adversary once more. Vladimir ambled to the cliff''s edge, gazing at the churning icy ocean below, a smirk playing on his lips. "Hmm!" He crouched down, placing his gloved hand on the dangling barbarian''s arm, unleashing an icy spell that froze the barbarian to the precipice. Task completed, he disregarded the barbarian''s agonized screams and casually patted his pocket. A look of surprise crossed his face. "Tch, blast it, I forgot my flint." As an ice mage, he naturally eschewed the fire elemental magic favored by these bird-brained folk. As if struck by an idea, Vladimir lowered his head and cocked an eyebrow at the barbarian. The hapless barbarian failed to grasp Vladimir''s intention until he saw the old man about to unbuckle his belt. His face contorted in horror. He hastily extended his unfrozen hand, flailing it in the air while spewing a torrent of unintelligible language. Though Vladimir couldn''t decipher the barbarian tongue, he knew the creature must be hurling curses at him. Suddenly, a flame erupted from the barbarian''s hand. The old man let out a hearty laugh and stepped back. The intense flames perfectly ignited the cigar, releasing a robust tobacco aroma. He took a deep drag and exhaled two smoke rings. "Hiss~ Whew, haha!" "I just love tangling with you [Flaming Sword] lot. You light fires splendidly." "Potent stuff!" He guffawed a couple of times, then crouched down, his glove once again conjuring an ice axe. With one swift motion, he severed the man''s hand, watching impassively as the barbarian plummeted helplessly. The icy ocean churned, waves surging several meters high. Vladimir rose, cigar in mouth, trails of crimson in his wake. He wistfully blew a smoke ring skyward and called out: "No need to look so terrified, come on out." A youthful man emerged from behind a frozen tree, his face etched with concern. He scurried to Vladimir''s side, his eyes darting nervously to the gruesome corpses strewn about, fighting back waves of nausea. "Ge... General." Vladimir turned, walking as he inquired: "Tell me, what nonsense are those dimwitted knights up to now?" The aide hurriedly produced a wanted poster and handed it to Vladimir. He took it, cigar still clenched between his teeth, giving it a cursory glance. It even bore a portrait of the individual in question. "They issued a wanted order yesterday. By now, it''s likely spread throughout the entire North." "Those knights want our ''Pale Mage Association'' to assist in apprehending this person." Vladimir took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaling smoke in bursts. "Hiss, this lad looks somewhat familiar. What''s his name, Viktor?" "His reputation is known to all in the capital, and his fame has even reached the North, but..." The old man spent his days either puffing on cigars and dancing or brawling with barbarians. How would he pay heed to such matters? But there was one thing Dick knew with certainty. The old man definitely wouldn''t aid those knights, because... "Ho ho, he''s a mage?" "Tell those knights, mages have free passage in my territory." He let out three hearty laughs, then turned his head as if struck by a thought and looked at Dick again. "What did this fellow do to warrant a kingdom-wide manhunt?" "Uh..." Dick hesitated, somewhat embarrassed, but still replied: "Viktor, he beat Angus and his son into paralysis." "So, they''re hell-bent on finding Viktor to settle the score..." Vladimir fell silent for a moment, then instructed: "Tell the boys below to locate this person, try to find him." "And then..." "I must share a drink with this fellow! Hahaha!" He vigorously clapped Dick''s shoulder, with such force that Dick couldn''t stop coughing. "General, General... stop patting, cough, there''s one more thing." "Oh?" Vladimir snapped to attention, his curiosity piqued. "Your duke friend from the capital, his daughter has arrived." In the wind-swept snowy land, Vladimir donned a thick fur coat. Cigar clenched between his teeth, he trudged through the deep snow, arriving at the entrance of the Pale Mage Association. Erica pulled down her hood, her golden tresses billowing in the wind and snow. The arduous journey had taken its toll on Erica as well. Her face had grown gaunt, her frame seemed to have shrunk, and her eyes appeared somewhat sunken. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Yet, a spark still gleamed in her gaze. Each day, they had covered hundreds of kilometers. To save time, the team hadn''t even allowed for extra rest periods. Setting out from the capital, Erica had spent five consecutive days on horseback, enduring the relentless assault of wind and rain. This baptism by nature seemed to have fortified her spirit considerably. Seeing the old man emerge to greet her, Erica swung her leg over and dismounted from her white steed, bowing respectfully. "Uncle Vladimir." She recognized the man before her. Vladimir Lebedev, president of the Pale Mage Association, and a close confidant of her father. By rights, Erica should address this man as uncle. Vladimir''s status as a friend of the duke was far from ordinary. He was a general stationed on the northern frontier of the empire. The old man appeared quite at ease, taking a deep drag from his cigar and blowing smoke rings into the air. He appraised Erica, sizing her up, and chuckled. "Levi''s little girl, not bad." "You actually made it here solely on horseback." Seeing Vladimir''s nod of approval, Erica knew she had passed the Mage Association''s initial test. "Hmm! Dick, escort them back first." "Let them all have a good rest. Tonight, we''ll throw them a welcoming feast!" The aide nodded, leading Erica''s white horse and the mages who had escorted her away. Vladimir patted Erica''s shoulder, pocketed his cigar, turned his head to exhale a puff of smoke into the air, then turned back to Erica and said: "Care for a tour?" Although Erica was somewhat fatigued, she couldn''t refuse an elder''s invitation and nodded. Moreover, she was curious to see what the domain under one of the two major forces in the North looked like. Soon, Erica found herself trailing behind Vladimir, her eyes darting about inquisitively. This was a sight that could never be witnessed in the capital. Many structures were crafted from natural materials, a blend of white marble and ice shavings, incredibly resilient yet gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight. Erica marveled at the colossal edifices, her initial weariness instantly evaporating. Everything here was awe-inspiring. It was like a perfect palace on the snow plain, appearing mysterious and sacred amidst the wind and snow. "Quite a sight, isn''t it?" Vladimir said with a smile, as if Erica''s reaction was within his expectations. "However, this is after all the empire''s frontier, not as prosperous as the capital." "Whatever new gadgets appear over there, we don''t have them here." Erica shook her head and replied with a smile: "I understand, Uncle." Erica naturally comprehended that she had come here for training, not for leisure. As they conversed, they approached a large wooden cabin. It seemed oddly out of place amidst this ice and snow palace. At a glance, she spotted a wooden sign hanging from the eaves, adorned with a large painted goblet. "We''ve seen enough for now. I''ll arrange a room for you shortly. Rest for the night first." Vladimir gazed at the small wooden cabin with a smile, either due to his fondness for the tavern or because Erica had just addressed him as uncle. He pushed open the door, and a wave of warmth rushed out. The tavern''s interior was a stark contrast to the outside world. It was warmly lit, with patrons gathered around tables, clinking glasses and engaging in games, creating a lively atmosphere. Erica had never set foot in a tavern before, and she never would have imagined such a scene. Upon Vladimir''s arrival, many patrons simultaneously halted their activities. They raised their glasses in unison, greeting the old general. "General, care to join us for a drink?" "Put down your little toy! If the General drinks, it''s surely by the barrel!" "Hahaha!" Erica was still somewhat nervous, but Vladimir beside her burst into laughter. "Don''t frighten our young guest." The mages noticed Erica behind him and looked puzzled. "My, my, we have such a delicate young lady here?" "She looks fair and clean, doesn''t seem like someone from the North." Vladimir appeared somewhat proud as he introduced her: "This is the daughter of a friend of mine from the capital." "She''s a true prodigy." The other mages began to regard Erica with interest, somewhat skeptically. In the eyes of these robust mages, how talented could a mere delicate young girl be? But they heard Vladimir continue to boast. "Seventeen years old, second-rank mage." Instantly, an incredibly loud cheer erupted in the tavern, even causing the bottles on the shelves to rattle. "Holy shit!?" "Second-rank mage?" Many of those present were a mix of various mages and wizards. Most were in their thirties or forties and had been stuck at the second-rank level for a considerable time. Some mages hadn''t even broken through to the second rank after many years. As a result, the young girl they couldn''t quite respect was already on par with them in rank. "Damn! She really is a prodigy." "I feel inferior now." "As expected of the General''s friend, his daughter''s talent is truly outstanding." Hearing the exclamations and praises of these passionate and bold mages one after another, Erica couldn''t help but lower her head, her cheeks flushing slightly, seeming a bit embarrassed. Seeing this, Vladimir waved his hand at the group. "Alright, get lost, go drink your stuff." "The young lady is here for training, not to listen to you old fellows boasting." Those middle-aged men laughed heartily and resumed their games. "Amelia!" Vladimir suddenly shouted into the tavern, and Erica quietly covered her ears. A woman slowly emerged from behind the tavern counter. Her skin was snow-white, typical of a Northerner, with one eye covered by a black eye patch, and something that seemed to be clenched between her teeth. It wasn''t a cigarette, Erica was certain of that. On her exposed midriff below her clothes, Erica could see several deep scars, shocking to behold. "What are you yelling about? Don''t you know how loud your voice is?" Vladimir didn''t mind and laughed boldly a couple of times. "Go arrange a good place for this young lady, and don''t forget to prepare a hot bath for her." Amelia sighed and gave Erica a glance. "Follow me." Erica looked at Vladimir. The old man returned her a reassuring look. Only then did Erica follow behind the woman, walking through a door behind the tavern. After the two left, the group of men gathered around Vladimir, asking this and that. "General, who exactly is that young lady?" "A second-rank mage at 17 is truly remarkable, I wouldn''t even dare to imagine it." "Damn, if my son had her abilities, I''d go burn incense for my ancestors right away." Vladimir just chuckled and gave each of these men a few playful slaps on the neck. "Don''t pry too much, her identity is quite extraordinary." The old man found a wooden stool, pulled it over to sit down. A mage, seeing the president sit down, immediately brought over a huge wooden barrel filled to the brim with wheat beer and placed it in front of the old man. Vladimir picked up the barrel and poured a few mouthfuls directly into his mouth. After a couple of drinks, his expression remained unchanged as he continued to ask: "That Viktor on the wanted poster, you all know him?" "Ah, it''s just you who doesn''t know, General." One man got excited and started talking enthusiastically. "The young lady you brought is quite impressive, already a second-rank mage at 17, but compared to him, she''s far behind." "A fourth-rank mage at twenty-nine! In the entire empire, even looking back through history, you can''t find a fourth-rank mage younger than him!" As he spoke, he seemed even more proud. As if he was talking about himself. Vladimir listened, his eyes growing brighter. This kid sounds like he''s got some skills. He became more and more interested in this Viktor whom he had never met. And most importantly, he had beaten that old Angus into paralysis. Even if he personally took action, he might not be able to beat Angus into such a state. "Good lad, I admire him." As for the level of admiration for Viktor, it reached the point where Vladimir was even considering whether to introduce him to a wife. If only he had a daughter himself. But he had a friend who did. That child from the Levi family, he thought she was quite good. She was polite, and also a prodigy. Age? Age naturally wasn''t a problem. "By the way, how did that old Angus provoke him?" The old man inquired while lifting the wooden barrel again, gulping down some beer, watching the men beside him look at each other in bewilderment. Then, they answered Vladimir''s question. "Angus is his father-in-law." "Ah?"... Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! [email protected]/BZDXG [Replace ''@'' with ''a'' to access Patreon normally] ... There are more novels available for advance reading on my Patreon page I hope everyone enjoys reading! .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 121: Do You Know He Fucking Broke the Law? [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... "This will do," Amelia said as she led Erica into a spacious wooden cabin, handing her the key. "Keep it safe. There''s only one, and it''s a hassle to make copies." Erica accepted the key with a simple "Thank you." Amelia waved her hand dismissively and turned to leave. Upon entering, Erica found herself in a cozy room. The furnishings were sparse - just two chairs, a long table, and a bed. A crimson fire crackled in the fireplace, casting a warm glow on the animal skins adorning the walls. In the dim light, a wave of drowsiness washed over her. Despite her fatigue, Erica didn''t forget to indulge in a hot bath first. About half an hour later, she emerged from the bathroom. Her clothes, dried by magic, clung to her form, and only a few stray droplets remained in her golden hair. Succumbing to her sleepiness, Erica collapsed into a chair covered with animal fur. As she gazed at the ever-burning fireplace, a red glow seemed to flicker in her eyes, mirroring the dancing flames. The room was warm, yet Erica felt a sense of melancholy creeping over her. In her drowsy state, Erica''s mind wandered. She reflected on the long journey of the past few days, recalling the wind and snow that had relentlessly swept across the Northern Frontier. Her thoughts drifted to her home, wondering how things were faring there. Memories flickered through her mind like fleeting shadows. She thought of Professor Viktor. She remembered that day when Professor Viktor had unleashed his full power against her - that terrifying scene etched into her memory. Everything had burned, the sky and earth losing all color in the face of his overwhelming might. Unconsciously, Erica curled up, her body tensing at the recollection. That horrifying sense of pressure, whenever she recalled it, always made her tremble uncontrollably. Viktor''s influence on her remained immense, so much so that she felt lost, unsure of which direction to strive towards. It seemed as if no matter how hard she tried, she could never catch up to him. The gap between them felt like an insurmountable chasm, stretching endlessly before her. As she gradually sank deeper into her memories, exhaustion finally draped a heavy blanket of sleepiness over Erica''s body. She should have been sleeping on the bed... But the warmth from the fireplace was so comfortable, it didn''t matter if she just slept here like this, curled up in the chair. Suddenly, the wind outside grew stronger, its howl piercing through the cabin''s walls. Something seemed to stick to the window, making a sound as if it had adhered to the glass. Erica found it strange. The sound brought her back to her senses, and she unconsciously looked towards the window. It was a piece of paper, but in the dim firelight, she couldn''t make out its contents. The Northern Frontier didn''t have widespread use of magical light bulbs, so she could only stand up and walk over to investigate. She conjured a flame spell in her hand, which flickered to life, illuminating the window and the mysterious paper stuck to it. This time, she saw it clearly. It was a wanted poster. The portrait on the wanted poster looked eerily familiar to her. She could hardly believe it was the person she thought it was. Perhaps it was just someone who bore a striking resemblance. How could Professor Viktor appear in the Northern Frontier? Even if he did appear here, why would he be wanted for a crime? It didn''t make sense. But the more Erica thought about it, the more panicked she felt. Finally, her eyes drifted down to the bottom of the poster, widening in disbelief. Her lips moved slightly as she softly read out the name written there. "Viktor Kravina." ... Time passed quickly. Counting the days, Erica had been here for three days now. She was gradually adapting to life in this harsh, frozen land. On the snow plains, she started her training early each day. Dozens of mages around her were doing the same exercises. They were not only here to protect Erica but also sent by Duke Levi for special training. Mountain climbing, weighted cross-country treks through the snow... All kinds of physical training were thrown at Erica all at once. At first, Erica wasn''t used to such high-intensity training. But after just three short days, she had become increasingly proficient, her body adapting to the rigorous regimen. Vladimir stood nearby with his arms crossed, supervising the training with a critical eye. From time to time, he would nod in satisfaction at Erica''s progress. "General." Hearing Dick''s voice, Vladimir turned his head. "Those pups showing their faces at the border again?" By "pups," he meant those loathsome barbarians. However, Dick just scratched his head and said, "Quite the opposite of what you''re thinking, General. The barbarians haven''t shown their faces for days now." "For some inexplicable reason, they''ve started behaving themselves." Vladimir was puzzled. He gave Dick a look, and the two hurried off to the Pale Mage Association''s outpost. Their movement was very discreet; no one else noticed their departure. "What''s going on?" Vladimir asked as he mounted his horse. Having fought with the barbarians for so many years, the old man understood that these barbarians couldn''t possibly stay idle for long. Among these barbarians, there were naturally some formidable opponents. They possessed a special profession, a kind of born warrior, referred to by the people of the Northern Frontier as Berserkers. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Unlike ordinary warriors, these Berserkers seemed to never fear pain, appearing extremely frenzied and irrational in battle, and were very sensitive to blood. Blood seemed to be their source of power. Even Vladimir felt a bit of a headache when encountering barbarian warriors of that caliber. This was why the barbarians had been able to run rampant in the Northern Frontier for so long, and why the Pale Mage Association still hadn''t been able to drive them out. Even if they wanted to push them out, to push these barbarians'' living space back a hundred miles, they''d have to see if these mages had what it took to go toe-to-toe with the Berserkers. Mages did have close combat abilities superior to ordinary wizards, but they weren''t as sturdy as knights. And those Northern Frontier knights? Heh, their hearts weren''t aligned with the Pale Mage Association. The harsh cold of the north was the perfect space for these Berserkers to unleash their abilities. Vladimir pondered as he sat on horseback, facing the wind and snow, his mind full of questions. Could these barbarians be planning to gather together and make a big move while the Northern Frontier knights were in disarray? However, Dick quickly refuted his idea. "News from the spies who ventured deep into the north: the barbarian tribes within a hundred miles of the border have been almost completely burned down." "Whether it''s the [Flame Sword] or the [Pure Ice Claw], the branch tribes of these two major clans stationed at the border have basically been torn apart." The Pure Ice Claw was one of the two major clans, along with the Flame Sword. The Far North had countless small tribes, but only the Flame Sword and the Pure Ice Claw had formed vast spheres of influence. Like the Flame Sword, the Pure Ice Claw also worshipped a demigod giant. They similarly received divine power from this demigod giant, which made them fearless of the cold and granted them the power of frost. However, even these two powerful clans had suffered heavy casualties, almost overnight. "Everywhere they went, not a single person survived. All that could be seen were countless charred corpses." As Dick spoke, he recalled the shock he had felt for so long. Even those barbarians who were distributed out, because they were to be stationed near the border, were absolutely all warriors chosen from among the barbarians. In terms of overall strength, they were by no means weak. These barbarians even had means of communicating with each other, which made it impossible for the Pale Mage Association to deal with those barbarians stationed at the border. Once they went to subjugate them, if they couldn''t quickly swallow up these barbarians, Then, soon, the surrounding tribes would immediately come to their aid. But in the reports received from the spies, These tribes were annihilated one after another. They didn''t even have time to contact the surrounding tribes, as if it happened in an instant. It was as if the barbarians didn''t even have time to resist. Their distinctive buildings still bore fiercely burning flames. Even now, they continued to burn unceasingly. The raging wind and snow were utterly unable to extinguish them. Those poor barbarians seemed to have been wiped out without even having time to communicate, as if by a natural disaster. Such terrifying destructive power, Dick had never seen before, let alone now, when he was just hearing about it from the spies. Vladimir pondered thoughtfully. Could it really have been caused by a natural disaster? Perhaps not. He seemed to think of something and asked Dick beside him, "Those knights, have they found Viktor?" Dick shook his head. "They''ve had no news at all, as if Viktor had already left the Northern Frontier." Suddenly, he seemed to have a realization. "You mean..." Vladimir patted Dick''s shoulder and took out a cigar from his pocket. Then he pulled out two pieces of flint from his coat pocket, struck them together, and a small spark suddenly appeared. It lit the cigar perfectly, and red sparks flickered with Vladimir''s breath. The lit cigar turned a few times in the old man''s hand before he put it back in his mouth. "Tell those boys down there to get ready." "Get ready for what?" Before Dick could react, he heard Vladimir continue: "Get ready to drive those barbarians out." In an instant, his words seemed filled with an air of dominance and indisputability. It was as if an icy lion had suddenly opened its eyes, making one feel incredibly fearful and awed. For a moment, Dick seemed to see the Northern Frontier general who had galloped across battlefields in his youth. "Also," Vladimir took a deep drag on his cigar, the feeling of it going into his lungs even made Dick feel a moment of suffocation. After one puff, he blew out smoke rings and let out a hearty laugh. "We''ve got to bring this kid back, you know." ... Viktor coldly walked out of a beast-skin camp. He held a ball of flame in his hand, and as Viktor left, the flame seemed to gain consciousness and leapt onto the camp. Boom! With a thunderous sound, the camp behind him was engulfed in a sea of fire reaching to the sky. The flames burned incessantly, seeming to want to completely devour the entire camp. And in the lava giant hand behind Viktor, there was a basket woven from wood and vines. Inside seemed to be seven or eight barbarians, red-haired and blue-haired, male and female, all sorts. But without exception, their clothes had been burned to ashes, yet their bodies showed not a trace of burn marks. Their limbs were as if broken, thrown into the basket in extremely uncoordinated postures, their skin as if scrubbed over and over with sharp tools, a bloody mess. Even if barbarians saw this scene, they might vomit quite a bit. Viktor''s face was cold as he continued to carry the basket towards the depths of the Northern Frontier. Vega yawned on Viktor''s shoulder. "How much longer until we get there?" "Soon." Dropping these words, Viktor continued to walk northward. At first, Vega was curious. Although teleportation magic couldn''t be used, why didn''t Viktor use magic to fly or accelerate, to quickly reach their destination? But based on the experiences of the past few days, Vega finally understood what he was doing. He walked slowly like this across the snow plains, like an ascetic experiencing a long walking practice. However, whenever he entered any barbarian tribe, he would only take one action. That is, Extermination! Everywhere he went, the angry screams of the barbarians echoed across the snow plains. From desperate pleas to unceasing anger, they died with pent-up emotions. But Viktor didn''t care at all about the emotions of these barbarians. No matter how many of them he killed, Viktor wouldn''t even blink an eye. Viktor''s notoriety seemed to have spread throughout the snow plains. A god of death was on a killing spree in the Far North. To the extent that when Viktor passed by many camps, those tribes were completely empty. Some tribes had even migrated to other places without taking the food they relied on for survival. The barbarian camp Viktor had just left was the first tribe he had encountered today that still had barbarians present. Perhaps because they hadn''t received the news yet, they were intercepted by Viktor in advance. In any case, the barbarians had consciously begun to guard against the human rumored to exist. They even had to hold weapons while devouring raw meat. Viktor silently continued forward amidst the heavy snow. This fierce wind and snow seemed about to swallow up Viktor''s lone figure. He continued to advance, the snow gradually beginning to dance more wildly, making it hard to discern directions. Who knows how long it had been, how many mountain tops he had walked past. Viktor''s pace slowed a bit. A ray of daylight suddenly pierced through the wind and snow, appearing before his eyes. The snow ahead became sparse, as if divided into two worlds. Viktor walked to the edge of a cliff. "We''re here." He stood in place, gazing at the incredibly vast expanse before him, and said softly. Ahead was an endless, surging icy ocean, utterly ethereal. The azure sea and ice-blue mountains blended together, giving a sense of silence and tranquility. The snow plains were dotted with fine ice crystals, appearing incredibly mysterious under the eerie green glow of the aurora borealis. The light reflected off the crystals, merging together to form a breathtakingly beautiful panorama. "This," Viktor said, his voice barely above a whisper, "is the Far Northern Ice Plains." Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! patreon.com/BZDXG [Replace ''@'' with ''a'' to access Patreon normally] ... There are more novels available for advance reading on my Patreon page I hope everyone enjoys reading! .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 122: Im His Wife, You Got a Problem with That? Vega gazed at the beautiful scene before it, feeling somewhat emotional. "I''m starting to look forward to what might appear here." In the next moment, the lava giant hand behind Viktor grabbed the group of barbarians who had qualified for the temple from the basket, roughly throwing them onto the ground in front. A white formation appeared on the ground, from which a few white feathers flew out, piercing into the bodies of those barbarians. Under the spell, they were forcibly awakened. Slowly opening their eyes, they looked around at the unfamiliar scene. Although they had been through quite an ordeal, these barbarians were not dead. Upon waking, they once again saw the terrifying figure before them and began babbling incoherently, their voices strained. They lined up in a row, and even with broken limbs, their bodies continued to repeat the act of begging for mercy. Their heads pounded the icy plain, creating large craters, with streaks of blood flowing from their foreheads. Viktor remained silent, as he couldn''t communicate with these barbarians. The lava giant hand behind him transformed into the shape of a single finger, and he simply pointed at the area behind the barbarians. They understood Viktor''s meaning and painfully turned their heads to look behind them. As if responding to some kind of summons, they suddenly froze in place. All at once, the surging waves of the sea seemed to reverse direction. Like an earthquake, a series of violent tremors spread across the icy plain. The ground shook intensely, as if it were about to shatter. Between the cracks in the ice, a structure gradually rose from beneath the sea, slowly emerging in the icy ocean. It appeared to be a hall, with an enormously imposing presence, like a divine miracle. Finally, it revealed its full form, seeming to almost completely obscure the sky. It was a temple. Enveloped in cloud-white, it exuded an ethereal feeling, incredibly wondrous. In the next second, fierce winds suddenly gathered, blowing violently at the edge of the cliff, instantly whipping up ice crystals and snow from the snow plain to a height of a hundred meters. The ocean was instantly overturned, surging towards the temple with a thunderous roar. The barbarians, as if witnessing a divine miracle, pressed their heads to the ground, no longer daring to lift them. Viktor calmly observed the temple that had appeared out of thin air before him. The Wind Temple. Located at the northernmost point of the Far North, on the Extreme Northern Ice Plain, where the storms were most intense. Here, years of unceasing wind and snow had created an environment rich in wind elemental energy. However, the divine power bestowed by the Wind Temple upon those qualified manifested as immunity to fire-based damage. Similarly, the Earth Temple would grant those qualified immunity to wood-based attacks. Wind feeds fire, earth nourishes wood. The temple, as if sensing the arrival of those qualified, slowly opened its doors to welcome them. A powerful storm suddenly swept through, carving a terrifyingly deep crevice in the ice plain below. But the qualified individuals were no longer able to move their bodies. Viktor leisurely walked towards the temple, soon standing at its entrance. A thick whirlwind instantly enveloped Viktor, preventing his advance. Viktor merely gave the great doors a cold glance, his coat suddenly flashing. The patterns on his coat gradually brightened, two different colors appearing behind him, seemingly materializing into two giant beasts, their energy pouring out to completely surround the temple. A powerful aura burst forth from Viktor''s body, the dense natural energy within him overflowing, easily dispersing the violent winds. The repelling force abruptly ceased, no longer responding. "How troublesome." Viktor knew that the power of the temple was no longer obstructing him. The Calamity was a power superior to the Inheritance Temples, as the abilities passed down by the Inheritance Temples were derived from the Calamities themselves. Viktor was well aware of this, so... Not letting a Calamity enter was like not opening the door for your own father when he comes to your house. Viktor stepped into the temple, and the storm outside gradually subsided. Only the few qualified individuals were left shivering in the storm, their final moments of life slowly fading away in the cold and solitude, filled with endless fear and confusion. ... "All members of the Pale Mage Association! Assemble!" "Within five minutes, all four thousand three hundred and eighty-two people must gather on the snow plain!" The mages began to spread the message, and those on the snow plain sprang into action. Their chaotic footsteps kicked up the thick snow several meters high. The thunderous sound of footsteps instantly echoed across the vast snow plain. Animals hiding beneath the snow fled towards the depths of the plain, startled by the massive vibrations. Those rugged men shed their animal skins and donned their pristine white battle robes once more. Gripping their magic weapons, they stood in formation on the snow plain, standing at rigid attention, awaiting instructions from their general. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. In less than five minutes, all mages and sorcerers had assembled. Amelia stood beside Vladimir, also dressed in a thick white robe that concealed the wound on her abdomen. Her previously irritated demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by an utterly cold expression. Vladimir stood on the icy platform of the Mage Corps, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his expression extremely serious, his eyes filled with intense expectation. "Warriors of the Pale Mage Association, a great battle is imminent." "We have been stationed here for over twenty years, and today! We will finally be able to put an end to those cruel demons, those barbarian dogs!" "The time for resistance has come! We must seize this opportunity to drive those dogs out completely, to push them farther than even the Far North!" The thousands of mages and sorcerers instantly became fired up, their fists clenched tighter, their bodies perhaps trembling uncontrollably with excitement, every face flushed red. But there were still quite a few who remained rational, looking somewhat confused. Why, without any warning, was the Mage Association suddenly going to war? "Why are we suddenly going to war?" "Are those knights planning to cooperate with us?" The Pale Mage Association itself was a group composed of various mages and sorcerers mixed together. In the face of the physically formidable barbarians, the mages who combined physical prowess with magic had some ability to resist. But the sorcerers couldn''t. If the Northern Knights were present, they could use their superior equipment and physical abilities to confront the enemy head-on. The knights could hold off the barbarians at the front, with the mages following closely behind, while the sorcerers, surrounded and protected, could focus entirely on casting spells, continuously inflicting terrifying magical attacks on the barbarians. But now... Those Northern Knights had never intended to be of one heart and mind with the Mage Association. Vladimir narrowed his eyes and asked in return. "Are you going to fight or not?" Hearing this, the thousands of members of the Pale Mage Corps instantly straightened up, instinctively giving their answer. "Damn right we''ll fight! We must fight!" "Our hatred for the barbarians is stained with the blood of countless martyrs, a grudge spanning twenty years, we can''t hold back anymore!" "That''s right! We can''t hold back anymore!" As long as the president gave the order, even if they had doubts in their hearts, they would have to devote all their strength to the battle without hesitation. With twenty years of camaraderie and blood-soaked trials, they didn''t hesitate for a moment. Vladimir looked at them and laughed heartily! "Hahaha! Good!" "This time, we only need to penetrate deep into the Far North, drive away those barbarians, and at the same time, go to receive a hero back." "Of course, the surrounding tribes have already been swept clean, so we don''t have to worry about those dogs hindering our actions." These words further ignited everyone''s morale. Vladimir looked at his excited subordinates, his face full of proud smiles. He lowered his head to look at Erica beside him, saying: "Erica." "It looks like your training will have to be put on hold for a few days." "However, as the saying goes, actual combat is the best training." Erica understood Vladimir''s meaning. He was asking her if she wanted to participate in this war. If she was afraid here, fearing the coming danger, she could completely refuse. But that would go against Erica''s original intention. She always remembered her goal, the person she wanted to chase after. If she didn''t dare to participate in such a war, how could she hope to catch up to Viktor? Moreover, in Erica''s heart, she had some guesses. That hero who had penetrated deep into the Far North and swept away countless barbarians. Could it be, Professor Viktor? Many doubts remained in her heart, so Erica nodded. Vladimir, seeing her reaction, was very satisfied. "Hahaha! Good! But you don''t need to be too afraid." "Even if we really do fight, it will definitely be us mages at the forefront, you sorcerers just need to chant a few spells for support from the back." "Amelia." He casually called out, and the cold and beautiful sorceress beside him quickly responded. "Let this young lady follow under your sorcerer team, I believe she won''t need your care." "Hmph, sorcerers aren''t as fragile as you say." She snorted coldly, agreeing to it. Having done all this, Vladimir turned back to face the members of the Mage Corps. His eyes seemed to be filled with intense fighting spirit. "Pale Mage Association, advance in full force!" "Target, the Far North!" In an instant, under Vladimir''s announcement. All the mages'' cheers rose in waves, one higher than the next, even the snow-capped mountains a hundred meters away seemed to shake and tremble. Amidst the cheers, Dick hurriedly came to the front of the formation. "General! There''s a knight outside looking for you!" "Oh?" At this critical moment, a knight had come to find him? Vladimir raised an eyebrow with interest, but before he could say anything. A female knight in white silver heavy armor had already walked over from the side. The armor on her body clashed together, making a clanging sound. Erica looked at her, her eyes widening slightly. But this female knight seemed to have not noticed her at all, only looking at Vladimir, her tone flat. "General Lebedev, you want to go to the Far North, right?" Vladimir was very puzzled, and the mages of the Mage Association, seeing the arrival of a knight, had already become somewhat impolite in their tone. "Huh, a knight? Aren''t they only good at hiding in that huge castle like cowardly turtles?" "And a female knight? I really didn''t expect it, have you Northern Knights run out of men?" Amidst the taunts, the female knight in front showed no signs of displeasure. She just continued to look calmly at Vladimir, saying, "I have a request, I hope I can follow you to the Far North." "Hoho?" Vladimir laughed with interest, waving his hand to signal the mages to quiet down. When the crowd had completely quieted, he looked back at Gwen and asked, "Why? You need to give me a reason." "Otherwise, as you can see, my team doesn''t allow a knight to join." She didn''t continue speaking, but instead took out a golden parchment from her waist. The parchment seemed to carry a faint magical power, as if it was approaching something, constantly flickering with a faint light. The paper was slightly warm in her hand, even the surrounding air was distorted by its temperature. Everyone present was either a mage or a sorcerer, and they could all see the residual magic on this parchment. This must be a magical tool made by a powerful mage. Before Vladimir could open his mouth to inquire, the female knight said with an unchanged expression, "With this parchment, I can accurately find Viktor''s location." Find Viktor''s location? Hearing this, Vladimir immediately became interested. Obviously, her relationship with Viktor must be extraordinary. So, Vladimir asked, "Who are you?" Gwen put away the parchment and took a deep breath. As if making some kind of decision, finally, she slowly spoke. Her tone was filled with an undeniable certainty. "I am Gwen Delin." "I am Viktor Kravina''s fiance." .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 123: Hold On, Why Are You So Proficient at This? Gwen Delin. As the knight''s name fell upon their ears, everyone present drew a sharp breath. They exchanged glances and began to murmur amongst themselves. "Hey, did she say her surname is Delin?" "Whoa, Angus''s daughter? I didn''t know that old fox had such a looker for a daughter." "You''re missing the point. She''s Viktor''s fiance... you know, the guy on the wanted poster." "Damn, that ruthless bastard..." Vladimir also seemed somewhat taken aback. He eyed Gwen quizzically and asked, "So you''re Viktor''s fiance?" "Interesting. You''re not here to drag him back for punishment, are you?" Unlike Viktor, Gwen''s name wasn''t particularly renowned. Within the Northern Frontier, only the Northern Knights were familiar with her title. Vladimir, naturally, had no recollection of her. Gwen''s face remained impassive, as if she were simply reciting facts. "I''ve been informed about the situation." Before coming here, Gwen had returned home. Her second brother was still in a coma, paralyzed. Her father, though appearing physically unharmed, had vacant eyes and hadn''t regained his senses. Upon seeing their condition, Gwen was somewhat surprised. She found herself calmer than she had expected. Even though the two before her were her family. Her emotions were neither sad nor happy. Perhaps she was just too cold-blooded. But she also knew that she hadn''t come back for these family members who were family in name only. Kevla had told her that their father had struck first, and Jaxu had been crippled for threatening Viktor. Now, with Viktor''s whereabouts unknown, Kevla''s words alone weren''t enough to convince the Northern Knights. Naturally, they couldn''t prove Viktor''s innocence either. The wanted notice was still circulating in the Northern Frontier, so Gwen needed to find him. If Viktor had indeed intentionally harmed Angus, then Gwen would engage him in a fair and just duel. Of course, Gwen was more inclined to believe Viktor was innocent. She wanted to trust her sister, and she wanted to try to trust Viktor. "I just want to find Viktor, but I can''t traverse the Far North alone." "So, you''ve come to us, the Pale Mage Association?" At some point, Vladimir had stuck an unlit cigar in his mouth. Whenever he needed to ponder something, he would always light one up. But he hadn''t lit it yet. He just looked at Gwen, his tone serious as he spoke. "I think I get it, but..." He glanced back at Erica behind him, then turned to face Gwen again. "How can you prove you''re Viktor''s fiance? Or rather... after everything that''s happened between your families." "Do you really think your engagement is still valid?" Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Erica pushed back her hood and stepped forward. "She is indeed Viktor''s fiance, Uncle Vladimir." "Hmm?" Vladimir shot Erica a slightly displeased look, but when she casually conjured a flame spell to light the cigar in his mouth, his expression softened into a smile. "It''s been a while, Knight Captain Gwen." Erica curtsied gracefully to the silver-armored Gwen, offering her a smile. Gwen couldn''t help but look at the petite Erica, surprise appearing on her face for the first time. "Lady Erica?" Seeing this, Vladimir scratched his head in frustration. "Tch, I didn''t expect you two to know each other. Well, my question still stands." "Viktor has killed too many barbarians for us, and your identity isn''t exactly favorable." "To be honest, it''s only out of respect for Viktor that my boys here are holding back their emotions." "As for those Northern Knights of yours, hmph, a bunch of good-for-nothings." Gwen''s expression remained unchanged, but her tone became even more resolute. "If Viktor is proven innocent, I will personally arrest my father and Jaxu Delin, and inherit my father''s position as head of the family." "I swear on my honor as a knight to stand by my words." As her words faded, the disdain on the faces of the Pale Mage Association members dissipated, replaced by a sense of respect. The Pale Mage Association had dealt with these Northern Knights for over a decade and knew all too well what kind of people these self-righteous fellows were. Though they didn''t do much, these self-proclaimed righteous knights valued their reputation above all else. Knights never swore oaths lightly. Once an oath was made, if they failed to keep their word, The power that sustained them would gradually dissipate. Even if they called themselves knights, they would no longer possess a knight''s strength. Vladimir nodded. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The girl before him indeed had a very firm resolve. As long as she inherited the position of family head, her engagement to Viktor would naturally continue. There was no talk of breaking off the engagement. So, until Viktor explicitly stated that their engagement was null and void, she would remain his fiance. "Sigh." Vladimir let out a helpless sigh. He had wanted to pave the way for his friend''s daughter, but it seemed she wasn''t helping herself. Vladimir reassessed Gwen with a new perspective, exhaling a cloud that was unclear whether it was tobacco smoke or frost from the cold temperature. "I agree to let you come with us. As it happens, I need you to guide us." "But, there''s one thing I want to make clear upfront." "As a knight, don''t expect the mages to protect you." Gwen nodded silently, taking her place at the very front of the formation, her expression cold and focused. The other team members, including Vladimir, had no further objections. Because everyone knew that Gwen was their guide. With her in the lead, they could avoid many unnecessary detours. ...... The interior of the temple was covered with green, protruding rocks that seemed to have no discernible pattern. Before Viktor, several large doors trembled with a white phosphorescence. Mysterious constellations seemed to be carved on those stone doors, emanating a powerful aura from behind them. There were ten doors in total, arranged in a circle within the temple. Viktor looked at the Wind Temple, calmly pondering. In the game, there were six great temples, and this was one of them. And within each temple, there were ten entrances just like the ones before him. Behind each entrance, a powerful guardian watched over the temple''s inner power. The guardians'' energy levels were arranged from low to high, with the lowest at level 15 and the highest at level 50. Although the final powerful boss was high-level, their very existence limited their upper threshold, falling far short of the Calamities. Coming back to his senses, Viktor watched as the stone giant doors slowly opened. Accompanied by falling dust and a rumbling sound, a deep, dark passage appeared before Viktor. A faint current of air slowly flowed outward from the passage. Viktor calmly entered the first door. He stepped inside, and the door slowly closed behind him. But before the door could fully shut, Viktor had already walked back out of the passage. His body was enveloped by a white aura, like an elf. With each stage cleared, Viktor could clearly feel a cool energy being injected into his body. Viktor looked at his status bar. [Wind Attribute Power 10%] He calmly watched as the stone door slowly opened, and strode out. As the second door opened, Viktor quickly entered. However, the result wasn''t much different from before. In just a short while, he walked out. Another white aura was added around his body. That was the power of wind. Then, the third door, the fourth door. He calmly traversed door after door, each time emerging with another white mist surrounding him. Now, Viktor looked at his newly acquired buffs without a word. [Wind Attribute Power 50%] Finally, with the breakthrough of the first five doors, a violent gust of wind suddenly came rushing towards him. The powerful storm made his coat flutter and rustle loudly. The opening of the sixth door seemed to carry a different force. He slowly walked in against the wind force, and the deeper he went into the passage, the wind force strangely decreased. By the time the gale completely disappeared, Viktor found himself in surroundings vastly different from before. This trial ground was much larger than the previous five stone doors, and the giant rock above was carved with part of a beast-like body. White light illuminated the entire vast trial ground. "As expected." In the game, the first five doors were relatively simple and easy. They were at a level that the vast majority of players could pass. It wasn''t until the sixth trial that the difficulty suddenly increased. Gradually, from the surrounding rock walls, a violent gale rushed out. The gale constantly restructured itself, visibly combining into a strange monster. It seemed to have no physical form, surrounded by a mass of white smoke, dancing with a shapeless body. But its arm positions were replaced by several scattered wisps of smoke, transforming into various shapes. Spear, battle axe, blade..... The weapons changed endlessly, fiercely attacking Viktor. Unfortunately for it, as a mage, close combat was what Viktor feared least! In the blink of an eye, Viktor''s hands were enveloped by dense natural energy, a spear and blade appearing in his hands, burning with fierce flames. As the smoke wisps attacked, Viktor dodged to the side and counterattacked towards the cloudy body. Whoosh! Whoosh! The smoke shattered upon being hit, and Viktor seized the moment, spotting the orbs within the smoke strands. The spear whipped out fiercely! Crack! The orb instantly turned to dust. That wisp of smoke, having lost its energy source, began to tremble and shake in the air, dissipating into the trial ground. As one wisp of smoke disappeared, the remaining clouds seemed to attack more fiercely. But Viktor was now fully aware of their attack patterns. With his rapid dodges, he avoided them perfectly. The remaining clouds naturally couldn''t escape their fate. They were all shattered one by one by Viktor. Viktor landed safely, dusting off his body, watching as a wisp of white smoke coiled around his body. He remained silent, turning to walk out of the trial ground. As the stone door opened, Viktor walked towards the next trial door. The seventh, the eighth. Those stone doors seemed like mere decorations, gradually broken through under Viktor''s easy handling. Vega''s heart was full of confusion, until he walked out of the ninth door, this crow finally asked its question. "Viktor, tell me honestly, how many times have you been here?" "Why are you so proficient at this?" Viktor didn''t answer immediately, just looking towards the last stone door, calmly responding to Vega: "I''ve lost count." Standing in the temple, Viktor watched as this final trial slowly opened to him. "Let''s go." He passed through the calm passage, arriving at the final trial ground. This place was immensely vast, like an alternate dimension. The azure sky looked calm and endless. The ground beneath was covered with thick layers of clouds, white as far as the eye could see. Countless pillars stood atop the clouds. Viktor looked through the cloud layer at the scenery below the pillars. Bottomless. Viktor walked forward steadily, standing on one of the pillars. At this moment, he seemed to be standing in the clouds, between the sky. With his movement, in the blink of an eye. A violent gale came rushing, blowing fiercely towards his body. Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, feeling the violent fluttering of his coat collar in the gale. Finally. A giant bird covered in white feathers slowly broke through layers of clouds, flapping the air as it appeared before him. It had a pair of white wings like large hands, constantly whipping up gales. Its body was covered in cyan-cloud patterns, a powerful wind elemental force bursting forth from within. It looked down at the newcomer, its eyes full of disdain. "Screech!" A roar, that fierce cry instantly echoed throughout the sky, like a clear bell. Viktor looked at it expressionlessly, the patterns on his coat behind him slowly lighting up in two colors. A long health bar appeared in Viktor''s view. Lv50 "It seems the battle has begun." Chapter 124: I Didnt Say You Could Leave Whoosh! Whoosh! Across the vast snowy plain, a group of mages and magic users glided swiftly over the thick white snow. A faint white light flickered beneath their feet, trembling with each step. Snow flew and the air crackled as the howling wind filled every member''s ears. Under the influence of magic, the extreme wind and snow seemed to propel them forward with even greater speed. The mages consistently followed behind the silver knight at the front of the team. That noble and proud knight faced the wind and snow, her demeanor utterly cold and indifferent. Her silver hair danced in the heavy snow, reminiscent of a merciless princess atop the ice and snow. At each destroyed tribe they encountered, they would halt their rapid advance. Those massive settlements still burned with wrathful flames, crackling loudly. They had been burning for several days, swaying precariously in the wind and snow. Several large barbarian corpses lay scattered across the snow plain. Although their flesh had long since been burned to ashes, scattering in the air, strangely, their bones remained. Flames still burned on the bones, seemingly impossible to extinguish. It was as if their very sins were being burned away. Even amidst such fierce wind and snow, the flames continued to burn. Ceaselessly. This was the fifth destroyed tribe the Pale Mage Association had encountered. At each site, the previous tribes were like this one, burning with unceasing flames. A charred smell constantly emanated from the barbarians'' bones. Remnants of their bodies seemed to linger. Erica stood among the crowd, watching the scene from afar. She wore a thick hood, covering her mouth. Even from a distance, this scene filled her with intense disgust and discomfort. It wasn''t that Erica found it too cruel. It was just that the scattered debris in the air made her feel that she might inadvertently breathe in fragments of those filthy, polluted barbarians. Beside her, Amelia glanced at Erica, seemingly noticing something. She reached into her pocket, rummaged for a moment, then pulled out a lollipop, still in its wrapper, and handed it to her. "Want one?" Erica was startled, looked up, and saw Amelia nod at her. "Th... thank you," Erica thanked her softly and took the candy. She unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. Hmm, strawberry flavor. Amelia looked at the fire in front of her, her voice cold and clear. "The barbarians have killed too many of our people. They deserve this fate." "You don''t need to feel uncomfortable. Just think of them as wild beasts incapable of communication." Erica sucked on the lollipop, feeling the sweetness spread, and her heart calmed considerably. She now realized that the stick her sister had been chewing on was actually a lollipop. At this moment, the Pale Mage Association mages surrounded the towering flames, chanting arcane incantations that sounded like prayers or worship. White light flickered faintly amidst the wind and snow, and the unceasing flames rose even higher. They added their own magical power to the flames, making them burn even more fiercely. They hadn''t participated in killing these barbarians. But they hoped this fire would burn hotter and fiercer. Let it exist permanently in this extreme northern snowland, making the barbarians forever remember this scorching disaster. Amidst the chanting prayers, the flames grew even more vigorous in the wind and snow. Even the blizzard couldn''t conceal their conviction. Imperceptibly, Gwen returned to the team. As a knight, she naturally didn''t need to chant with the mages. As if she had just done something, she shook the remaining blood off her silver sword and sheathed it. Vladimir raised an eyebrow as he watched Gwen return. "Barbarians gathering nearby?" "It''s the ''Blazing Sword'' team, about twenty or so. From the looks of it, they''re heading towards the extreme north." That basically matched their target location. That is, where Viktor was. "The Far Northern Ice Fields, huh." Vladimir chuckled softly. The barbarians had gathered on their own. Perhaps Viktor''s actions had incurred their collective wrath. After all the mages finished their fire prayers, Vladimir called out to them: "Alright, boys. We should get moving too." "Oh!!" With the president''s order to depart, the magic users immediately raised their voices, as excited as the increasingly intense flames. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The team regrouped and sped off across the snow plain, kicking up meters-high snow dust that covered the ruins. No one noticed that not far away, a pile of bloody, dismembered remains was gradually buried completely by the wind and snow. ...... Boom! Boom! Boom! Flame-wrapped wooden vines transformed into countless spikes, flying towards the giant bird in the clouds. One spell was followed immediately by the next. The green leaves and fire snakes in the sky seemed to intertwine, attacking ceaselessly. The white-feathered giant bird appeared quite distressed, unable to find even a moment to counterattack under the fierce onslaught. It felt extremely surprised. The Wind Temple''s blessing should have made it immune to fire damage, but facing this challenger, it actually felt the pain of being burned. Viktor''s magical attacks gave it a very familiar feeling. In all these long years, over thousands of years, no successful challenger who had made it this far had ever put such pressure on it. The giant bird twirled its body in the air, dodging Viktor''s dense attacks. It spun in the air, suddenly flapping its wings vigorously. A gale fanned out, seemingly transforming into blades, instantly slicing through the air towards Viktor. The speed was extremely fast, leaving no time to react. But Viktor remained calm, continuing to cast his unceasing spells. As the air blades approached, the iron badge at his waist spontaneously burst forth, forming a storm around him. The powerful whirlwind blocked all the air blades. That impenetrable defense filled it with despair. From beginning to end, Viktor had stood on a single pillar. He just stood there, not even thinking about dodging, completely motionless. The giant bird kept roaring, its powerful ripples shaking the endless clouds, constantly raising white waves. But Viktor seemed completely unaffected, continuing to release powerful magic. Countless formations in his hands seemed to form and release as quickly as simple sketches. Under the extremely fierce offensive, the giant bird completely lost its last patience. It understood that if this continued, it would have no chance of defeating its opponent. The giant bird flapped its wings once, passing through the cloud layer, heading towards an extremely distant place. Relying on the tailwind, it quickly pulled away from the range of Viktor''s magic. Although Viktor still had countless methods to reach it, and could even easily knock it down, he just watched its actions. The giant bird opened its beak, and a storm immediately began to swirl and gather in its mouth. [Aerial Blast] A white storm that swept across the sky appeared out of thin air above the heavens. The next moment The huge airflow instantly tore through the clouds, penetrating the pure white clouds, a wave-like spiral seemingly shooting straight into the sky. It was as if even sound had paused for a moment, the surging airflow seemed to carry raging waves, tearing the air into a series of cracks. The pillars beneath the clouds became shaky because of this. The astonishing giant projectile suddenly attacked towards Viktor. The attack hadn''t arrived yet, but its aura had already made his coat flutter loudly. The giant projectile suddenly attacked towards Viktor. But he just stood there, hands in his pockets, keeping his coat steady on his body. On the coat, a shocking green light lit up. In an instant. Behind him, countless glowing green formations burst forth, roughly appearing to number nearly a thousand. Exquisite green patterns covered his entire body, flashing with streaks of light. Then, countless green arrows made of energy continuously erupted from within the magic formations. [Thousand Arrow Barrage]! The vast natural energy converged together, pouring out all at once! The two magical forces violently collided. But the giant projectile only resisted for a second before being engulfed by the overwhelming magical power, which quickly attacked towards the giant bird. Before the atmosphere could catch a breath, the giant bird was instantly submerged in a sea of glowing green. As the dust gradually settled, waves of green completely surrounded it, emitting a rich scent of fresh grass. The raging magical power on Viktor''s body slowly subsided. An ordinary temple guardian beast wasn''t enough to make him use any devastatingly powerful magic. Using just the skills of a Calamity was enough to easily defeat it. Those war magics couldn''t be used casually, and without Vega''s magical connection, he couldn''t prepare war magic extremely quickly either. As the glowing green magical power gradually dissipated, the giant bird lay dying on a distant pillar. Vega looked at Viktor, slowly asking. "Is it over already?" It hadn''t even warmed up yet. It had thought this guardian beast would be formidable, but it turned out to be not even as strong as a Calamity. As the fierce wind gradually subsided, Viktor, with his hands in his pockets, leisurely walked towards the giant bird. "I didn''t come for its divine power in the first place." The divine power of the Inheritance Temple was a manifestation divided from the abilities of the Calamities. Obtaining the final inheritance in the Inheritance Temple would give players a 150% increase in damage for the corresponding attribute. That''s right, from one to nine would only increase by 10%, but if the final level was successfully challenged, it would directly increase to 150%, and one would obtain part of the corresponding attribute''s abilities. This was perhaps a form of recognition for players who successfully completed the challenge. But Viktor didn''t need this, the divine power of the Inheritance Temple was just an extra for him. What he wanted was this divine power''s perception of the Calamities. The Wind Calamity was different from other Calamities, it wouldn''t appear in a fixed place. Just like the wind, it was elusive and unpredictable. Today it might appear in the skies above the Imperial Continent, and the next day it might appear in another corner of the world. It fell upon the clouds, a truly ''free'' Calamity. Coincidentally, the power of wind could help Viktor sense it. Finally, Viktor walked up to the dying giant bird. The giant bird flapped its wings, straightening its body, seemingly wanting to maintain its dignity as a temple guardian beast. It succeeded, even in defeat, it still held its head high, incredibly proud. A white radiance separated from its body, slowly infusing into Viktor''s body. Accompanied by a flash of cyan on his body, Viktor felt his body become much lighter. The power of wind. After completing all this, the giant bird looked at Viktor with satisfaction. Then, it flapped its wings, heading towards the sky ten thousand meters high. But suddenly, countless red chains appeared above the clouds. Like venomous snakes, they rapidly approached the giant bird. The chains instantly enveloped the giant bird, entangling its wings and its enormous body. With the restraint of the giant bird, the temple seemed to tremble as well, the sky ten thousand meters high appearing to sway precariously. In that moment, the crow on Viktor''s shoulder seemed to flash with a wicked gleam. An extremely large black formation slowly appeared above the pure white clouds. Like a single stroke of black ink on a scroll, it continuously attached itself to the giant bird. In the giant bird''s terrified eyes, Viktor''s eyes flickered with a faint blue light as he spoke dispassionately. "I apologize." "I didn''t say you could leave." .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 125: Wind: Why Has My Home Been Demolished? [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Several pitch-black chains continuously emitted thick black smoke, seemingly polluting the boundless clouds above. In an instant, the black smoke spilled out from the white clouds, rising ceaselessly towards the sky. The massive black magic array that suddenly appeared beneath Viktor''s feet was also completely engulfed by the black smoke. The chains kept contracting, tightly gripping the giant bird''s throat. "God of sinful and evil thoughts, submission shall be wrested from my hands" "Sacred beast of a thousand purities, fall into silence" As the incantation was slowly recited, Viktor''s body beneath his coat seemed to be transformed into layer upon layer of thick armor by countless black souls. The giant bird frantically flapped its wings, attempting to break free from the restraints, but this only resulted in further corrosion and tightening. Its body was slowly enveloped by endless chains, layer after layer, turning into a huge black iron cocoon. Soon, several obscure runes floated around the chains, engraved upon them. Boom! Boom! Two intense echoes suddenly resounded between the runes, colliding with each other. The white runes began to twist as if they had gained life, penetrating deep into the giant bird''s body through the gaps between the iron chains. Whoosh! In an instant, the giant bird''s body transformed into streams of white energy, bursting out from the iron cocoon. Following the chains, they turned into runes and merged into Viktor''s coat. Several white, trembling mysterious runes slowly appeared on the collar and hem of the coat, continuously emitting powerful energy. The moment the giant bird completely dissipated, the sky seemed to be thoroughly corrupted by the black smoke, becoming extremely dark. The white clouds also began to disintegrate, forming black vortexes in the void, continuously engulfing the stone pillars and clouds. The huge stone pillar beneath Viktor''s feet began to shake violently, and the falling debris told him that this was no place to linger. The guardian of the temple itself served as an energy source to support the existence of the temple. If the guardian were killed within the temple, after a long period of sedimentation, the dense magical power could still reshape the guardian''s body. However, once the guardian beast was forcibly removed from the temple, it meant that the divine power of the entire temple would be stripped away. At this moment, the entire temple was on the verge of collapse, seemingly about to crumble. Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder, appearing unsurprised. Viktor, with his hands in his pockets, remained unfazed amidst the tremors. He turned and leisurely walked towards the open door of the trial. As he left, the trial ground completely disintegrated, the stone pillars turning to dust. Only the endless black hole gradually expanded, swallowing even the sky along with it. ...... On the extreme northern ice plains, a group of barbarians had gathered at some unknown time. Red-haired barbarians clustered together, shouting in strange tones. Opposite them was a group of blue-bearded barbarians with bulging muscles. They held an extremely large blue banner in their hands. Two battle axes were depicted on the banner, as if embedded in ice. It was the symbol of the Ice Claw. The red barbarians and blue barbarians faced off, and at their feet lay the corpses of those barbarians who had the qualifications. Their bodies were already stiff, mutilated, with limbs seemingly broken, presenting an extremely tragic sight. It was because of the existence of these qualified individuals that these barbarian groups could come to this northernmost part of the extreme ice plains. The barbarians from the two tribes, wielding weapons, kept shouting at the top of their lungs against the wind and snow. Not far away, on an isolated snow island, several mages with transparent outlines lay on the snow plain, watching the scene before them. The sight of the two barbarian factions made them feel a rush of excitement. "So many barbarians gathered in one place, tsk..." "Wouldn''t they all be caught in one fell swoop if a disaster struck?" "They don''t seem to have any defenses. Should we notify the general now and prepare war magic in advance?" They whispered to each other, but they hadn''t noticed Viktor''s presence. The female knight had said the location was here. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The only place left unchecked was that mysterious white palace on the distant cold sea surface. Could Viktor be there? While still pondering, the temple suddenly experienced violent tremors. Suddenly, a powerful seismic sensation spread across a hundred miles in all directions along with the surging sea. The entire snow plain fell into violent earthquakes. Several cracks appeared on the snow plain, and seawater poured into them all at once. The barbarians facing off on the snow plain all immediately lay down on the snow plain, maintaining their posture. A few slower-reacting barbarians couldn''t keep their balance and fell into the icy ocean, plunging into the deep valley with the water flow. From within the temple, a muffled anger seemed to erupt, and a violent storm suddenly arose on the sea surface. Those barbarians couldn''t help but turn their gaze towards the collapsing temple. Perhaps to extinguish the anger of the deity, they all lay down on the ground, constantly kowtowing and begging for mercy. But the temple did not cease its trembling due to their fear. The massive earthquakes transmitted wave after wave across the boundless snow plain. The accumulated snow also constantly collapsed and rose due to the continuous tremors. It was as if a giant ice beast had suddenly awakened on this desolate land, yet helplessly fell into the abyss. Suddenly. An intense white light burst forth from within the temple, shooting straight into the sky. Everything around seemed to become colorless. Only that dazzling white remained between heaven and earth. ...... Under that terrifying tremor, even the members of the Pale Mage Association stopped. Vladimir, frowning, looked at the white light that had pierced through the gloomy sky. He could sense an incredibly dense magical power from it. This magical power was certainly not something humans could possess. "What is that thing?" The white light, as if guiding them, mixed with endless gales amidst the wild snow, cutting their faces like knives. No one could answer Vladimir''s question. Under this incredibly shocking scene, everyone present felt an extremely terrifying pressure. Erica''s expression suddenly changed, as if realizing something. She stared straight ahead, feeling the violent storm tearing at her body, letting her clothes flutter continuously. But soon... A silver-white figure, like a stream of light, instantly dashed towards the white light. Like a silver blade, carrying an unyielding will, it unhesitatingly defied that terrifying sky-piercing firework. In Erica''s gaze, Gwen''s figure lingered in her eyes for less than a moment. She had already disappeared among the crowd. "..." Erica was somewhat stunned. Vladimir also looked at Gwen''s departing figure, exhaling a breath of white mist. "Looks like we don''t need to wait for the report from the people in front, boys." At these words, the members of the Pale Mage Association became excited as if injected with adrenaline. Each person straightened their backs, their eyes flickering with restless flames. Vladimir twisted his wrist, and from within his glove, a huge ice axe instantly formed. He rested it on his shoulder, revealing a smile, and said with a snort: "It''s time to give those pups a bloody lesson." ....... The extreme northern ice plain had already become fragmented. The broken snow plain was swept by fierce winds that were like sharp thorns. As the white light turned into streams of decaying energy, the sea surface slowly transformed into gusts of hurricanes, dispersing in all directions across the snow plain. Countless barbarians were still kneeling in place, praying incessantly. Even though their foreheads were bleeding from heavy kowtowing, they dared not stop their actions. Unknowingly, a hoarse voice slowly rose among the barbarians. Strangely, they could understand the meaning contained in that odd language. "I don''t recall ever having such a group of believers." A crow opened its beak, its single eye filled with utter disdain. It stood on Viktor''s shoulder, shaking its feathers, looking down at those ignorant barbarians with an air of superiority. Viktor stood quietly on an iceberg with his hands in his pockets, watching those panicked barbarians. He sensed it. The overwhelming anger from these barbarians. Perhaps it was because of what they believed to be a divine manifestation, but the person who appeared from it was Viktor, causing a sense of absurd anger. Or perhaps it was because the enemy who had slaughtered nearly half of their tribesmen was now right before their eyes. Regardless, when they raised their heads and saw Viktor at that moment. They could no longer contain the anger in their hearts. "Woo woo wah wah!" The barbarians'' eyes were bloodshot, and the red fur on their bodies seemed to have received a blessing of life, turning into constantly burning flames. The jumping flames gradually engulfed their bodies completely, transforming them into pure energy entities. They roared towards the sky, filled with anger, their voices spreading across the entire broken snow plain. "Berserkers." Viktor uttered these words calmly as he watched the angry barbarians. When anger reaches its peak, barbarians would gain the ultimate terrifying power, a desperation hidden deep within their wildness. They had completely lost their sanity, and even the drool from their bared teeth instantly evaporated due to the flames engulfing their bodies. Wielding weapons wrapped in flames, they seemed to have become one with their fiery bodies. Viktor''s expression remained unchanged as a red magic array suddenly appeared in his palm. The patterns gradually intertwined, and a ball of fire continuously condensed in his hand. He had intended to incinerate the enemies before him in one fell swoop. But suddenly, a silver-white figure entered his field of vision. Viktor raised an eyebrow slightly. Although the white knight was wearing heavy armor, her movements were swift and graceful. She passed over those agitated barbarians and came before Viktor. Her long sword was instantly drawn, piercing through the heart of the berserker who had suddenly charged towards Viktor. An instant kill attack! As the blade was withdrawn, blood spurted from the sword edge, and the berserker suddenly lost consciousness. The flames burning on its body had barely had a chance to burn before its lifeless body fell into the cold icy ocean. Gwen''s appearance made all the barbarians stop in their tracks. The other berserkers, seeing the white knight who had suddenly intervened, felt a sense of absurd fear. She violently swung her long sword on the snow plain, splattering the scalding blood across the icy ground. Even the stubborn ice melted a little. She stood proudly in front of Viktor, facing the countless barbarians, her voice cold and clear. "This time," she said. "I found you first." .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 126: Giants? Have You Seen Demons? [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Gwen''s resolute figure stood before Viktor, her silver hair dancing in the wind and snow, appearing even more stern. Before her stretched thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of barbarians. In this extreme northern land, a place of scarce resources where people could only survive by hunting, such an effective fighting force had somehow emerged. Angus had governed the north for nearly thirty years, and these had been the most prosperous years for the northern barbarians. Gwen didn''t need to ponder deeply. The more she considered it, the more she felt the weight of her father and brother''s sins. It was their neglect that allowed the barbarians to proliferate unchecked. She had much to say to Viktor behind her, but now was not the time for contemplation. The barbarians had no complex thoughts. The instant death of the first berserker only caused a momentary hesitation, followed by an even more intense, uncontrollable rage. That endless fury made the violent flames enveloping their bodies burn even fiercer, as if they would devour everything in the next second. They roared madly, appearing like red demons emerging from hell under the gloomy sky. Within seconds, all the barbarians charged forward like madmen. Their roars shook the heavens and earth, reverberating for thousands of miles. It seemed as if this ice field could barely withstand this terrifying weight, sinking and rising towards the icy sea. Snow flew up hundreds of meters, and the ice trembled constantly. In the barbarians'' minds, there was only one final thought. War. They worshipped war. When the barbarians'' survival was threatened, they could even unite to face external threats. Any place with more abundant resources would become their hunting ground. "Awooo! Awooo!" Carrying roars that echoed in all directions, the barbarians swung countless weapons as they rushed towards Gwen. Each barbarian was like a born warrior, with no concept of ranged attacks or attrition. They only had this instinctive desire for battle. After all, this was a tribe where even ten-year-old children could fight. When countless barbarians charged up, Gwen made no unnecessary movements. She just maintained her sword-holding stance, protecting Viktor from the beginning to the end. As if waiting for something. Finally... A low voice gradually sounded. The sky below was instantly filled with countless magic arrays, thousands of formations appearing out of thin air. As the huge arrays rose, tens of thousands of magical patterns began to intertwine between the formations. Those countless arrays merged into one, seeming to have a common will, flashing in response to each other. Endless totems suddenly appeared from between those arrays, as if the long-dormant snow plain had suddenly erupted in true anger. Various attributes of magical energy filled the vast and open snowy plain, instantly covering the entire world. Several fireballs burst forth from between the red arrays, tearing through the dry air. Along with the ejection of flames, lush wooden branches turned into sharp spikes rushing towards the barbarians. The two instantly merged together, forming countless rains of fire in the sky, stabbing towards the boundless ice sea. Purple lightning and white storms transformed into giant dragons, violently striking and shattering the ground beneath the barbarians'' feet, piercing their sturdy chests. That scalding blood seemed to follow the lightning, constantly surging in the space above, gradually spilling onto the pure white snow plain, dyeing a huge area red. The rumbling sound was like the low growl of a giant beast, constantly pouring out various hatreds and angers. Endless magic bombarded the barbarians, and those flesh and blood bodies shattered like fragile glass under the fierce assault. Vladimir stood on a snowy cliff not far away, looking at the scene before him, laughing non-stop. Behind him were countless mages wearing white robes. They chanted spells, constantly constructing and linking numerous intricate and complex arrays in their hands, reflecting in the sky not far away. Vladimir shouldered his ice axe and laughed heartily. "I''ve never felt as good as I do today!" "Bombard them, blast those sons of bitches to pieces!" With his command, the magic instantly became more dense and fierce. It was like colorful fireworks constantly blooming under the long night sky, celebrating the approaching dawn. Those poor barbarians were blasted to pieces by the violent magical bombardment, scattering in all directions. If on flat ground, barbarians facing mages would be a one-sided slaughter. The mages would have no way to deal with the rampaging barbarians. In terms of physical strength, they naturally couldn''t compare to these savages. But now, the terrain here was heaven-sent for the mages. The extreme northern ice field was surrounded by mountains, with only one very narrow mountain path for passage if one wanted to leave. In such a perfect location, the barbarians could only be forced to take the mages'' attacks head-on on the snow plain. Erica, of course, was not idle either, constantly releasing various types of magic from her hands. As a second-tier mage, she was now thoroughly familiar with the second-tier magic she had learned before. The construction of those array patterns took only a matter of seconds. Relying on the powerful wood divine power within her body, her various spells carried extremely terrifying sharpness and continuity. Clusters of flames turned into high-speed arrows, swiftly rushing towards the barbarians on the narrow path. They accurately pierced their skulls. One hit, one kill! The mages constantly stacked various enhancements on each other, with countless spells emerging one after another. A single mage might not even be able to defeat an ordinary warrior. But when mages gather together, the huge benefits formed by their mutual enhancement effects can unleash extremely terrifying power! Destroying mountains and filling seas is not impossible! The sky full of magic constantly bombarded the world, and the sky seemed to lose all color under this terrifying magical power. After being baptized by various colors, the snow plain was covered in smoke and dust, devoid of any signs of life. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Even the air was filled with the smell of blood. Viktor looked at the spectacular scene before him, his heart unmoved. Vega, however, felt a bit surprised, squinting its eyes, with a voice that only Viktor could hear gradually sounding out. "Have you ever thought that one day, so many people would come to help you?" Viktor''s face remained expressionless, only responding to it flatly. "There''s only one possibility, they''re not helping me." The anger that had been continuously vented spread among these mages, and Viktor understood clearly. "The hatred has accumulated for too long, so they only needed a simple fuse." "Now, their anger has been ignited." The pleasure of endless slaughter filled the hearts of those mages, they vented all their anger on these barbarians. There was a reason for this. The Pale Mage Association, Viktor knew this organization. In the game, it belonged to the Empire''s Northern Border. This was a force personally formed by a retiring general of the Empire. They had no official nature, just an organization established by people to fight against the barbarians. Those who joined the Pale Mage Association, more or less, all had some connection with the barbarians. At first, they were all ordinary people living in the northernmost part of the Empire. If one were to say that under the rule of the Northern Knights, it was a scene of peace and harmony, then in this northern region. The humans living here were constantly suffering from disasters brought by these ''beasts''. Relatives and friends dying tragically, families broken and lives ruined. Here, it was almost the most common thing. But all of this should not have happened. The iron fortress built by the Northern Knights did not protect these people close to the extreme north. Instead, it isolated this group of people outside. Everything outside the fortress, the knights were not responsible for. Even if barbarians appeared in front of the fortress, the Northern Knights only needed to consider whether they would attack the castle and invade deeper. The emperor was far away, and every year there would be quite a few casualties. Those people who died in the North, when the news reached the capital, wouldn''t raise any suspicion from the emperor. Instead, under Angus''s governance. The north had indeed been stable for many years. That''s right... Exchanging the lives of a few for the peace and stability of the vast majority. This was Angus''s strategy. After the emperor rejected his justice, he understood what he wanted. So, after coming to the north, he was no longer as righteous as before. Finally, the Pale Mage Association was forced to be established. Vladimir Lebedev. This accomplished general could have returned to the capital to enjoy his glory and wealth. But his strong sense of justice could no longer bear to see his fellow countrymen dying in despair one after another. He finally stayed in the north, taking in these ordinary people who had lost their families due to the barbarians, trying his best to teach them the power to protect themselves. Like a leader, leading this group of people filled with endless hatred. To contend with these dangerous barbarians. Looking at the heavily wounded barbarians in front of him, and those mages who had accumulated so much hatred. Viktor''s face remained expressionless, but in his heart, he only wanted to laugh. "One is a follower of the Goddess of Justice, but in his heart, there are only benefits and calculations." "The other is an old man who doesn''t believe in ghosts and gods, but is always full of passion, just to save more people." "In the end, who is the real justice?" At this point, he looked again at Gwen standing in front of him. After this battle, the wind and snow became even more violent, making it hard to distinguish whether it was purely heavy snow falling or if it carried blinding smoke and dust. Under the non-stop magical bombardment, waves of air came one after another. And Gwen was still standing in front of him. At this moment, what was driving this kind-hearted and righteous knight to stand in front of him, protecting him? Who knows how long it had been, but the poor barbarians had already been bombarded by endless magic for a long time. They tried to escape from that narrow mountain path, but countless mages blocked their way there, even using their own lives as huge rocks to block the barbarians'' last escape route. Even if they wanted to break through forcefully, each wave of mages quickly filling in made them feel extremely troublesome. As if they were even more fearless of death than these barbarians, constantly charging at the front line. Even if they were crushed to pieces, their limbs severed, they were not afraid of that lowly death at all. Just to end all these barbarians here. Under absolute desperation, those barbarians completely lost hope. They had never thought that one day, these mages would come out in full force like today. These fragile and despicable mages, standing on those towering cliffs, gave them, these fearless warriors, no chance to fight back. Damn it, it''s really damnable! The barbarians seemed to have made some decision. Two beams of red and blue light suddenly lit up among the remaining barbarian crowd. Like streaks of conscious light, they shot towards the depths of the sky. As if something had appeared out of thin air, suddenly, an extremely terrifying aura descended. Fire and frost fell from the sky simultaneously, stirring up air waves hundreds of meters high. As the fiery red color gradually faded, huge figures entered the vision of everyone present. It was a giant as tall as a mountain, holding a huge blade constantly burning with flames in its hand, staring at the countless mages with red angry eyes. On the other side of the ice field, a huge blue claw suddenly stretched out from beneath the ground, forcibly tearing down the top of a snow mountain. The blue ice giant slowly stood up, its hands carrying extremely terrifying sharp claws, the pure ice dazzling under the firelight. Looking at the two extremely terrifying giants before them, the faces of countless mages suddenly changed drastically. "Is that... the legendary giant, Flame Sword, Leviathan?" "And Ice Claw... Skadi." "Aren''t they only supposed to appear in legends?" The legendary demigod giants were the faith followers of the barbarians. And this faith, at the same time, was also the power that could protect them. When the collective survival of the barbarians was threatened, those called "demigods" giants would appear before them, clearing away all threats for them. But no one had ever really seen the giants. Everyone just treated them as a kind of legend. However, only the barbarians themselves knew clearly. The demigods have always existed. Fire and frost fused together, bursting out extremely terrifying power at this moment. Vladimir''s expression became a bit more serious, even he, when facing such power, was forced to retreat a bit. In the blink of an eye, gales and blizzards rose again. Gwen endured the cold storm, looking up at the two giants that suddenly appeared before her, her mind in a daze. She was closest to these two giants and could feel the pressure coming from them more intensely. But... The justice in her heart supported her. She wanted to move forward, wanted to go protect those mages. This was the duty of a knight. But suddenly, a hand climbed onto her shoulder, pulling her back in one go. Gwen couldn''t even resist, and when she came to her senses, she had already been pulled into Viktor''s arms. "Vik..." "Don''t move." Viktor looked at those two towering giants, his voice mixed with white breath, faintly sounding out. "I don''t want you to die." Gwen felt a bit dissatisfied. As a knight, her mission was to protect others. But Viktor just said flatly. "The person you need to protect now is me." "Remember, I am also a mage." "..." Gwen was silent for a while, subconsciously, she actually felt that what Viktor said made some sense. But... She suddenly realized that her back was leaning against Viktor''s chest, and Viktor''s voice was coming from directly above. She only needed to raise her head slightly to see Viktor''s face. This subtle posture always made her feel a bit strange and unnatural. But before she could speak, Viktor''s voice had already sounded out amidst the sky full of frost and flames. "Leighton." "Don''t just eat without doing any work." As soon as the words fell, in the blink of an eye. The sky became dark and dim. Even the might of the two giants dimmed a bit. It seemed as if some extremely terrifying existence was about to appear. On the layers of darkness in the sky, it suddenly turned bright red. Suddenly, a huge claw with countless sharp steel spikes instantly tore open the sky. It revealed a huge eyeball, staring straight at the world. Red mist gradually gathered from all around the ice field, causing the constantly flying wind and snow to stagnate. Countless people stared at the sky in shock. That terrifying and violent scene appeared nakedly before everyone. A huge bright red crocodile slowly poked out its body from that narrow spatial crack. The surrounding storm whirled up again, but this time it was no longer wind and snow. But steel fragments that had turned into blades. Even the two giants slowly raised their heads, looking at the even larger existence that appeared in the sky. An extremely angry voice, like the sound of a bell cracking a valley drum, made people feel annoyed and terrified. But no one could resist, they could only quietly watch as that absolute demon stated: "Destruction." "Has come" .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 127: And Here I Thought You Were Tough [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... A sea of crimson, like an inverted ocean, engulfed everything in sight. The overflowing rage seemed to envelop the demon before them, as fear spread across the entire ice field. A colossal shadow loomed over the snow-covered plain, with scarlet flakes striking people''s faces like countless sharp needles piercing their skin. Even the physically robust barbarians felt a more distinct pain. Leighton''s scarlet body barely squeezed out from beneath the sky, its foot stomping violently on the glacier, shattering it into powder. "Ha!" The tremendous roar, accompanied by the opening of a blood-red maw, echoed for hundreds of miles. It seemed as if the next moment, it would swallow the blood-colored moon hanging in the sky. Its four limbs extended pitch-black claws, tearing apart the ice ocean and deeply embedding into the withered crimson earth. The demon continuously absorbed the red aura in the air, as countless strands of energy formed a scarlet and blackish vortex, constantly swirling in the gloomy sky above. Demons, by nature, feed on the emotions and desires of living beings to provide an endless source of power for their growth. If emotions were abundant enough, they could even evolve into cruel beasts capable of devouring the world. All along the way, Leighton had been consuming the countless instances of anger created between the Pale Mage Association and the barbarians. Moreover, during the previous academy assessment, the emotions of tens of thousands of students were also devoured by Leighton. At this moment, it was even more powerful than Yem from before. Level 50 Compared to the two giants at level forty-five, this was simply a crushing situation for Leighton. Moreover, their status was no match for that of a demon. Strictly speaking, those giants of flame and ice were not the true demigods. Even the legendary demigods existing in the far north had lifespans as a crucial limiting factor. The true Leviathan and Skadi had been slumbering beneath this snow-covered far north for who knows how long. Although there indeed existed some little-known summoning methods, these barbarians were incapable of awakening the true demigod giants. They were merely descendants of the demigod giants left behind in this far northern land. Giants without a trace of inherited divine power. At this moment, whether it was the Pale Mage Association or the remaining barbarians from the two tribes, they completely lost control of their emotions after the appearance of the enormous demon. Continuously devouring emotions and still growing, the scarlet crocodile suddenly felt the source of emotions diminish by half, instantly feeling very displeased. They had even forgotten their corresponding fear; how could they still generate anger? And those naturally brainless barbarians, apart from fear, lacked even more in thinking ability. After all, they didn''t even know what a demon was. Only those well-traveled mages, looking at the terrifyingly huge creature before them, had pale and grave expressions. ""A demon...?" Vladimir, with a cigar in his mouth, narrowed his eyes and coldly gazed at the enormous being standing on the ice ocean. In the snowstorm, the goose feather-sized snow had turned into swirling scarlet iron flakes. The cigar in his mouth had long been extinguished and broken by the wind, and his white fur coat flapped wildly in the tearing gale. The people of the Pale Mage Association had already turned deathly pale. Their eyes were wide open, their lips trembling, seemingly unable to control the fear constantly seeping from their bodies. Erica also stared wide-eyed at the huge demon before her, her eyebrows fluttering, as if painful memories were flashing through her mind. Why? Why would a demon appear here? Such doubts naturally didn''t just occur to Erica alone. Similarly, Gwen''s face was extremely heavy, with the wildly dancing iron flakes constantly swirling around her armor. Whenever the scarlet flakes were about to touch her, they would avoid her as if they had consciousness. No, to be precise, they were avoiding Viktor. She admitted that she was a knight. But that didn''t mean she was as brainless as those berserkers. In the blink of an eye, Gwen had already associated this with the demon battle in the royal capital. Why would there be such a coincidental situation? Demons were rarely seen once in a hundred years, yet in just a few short months, demons had appeared twice in succession? Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Coincidentally, Viktor was present each time. She felt her body grow slightly cold. Even though she was leaning against Viktor''s embrace, once she thought about how that demon might be related to Viktor... When she thought about that cruel demon and the heroically sacrificed warriors... She couldn''t help but connect that demon from that incident with Viktor. The arrogant expressions of those barbarians had long since vanished, replaced by extreme fear. Faced with such an almost invincible existence, their hearts only wanted to escape. But whenever they were about to move to run away. As soon as their bodies moved slightly, those flying flakes in the sky would pierce through their sturdy bodies. Like turning into powder, even their flesh had no shape, exploding into a red mist that slowly dissipated. The white snow plain did not become deep due to the red moonlight; the blood color dyed the earth red until it turned black. Seeing this scene before them, even those physically weak mages dared not move, fearing they would instantly evaporate under the demon''s indiscriminate attack. At this moment, Gwen felt her limbs stiffen, too cold to know how to think. She wanted to believe that all this had nothing to do with Viktor, but the appearance of the huge demon in front of her kept reminding Gwen. Viktor, what exactly are you doing? "Listen to me," suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind her, bringing a sense of reassurance and steadiness to Gwen''s ears. "Just trust me, that''s all you need to do." "..." Gwen turned her head slightly, wanting to look at Viktor''s face, to see his expression. But Viktor remained as cold as ever, his gaze only looking at the sky, at the battlefield that had formed between the demon and the giants in front of them. Gwen remained silent. At this moment, how she wished her sense of justice could return to her. That way, she could scrutinize Viktor with an absolutely impartial gaze. Rather than now... Just hearing his words, she instinctively wanted to believe him. The erupting scarlet iron flakes completely shredded countless fleeing barbarians. Under the blood moon, the red deepened further. On the horizon, it seemed as if a constantly sinking black cloud appeared, falling towards the earth. Although the demon''s shadow loomed over everyone, including the mages who were confronting the barbarians among the crowd. Yet those mages remained unharmed. As if deliberately avoiding them, those iron flakes seemed to have consciousness, able to automatically distinguish between humans and barbarians. Those terrifying flakes seemed to only affect the barbarians. Under this sky full of flying flakes, their bodies were like thin paper. The Pale Mage Association''s side was completely stunned. They watched helplessly as the barbarians around them were shredded into blood mist one after another, their flesh turning to powder and sinking into the snow plain. In their hearts, an absurd thought began to sprout. This demon... it seemed... completely... to have no intention of targeting them? The demon couldn''t possibly be here to help them... could it? How could that be possible? But the scene before their eyes couldn''t be fake. Countless barbarians kept fleeing across the snow plain, accompanied by despair and sky-piercing wails. They even used their comrades as shields, but in the blink of an eye, two bodies would quickly disappear from the world. Soon, even the last barbarian turned to dust, exploding into red mist. On the snow plain, high piles of flesh powder had already accumulated. The entire ice ocean had been dyed completely red by countless blood, not dissipating for a long time. In this battle, the Icy Claw and the Flame Sword had brought out countless powerful main forces. Their numbers even reached tens of thousands. Yet in this one night, they were all buried in this far north, on this far northern ice plain. This was a one-sided massacre. Those mages looked at the bloody scene before them, only coming to their senses when the smell of blood entered their noses and mouths. The battle was over. But they didn''t feel relieved. Because this was just the beginning. Sensing the terrifying enemy, the two giants raised their heads, facing the towering demon together. Leighton looked at the two giants, half a body smaller than itself, and immediately laughed. That chaotic sound came from all directions, gathering towards where the demon was, entering everyone''s ears. The massive, trembling laughter carried disdain and playfulness. As if completely enraged, the two giants swung their sword blades and giant claws, launching a swift attack towards the sky-high Leighton. Their footsteps on the snow plain were enough to raise snow waves a hundred meters high. Those snow particles accompanied by blood seemed to solidify into waves, suddenly trembling. The flame giant danced with its giant sword, whistling through the air, seeming to be the only bright color in this blood-colored world. Flames instantly entwined around the giant sword in both hands, a hundred-meter-high flame suddenly surged up, piercing through the dark cloud layer, fiercely slashing out like a meteor towards the demon. The ice giant''s limbs were covered in ice, a pair of huge ice claws instantly tearing apart the sea of blood beneath its feet, swinging with a cold light towards Leighton. Under the pincer attack of two blows, Leighton remained calm, its pitch-black claws grasping the incoming flame. The other hand picked up the ice giant like a chicken, dangling it in its hand, the ice unable to even pierce through the skin of its scarlet body. A crimson light flashed in Leighton''s eyes, coldly staring at the ''giants'' before it who didn''t know their own limitations. "Want to play a game?" "The kind where you punch me once, and I punch you once." The two giants naturally couldn''t understand the demon''s language. They kept struggling with their giant claws and sword blades, but couldn''t regain even a bit of freedom from Leighton''s grasp. Suddenly, Leighton roared fiercely, its pitch-black claws instantly clenching into a fist, punching the ice giant thrown in mid-air flying. The huge body quickly flew out, breaking through the constantly rising iron flakes in the air, crashing heavily into the snow-covered mountain range. The other giant was even more pitiful. It was held in the demon''s hand, constantly rubbed on the snow plain, like a rag, violently smashed against the huge rocks. Boom! Boom! Boom! The flame giant was on its last breath under the terrifying impact. After the tremors, the entire ice plain fell into a long silence. The demon''s chaotic voice, as if rising from beneath the ice ocean, was incomparably muffled. "Is that all?" "And here I thought you were tough." .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 128: The Fall of the Righteous Female Knight [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Snow dust suddenly descended, scattering across the faces of the two giants. They opened their hazy eyes, shook their heads, and unsteadily rose to their feet once more. Again, without any semblance of tactics, they relied solely on brute force as they charged towards the enraged demon, their footsteps making the ground tremble. The flame giant''s fire sword suddenly erupted to a hundred meters in length, powerful fire elements entwining around its body. Leighton thrust his pitch-black claws deep into the giant sword, forcefully tearing that immense energy blade into two halves, which dissipated into the air as strands of natural essence. Seeing the giant sword in its hand suddenly return to its original state, the flame giant let out a dejected sigh. The moment it raised its head to look at the demon again, a pair of enormous crimson hands swiftly grabbed at it. The demon lifted its colossal body, along with the flesh and snow dust, and under the blood-red moonlight, violently plunged it into the icy ocean. It continued to torment the powerless giant until it once again lost consciousness, its limbs drooping lifelessly towards the earth''s center. Behind it, the ice giant charged towards Leighton, step by thunderous step. The tremendous force made the demon feel a strong impact through the surging of the blood ocean. It held the unconscious flame giant in its hand, swung it around a few times, and smashed it hard towards the ice giant''s head. Bang! The massive impact suddenly shook off a piece of the mountaintop. Violent debris and snow dust shattered on the hard ground, erupting into a blast of cold air that knocked down everyone present. Bracing against the airflow, the members of the Pale Mage Association wore looks of utter shock in their eyes. They simply couldn''t fathom that those two giants, as large as small mountains, could be so helpless before the demon. They stood there, not even realizing that they had been knocked over and were lying on the snow plain. There was no smell of blood in the surrounding snow dust. At some point, they had been teleported to a towering place far from the battle. The entire vast Northern Ice Plains had now become a battlefield for the demon and the giants. That crimson, ferocious crocodile-like creature swung its sticky saliva, holding the giants in its hands and repeatedly smashing them into the ground as if playing with toys. Dick stood beside Vladimir and slowly asked: "General, with your vast experience, can you explain this scene to everyone?" Vladimir reached out and gave Dick''s neck a hard slap. "Do I look like someone who''s seen this kind of scene before?" "Hurry up and count the casualties! Damn it!" Dick endured the pain, chuckled a couple of times, and quickly ran down. Vladimir lit up a cigar again, watching the shocking scene before him, and scratched his pale head. "Tsk, sigh, this is a bit difficult to explain..." The Pale Mage Association had come out in full force, initially just to push the barbarians back a hundred miles. As a result, this campaign directly annihilated more than half of the Flame Sword and Pure Ice Claw. Even if there were some remaining fragments, those barbarians would no longer pose a threat. Even Vladimir had always believed that this would be a battle with heavy casualties. He hadn''t expected that the barbarians would summon two enormous giants when they were on the brink of danger. However, what surprised him even more was that following the appearance of the giants, a demon with a form as if it could swallow the sky appeared right after. A demon helping humans to exterminate barbarians? This headline would cause a sensation even if it were published in the capital. Biting his cigar, Vladimir took a deep breath, clearing his mind a bit. Under this blood-colored sky, everyone watched the intense battle between the giants and the demon with their own eyes. Or rather, a one-sided beating. The demon seemed to deliberately retract its claws, using its red fists, as large as their heads, to viciously uppercut the giants'' chins. The powerful force threatened to shatter even their bones. Another piercing punch followed, and the two giants, on the same line, had their ribs shattered into pieces. Inside their bodies, their internal organs were in excruciating pain. The constantly burning flames on the fire giant''s body had dimmed considerably in this violent fist wind. The frost giant dragged its pain-wracked body, intending to freeze the demon in the blood ocean. Ice rose from the blood ocean, creeping towards the demon''s legs. But Leighton just blew a gentle breath. The hard ice now shattered completely, like thin slices. Its giant tail, covered in steel scales, whipped violently, and the frost giant''s legs shattered completely, like breaking ice. It fell to the ground, letting out a painful wail, the tens of meters high white cold air very noticeable under the blood moon. Countless mages and wizards stood on the cliff. Watching the scene before them, they couldn''t help but excitedly shout: Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Beautiful! Well done!" "That punch, awesome!" "Cut its middle! Cut its middle!" Amidst the shouts of catharsis, it seemed as if even the hatred between the barbarians was bestowed upon those two pitiful ice and fire giants. Gwen, however, stared blankly, looking at this scene with great confusion. "Why?" That demon, which could be called a world-ending existence, was now brutally attacking the two giants. No one felt fear or dread; they even patted the ground, cheering wildly. This was completely different from what she had imagined. "You think demons will definitely slaughter humans?" "You think humans will definitely fear demons?" The voice behind her sounded leisurely, as if carrying some kind of magic, guiding her consciousness. "Why?" Gwen opened her mouth, but everything she wanted to say was stuck in her throat, unable to come out. Any words seemed pale and powerless in this moment. Since the appearance of demons in history, including the last appearance of the Greed Demon in the capital. Every time, humans were always the side with heavy casualties. They were the source of fear for humans. But... How to explain the scene before her eyes. "You''re not wrong in your thinking, demons and humans indeed cannot coexist." "But they have always existed around us." Viktor''s voice kept lingering in her ear. "Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust. Seven emotions, corresponding to all the sources of demons. Doesn''t it seem strange?" "Because these seven emotions can only be possessed simultaneously by emotionally rich creatures like humans." Suddenly, Viktor chuckled lightly. "The demon before your eyes is the embodiment of wrath." "Guess, why did it appear?" Gwen suddenly widened her eyes, staring blankly at the demon in front of her, watching its battle, watching those mages clapping and cheering. A trembling sensation rose from her heart. "Because of... the Delin family?" As if realizing something, Gwen''s voice trembled slightly. "Because of the anger in their hearts." Viktor''s hand rested on her head, as if comforting her, with a hint of satisfaction in his tone. "Don''t mind it, although you also bear the Delin name, the things this family has done have nothing to do with you." "I know you are very clear about Angus''s deep sins." A red formation suddenly lit up behind Viktor, without even engraving patterns and runes, just simple flames burning around the two of them. Under the blood moon, the warm light seemed a bit out of place. But the fire indeed warmed Gwen a bit, at least helping her successfully calm down. But Viktor''s words didn''t stop. "Their anger became food for the demon, so the demon appeared and helped them." Similarly, Viktor''s voice turned a few degrees colder. "Their existence cannot bring benefits to Angus." "So, the steel fortress of the North isolates them outside." Who exactly is the demon? Who is righteous? Gwen closed her eyes, feeling that the knight''s faith she had always believed in seemed to be collapsing. As a knight, one should guard a place. But the true scene was happening right before her eyes. The years of unceasing casualties in the North got their answer here. Angus had always been shaping a fair and just image for himself. Even now, countless knights were still admiring him because of his influence, because of his "justice". The northerners living inside the northern fortress were also grateful to this "hero" at all times. They were wholeheartedly weaving their own justice within the fortress. Yet they made everyone ignore the people further north, outside the northern border. They are also humans, also fellow countrymen of the empire. However, information was blocked within the fortress, and everyone was praising Angus. Praising this righteous great knight. Finally, Viktor stepped out. He completely tore apart that hypocritical justice, the ugly face of the Delin family that had been there from the beginning. Deliberately, he laid it out in front of her. "Look, Gwen." "Look at this most real scene happening before your eyes." Gwen''s lips turned pale. The battle was not over yet. That huge demon grabbed the head of the flame giant that was constantly rolling on the snow plain, lifting it up. It viciously stuffed it into the ground, punching the broken head again and again. Its resistance gradually stopped, and the flames on its body slowly extinguished. But the demon still continued. In Viktor''s eyes, the flame giant''s health bar was about to reach zero. Countless mages and wizards even released various explosive magic in the sky above as fireworks to celebrate, with waves of excited voices rising higher and higher. "Good!" "Continue! Continue!" "Don''t stop!" "Woohoo!" They kept venting the anger in their hearts, which made the red light on Leighton''s body grow stronger and stronger. Until it completely illuminated the gloomy sky. The frost giant naturally couldn''t escape its fate either. Leighton picked up a sharp piece of ice and viciously stabbed it into the snow plain. It grabbed the frost giant''s head, which was wrapped in layers of ice and stone, and smashed it hard onto that sharp ice. It was determined to test whether the giant''s head was stronger or the ice was superior. Accompanied by splashing blood, the demon became more and more violent, swinging with increasing frequency. Finally, the health bars of the two giants were completely empty. Their bodies turned into natural energy, gradually dissipating with the violent snow and wind. The demon spat out the blood in its giant mouth fiercely. A long roar to the sky, accompanied by the flood-like cheers of the crowd, echoed throughout the extreme north. "They once placed their hopes on the northern knights." "But hope never got a response." Viktor looked at the front with satisfaction, at Leighton showcasing its power, at those mages and wizards shouting in excitement, feeling extremely satisfied. "Do you see?" "Those self-proclaimed righteous knights are not even as good as Demon." Gwen lowered her eyebrows, biting her lip. Something seemed to flash in the depths of her eyes, her mood unable to calm for a long time. As a knight, seeing a demon helping humans while the knights guarding the northern border dared not show themselves from the shadows. It exactly matched the facts Viktor had stated. When the bloody reality was presented before her, the vague sense of justice in her heart seemed to be collapsing. At this moment, even she herself didn''t know what belief she had been holding onto. "I..." Suddenly, a finger stood on her lips, preventing her from speaking. Viktor rested his chin on Gwen''s shoulder, his voice very soft, blowing into her ear, tickling her. "Shh" This incredibly intimate action made Gwen feel slightly numb. Similarly, that voice that only Gwen could hear sounded by her ear. "I told you." "You just need to believe in me, that''s all." .... To Be Continued... Chapter 129: Why Does He Have a Bird? [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15 Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Erica stood beneath the crimson blood moon, allowing the fierce wind and snow to cut across her cheeks. She stared blankly at the towering red demon, which seemed to have gone mad, tearing open a rift in the gloomy sky and brutally tormenting the two giants as tall as small mountains. In its hands, the two giants were like mere insects, being toyed with back and forth. Until they were torn to pieces. The red demon held the huge, blood-dripping bodies in both hands, letting out a victorious roar to the sky. That posture was as if it was showing off to people, flaunting its strength and cruelty. Several visions flashed through Erica''s eyes. She touched her slightly hot forehead, feeling a bit dazed. She understood the terror of demons better than anyone else. Because she had once faced such an existence. Almost powerless to resist. At the moment the demon appeared, she had also felt confused. Why would a demon appear here? Like Gwen, Erica unconsciously associated the demon incident that occurred on the back mountain of the academy with Viktor. She clearly remembered that the terrifying existence of the Greed Demon, like a black mountain, had appeared on Henie''s body. Henie was Viktor''s teaching assistant. Since she fell into a coma, she had only heard about the aftermath of those events through hearsay. No one mentioned Henie in that demon battle; instead, the one they mentioned most was actually that pig-headed professor from the Reiser family. Devin Reiser was described as the vessel for the demon in that incident. She had been confused before, as the person possessed by the demon was clearly Henie. Yet no one mentioned her name. Behind this incident, it was as if there was a hand controlling everything, arbitrarily shifting the focus of the event. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Erica''s mind, making her instinctively look for Viktor. While others were cheering for the demon that had destroyed the two giants, only she looked towards that farthest point. Those two figures. Erica''s pupils contracted slightly. She was very familiar with that figure and could not mistake it. Professor Viktor. Was the person in his arms Knight Commander Gwen? Erica watched as Gwen lay in Viktor''s arms, the two in an intimate pose. "..." What exactly were the two of them doing? Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before her eyes, and her attention seemed to be forcibly shifted to Viktor''s shoulder. A crow''s single eye flickered with blue light, turning its head to stare intently at Erica. As if guided by the eerie blue light, Erica involuntarily fixed her gaze on the crow. Suddenly, an extremely violent aura came towards her. It blew her golden hair, dancing irregularly on this snow plain. In her eyes, it was as if invaded by a strange scene. The snow plain under the red moon began to become unstable, starting to tremble like the surface of a rippling mirror lake. In the blink of an eye, a pure white scene jumped out before her eyes. At this moment, she was standing on a cloud, with several towering pillars rising from the boundless white. A golden sun hung in the far sky, its warm essence shining on Erica, as if she had instantly left the snow plain. A huge white temple slowly appeared from among the giant pillars, and an extremely large bird constantly flapped its wings in the azure sky, circling around the temple. The huge airflow lifted Erica from the clouds, constantly rotating her in the vast space, flying freely. As if in an instant, freedom was grasped in her hands. Clear power gradually merged into Erica''s body. Under her golden eyes, a white rune slowly appeared, a rune symbolizing wind. Inheritance A lightning bolt suddenly flashed through Erica''s mind, and this word appeared subconsciously. In her daze, she saw that black crow, feeling her light body. And the crow''s mocking laughter gradually began to echo in her ears. "It''s this power again." Erica was a bit confused. She still remembered that in her dream, this self-proclaimed evil god had given her that inherited power. And this time, it was wind. Erica slowly stretched out a hand, as if testing, gradually mobilizing the wind elements within her body. Without needing to engrave runes or formations, a powerful airflow instantly gathered from all directions, constantly swirling in her palm. Divine power of wind. When she raised her head again, trying to look at the crow, She heard a hoarse cry. ''Wrath, you should go.'' Instantly, the scene before Erica''s eyes shattered frantically, and a few seconds later, feeling the red glow around her and the howling cold wind, she realized she had returned to the Northern Frontier. "This....." After receiving the order, Leighton threw the giant''s remnants in his hand violently into the water. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. It reached out to tear a huge red rift in the sky, and with a powerful push of its legs, jumped into the crimson rift. With the demon''s departure, the gloomy clouds gradually dispersed, and the red moon became clear again. The blood-colored snow plain reflected in everyone''s eyes, appearing even more terrifying. Everyone had witnessed the appearance and departure of the demon in this war. Only Erica looked at the malicious one-eyed crow on Viktor''s shoulder. A great tremor in her heart lingered for a long time. ...... "It Was a Demon That Saved Us!" "Knights or Demons, Who is Righteous!" Countless slogans were carved on the buildings of the Pale Mage Association, spreading frantically between territories. In the annihilation battle against the barbarians, the heroes of the Pale Mage Association achieved an absolute victory. They annihilated most of the barbarians and drove them out of the Northern Frontier. The Mage Association won a great victory! Only a few brave mages heroically sacrificed themselves while blocking the barbarians'' escape route. However, no one had expected that this victory would be brought by a demon. From the moment of its descent, the demon had completely determined the fate of the barbarians. The crimson in the sky seemed to welcome the demon''s arrival, and the sea of blood was like the roaming home of that giant crocodile. That brutal and extremely exciting scene became an eternal memory in the hearts of the members of the Pale Mage Association. At this moment, the Pale Mage Association was immersed in a celebration that hadn''t been seen for a long time. The members all took off their robes, wearing their own clothes, dancing and singing around a huge bonfire in the territory. People raised their glasses high, their faces flushed with smiles. These warriors stationed in the Northern Frontier no longer had to worry about the invasion of barbarians. After this battle, the two major barbarian clans, with more than half of their main forces eliminated, were no longer to be feared. As for other small tribes, the Pale Mage Association didn''t even take them seriously. The members even surrounded Vladimir, dancing together and drinking barrels of wheat beer. Erica sat quietly to one side, watching the cheering scene. Although the joyful atmosphere could infect people, she was not someone who had been stationed in the Northern Frontier for years, so naturally, she couldn''t fully experience the high excitement of the Northern Frontier warriors and residents. However, she could directly feel how hateful the barbarians were. Her mood was somewhat complexly subtle, resting her head on her hand, tasting the bitter wheat beer in her hand. A figure slowly sat down beside Erica. It was Amelia. Erica knew that she was the only third-tier mage in the Pale Mage Association, and the mage team was led by her. The two sat silently to one side, wordless for a long time. Finally, Amelia spoke first. "Our power is very small, everyone lives in the territory governed by this Mage Association." "The land for survival is reduced layer by layer, and even information is difficult to transmit outward." Sooner or later, there would come a day when the Pale Mage Association would definitely fight a life-and-death battle with those brutal barbarians with all their might. Otherwise, simply waiting would only bring absolute slow death. Erica listened quietly, continuing to remain silent. A lollipop was handed to Erica, still with the familiar candy wrapper. Erica looked at the candy a bit dazed, slowly taking it. "Thank Viktor for us." Amelia stood up and walked back towards the jubilant crowd. Erica lowered her head, looking at the candy in her hand. As if making some decision, she stood up. ...... The blizzard blew, and on a snowy cliff, Viktor stood alone. His windbreaker kept rustling in the wind and snow. The crow stood on his shoulder, allowing the wind and snow to scatter its feathers. Erica appeared behind Viktor, looking at the solitary figure. "...Professor." Viktor didn''t turn around, and Erica continued: "I... saw you on the wanted poster..." "But I believe in you! You must have been wronged." He turned his head slightly, glancing at Erica indifferently. Erica''s gaze met Viktor''s, and seeing his cold eyes, her heart skipped a beat. But she didn''t avert her gaze because of this, continuing to look at Viktor. Then she heard the voice of the person in front of her slowly rise: "I didn''t expect you to be here too." Erica was slightly stunned, and Viktor had already turned his head back: "They''re not wrong, I did cripple Angus and his heir with my own hands." Hearing Viktor state the facts, Erica suddenly became very excited. "They deserved it!" Staying here for a few days, she also knew how infuriating the actions of those Northern Border knights were. However, from a certain perspective. No one could find fault with Angus. He did indeed fulfill the task of guarding the Northern Frontier, preventing the barbarians from attacking the empire''s northern border. As for those people close to the northern border? Who told you to live in such a dangerous place? Erica could even recall the ugly and contemptuous faces of those nobles when the lives of the people in the northernmost border were threatened and they sought help from the capital. If they had the ability to leave the Northern Frontier, who would be willing to stay in this godforsaken and deprived place? They were just talking without experiencing it themselves. Erica always believed that Viktor had done nothing wrong, even if he was wanted by all the knights of the Northern Frontier. "Is that so." She couldn''t see Viktor''s face, but she could hear a faint smile in Viktor''s tone. "But even so, they still stay comfortably in the Northern Frontier, living a carefree life." "The barbarians have been completely eliminated, whose head will this merit fall on?" Erica was stunned. The existence of the Pale Mage Association was not decided by the royal family. The group that was officially in charge of guarding the Northern Frontier was still those do-nothing Northern Frontier knights. Under Angus''s influence, the nobles in the capital naturally prioritized believing the Northern Border knights. This was also inevitable. Even if Angus''s actions of ignoring the people''s pleas for help were exposed, he had not failed in his duties according to the law and his responsibilities. Even if the emperor looked down on him, he couldn''t arrest Angus for this reason. Moreover, Angus had also once been the emperor''s subordinate. That old emperor who valued old relationships wouldn''t strip Angus of his position for such a reason. Then, where could they find a powerful reason that could convict Angus? Suddenly, Erica thought of something and stood there stunned. "...Demon?" The demon, carrying all the anger of the people of the Northern Frontier, incarnated on the ice plain, eliminating all the barbarians. Then where did this anger of the Northern Frontier people come from? It wasn''t just those barbarians. There were also those Northern Border knights who did nothing at all. But, would the nobles really believe that the demon appeared because of Angus? At this moment, Erica blankly thought of the conversation between the evil god and the demon. "Professor, so that demon, is it actually because you..." "Keep it a secret for me." Viktor''s voice was faintly hidden in the heavy snow. Suddenly, on the snow cliff, a howling gale suddenly blew, making it difficult for Erica to keep her eyes open. She tried to control the wind elements in her body to stop the wind and snow, but it was ultimately futile. "What''s going on..." Suddenly, a white rune slowly lit up on Viktor''s windbreaker collar. In Erica''s gaze, a white mist slowly formed around Viktor. Within the mist, the shadow of a creature seemed to take shape. It was a white giant bird. It soared in the sky, flying in the sky full of falling feathers, like the king of the sky. At some point, Viktor was already standing on the giant bird. Erica widened her eyes, watching the giant bird stirring up violent whirlwinds. The gale rose, and in the blink of an eye. It penetrated the pale clouds, with the violent airflow carrying thick air currents. Disappearing from Erica''s sight. She stood alone on the snow cliff, watching Viktor''s departure. Lost in thought for a long time. .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 130: Youve Wronged My Husband! Gwen, carrying her silver sword, walked briskly, leaving shallow imprints on the snow. As she gazed upon the Northern Frontier fortress, identical to her memories, she felt no particular stirring of emotion. The knights, seeing Gwen after a long absence, formed two solemn rows and bowed deeply. "Lady Gwen, welcome back." The knights all respected Gwen, not merely because she was the youngest daughter of the Delin family. It was more due to her inspiring journey from a strong-willed woman to Knight Commander that earned their deep respect. But now, Lady Gwen, who would usually return their courtesies, completely ignored them. She merely glided past them with an air of icy detachment. This left countless knights utterly bewildered. What was wrong with Lady Gwen? Was she angry? No one knew. The surrounding cold steel structures stood within the castle, gleaming with silver light. That familiar wooden cabin was long gone, leaving only a pile of ruins and black marks, buried beneath fine white snow. Along the way, Gwen passed through those familiar steel buildings and entered a secluded stone castle. The blue castle exuded a chilling aura, and the cold emanating from inside had always made the young Gwen feel somewhat repulsed. But now, she walked coldly towards the main gate. The family knights in front of the castle recognized Gwen. They bowed to her from afar and opened the huge creaking wooden door. Gwen returned here after a long absence, and compared to her memories, this place seemed even more desolate. Kevla wasn''t here. These days, she had been running around, just to deal with the family''s wanted notice for Viktor. But after all, she wasn''t a knight, and lacked authority. What Kevla said couldn''t convince those knights. Gwen walked into a room and looked towards the corner. Her father, Angus, still wore that dazed expression. Kneeling in the room, his eyes dim and lifeless, staring blankly at the sky. He had been like this for many days. Not eating, not drinking. If it weren''t for Angus''s extremely robust constitution supporting him, He would have starved to death on the floor by now. Jaxu was also paralyzed in bed, with no part of his body that didn''t ache. He opened his eyes blankly, staring at the ceiling. The burns all over his body wouldn''t heal for a while. Viktor''s magical flames seemed to have an extremely peculiar effect. It was impossible to heal his injuries with magic. It was as if the flames were resisting the power of healing magic from its very source. He could only rely on his own body''s recovery to slowly heal. Jaxu lay in the room and heard someone enter. "Who is it?" He raised his head with difficulty and saw a silver-haired woman in silver armor slowly approaching. She was looking at him coldly. Jaxu''s whole body was wrapped in white bandages, only exposing a pair of eyes and a mouth, lying weakly on the bed. A servant was feeding him, and when Jaxu saw Gwen come in, he pulled his uneven, withered voice: "You may go now." After being burned by that flame, even being able to speak was a blessing. After the servant deftly cleared everything away and left the room, Only Gwen and Jaxu remained in the entire room. Gwen looked coldly at Jaxu, her voice chilly: "The people of the Northern Frontier..." "I told Father to do it, what of it?" Jaxu looked at Gwen just as calmly, pulling his broken voice, his tone even. Gwen didn''t sense any emotion in his tone. No anxiety, no anger, excessively flat. As if describing an ordinary, commonplace thing. A cold light flashed, and Gwen''s long sword was across Jaxu''s neck. "I could kill you at any moment." There wasn''t a hint of emotion in her eyes. When Kevla''s dagger was at Jaxu''s neck, Jaxu knew that Kevla would never actually kill him. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Because she couldn''t do it. Kevla valued the Delin family''s kinship and family relationships too much. But Gwen was different. Even if the person in front of her was her half-brother. To uphold the justice in her heart, Gwen could strike the killing blow. She knew how cruel the person in front of her was. If one word could describe Jaxu, he would be that "beast" who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He had already lost his humanity. Jaxu looked at her, not afraid at all. "Gwen, I envy you." "You''re very free, you can even fight for your own dreams, your own ideals." "So, we''re different." Once you stand in a certain position, some things are already beyond your control. Jaxu''s gaze still carried a smile as he slowly said. "From the moment I was born, my value was already set." "Inherit the family, protect the north." "But you''ve never thought about how vast the north is, our encirclement can''t take care of everyone..." "So, you ignored their pleas for help, allowing the barbarians to plunder in the north, causing your compatriots to lose their homes and lives." The cold sword pressed against Jaxu''s neck, Gwen''s face reflected on the blade, a cold glint flashing. Being in the Northern Frontier, the more she saw, the angrier Gwen became, the more she could feel the endless sins of her brother and father''s indifference. No amount of flowery words could wash away the countless lives they bore. "Ha..." Jaxu squinted, lying on the bed. "Then, do it." He seemed not at all surprised that Gwen would move to kill him. As if he had long been prepared, offering his neck. But after a long time, Gwen''s sword still hadn''t fallen. It wasn''t because of kinship. Nor was it because Gwen wanted to believe Jaxu one more time. She just coldly shook her sword and put it back in its sheath. Her cold words sounded, but were as chilling as ice. "You will receive the punishment you deserve, Jaxu." "But, it shouldn''t be me who judges you." Gwen''s words stunned Jaxu. "...Why?" Jaxu stared blankly at Gwen, that pair of eyes that were only exposed flashing with confusion. The existence of justice can''t tolerate any impurity, before Father became like this, he did the same. Once evil grows, justice will mercilessly destroy it. If that justice existed in Gwen''s heart, she would definitely have brought down her sword. So, Jaxu had long been prepared to die. But the Gwen before him was completely different from what he and his father had imagined. She shouldn''t have such emotions, such thoughts. Gwen seemed to have changed somehow. However, this change was not what he had hoped for. The Gwen now gave him a feeling, Now she seemed more like... a human? Gwen''s eyes were full of coldness, looking indifferently at Jaxu for a moment before walking out of the room. Not caring at all about her brother''s dazed appearance behind her. She walked out the door and stood at the entrance. The warm sunlight shone on her cold iron armor, reflecting a touch of brilliance. Gwen took a deep breath, as if relieved. Feeling the extremely clear coldness, she just quietly waited. Finally, after who knows how long, a voice rang out loudly from outside the castle. "Viktor is at the city gate!" As soon as the words fell, countless knights gathered, lining up in full gear. The sound of armor colliding and metal friction resounded outside with clanging noises. Gwen also moved. She gripped her sword and walked leisurely towards the city gate. ...... At this moment, Viktor stood on the white giant bird, hovering in the sky. Strong storms blew constantly around, blowing the snow into waves several meters high. The knights lined up in front of the castle, like a solid silver wall. Viktor looked down at them from above, his face cold. Countless knights looked up at Viktor with extremely solemn expressions, as if facing a great enemy. They held weapons in their hands, and shocked emotions spread through the crowd. "What''s going on? How is Viktor in the sky?" "What is that giant bird?" On the silver wall, a knight pointed at Viktor and shouted tremblingly: "Viktor, how, how dare you come back!" Viktor''s extremely terrifying strength had already spread throughout the entire Northern Frontier. But among this group of stubborn Northern Frontier knights, there were always some who were fearless. They always believed that Viktor was guilty of heinous crimes. In this territory of the Northern Frontier, who didn''t know what the existence of the Delin family meant. They were the rulers of this desolate land. Attacking the Delin family? Wasn''t that equivalent to slapping the face of all the Northern Frontier knights? But now Viktor was in the sky, and even if the knights wanted to catch him, they were basically powerless. But soon, a silver figure emerged from among the knights, slowly coming out of the castle gate. Viktor squinted his eyes and saw clearly who it was. It was Gwen. She seemed to be frost-faced, raising her head and looking coldly at Viktor. Seeing Gwen''s appearance, the knights seemed to have found their backbone. Smiles immediately appeared on their faces, as if they had seen hope, and even their backs straightened a bit. "It''s Lady Gwen!" "With Lady Gwen here, we can definitely take down Viktor, right?" The knights became excited, and there was even a gleam in their eyes. Finally, Gwen slowly drew her silver sword. The knights also drew their swords from their waists. Just when everyone thought Gwen was going to move to subdue Viktor, Gwen turned around. Facing the Northern Frontier knights. In the wind and snow, her silver hair scattered in the air, blocking Viktor. Holding the sword in one hand, Gwen''s face was expressionless, even carrying a bit of icy coldness. "In the name of Gwen Delin, I revoke the wanted order for Viktor Kravina." "Those who object, step forward." In the dumbfounded gazes of countless knights, Gwen placed her silver sword in front of her body and thrust it fiercely into the snow-covered ground. Facing thousands of knights, she stood unmoved. Like a pure and unyielding goddess in the cold wind. The fierce wind swept through with ice and snow, burying in everyone''s eyes. That flash of silver-white made them feel extremely dazed. At this moment, standing before them was that true knight of justice. Willing to speak for the weak and the unjust. The injustices of the world should be eliminated by the sword. .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 131: This Couple Is Beyond Reason [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15+ Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... Gwen stood firm amidst the wind and snow, facing a group of Northern knights. Her silver armor gleamed in the sunlight, emitting a flickering radiance. The knights, gazing at the female warrior they deeply respected, were stunned to see her now drawing her sword against them. The Delin family crest on the silver armor now seemed cruelly ironic. "L-Lady Gwen..." "Lady Gwen, what is the meaning of this?!" The knights'' faces flushed red, veins bulging on their necks. As if roaring, they questioned Gwen about her apparent betrayal. "That''s Viktor! He''s the enemy of the Delin family!" "I know," Gwen replied coldly. Gwen''s silver hair danced continuously in the air, but to the knights'' eyes, it resembled writhing silver serpents. The knights frantically questioned Gwen, but not one of them dared to step to the front of the formation. They didn''t dare; they wouldn''t wager their lives. Every knight present knew very well. Gwen, with her third-tier strength, had become the captain of the Imperial Royal Knight Order. Her power was not to be underestimated. Most importantly, everyone was extremely wary of that other presence. Viktor Kravina. A fourth-tier mage, yet an existence that even the Delin family head, Angus, couldn''t defeat. For most of the knights, they had neither the qualifications nor the ability to confront these two before them. They could only huddle in the crowd, letting out roars from their hearts. But there were always exceptions. A robust knight slowly raised his shield and, gripping his blade, gradually walked to the front, facing Gwen. "Lady Gwen." "Since they don''t dare, let me ask." The knight who stepped forward had a glimmer of determination in his eyes, his body like a granite boulder emanating a powerful aura of tenacity. It was a terrifying presence that people could clearly feel, radiating intense heat. Someone among the knights recognized him; the one standing before all the knights was one of the most outstanding disciples of Master Angus in the Delin family. His body trembled continuously, as if restraining his fury, his eyes wide open. In this land of the North, powerful knights were not few and far between. Angus''s extensive teaching always produced many strong knights. But he was merely strong, after all. Gwen remained unmoved, her aura like thousand-year-old ice, colliding with the knight''s presence. The knight frowned slightly, feeling the opponent''s powerful pressure climbing up his body. But he didn''t flinch and took another step forward. However, almost at the same moment he took this step. Instantly, a faint red aura floated in the sky, black stars with sparks constantly trembling above the snow-covered plain. Behind Viktor, a red fire dragon slowly materialized. The giant dragon opened its huge maw, seemingly enraged. The next second, the flames surging in the dragon''s mouth continuously overflowed. An extremely terrifying flame burst forth from the dragon''s maw. The powerful, scorching fire forced that knight to retreat several meters, compelling him to stand once again at the front of the knight formation. Between him and Gwen, a violently burning flame separated the two. The muscular knight''s forehead was beaded with sweat, unclear whether from fear or the excessive heat from the fire. At this moment, an absurd thought arose in the hearts of all the knights. To reason with them... Gwen looked at them coldly. "It seems there are no objections." She thrust her blade fiercely into the flame-engulfed ground, solemnly issuing her order before the knights: "I declare," "The arrest warrant for the Imperial Fourth-Tier Mage, Viktor Kravina, is hereby revoked, effective immediately!" She enunciated each word very clearly, reaching the ears of every knight. Hearing Gwen''s order, a thousand knights remained silent. In Gwen''s indisputable tone, they heard threat and firmness. Everyone felt as if a force was controlling them. They had to obey Gwen''s order. In the daze of howling wind and snow, they felt that. The Lady Gwen known to all seemed to have changed. Everyone slowly lowered their weapons, putting shields on their backs and sheathing their swords. But... "Gwen, the arrest warrant cannot be revoked." Accompanied by a hoarse voice, everyone''s gaze turned to look behind. Upon seeing him, the knights all made way. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! It was a white figure sitting in a wheelchair. Or rather, being pushed over. He was wrapped in white bandages, similarly only exposing his eyes and mouth. The wheelchair slowly stopped in front of the knight formation, and Jaxu looked at Gwen before him, slowly exhaling a breath. With Angus unconscious, he was now the most influential person in the Delin family. "Once revoked, it would allow the real culprit to escape punishment." Hearing Jaxu''s words, Gwen''s eyes instantly turned cold. "You, on what grounds do you say Viktor is the culprit?" All the knights'' gazes were on Jaxu, as if trying to see some hope from him. Jaxu sighed, seemingly finding even this simple action extremely taxing. "Father, he''s already dead." As the words fell, the wind and snow instantly covered the sky, the surging white completely obscuring the azure sky. Plunging into wild howling and singular silence. ...... At this moment, Kevla was in the western part of the Northern Frontier. She looked at the huge castle estate before her, her fists tightly clenched. This was already the fourth estate she had visited in these days. With things developing to this point, she had no choice but to seek out this great knight of the western Northern Frontier. The Delin family did not have absolute control over the Northern Frontier. They had established clear territorial planning on this land of the Northern Frontier. Under the protection of the knight families, they had carved out many portions. Apart from the gentry and wealthy holding a part of the land, the remaining territory was all distributed to the excellent knights under Angus. The knight''s family recognized Kevla and proactively let her enter the knight''s mansion first, to wait in the conference room. Soon, a knight wearing a thick white fur cloak sat down in front of Kevla. "Knight Commander Mark." Seeing the arrival, Kevla quickly stood up and bowed deeply. "If it isn''t Miss Kevla!" "Please, sit, no need for formalities." "What brings Miss Kevla to visit me today?" The knight named Mark had a smile on his face, seeming as delighted as if he had seen an old friend. The Knight Commander personally brewed a cup of tea and placed it on the redwood tea table in front of Kevla. However, Kevla did not pick it up, only calmly saying. "Mr. Mark, I won''t beat around the bush." "You should know the reason for my visit here." Hearing Kevla''s directness, Mark''s face showed a hint of difficulty. The person before him was the eldest daughter of the Delin family. Theoretically speaking, when Angus and Jaxu were unconscious, Kevla''s words were equivalent to the family head speaking. But Kevla herself was not a knight, lacking sufficient prestige within the Delin family. Moreover, Jaxu had already issued an arrest warrant once before. Now that the problem was pushed to his hands, Mark felt some hesitation. "I know, Miss Kevla, you''ve already visited many estates, the news has long reached us here." "But the arrest warrant for Viktor is not something we can just revoke as we please." This matter had already been brought up to the royal capital. The intention of those noble ministers in the royal capital was very clear, this was a family matter between the Kravina and Delin families. "In other words, the royal capital is tacitly approving this matter for now." Mark poured himself a cup of tea and downed it in one gulp. He blinked his eyes and exhaled a hot breath. Indeed, he couldn''t be rash about this matter. Unless the old master himself woke up and revoked the arrest warrant, it would be hard to convince the knights. "Moreover, Miss Kevla, we just want to bring Viktor back. No one will harm him." If Viktor was truly guilty, he should be judged by the emperor, not by their Delin family. So, the arrest warrant was merely a warning measure. Hearing Mark''s evasion, Kevla laughed coldly. "Every lord has the same rhetoric." "But which of you dares to take action to capture Viktor." This was the truth. Although Viktor''s arrest warrant was flying all over the Northern Frontier. There really wasn''t any knight order commander who dared to mobilize troops to capture him. Only the common people of the Northern Frontier, upon seeing the arrest warrant, were filled with righteous indignation. His current reputation could hardly be considered good. Kevla could hear dirty words spat out by those honest Northern men every day. Even when children cried at night, the most common thing their mothers said was. ''If you keep crying, I''ll let Viktor take you away.'' The effect was very obvious, the children would stop crying immediately. In the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people in the Northern Frontier, even though Viktor was a fourth-tier mage, he naturally couldn''t compare to the great knight Angus whom they praised. "Miss Kevla, I really can''t make this decision." "Is it that you can''t make the decision, or that you don''t want to?" Kevla kept questioning Mark, the light in her eyes growing increasingly cold. Mark lowered his head guiltily, his gaze shifting to one side of the room, avoiding Kevla''s eyes. At this moment, a knight suddenly burst into the conference room. "Knight Commander! Something''s happened!" "News has come from the Far North!" Hearing that news had arrived, both Mark and Kevla abruptly stood up, almost simultaneously uttering a word: "Speak!" The knight, seeing Kevla, trembled slightly, his voice becoming somewhat unsteady: "The barbarians have been completely annihilated! It was done by those people from the Pale Mage Association, and moreover..." "Moreover what?! Speak quickly!" The knight, startled by Mark''s shout, shuddered: "Moreover... they had the help of demons." "What?" Demons helping humans, this matter had basically reached the ears of the Northern knights under the vigorous promotion of the Pale Mage Association. Mark was dumbfounded, and so was Kevla. Demons... helped humans? Kevla''s body began to tremble continuously. She couldn''t believe it. As a demon hunter, Kevla had seen many demons. She had never seen, nor even heard of, demons actively helping humans. Moreover, she hadn''t received any prior mission, why would a demon appear in the Northern Frontier? Many questions began to flash in her mind. Suddenly, a figure flashed through Kevla''s mind. Viktor! She immediately stood up and headed towards the exit. Demons should not appear, she needed to find Viktor and get a clear answer. The knight ignored Kevla''s hasty departure, but his voice raised a few degrees. "Also... the Delin main family has sent a call for support." "They... have found Viktor." At this point, the knight paused. Kevla suddenly turned around, looking at him coldly. "Continue speaking!" The knight lowered his head, straining his voice to continue reporting: "Viktor returned with Lady Gwen, Lady Gwen intended to revoke Viktor''s arrest warrant." "But in the end, Young Master Jaxu intervened." Mark frowned deeply, and even Kevla stood frozen in place. Jaxu? Wasn''t he severely injured and bedridden? Somehow, at this moment, everyone seemed to catch a whiff of the pungent smell of crisis. Mark hurriedly inquired. "What about now, what exactly is going on?!" "Young Master Jaxu prevented the revocation of Viktor''s arrest warrant." "But..." Mark suddenly grabbed his collar, loudly questioning: "Tell me the main point, damn it!" That knight, as if completely drained, his legs losing all support, was completely held up by Mark''s hand. "The Great Knight Angus is dead!" "He died... at Viktor''s hands..." .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 132: Youre Really Not Human! Angus was dead. The great knight of the North, renowned throughout the empire, who had spent decades establishing stable towns across the northern frontier and protecting hundreds of thousands of people, was gone. Silence, as if merging with the snow and wind, fell upon every knight across the northern border. All the knights in the entire northern region were plunged into endless sorrow. They mourned silently towards the sky. Mourning this great knight who had guarded the northern frontier. Indeed, he had accomplished his mission of safeguarding the peace of the northern border. This snowy plain had been protected for over thirty years, nurturing batch after batch of powerful knights. In the hearts of all the knights in the North, Angus was like a teacher and a father. Strict, but fair. Sorrow and anger suddenly flooded the entire snow plain like a tidal wave, filling the knights'' hearts with mixed emotions. At this moment, the knights standing in front of the fortress of the Delin family all removed their helmets and lowered their heads. For several minutes, the wind and snow seemed to intensify, the air became more oppressive, and time seemed to turn slowly like a gear, ticking away bit by bit. Gwen raised her head again, looking at Jaxu, her voice calm: "He was still alive just now." "Just a moment ago, Father stopped breathing." Jaxu''s calm voice sounded, with seemingly little grief in his tone. "Besides, even if he hadn''t died, do you think Father in that state could be called ''alive''?" After engaging with Viktor once, Angus had become dazed and even lost his most basic rationality. If he couldn''t recover for a long time, that could no longer be called ''living''. But even so, everyone knew clearly in their hearts. Being alive and being dead were two different concepts. If Angus were alive, then Viktor had merely injured Angus. But now Angus was dead. Regardless of the true cause of death, the accusation of intentionally murdering an imperial meritorious official would definitely be pinned on Viktor''s head, difficult to remove. Jaxu''s appearance had driven another nail into the coffin of Viktor''s crime of murder. Angus had indeed done some immoral things. However, Respect the dead. Moreover, from the true meaning of duty, Angus had not done anything heinous, He had merely disregarded the lives of useless residents. At this point, no matter what reasons were given, they couldn''t compare to Angus''s ''death''. The man was already dead, even if people would find his crimes. Angus''s death was already a fact. Jaxu slowly spoke. "The news has spread throughout the entire North, and it won''t be long before all the knights under the domain arrive." "Gwen, do you really want to continue sheltering that criminal?" Gwen listened to Jaxu''s words, biting her lip, frowning, her eyes fixed on Jaxu. How Angus actually died, whether he was truly dead or feigning death. She couldn''t tell. Gwen stared into Jaxu''s eyes, seeming to see a hint of a victor''s smile in his gaze. But... "Have you said enough? How about letting me say a few words?" A cold voice came from behind Gwen, accompanied by the howling of wind and snow, yet it reached Jaxu and the knights'' ears clearly and distinctly. Although the distance was great, that intense piercing chill penetrated to the bone. The white giant bird transformed into a whirlwind, turning into white runes that re-inscribed themselves on Viktor''s coat. But he didn''t land, instead standing steadily in mid-air. The air beneath his feet seemed to swirl and coil, carrying white crystals to form steps under his feet. One step, two steps, like a dancer gracefully exiting in the wind, he walked forward. He stepped past Gwen, past the knights. Before the knights could react, Viktor had already walked in front of Jaxu. Countless knights saw Viktor appear behind them. At this moment, he had already penetrated deep into the knights'' encirclement. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. As if suddenly reacting, they all drew their blades. "Protect Young Master Jaxu!" With a shout, the knights raised their weapons, treading on the faint snow and wind, surging towards Viktor. But Viktor didn''t move at all. A wind barrier suddenly whirled up around him, and the white beneath his feet was also raised by this huge storm, blocking the knights outside. The wind barrier was transparent, and even through the specks of white stars, the knights could still see Viktor. But they just couldn''t break through and enter. All the knights could only watch, watching Viktor and Jaxu face off. The knight behind Jaxu who was pushing the wheelchair had long been frightened and sat on the ground, trembling all over. Viktor looked at Jaxu''s eyes full of smiles and slowly spoke: "Let''s not discuss how Angus actually died, but you seem to have forgotten one thing." A gleam flashed in Viktor''s eyes, as if Death had already raised his scythe, just waiting to fall. "Have you forgotten that I am a mage?" The badge on his chest symbolizing a mage councilor began to glow, carrying a magnificent magical aura. But Jaxu remained calm, looking at Viktor, narrowing his eyes. In an instant, a blue light suddenly flashed in Viktor''s eyes. Suddenly, the ground was covered by a huge magic array, lighting up with a thick black color, and even the fine snow and wind stopped with it. Everyone was surrounded by this huge black magic array, and an extremely strong and profound magical aura constantly emerged from the ground. Black mist gradually overflowed from the array, as if with consciousness, creeping towards the huge silver fortress strand by strand. Countless patterns slowly began to construct under each knight''s feet, and runes also slowly appeared on the edges. Jaxu was in the center of the array, unperturbed. "Are you showing me your strength?" "You can kill me at will, kill everyone present." "The news will spread, and everyone will remember you as the demon who harmed the loyal and good." Viktor sighed, blowing off the snow flakes on his body. "You''re really delusional." "Loyal and good? Are you worthy?" On the magic array, black flames suddenly began to spread, those terrifying flames like vengeful spirits gradually crawled up everyone''s bodies, and also gradually completely covered the castle. But... no one could feel the heat brought by the flames. The black flames were like phantoms, and perhaps their only function was to let the group of knights'' gaze feel shocked. "You think you''re not afraid of death, so I can''t do anything to you?" Viktor was still speaking, but Jaxu wasn''t afraid at all. Until Viktor suddenly revealed a smile. That smile, in Jaxu''s eyes, seemed to stretch to his ears, extremely creepy. He suddenly froze in the wheelchair, watching Viktor walk towards him leisurely. At his heart, it felt as if something was gripping it, causing him unbearable pain. He shouldn''t have such pain. Viktor slowly bent down, leaning close to Jaxu''s ear, speaking in a voice only he could hear: "Disguising as a human" "Is it fun?" Suddenly, Jaxu''s eyes widened. The constantly spreading blackness collectively rolled forward, flying off the knights'' bodies and into the distance. The knights watched that black mass fly towards the Delin mansion, their gazes involuntarily turning there. At this moment, the entire fortress seemed to be swallowed by an even larger black beast. The flames burned fiercely, as if it was the greedy chewing of a giant beast. Inside the castle, a painful cry suddenly rang out, bursting forth from the depths of the blackness. Viktor stepped back a few paces, a smile appearing on his face. It was the smile of a victor. "Found you." "[Believer of the Goddess]" As soon as the words fell, Jaxu''s body rapidly collapsed like a burnt-out twig. Black smoke was constantly released, the white bandages on his body gradually fell off, Jaxu''s body seemed to be hollowed out like flesh, leaving only a human skin slowly falling. Everyone widened their eyes, seeing this extremely shocking scene before them, immediately feeling nauseous. They looked back at Viktor. In the knights'' eyes, it was as if Viktor had used magic to extract Jaxu''s flesh and blood. Otherwise, how could this scene before them be explained? At this moment, knights rushing from the town quickly arrived, riding horses, treading through the snow. They also took in this scene. This naturally included Kevla. She watched as Jaxu''s body suddenly withered, finally turning into a human skin, collapsed in the chair. Instantly, Kevla''s mind went blank. But this was just the beginning. The magic array under Viktor''s feet suddenly erupted with a huge burst of energy. The sun ignited in the sky, completely burning and melting countless snowflakes. A heart-piercing scream constantly emanated from that huge Delin mansion, violent wails echoing in all directions. Everyone''s gaze was completely drawn to that black flame. In the black flames, a huge monster suddenly broke out, its body constantly burning. Accompanied by the breaking of steel and the crushing of wood, a black mass of flesh slowly squeezed out. The huge body was covered with tentacles and eyes, and green slime dripped from the trembling mouthparts. It was like various organs jumbled together, making people feel incredibly absurd. The tentacles all over its body constantly danced, and even though it was continuously burned by the flames, the huge mouths on it were still craving for something, constantly trembling. The knights looked at this unknown thing before them, immediately scared back dozens of meters. They stood there, looking at the sky in disbelief. Kevla was even more dumbfounded, she couldn''t believe that this creature, more terrifying than demons, would suddenly emerge from the Delin family mansion. "What... what is this..." Gwen looked at the black monster, drew her blade, stepped forward, and stood beside Viktor. "Viktor" A howl like a dying gasp constantly sounded slowly from the sky, rumbling like a giant drum being pierced. "Viktor" "Whydoyouknow" At this moment, the sun was high in the sky, and extreme heat constantly invaded everyone. Viktor''s coat fluttered wildly. "Did Angus tell you before he died that he had recently changed his faith?" "Oh, I''m sorry, I forgot he couldn''t speak." He spread his hands, with a confident smile even in the corners of his eyes. That demonic crow on his shoulder revealed an even more cunning light in its single eye. As if the final winner on the chessboard. "Checkmate, your move." .... To Be Continued.. Chapter 134: The Birth of a True Filial Son A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15+ Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... As the second wave of moonlight once again enveloped the world and the sun''s rays re-entered everyone''s eyes, The knights stared blankly at the sky, trembling uncontrollably. That terrifying power, as if about to completely shatter the spiritual realm, filled people with utter despair. Leading the knights and observing from the side, Knight Commander Mark, seated on horseback, slapped himself hard across the face. Suddenly, he snapped back to reality. He stared blankly at Viktor, who had his back turned to him. His heart felt like a ten-story building collapsing, filled with boundless shock. He was now immensely grateful that when he received the wanted notice from the Delin family, he hadn''t acted rashly and sent people to capture Viktor. That would have probably been a one-way trip. Mark was terrified in hindsight; Viktor was clearly not an existence these knights could confront. Even if all the knights in the Northern Frontier were mobilized, they might not be able to touch the hem of this terrifying mage''s coat. At this moment, he even had a ridiculous thought. Since mages are so powerful... Is it too late to change careers now? Viktor''s coat fluttered slightly. His gaze was fixed on the [Believer] who was now on the brink of death. Moonlight was a special magic that Viktor had learned from Aurelianne. Unlike the six major natural systems of magic, moonlight had no rank; its power was entirely determined by the user''s soul strength and mana quantity. And Viktor''s mana quantity... Probably only a Calamity could withstand two such attacks. Moreover, the Jaxu before him was just a low-level goddess believer. This kind of faith-generated ethereal creature couldn''t even be considered a normal boss unit. But it wasn''t dead yet. To be precise, Viktor had left it alive. The writhing monster screamed at Viktor: "Guu" "Killme" The chaotic voice became extremely weak as Viktor slowly walked to the side of the black flesh mass. The huge black body filled the entire Delin mansion, its height even comparable to the Silver Barrier. Viktor''s expression remained unchanged as he looked up at the ugly flesh. Looking at the giant mouths scattered randomly on it, mixed with green slime flowing down. Deep within the giant mouths, several forked tentacles were slowly pulsating. Under the scorching light, they were being burned, thus dancing more frantically. "Are all the believers of your Goddess of Justice as dim-witted as you?" Viktor asked. Upon hearing this, the black flesh suddenly swelled up, as if enraged. The giant mouths were instantly torn apart by the tentacles that surged out, black blood gradually dripping down from the surface, lunging fiercely towards Viktor. Gwen, holding her long sword, gradually applied force to her feet. She was ready to join the battle immediately if Viktor found himself in a predicament. But facing the fierce attack, Viktor remained calm and unhurried. A green glow suddenly lit up behind him, and countless thick vines burst forth from the ground, entangling with the black tentacles, entering a stalemate. Then, the coat behind him suddenly lit up with red patterns, growing into a giant lava hand, which he raised. He spread the giant hand into a palm and slapped it fiercely towards what could be considered the face of the flesh mass. Boom! Instantly, the surrounding storm trembled violently, the powerful aura overturning everything around. Even the Silver Fortress creaked and groaned under the gale. With one slap, the black flesh mass fell into a deathly silence. "Really now." "You won''t settle down unless you get slapped in the face, will you?" The power of this slap not only silenced it. It also calmed down everyone present. At this moment, all eyes were on Viktor. They watched him standing amidst the ruins of the Delin mansion, facing that incredibly huge and terrifying monster. They seemed to have grown accustomed to the shock Viktor brought them. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Now, there was only one question in everyone''s minds. What exactly was this monster before them? Why did this creature suddenly appear after Viktor killed Jaxu? But soon, Viktor provided them with an answer. On Viktor''s body, endless mana arose out of thin air, carrying magical power, inscribing numerous runes upon the flesh mass. In the haze, one bright magic array after another began to light up continuously on the monster''s body. Hum! Hum! Hum! One after another, magic arrays of different colors began to appear continuously from the flesh. That mass of flesh seemed to be constantly impacted by some external force, writhing frantically. Finally, something like a stone began to pulsate within the black flesh, and was eventually spat out along with green slime from a giant mouth. "That is!" The knights immediately widened their eyes, looking in disbelief at what had been spat out by the flesh. A lean body covered in numerous wrinkles. "That''s! Master Angus!" Mark''s pupils suddenly contracted, his heart feeling as if it had been tightly squeezed, causing a bout of dizziness. That was the teacher''s corpse. At this moment, it appeared before him in such a manner. All the knights suddenly realized what had happened. Angus lay helplessly on the ground, his body no longer showing any signs of movement. Kevla widened her eyes even more, staring at her dead father, falling into a daze. That great Northern Knight had died just like that, in his own home. At this moment, everyone realized. Angus''s death was not accidental, but he had been swallowed by this monster. But why did Jaxu know that Angus was dead? Could it be... Most of the knights realized the answer, but no one dared to think further. Viktor, with his hands in his pockets, looked down at Angus''s slime-covered corpse, his eyes showing not a hint of emotion. "He deserved to die." The truth was now clear; Angus''s corpse was the best evidence of Viktor''s innocence. Viktor glanced at the believer and snorted coldly. To allow their revered goddess to descend to the world again, the fanatical and obsessive believers would stop at nothing. The first step to make Gwen approach the Goddess of Justice was to make her completely adhere to absolute justice in her heart. To completely extinguish those unstable factors of her humanity. Absolute justice should not possess even a fraction of basic human desires and morals. Not favoring anyone, not leaning towards any side, acting solely for the sake of pure justice. The believers had been calculating Gwen''s fate from the very beginning. From the moment of Gwen''s birth, from the first time the "Heart of Justice" showed its edge, she had been dragged into a trap by the crazy believers. Everything was planned to make Gwen sever her familial bonds and extinguish her last conscience as a human being. Heh. What a ridiculous plan. Viktor''s eyes held contempt as he said calmly: "You''ve always wanted Gwen to kill you, right?" "Well then, I''ll grant you that wish." As he finished speaking, Viktor no longer spared a glance at the flesh mass. He simply turned around and walked towards the ground covered in wild grass. Countless knights automatically sheathed their swords, making way for him. Afterwards, they turned their gaze towards Gwen. As if having made some decision, Gwen walked to the front of that evil entity. She slowly raised the silver sword in her hand. The silver sword looked incredibly bright and pure under the sunlight, a golden holy power gradually entwining around the blade in Gwen''s hand. It was as if the Goddess of Justice had appeared behind her, transforming into a spirit, jointly grasping the hilt of the sword. Gwen''s eyes were filled with unwavering determination; she felt a heaviness on her shoulders, yet her heart was completely calm. [Atles''s Holy Sword] Finally, accompanied by the descent of that holy light, the blade fell in Gwen''s hand with a slash. Raising a golden tidal wave, it suddenly engulfed the black flesh. Boom! Swoosh! Sensing the approaching danger, the believer''s giant mouths and tentacles trembled continuously, trying to reject that holy attack. But by now, it was left powerless. That blade symbolizing justice suddenly fell, and the black body slowly shattered into fragments within the tidal wave, its consciousness gradually blurring. In the end, it turned into flying debris, dissipating under the light. The extreme faith in the Goddess of Justice ultimately died under the blade representing justice. How ironic. The black fragments turned into flying snow, curling up from the ground towards the sky, gradually dissipating. Sunlight penetrated through the clouds, passed through the fragments, and slowly fell upon Gwen. On the silver armor, it was as if she had donned a golden robe, utterly sacred. She gazed at the mansion ruins under the sky, lonely and sorrowful. Gwen sheathed her blade, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. She placed one hand on her chest. Countless knights made the same gesture, silently mourning. Beneath the ruins on this green land, it seemed as if a new justice was growing anew. ...... After a period of change, public opinion in this part of the Northern Frontier underwent a drastic transformation. Viktor, who could stop children from crying at night, had now been cleared of suspicion and become a hero in the hearts of the people. And Jaxu became the sinner who rebelled against Angus''s rule and killed his own father with his own hands. Viktor, in alliance with Gwen, ultimately beheaded Jaxu. Although the knights present had all witnessed the true scene at that time, not one of them spoke the truth. What the knights saw that day was so shocking that it would be etched in their memories for life. The position of the Delin family head became vacant due to the deaths of Angus and Jaxu. Kevla, as the eldest daughter, was not involved in the turmoil of the knight family. Thus, by direct order from Emperor Aubrey in the royal capital, Gwen inherited the position of family head and succeeded Angus''s title of Earl. However, Gwen did not inherit Angus''s task of guarding the North. She didn''t want to stay in this place full of painful memories anymore. She wanted to return to the royal capital and continue to uphold her small sense of justice. The Northern Frontier fell into chaos without a leader, so Kevla chose to stay in the North to temporarily manage the order of this place. Moreover, she received a mission. Involving the demonic incidents appearing in the Far North, she needed to personally investigate this information. ...... At this moment, sunlight was pouring into the Kravina family mansion. Lia was in her bedroom, trying on several outfits in front of the mirror. She seemed to be in a good mood, humming a tune as she twirled in front of the mirror. Lia tried one outfit after another, but couldn''t find one she was satisfied with. An elf sat on the edge of the bed, idly fiddling with a dagger in her hand. "Miss Lia, you seem very happy?" "Hm? Do I?" Lia responded casually, picking up two outfits and comparing them in frustration. "Which one should I wear?" She turned around, holding the clothes, and asked the elf. "Leon, help me see which one suits me better?" "You look beautiful in any outfit, Miss Lia." Hearing Leon''s flattery, Lia became even more troubled. "Miss Lia, do you have something going on?" Leon looked at the somewhat conflicted Lia, putting away her dagger to avoid cutting any of Lia''s numerous outfits. "Viktor is coming back from the Northern Frontier, I need to get back to the royal capital before he returns." Lia continued humming, turning back to choose again. After all, being indecisive about choices can really make one feel distressed. After a while, Leon''s gaze suddenly sharpened. She put her finger to her ear, as if listening to some report. "Mm, okay, I got it." She nodded slightly and put her hand down. On Leon''s ear, a small, blue-glowing communication crystal could be seen. That was a small magical device used for remote communication. Very convenient. Lia turned back, looking at Leon''s reaction, and couldn''t help but sigh: "How is it? Judging by your expression, I probably won''t be able to go back?" "It''s like this, I''m sorry, Miss Lia..." Leon lowered her head slightly, reporting: "The ''children'' have caught a slave trader, and his identity seems somewhat special." "They need you to go there in person to interrogate him." [news] Loved the chapter? Want More? Let me know with a [Review]!! Support and Read 15 + Advance Chapters, Ahead of Others!! [/news] Chapter 135: Press 1 for a Cat Girl Tick, tock. In the dim stone chamber, flickering candles cast dancing shadows. On the wall, a slender black silhouette appeared elongated in the feeble candlelight. Following the light source, a man bound by iron chains stood upright on a wooden stake. His head was covered with a brown sack, and his body was covered in bloody wounds. Suddenly, the sack was untied and removed, tossed aside. The man opened his eyes. In the darkness, mixed with a bit of light, he felt momentarily uncomfortable. As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, he widened them. His body moved, and the sound of steel colliding entered his ears - his limbs were completely locked. Looking up, he saw a dense circle of mysterious figures surrounding him. They were all wearing black hemp-colored cloaks, their faces half-covered, leaving only a pair of eyes staring at him. "You! Do you know who I am?!" No one around him spoke, but a voice came from the side. "Do you know who I am?" Lia sat in a leather chair, one leg crossed over the other. She held a sharp carving knife, seemingly bored, carefully filing her nails. The man looked closely, and when he saw Lia''s delicate face, he froze. Lia Kravina. Now, the Kravina family was quite famous throughout the royal capital, their reputation no less than that of the royal family. Moreover, in the city of Brayston, the Kravina family could be said to have absolute power. Even a stray dog passing by on the street would wag its tail and bark twice at Viktor, calling him "Lord". What? You say dogs can''t talk? Take it away and stew it! At this moment, he never imagined that while he was eating and singing at the most luxurious restaurant in Brayston, he would suddenly black out and be kidnapped by the Kravina family. The man''s body began to tremble uncontrollably, his lips quivering, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. "Miss Lia... What is this...?" "What, never seen a kidnapping before?" Lia twirled the carving knife in her hand and stood up. With her movement, the mysterious cloaked figures around her also gathered closer. The man''s body shook violently, fear seeping into his eyes. Lia raised the carving knife and pressed it against the man''s throat, lifting his chin. With a hint of a smile in her alluring eyes and curiosity in her tone, she said: "Didn''t you just ask if we knew who you were?" "I''m quite interested now. Tell me." The man''s mind went blank, forgetting even to tremble. Saliva caught in his throat, he didn''t dare to swallow. Leon, standing beside Lia, said softly: "Miss, his name is Hanna." "He''s the carrier for the Reiser family, transporting goods between the north and south of the empire." Lia listened to the report and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? From the Reiser family?" "You know the grudge between your family and ours, yet you dare to wander around here?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Cold sweat dripped down Hanna''s forehead, allowing the beads to flow down his nose tip, not daring to move an inch. "Miss Lia, I... I just got lost..." "Lost?" Lia suddenly flung the carving knife in her hand, sending it flying towards Hanna, fiercely embedding it into the wooden board behind him. He could even feel the collision sound of the knife hitting the wood and the whistling sound it carried. Hanna''s breathing became heavier; just a hair''s breadth more, and that speeding knife would have slit his throat. Lia looked at him with a smile and said softly: "The Kravina territory is so big, and you just happened to get lost right at my doorstep?" Hanna trembled and closed his eyes, not daring to utter another word. Lia reached out to the side, and Leon beside her, understanding, handed her an alarm clock. She wound up the clock''s spring and placed it by the man''s ear. Ding! A crisp sound suddenly burst out. Followed by the continuous ticking sound, like the death knell of the Grim Reaper. "Where are the goods hidden? Speak up." "If you can''t say it before the alarm goes off, your head will be relocated." As soon as the clock''s ticking started, Hanna was scared into a howl. His features twisted together, his expression pained, as if he would burst into tears the next second. "Cry?" As the voice rang out, one of the cloaked figures stepped forward and slapped the man hard across the face. Slap! With a crisp slapping sound, the miserable howl that was about to turn into crying abruptly stopped. Lia stroked the alarm clock, smiling as she said: "Crying counts as time too." Ring ring ring! The alarm clock suddenly began to vibrate, metallic sounds echoing continuously throughout the small, dark basement. Around them, the sound of several cold blades being unsheathed rang out clearly. Hanna widened his eyes, looking at the silver daggers flashing in the candlelight, and immediately nodded frantically: "I know, I''ll talk! I''ll talk!" "That batch of goods, it''s... it''s hidden at Sano Port!" Lia smiled, picked up the alarm clock, wound it up again, and turned the hand around once more. Hanna was stunned, looking at Lia with confusion: "Miss Lia, what are you...?" "Giving you another round of time." Lia smiled with narrowed eyes: "Just one hiding spot? I don''t believe it." Hanna stretched his face, forcing a smile, tears of fear in his eyes. "Really... really just this one, really just this one!" But Lia just smiled, taking out a bottle of red potion from her pocket, waving it constantly in front of the merchant''s eyes. "Do you know what this is?" Hanna looked at the red potion in front of him, somewhat dazed. The mana potions sold by the Kravina family were famous throughout the empire''s north and south. One bottle sold for a thousand Geo, but in the black market, the price had been inflated who knows how many times. Priceless. And the red potion in front of him, with the same packaging, made Hanna confused. "My family''s new product, two thousand Geo a bottle." "Want to try it?" Seeing Lia''s ambiguous smile, a bad feeling slowly rose in his heart. Ring ring ring! The alarm clock rang again. Lia''s smile seemed even more joyful. "Leon." The elf behind her immediately stepped forward, drawing her dagger. "Bloodletting." In the dim room, a cold light flashed across the man''s neck. Accompanied by a slightly hot pain. Blood suddenly gushed out. At this moment, Hanna widened his eyes. Feeling a sense of weakness enveloping his body, accompanied by warmth suddenly draining from his body. He silently looked at the woman''s smile in front of him. Feeling that seductive smile full of charm. Like a devil. ....... The clear moonlight, filtering through the thin misty clouds, fell upon the cold blue sea surface. At the port, dozens of cloaked figures stood in the open space, quietly waiting. This was the storage point forced out of Hanna''s mouth. Many guards were patrolling here, guarding the goods. Soon, those cloaked figures made their move. Their actions were extremely swift, like hunting cheetahs, silently killing those patrolling guards. They dragged these bodies into the darkness, throwing them into the surging sea. The night was their best camouflage. Only when most of the surrounding guards had been cleared did they gather together again. The goods placed in the square, like huge boxes, were tightly covered with blue cloth. Only through the gaps not covered by the fabric below could one see the iron cage-like material underneath. Quietly sticking close, one could hear the breathing sounds coming from inside. They nodded to each other. One of them put her hand on the communication crystal by her ear, relaying messages. The clouds were slowly blown away by the wind, and moonlight fell on the huge iron cages. All the dark guards had completely controlled this place, and the surrounding guards had been thoroughly cleaned out. Under the bright night sky at the port, only dozens of mysterious figures wearing cloaks and hoods remained. Lia slowly walked out from the shadows, followed by Leon, dressed the same as the others. Everyone bowed their heads respectfully when they saw Lia. "Miss Lia." "This is the last hiding spot." Lia stood around these large cages, constantly examining them. "Alright, let me see." Hearing the order, they quickly jumped onto the high platform, suddenly lifting that huge curtain, revealing the ''goods'' inside. In the iron cages were some living ''people''. ''People'' with soft ears like cats and dogs, each with different characteristics. They were curled up in the iron cages, keeping each other warm. Their fluffy tails were raised, and their long, pointed animal ears were constantly moving as if trying to discern the surrounding dangers. Seeming to sense the faint light of seeing daylight again, they raised their heads. Seeing the crowd observing them, their eyes flowed with obvious fear and panic. Lia looked at them and sighed: "Poor ''children''." Demi-humans. They were similar to humans, but not human. Looking almost identical to humans, but with very characteristic animal features. Within the empire, demi-humans were not common. The empire had an extremely strict racial classification, with humans at the top. Therefore, demi-humans were not allowed to enter the empire. And if demi-humans appeared within the empire''s borders, they would either be expelled from the country. Or, be disposed of at the captor''s will. That''s right, demi-humans were not treated as humans at all. In the eyes of most people, they were nothing more than pets with thoughts and the ability to move. The Carenthia Empire had no slavery system. As long as they were human, even beggars could not become someone''s private property by selling themselves. Of course, this was only on the surface. The noble lords could naturally ignore this rule. As long as they weren''t too arrogant, doing it right in front of the emperor. Someone would always ''make an exception'' for them. So, if some people wanted some free labor that they could dispose of at will, what should they do? They just needed to buy some ''demi-human slaves''. Hiring a human required money, and even paying taxes. But demi-humans? They were stronger than humans, with more endurance. Just give them some food to eat, some water to drink, and they would constantly push themselves to the limit for survival. As long as they didn''t starve to death, they would work themselves to death. Thinking of this, perhaps feeling a bit sorry for these demi-humans, Lia sighed. "Now, you can be free." As she spoke, Leon beside her drew a wooden sword from her waist. The wooden sword flickered with a faint green light. Rich mana constantly surged on it. Carrying mana, Leon held the wooden sword and slashed twice horizontally at the iron cage. The huge iron cage bars were cut open, leaving a gap large enough to escape. At the cut surface, green light still flickered. But the demi-humans hiding in the iron cage didn''t move. They just became more afraid, curling their bodies towards the depths of the iron cage. Seeing this, Lia threw a glance at those hooded dark guards. They understood, lifting their hoods, revealing animal ears of various colors and shapes. Pointed, drooping, cat ears, dog ears, even long rabbit ears. To show that. They were the same kind. Sure enough, after seeing this, the demi-humans in the iron cage slightly relaxed their vigilance. The ears that had been raised due to sensing danger slowly drooped down. Lia looked at these demi-humans who finally dared to stand up and smiled slightly. "Now, are you willing to believe me?" "Hmm, I certainly believe you now." Suddenly, an abrupt voice rang out, and everyone looked up towards the source of the sound. At some point, a man had sat on top of the huge iron cage. On his back was a very luxurious great sword, looking extremely extraordinary. The man looked down at the crowd below, grinning slightly. But that powerful sense of oppression constantly pressed on everyone''s heads. Leon sensed danger and flashed in front of Lia. The man stared at Lia with a smile: "I was wondering why every shipment to Brayston would get hijacked." "So it turns out that the famous Kravina family has raised a group of demi-humans as dark guards." A sneer followed. "It''s really been an eye-opener for me." Chapter 136: Actually, Im a Summoner A powerful aura slowly rose from the man in front of them. The numerous dark guards raised their cold glinting daggers, holding them across their chests as they glared coldly at the person atop the iron cage. They could sense the immense strength emanating from this man before them. Leon''s expression also grew solemn. She narrowed her eyes and whispered to the crowd behind her: "Protect Lady Lia." But Lia showed no fear. She simply folded her arms beneath her chest, coldly staring at the man before her. The man looked somewhat unkempt, with stubble on his chin and worn-out clothes. It was a stark contrast to the ornate great sword on his back. He was a somewhat famous adventurer from the south. Known as the "Berserker" warrior - Cindy Kaia. Three years ago, he was already a peak third-tier warrior with formidable combat prowess. Of course, to put it nicely, he was an adventurer. In reality, the profession of adventurer was just another type of mercenary who would do anything for money. For a long time, Cindy Kaia had disappeared from adventurer circles. When he reappeared, he was wielding a luxurious greatsword and had killed his former employer, defecting to the Reiser family. It was said that the sword he carried was a gift from the Reiser family to win him over. As such a "renowned" adventurer and now a lapdog of the Reiser family, Lia naturally recognized the man before her. Seeing this, she sneered mockingly: "What do we have here? A dog of the Reiser family, coming to my territory to throw a fit?" Cindy jumped down from atop the cage, standing in front of the path cut through the cage, blocking the beastkin''s escape route. "I wouldn''t dare, Lady Lia," he said. "It''s just that these goods are very important to us... Could you perhaps turn a blind eye and let us take them away?" His tone was very sincere. However, hearing his words, the cat girls in the iron cage behind him became frightened and started to panic. "Help... help us..." Before they could finish speaking, Cindy drew the greatsword from his back and slammed it hard against the iron cage. The cage shook violently, accompanied by Cindy''s warning voice: "All of you be quiet! I don''t want to damage the merchandise." Under this extremely threatening tone, they fearfully closed their eyes, not daring to make another sound. As Cindy''s voice rang out, several warriors wielding weapons emerged from the surrounding darkness. They slowly advanced towards Lia and her group, almost encircling them. Seeing this, Lia clicked her tongue twice: "And if I don''t want to let you take them away?" Cindy sighed. "That would be a shame, Lady Lia." "Apart from you, I''m afraid all of your dark guards would have to die here." Lia''s gaze instantly turned cold as she stared at Cindy: "Causing trouble in my territory and wanting to kill my people?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. "Are you not taking my Kravina family seriously, or has Viktor''s absence for a few days made you itch for punishment again?" Cindy shrugged, adopting an indifferent attitude as he said: "Lady Lia, I''m just someone who does jobs for money." "Besides, when did I say I was going to kill your people?" He looked over the dark guards beside Lia, his eyes flashing with greed. "Well-trained beastkin slaves are quite valuable..." "How could I bear to waste them?" The surrounding warriors slowly closed in, forcing Lia''s dark guards to continuously shrink their standing space. Seeing this, Lia let out a slight sigh: She had figured it out. That merchant called Hanna was deliberately pushed out by these slave traders. Through the method of being forced to confess, they lured her into this trap. "Perhaps I''ve been spending too little time in my territory lately, making you develop some misconceptions." In the Karensia Empire, which had no slavery system, the act of buying and selling slaves was a crime. Similarly, smuggling beastkin into the country was also a criminal offense. However, if these two points were combined... The slave traders only needed to find an excuse to avoid their crimes. The beastkin could be said to have been discovered in some forest within the empire. Or they could claim the beastkin had smuggled themselves into the empire and were just caught by them. Whatever the reason, as long as they could explain that they didn''t intentionally bring the beastkin into the empire, Then the slave traders could sell them to anyone under the guise of capturing and freely disposing of beastkin. As always, beastkin had no human rights. However, in the Kravina territory, even if these beastkin disappeared, no one would dare say anything. Because beastkin had no rights, even if this "merchandise" was robbed, the slave traders could only swallow their bitterness silently. But now... "You think that by relying on the Reiser family, you can come and test the Kravina family?" Clearly, only the support from the Reiser family could give these slave traders the courage to seek revenge and rebel. These beastkin slaves were undoubtedly meant to be transported to the south. As soon as she finished speaking, Lia slowly raised one hand. On that delicate hand, she wore a black fingerless glove. Six differently colored gems glittered brilliantly under the moonlight. Lia smiled as she looked at the warriors surrounding her, her tone filled with disdain. "You seem to think..." "That you have victory in the bag?" Suddenly, she flipped her palm, and a violently burning flame erupted from her hand. The blazing light illuminated the entire port incredibly brightly. It seemed as if it would incinerate everything around. Countless people widened their eyes, looking at Lia with shocked and disbelieving gazes. They seemed to have realized something, but it was already too late. [Third-tier Magic: Explosive Flame] Instantly, along with the instantly formed magic circle, surging hot flames shot straight into the sky. The flames immediately flew upwards, transforming into a cloud of fire. Constantly falling towards the ground were huge and scorching fireballs. The intense heat light slammed hard into the surging sea surface, causing a burst of white steam to rise and envelop the entire port. Fireballs continued to fall, creating one fire pit after another on the surrounding ground. The scorching temperature seemed capable of baking even the ground until it cracked. Countless people stared wide-eyed at the crimson sky. "A... a third-tier mage?" "Wasn''t it said that the young lady of the Kravina family was just an ordinary person? This intelligence must be completely wrong!" These warriors, with an average strength of only second-tier, were helpless in the face of such a terrifying third-tier magic. Even Cindy stumbled back several steps in bewilderment, moving away from the range of the falling fire rain. There were many more warriors who were closer to the magic. The moment the flames licked their bodies, they suddenly erupted into violent fires. The flames engulfed them completely, leaving only red-hot armor and charred bodies. With a thunderous sound, the burned warriors fell to the ground one after another. They didn''t even have a chance to resist. "The Kravina family... actually has two genius mages?" A hint of surprise flashed in Cindy''s eyes. It seemed somewhat reasonable that if Viktor could become a fourth-tier mage at the age of twenty-nine, His sister Lia being a third-tier mage made some sense. But... "This level is not enough, Lady Lia." Cindy smiled and swung the luxurious greatsword behind him. A fierce sword wind howled out. Under that sword wind, the flames burning all over the ground seemed to be covered by a white dusty smoke, completely dissipating. At the same time, a powerful blood energy emanated from Cindy''s body. Fourth-tier. This was also reasonable. Three years ago, Cindy was already a peak third-tier warrior. After three years of accumulation, plus the cultivation from the countless wealth of the Reiser family, Even a dog could successfully advance in rank. So Lia didn''t feel surprised. She just calmly looked at Cindy, her gaze seeming to hold a hint of mockery. After the flames were extinguished, Cindy looked at the flickering remnants of fire and saw Lia and her people surrounded by the flames. He wanted to say something to demonstrate his strength, but as if realizing something, Cindy suddenly froze. Between the flames, it seemed... someone was missing? Cindy instantly became alert, a chill suddenly rising at the back of his head. He instinctively raised his greatsword and turned to block. A silver dagger clashed with the greatsword, but almost in the blink of an eye, a second dagger suddenly thrust out from the darkness. Swoosh! A sharp wind tore through, leaving a long bloody gash on Cindy''s face. He swung his greatsword, unleashing a violent sword wind that forced Leon back dozens of meters. After doing all this, Cindy shouldered his greatsword. The blood energy appearing on his body seemed to grow even more intense. A violent aura coursed through his meridians, and Cindy''s eyes turned blood-red. Along his body, his muscles seemed to swell slightly. The tattered clothes wrapped around his body couldn''t help but burst open, completely torn apart. He was like a beast poised to strike. "Tsk, I''ve changed my mind." "I''ll kill you all now." "Then I''ll take the money and run. The Kravina family can settle their grudges with the Reiser family." He grinned, a chilling intent along with intense violence surging towards Lia. "No matter how powerful Viktor is, he''s just a newly advanced fourth-tier mage." "The same goes for you, just a third-tier mage." "I''ve killed plenty of third-tier mages like you before." But under this threat, Lia shrugged without the slightest panic. "There''s something you should know in advance." She spread her hands, her eyes holding a hint of playfulness. "When did I ever say I was a mage?" "Huh?" Cindy was slightly stunned. He hadn''t yet grasped Lia''s meaning, but in a daze, Cindy felt it. Behind him, the sense of crisis came again. He thought it was Lia''s annoying dark guard again, so he raised his greatsword and swung it forcefully towards his back. But the next second... A giant hand made of lava firmly grasped the greatsword. In a flash, Cindy seemed to see a black windbreaker flicker before him. Soon after, the other party extended a hand. He didn''t even see the speed of the other person''s movement before his neck was firmly gripped. "Ugh..." His body was slowly lifted, his feet leaving the ground as he was raised towards the sky. The greatsword slipped from his hand, but it didn''t fall. Instead, it was tightly gripped by that lava giant hand. Cindy struggled with his muscular body. But his body, which he had been so proud of, felt like a burden at this moment. The constant struggling and the weight of his body only made him more suffocated. He tried to use his hands to pry open the hand of the man in front of him. But it was completely useless. No matter how he slapped or struggled against that unknown, immense strength, The man before him remained unmoved. He could only see the flash of azure in the other''s eyes. Streams of runes and magical power flowed continuously along his arm. [Strength Boost (Medium)] [Strength Boost (Large)] [Strength Boost (Huge)] As the air in his body gradually depleted, Cindy began to feel suffocated. In his daze, he saw a one-eyed black crow standing on the man''s shoulder. The crow''s eyes also flashed with that eerie azure color. "What were you saying just now? Something about a fourth-tier mage? Sorry, I didn''t quite catch that." Viktor''s cold gaze seemed to carry an extreme killing intent. He spoke each word slowly and deliberately... "You." "Could you say that again?" Chapter 137: This Thing, Its Called a Gun Cindy''s body hung in mid-air, his thick neck tightly gripped, like a powerless rabbit caught by a hunter. His face had turned a deep purple-red, and even his gaze had become somewhat unfocused. Suddenly, Viktor''s hand abruptly released. Freed from restraint, Cindy fell to his knees on the ground, gasping for air. He let the air continuously fill his somewhat tense lungs. After a while, he finally regained his senses and raised his slightly blurred eyes, looking fearfully at the indistinct figure before him. "Who... who are you?" Viktor''s face remained expressionless as he looked down at the man kneeling on the ground. A seemingly disdainful sneer echoed in his ears. "Why does every one of you have to ask who I am?" Cindy blinked hard, until his eyes could clearly see the person in front of him. His mind went blank, as if he had seen something terribly frightening, his eyes suddenly widening. Fear, like a vast ocean, gradually filled his eyes. "Vi... Viktor!" Cindy shook his head violently, stammering: "Impossible, impossible..." He still couldn''t believe it. Viktor was a mage, how could his strength possibly be greater than that of a fourth-tier warrior like himself? This was absolutely impossible! He quickly began to grope around on the dark ground, trying to find his weapon. But Cindy couldn''t even see the shadow of that greatsword. An ominous feeling came from above his head, and he suddenly looked up. His luxurious greatsword was being held by a giant hand of lava, emitting a hot glow, incredibly eye-catching. "What... is this?" His gaze became somewhat dazed as he sat on the ground, involuntarily backing away. Extreme fear filled his mind. The fear in his eyes hadn''t diminished in the slightest, yet he felt more and more pressure surging towards him. At this moment, the thought of escape arose in his mind. Now, escape, escape immediately! But just then, a cold voice slowly rang out in his ear. "Oh, you want this?" As if suddenly seeing a ray of light in the darkness, it seemed hope had returned. The huge lava hand tossed the greatsword, throwing it at Cindy''s feet. The greatsword hit the ground, its extreme weight even creating a deep pit in the surface. Seeing the greatsword fall, Cindy hurriedly grasped it in his hand, finally feeling fully reassured. For a warrior, losing one''s weapon was no different from losing both arms. With the weapon back in his hand, he felt that the Viktor before him didn''t seem so terrifying anymore. Even the fear flowing in the depths of his eyes had faded somewhat. He stood up shakily, his face flushed, the blood in his body continuously rushing to his brain, his aura rising again. Viktor just now had only managed to successfully ambush him, that''s all. He was a powerful fourth-tier warrior! How could he possibly lose to a mage in close combat? It was simply absurd. The previous events seemed to have been treated as an illusion by Cindy. Cindy clenched his fists, his teeth also tightly clenched, making a crackling sound. He wanted to make Viktor understand that a mage approached by a fourth-tier warrior was nothing more than a fish on a chopping board. Utterly without hope of victory. A confident and arrogant smile spread across his face as he looked at Viktor with disdain, his head held high. "I''ll let you know, giving me back the sword, you''ll regr..." Before he could finish speaking, Viktor''s figure had already disappeared from in front of him. Cindy''s pupils suddenly contracted, and when he focused his gaze, a knee had already appeared in front of his chest, seeming to completely occupy his field of vision. "So fast..." Before he could finish speaking, accompanied by the impact of a powerful wind, it struck hard against his chest. Cindy suddenly felt pain, his body also bending due to the powerful force, saliva involuntarily flying out. His flushed face seemed to become even more scarlet, his eyeballs protruding, as if they might fly out at any moment. "You talk too much." A cold voice sounded in his ear, and in Cindy''s dazed gaze, he could only see Viktor raising one leg. An extremely fast and violent kick smashed down hard on Cindy''s head. The enormous pressure suddenly impacted Cindy''s skull. He felt his eyes turn white, an extremely intense dizziness and confusion filling his brain, terror once again taking the upper hand in his mind. The greatsword also slowly slipped from his hand. Under the extreme impact, Cindy''s body, like a thin sheet of paper, was completely at the mercy of others, slamming hard onto the ground. From beginning to end, Viktor hadn''t even extended his hands. The lava giant hand behind him reached out, once again gripping Cindy''s greatsword. He looked coldly at Cindy lying on the ground, his voice carrying contempt. "Heh, is that all?" That extremely mocking tone made Cindy completely disoriented at this moment. If earlier it could be explained as being ambushed, How could he explain it now? He lay quietly on the ground, feeling pain enveloping his entire body, barely raising his head. But before he could see Viktor, that greatsword was thrown in front of him again, lying quietly on the ground. As if waiting for Cindy to pick it up again. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The cold voice came to his ears once more. "Stand up." "Let''s continue." Cindy painfully reached out his hand, grasping the sword hilt. He propped up his body and slowly stood up. As a fourth-tier warrior, the robustness of Cindy''s physical body had naturally reached a terrifyingly formidable level. Although he had been attacked consecutively, he hadn''t suffered too much injury. The pain hitting his body was nothing more than some flesh wounds. But the impact on his spirit was incomparable to the injuries to his body. This time, Cindy became serious. He held the greatsword across in front of him, his legs slightly bent, a powerful aura gradually swirling under his feet, as if about to burst forth at any moment. His eyes were bloodshot, and the ground beneath his feet had already been compressed and cracked. Just as he was about to launch an attack towards Viktor, Viktor appeared in front of him again, as if for an encore, throwing out a rapid kick. The speed was so fast it was like an afterimage, giving Cindy no time to react. The whip-like leg swept horizontally, hitting hard against his neck. The intense impact seemed to want to completely scatter the warm blood in his blood vessels. Cindy''s powerful body, as if hooked by an extremely sharp sickle, slammed face-first onto the ground. The already cracked ground now became even more pulverized. A breath escaped from Cindy''s throat, his hands once again losing their grip. The greatsword was once again taken by Viktor. "Is this all you''ve got?" "Continue." He could only hear Viktor''s calm voice sounding again in his daze. That weapon was once again thrown beside him. Cindy stood up once more... Once, twice, three times... But the final result was always the same. No matter how swift or violent Cindy''s actions were, in front of Viktor, they were like toys. In just one strike, he would be knocked to the ground by Viktor. Although his body was unharmed, Cindy''s spirit was on the verge of collapse. Those warriors who were still alive watched their leader being thoroughly crushed by a mage from afar, their foreheads drenched in cold sweat. "What... what kind of monster is this!?" Shock swept through everyone, their stiff bodies becoming unable to move. Whether due to fear or shock, they began to doubt the world in their hearts. They didn''t even notice that a group of hooded shadows had silently appeared behind them. A chill gradually spread between the bodies of those warriors. Their vision went black, and they completely lost consciousness. The shadows wiped the remaining blood from their cold blades and sheathed their daggers. Leon returned to Lia''s side. "Miss Lia, all the small fry have been dealt with." Lia simply ''hmm''ed in response, her gaze continuing to watch Viktor''s side, not moving away at all. In a daze, she seemed to remember. The last time, Viktor had also been like this. Facing a kingdom warrior, yet defeating them in close combat. He seemed to take great pleasure in close combat with warriors. Finally, Cindy stood up from the ground once again. He lowered his eyes, his face gloomy, his gaze somewhat blank. Standing quietly in place, allowing the sea breeze to blow against his muscular body. The greatsword was thrown at his feet again, Viktor standing in place, looking at him indifferently. Along with the constantly whistling sea wind, Cindy laughed helplessly: "Haha... hahaha." "How humiliating..." As a famous adventurer from the south, a fourth-tier warrior, He had actually been thoroughly beaten by a mage, pinned to the ground. If word got out, it would be a complete humiliation to himself. His mentality seemed to have collapsed, and even his spirit became somewhat chaotic. Cindy didn''t pick up his sword again. He just slowly put his hand on his waist. Then... As if sensing some danger, Lia''s eyes widened, her voice already calling out instinctively. "Sto-" But no matter how fast the voice was, it couldn''t outpace the sound that tore through the night sky. Bang! A clear and muffled gunshot echoed through the night sky. In Cindy''s right hand was a revolver. On the gun barrel, there seemed to be many strange red patterns carved, like a bloodthirsty hound. Smoke was still slowly rising from the pitch-black muzzle. At this moment, everyone froze in place. The surroundings seemed to become somewhat quiet. A blood hole the size of a bowl appeared in Viktor''s chest. It was as if something had viciously dug a bloody hole in his chest. Thick and hot blood kept dripping, completely soaking the ground beneath his feet. Lia''s brain seemed to ''buzz'', completely shutting down. "Haha, hahahahahahahaha!" Cindy shouted, laughing to the sky. His limbs were moving crazily, as if disjointed. "You didn''t expect it, did you? You didn''t expect it!" His eyes were flowing with utter madness. Under everyone''s incredulous gaze, he slowly raised the gun in his hand, as if viewing a treasure. Under the moonlight, the silver gun body engraved with red patterns looked incredibly dazzling. "What warriors, what mages..." "They''re destined to be no match for this kind of new weapon! Hahahaha..." Suddenly, Cindy''s voice came to an abrupt halt. Because Viktor, standing in place, had moved. He didn''t even blink, one hand reaching into his own chest. From that wound, he pulled out a smooth black bullet. He held it in front of his eyes like this, not even minding the wound on his chest, examining it for a moment. "Southern special firearms, using special magic crystals as a power source." A green light flashed, and the wound on his chest began to heal. Even the hole in his clothes was restored to its original state under the magic recovery. In just a few seconds, the previous injury seemed like an illusion. And that deep voice continued to sound. "The damage isn''t too high, one shot probably couldn''t even kill a normal second-tier knight." "First generation product?" As if feeling a surge of extremely chaotic fear, Cindy''s eyes widened, seeming to fall into madness. He violently raised the gun, aiming at Viktor, and frantically pulled the trigger. Bang bang bang bang bang! After emptying all the bullets, Cindy kept pulling the trigger, ignoring the clicking sound of the empty gun. He fell into utter panic, wanting to hurriedly reload. However... Those few black bullets that were fired seemed to be forcibly blocked, hovering in front of Viktor. Their kinetic energy completely dissipated, they fell quietly to the ground. "Why... why..." Cindy completely lost his composure, the bullets in his hand also trembling and dropping a few. Having finally loaded the magazine with great difficulty, the gun involuntarily floated into the air. Cindy''s eyes widened, he tried to grab the gun back, but could only watch helplessly as his weapon, which he considered a treasure, fell into Viktor''s hands. Viktor held it in his hand, playing with it for a moment. Then. He stretched out his arm, pointing the muzzle at Cindy. As if swallowed by darkness, Cindy felt a chill spreading from his spine to his entire body. In the moment his brain shut down, he could only hear Viktor''s voice, as if reminding him, sounding in his ear. "Watch carefully." "This is how you use this thing." As the words fell, Viktor shifted his arm. The muzzle pointed at the surging sea surface. Waves of magical power gradually entwined around the muzzle. HumHumHum A series of magical circles surrounded the gun barrel, as if charging up. The red engravings on the gun body seemed to come alive, resonating with a muffled roar. Viktor slowly pulled the trigger. Boom! Along with that thunderous roar, Instantly, an extremely large black cannonball, as if bursting from the muzzle, shot out from the magical array at the gun''s mouth. The powerful aura blew Viktor''s windbreaker, making it flap wildly, even tearing the surrounding wind. At a speed almost no one could see clearly, one could only feel the air over the sea surface distort slightly. The cannonball, carrying a terrifying air current, suddenly fell onto the sea surface. It raised waves tens of meters high. Violent winds arose over the sea surface, the world losing its color. It continued for a very long time, even the ground of the dock was completely submerged by the uplifted water droplets. Until the tide slowly receded, the sea surface gradually returned to calm. Cindy stared blankly at Viktor. He lost all strength in his body and collapsed onto the ground. Chapter 138: Have You Touched Enough? Cindy collapsed to the ground, the blood energy gradually dissipating into the air around her, her eyes hollow and empty. At this moment, the psychological defenses of this fourth-tier warrior had completely crumbled. Leon cast a glance at the surrounding shadow guards. The guards swiftly moved forward and restrained Cindy. They fastened magic shackles on her hands and feet, designed to seal off blood energy. The instant that enormous bullet was fired, Lia was stunned by the terrifying sound. As her mind gradually regained clarity, her gaze refocused on Viktor''s body. She stared at Viktor, her eyes filled with an incredibly complex light. "Miss Lia." Hearing a familiar voice by her ear, she turned her head to see Leon calling out to her. Lia shook her head and focused her gaze on the iron cage. Looking at those poor girls with tails and ears curled up in a ball, she let out a sigh. She turned her head back, looking at Viktor once again. Just then, the azure color in Viktor''s eyes gradually faded as he slowly walked towards her. Lia looked at Viktor, seemingly somewhat worried as she asked: "Are... are you alright?" Viktor stood in front of Lia, slightly lowering his head to look at her. He didn''t respond to Lia''s words, but instead calmly said: "Hold out your hand." "..." Lia was silent for a moment, but still followed Viktor''s instructions and obediently held out her hand. The next second, she felt a heavy object placed in her hand, still carrying a bit of residual heat. It was the weapon that Cindy had just used. Even now, seeing this thing made Lia feel a bit frightened. The silver revolver was still smoking, as if it had just cooled down. The barrel seemed to have been completely deformed due to the powerful impact. The damaged silver-white shell was no longer distinguishable with its red patterns, and the gun body exposed the dim magic crystal within. Perhaps it had endured too much magical power in an instant; this weapon was now completely ruined. Lia was still somewhat confused as to why Viktor would give her this now useless thing. Viktor''s voice had already sounded: "This firearm made by the Reiser family should be the first generation. Its performance is too poor." "Find some craftsmen at home, they might be able to replicate it." She suddenly understood. Lia had witnessed the power of this so-called firearm with her own eyes. Although Viktor spoke of it as if it were inadequate, Lia could immediately understand its value. For ordinary people, that terrifyingly fast attack speed would be almost impossible to see clearly. If one had to point out a flaw, it would only be its horrifyingly loud sound. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It wouldn''t be suitable for covert operations. But if the Kravina family could produce this kind of weapon in advance and improve its performance... Then if these weapons were distributed in large quantities to those guards... Suddenly, Viktor''s warning voice sounded by Lia''s ear. "This kind of weapon can only be entrusted to those who are trustworthy." "Remember, you are an ordinary person." She was slightly startled, lowering her head as she put the damaged gun into her bag. "I... I understand." "By the way, the wound you just received on your chest." Thinking of Viktor''s shocking wound from earlier, Lia couldn''t help but raise her head again, her gaze falling on Viktor''s chest. Standing so close, she could even smell the scent coming from this brother she once thought of as a jerk. A faint, pleasant fragrance. Viktor had always been a very clean person, Lia had known this since childhood. Although he didn''t have obsessive-compulsive disorder, he would absolutely never allow even a speck of dust to cling to his body. Or any other strange smells. And now, there was no wound at all on his chest. Even his clothes looked as if they had been mended. As if possessed, Lia slowly reached out a hand, curiously feeling Viktor''s chest, moving back and forth. Trying to find that completely non-existent wound on his body. But no matter how she touched, the sensation transmitted through his clothes told her that Viktor was perfectly fine. She could even feel the firmness coming from Viktor''s chest. This made her feel puzzled. How could a mage have such a robust physique? "Have you touched enough?" The cold voice came from above her head, and Lia suddenly came to her senses, hastily withdrawing her hand. Her face also uncontrollably turned red. However, in the night, it wasn''t so noticeable. Lia hurriedly turned her head to one side, averting her gaze from Viktor. "I-I-I... I was just checking if you were injured." "You came here for me, after all. If you got hurt, wouldn''t I feel terribly guilty?" She said this, but the corner of her eye kept glancing towards Viktor. As if secretly watching for Viktor''s reaction. But unfortunately, Viktor didn''t have the leisure to pay attention to her. He stood in place, magical power constantly surging around his body. Countless magical formations appeared out of thin air. Those charred corpses sprawled on the port seemed to be slowly erased like by an eraser, turning into wind and dissipating. The shattered ground was restored to its original state in the blink of an eye. The air calmed down, and the sea breeze accompanied by the tide rose, blowing towards the silent port. After doing all this, Viktor turned his gaze back to those beast-eared girls huddled in the iron cage, who had long been frightened into a daze. "Demi-humans." Muttering their race under his breath, Viktor slowly walked towards the iron cage. The coat blocked the moonlight, and in the moonlight, the one-eyed crow standing on Viktor''s shoulder seemed somewhat conspicuous. The jet-black crow''s single eye appeared particularly bright. It was as if a black shadow had completely enveloped them, carrying an absolutely powerful aura, approaching them step by step. At this moment, the demi-humans felt even more afraid. Their bodies trembled, ears and tails shaking uncontrollably, and the fur on their bodies stood on end. They weren''t blind; they had seen the battle earlier very clearly. The demi-humans could clearly sense that the Viktor before them was far more terrifying compared to the man from before. If this mage, who was powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with a warrior, wanted to do something to them... They would have absolutely no way to resist. The demi-humans fearfully watched Viktor approach step by step, but apart from being afraid, there was nothing they could do. Lia also watched Viktor, who carried such a powerful aura. The shadow guards around her also flashed alertness in their eyes. Not many nobles liked demi-humans. These creatures that looked human but weren''t human would make them feel dirty and disgusting. But as free labor, demi-humans were definitely not bad. Demi-humans wouldn''t slack off, they would only further squeeze themselves for survival. At this moment, the shadow guards felt somewhat afraid. They feared that Viktor might be no different from other noble masters. If at this time, Viktor ordered them to completely sink those demi-humans into the sea. They would have to painfully comply. But surprisingly, Viktor bent down slightly, reaching out a hand as close as he could to touch. He patted the head of the cat-girl nearest to him. And gently rubbed her ears. A soft sensation transmitted from Viktor''s palm, and the cat-eared girl seemed to feel comfortable being rubbed, involuntarily letting out a purring sound. Even after Viktor stood up again, she still seemed somewhat wistful. Everyone quietly watched Viktor''s actions. His expression was still as cold as ever. But in his gaze, there seemed to be a hint of satisfaction? This made everyone unable to understand, including Lia. Of course they couldn''t understand. After all, who could resist an adorable cat-girl? Under everyone''s gaze, Viktor slowly walked out from the iron cage. He didn''t do anything to those demi-humans. Seeing this scene, the shadow guards also breathed a sigh of relief. The ears under their hoods slowly drooped down. "You... don''t hate them?" Lia looked at him, her voice carrying a hint of confusion. Her words voiced the question of all the demi-humans present. "Why should I hate them?" Viktor''s indifferent voice sounded, his gaze sweeping around behind Lia. Taking in all those hooded shadow guards around her. Those who were gazed upon collectively shuddered. As if they had been completely seen through. Soon, Viktor''s voice slowly sounded. "Aren''t they demi-humans too?" Lia was slightly stunned. Although the other shadow guards didn''t make a sound, their bodies slightly fluctuated, as if they had lost their usual restraint. They felt even more shocked. Only Leon calmly stood beside Lia, without any confusion. Because she still didn''t understand how Viktor had been able to call out her name. Lia looked at Viktor somewhat incredulously. "Why... do you know all this?" Helping demi-humans was something Lia had been doing since she was young. When she was still in her teens, Lia had asked the family''s butler, Helnersen, to intercept the first ship carrying demi-humans. Those demi-humans, after being rescued from the slave ships, could no longer return to their own homes. So Lia took them in. Led by Helnersen, who was also a demi-human, they were taught the arts of assassination and martial arts. Rescuing demi-humans, sheltering demi-humans. This had continued for ten years. By now, the number of demi-humans Lia had saved was countless. Among them, many demi-humans had accepted Lia''s nurturing, becoming the most loyal shadow operatives of the Kravina family, handling all the dark matters that couldn''t see the light of day for Lia. As an organization exclusively belonging to Lia, they would only obey Lia''s orders. Similarly, to avoid exposing their demi-human identity, Lia specifically referred to them as ''children''. However, Viktor, who had never cared about her before, Actually knew even the race of these shadow guards? At this moment, Lia''s confusion clearly outweighed her shock. But Viktor didn''t answer Lia''s confusion, he just stood beside Lia and patted her shoulder. "Continue to do what you think is meaningful, and persist." "I will always support you." Lia slowly raised her head, looking at her brother in front of her in disbelief. She felt a heaviness in her chest, unable to utter a single word. Lia didn''t understand what kind of emotion was hidden in her chest. "Don''t forget what I said." She silently looked at Viktor, watching him extend a finger and inject new magical power into her [Mage''s Hand]. "Remember to use it, and then..." Suddenly, the sea breeze rose howling, as if narrating the extraordinariness of tonight. The surging sound of waves drowned out Viktor''s words. Fortunately, it also drowned out Lia''s silent sobs. "I''m back." Chapter 139: Even My Sister Knows You Like the Underage Type A massive flatbed cart slowly trundled forward, transporting numerous iron cages deep into the dense forest. Passing through waves of mist and following the firelight, they entered the most mysterious part of the woodland. The lead dark guard pushed aside some branches, allowing a ray of moonlight to filter through the gaps in the dense foliage, illuminating their faces. "We''ve arrived," the beastkin dark guard said calmly, parting another leafy branch to reveal a towering green structure that came into view of the animal-eared beastkin. The enormous green building seemed to blend seamlessly with its surroundings. The dim moonlight bathed its roof, giving it an exceptionally serene appearance. It was as if they had entered a field of flowers, gently swaying in the slight breeze. This place was the Kravina family''s beastkin reception center. After rescuing the beastkin, Lia wouldn''t abandon them irresponsibly. All rescued beastkin would be brought here for training. They would also learn to read and write, and study culture to improve their understanding of the world. This ensured that all rescued beastkin could develop their own thoughts and have the ability to survive even if they left the Kravina family. A beastkin with white animal ears, wearing an instructor''s cap, slowly walked out of the training facility. She looked at the cat-eared and dog-eared girls curiously observing their surroundings, and nodded to the dark guards. These instructors were responsible for training and educating the beastkin. Instructors like her had typically retired from their work as dark guards and returned here to become trainers, continuing to provide fresh beastkin guards for the Kravina family. Among the group, there were many types of beastkin, but the majority were cat people and dog people. And most of them were female. For humans, female beastkin were easier to capture. Female cat people were even smaller in stature than average human women, while female dog people had gentle temperaments and wouldn''t fight back. They were the primary targets for slave traders. The instructor greeted the newly arrived beastkin compatriots and took out wooden tags. The newcomers seemed uneasy, their ears twitching nervously, with a hint of fear in their eyes. Beastkin naturally had less rational thinking than humans, and those who had lived in the wild had thoughts closer to animals. But here, they would overcome their primitive impulses and undergo a complete transformation. The iron cages were opened, and the imprisoned beast girls walked out one by one, forming a long line. The beastkin instructors held wooden tags with numbers, hanging one around each beastkin''s neck as they exited. After this, the instructors would lead these new companions into the camp. They would be provided with ample water and food, as well as their new accommodations. The next day, they would begin a life different from what they had known before. Through training, they would be reborn. Leon stood outside the reception center, watching batch after batch of rescued beastkin. By now, she had removed her hood, exposing her slender ears to the moonlight. As Lia''s most trusted subordinate, she was specifically in charge of this beastkin training camp. Every time they intercepted ships transporting beastkin slaves, she personally took responsibility for bringing the newcomers here. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Although she was the only elf among the beastkin, Leon''s personality and strength had earned her the respect of countless beastkin. "Lady Leon." A dark guard removed her black mask and cloak, revealing a white fluffy tail and drooping ears. She approached Leon with light steps. "I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but I think you should come and see this." Leon snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the guard''s nervous expression with curiosity. ... A group of instructors gathered around an iron cage covered with a black cloth, seemingly very curious about what was inside. This cage was enormous, larger than any of the previous ones. The black cloth was lifted, revealing the true appearance of the iron cage. The cage was incredibly luxurious, with golden patterns seemingly carved on the bars. Inside, there were many flowers and plants for decoration. Although "luxurious" didn''t quite fit with the word "cage." But inside this cage, there was also a bed. This made them somewhat confused. On the bed lay a person whose appearance was unclear, sleeping soundly. Even with all the commotion outside, the ''beastkin'' in the cage continued to sleep deeply. At this moment, Leon approached. The beastkin instructors respectfully stepped aside, making room for Leon. Her emerald green pupils carefully examined the person inside. Seeing the long, pointed ears not much different from her own, Leon was slightly taken aback. "This... should be reported to Miss Lia, right?" suggested a nearby beastkin. Because. Lying in the iron cage was neither human nor beastkin. But an elf. ... It was too late, and the sky was too dark. So Viktor didn''t return to the royal capital, choosing instead to stay with Lia at the Kravina family''s old mansion for a day. At this moment, Viktor was in his bedroom. He sat in a chair by the window, one hand supporting his head, looking somewhat troubled. In front of him was a cat girl, dressed neatly and elegantly. Her body seemed to emit a faint fragrance, her two cat ears drooping down, and her tail standing upright behind her. Viktor: "..." This cat girl seemed still somewhat unaccustomed. She didn''t dare to look up at Viktor, her eyes showing a bit of timidity. But her gaze would occasionally steal glances at Viktor, mixed with a strange expectation beneath the fear. Viktor had a good memory, and he immediately recognized this cat girl as the one whose head he had patted before. Beside him, a mocking voice sounded in his ear. "Well, your sister is good to you, knowing that you like the young ones." Vega stood on the armrest of the chair, giggling, with an indescribable teasing tone in its voice. Viktor just coldly replied to Vega: "Are you joking with me?" In the human perception of this world, beastkin were just uncivilized animals. No matter how human-like the cat girl in front of him appeared, it couldn''t change humans'' stereotypical impression of them. If one were to have any thoughts about such creatures, it would be like suddenly developing an interest in one''s own cats and dogs. Some people might like this type, but in noble circles, if someone did such a thing and it got out, it would be tantamount to completely ruining their reputation. Lia wouldn''t be ignorant of this, so her reason for sending this child to him was simple. "Wanting to try if beastkin can learn magic? Your sister really sees you as a suitable tool." "Perhaps she believes that her elder brother is omnipotent." Viktor''s confident voice sounded calmly, but it was met with Vega''s disdainful gaze. It just sneered: "What made your face so thick?" Viktor didn''t respond to Vega, just fixing his gaze on the cat girl in front of him. Her hair was very long, groomed neat and clean. A cascade of white hair fell to the floor, with a hint of white fur in her beast ears. When her eyes met Viktor''s, she would instinctively avoid his gaze. "What''s your name?" Viktor''s voice sounded softly, but the cat girl in front of him seemed not to understand. Her brain was constantly thinking, trying to comprehend Viktor''s language. However, having never received any education, she couldn''t understand what "name" meant. Only those non-standard pronunciations slowly emerged from her throat: "Wo... wo..." "Can barely understand human speech, huh." Viktor beckoned to her, gesturing for the cat girl to come closer. The cat girl understood Viktor''s gesture and obediently walked towards him. She wasn''t wearing shoes, white little socks on her feet, walking very quietly. Just like a real cat, stepping on the wooden floor, she didn''t make even the slightest sound. Her body was very petite, even standing next to Viktor, she could only manage to be at eye level with the seated Viktor. Viktor reached out a hand, as if expecting something, and the cat-eared girl very obediently crouched down. Raising her head, she leaned against Viktor''s leg, like a cat, quietly waiting for her master''s caress. So Viktor, as he wished, placed his hand on top of her head. Slowly stroking back and forth. While also rubbing those soft ears. The fluffy sensation transmitted through his fingertips. Viktor couldn''t help but feel some emotion. It was a pity that most people in this world discriminated against beastkin. They simply didn''t understand the wonder of beast ears. The cute little cat girl was also very comfortable being petted, softly purring with a "hoo-hoo" sound. The moment he touched the cat girl, a health bar and level appeared above her head. Lv5. A very ordinary level, but it also told Viktor that the physical foundation of beastkin was indeed much higher compared to humans. Before having a formal profession, ordinary people could reach a maximum of level ten. Once reaching level ten, they would need to choose a profession to continue leveling up. [Professions] were mainly divided into four categories. Agility-type rogues, strength-type warriors. Tanky knights, and mages who use the magic system. Other types of professions were basically derived from these four main professions. [Rangers], which were more common among elves, and [Assassins], which focused on agility, were branches of the rogue profession. For example, [Magus] was also a branch of the mage profession. If they were players, after level ten, they would only need to choose a profession to continue leveling up. But NPCs couldn''t do that. For example, the cat girl in front of him. To become a mage, one must possess corresponding wisdom. And for beastkin, who had little wisdom and acted only on instinct, wanting to become a mage was... Difficult. Of course, there was another path to take. "Vega." Viktor''s voice sounded calmly, and the crow rolled its eyes, flying to the top of the cat girl''s head. "In the end, you still have to rely on me." As the words fell, a black feather shook off its body. The feather slowly fell to the floor, seeming to turn into ink, gradually spreading out and drawing a pitch-black magic array. Without any extra runes or patterns, just pure black, emitting an ominous light. At the edge of the huge array, two circles formed, connected by a long black ink line. The cat girl and Vega each stood in one circle, and at the same time, a strange light flashed in Vega''s eyes. Suddenly, the cat girl''s body trembled violently, her upright tail drooping as if losing control, and she knelt on the floor in a daze. Knowledge, vast as an ocean, instantly poured into her brain. The immense pressure made the cat girl''s eyes turn white, her brain feeling as if it was about to burst, incredibly painful. The black array gradually began to glow, and ink-like shadows waved in the room like tentacles. The sole weak candlelight illuminated the ink shadows, moonlight pouring into the room, making it appear eerily mysterious. Vega''s single eye flickered with blue light, as if a thread-like line connected it to the cat girl''s forehead. Soon, the candle in the room stopped flickering, and the black array became quiet again, slowly dissipating. The cat girl was still kneeling on the ground, not even raising her head. But in her eyes, a flash of pitch-black faith passed through. Viktor looked at this white-haired cat girl and slowly said: "I like the vanilla scent on you." "From today on, you''ll be called." "Vanilla." She didn''t raise her head, just continued to prostrate on the ground, her forehead touching the floor, her attitude very respectful. A soft yet steady voice sounded from beneath Viktor. "I obey your will." "My master." Chapter 140: A Cat-Eared Maid? Youre Quite the Player, Arent You? "Ah~mm~!" Lia stretched lazily while yawning as she walked out of her bedroom. She had just opened the door, her eyes still not fully open, when she saw a white figure float past her. Lia: "?" The lingering drowsiness dissipated instantly. She poked her head out curiously, looking in the direction the figure had gone. When she clearly saw the figure, Lia froze in place. It was a young girl wearing a black and white maid outfit. Had they hired a minor? As her gaze traveled down the girl''s clothes, Lia''s eyes fixed on the lower half of her body. There, protruding, was a... White tail!? Now Lia was completely stunned. She frowned, utterly confused. Since when did they have a beastkin maid in the house? Wait! Come to think of it, she did bring back a cat girl yesterday. In fact, the fur color of this cat-person maid in front of her was identical to the one she brought back yesterday. Just as she was about to call out to the cat-person maid ahead, a gentle voice beat her to it. "Good morning, Miss Lia." As if sensing Lia''s presence beforehand, she turned around, looked at Lia, and bowed very respectfully. "...?" This time, Lia was completely dumbfounded. She held her head, countless questions flooding her mind, unsure how to process it all for a moment. "You... can speak?" Oh no, that''s not right. Beastkin could speak originally. She should be asking how she learned human language. Too sudden. Lia''s mind was still a bit foggy. Having dealt with beastkin for about ten years, she understood their innate wildness better than anyone. Those who lived in the wild were difficult to tame. So apart from Helnersen, who due to his longevity remained at the old mansion as a butler, No other beastkin could become a maid. Their inherent nature determined that they were simply not suited to serve others. In her daze, Lia heard the cat girl in front of her start speaking. That soft and gentle voice slowly reached her, making Lia feel incredibly soothed: "You can call me by my name, Vanilla." "This is the name my master gave me." Vanilla? Master? A flash of insight struck Lia''s mind, and she immediately thought of Viktor. He''s quite the player... no, how did he manage to do this? Lia, looking completely bewildered, beckoned to the cat girl maid. "Come here for a moment, Vanilla." If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Yes, Miss Lia." Vanilla obediently approached Lia''s side. Lia looked down, examining her. Cat people were generally small in stature, especially female cat people, who tended to be even more petite. The white-haired girl before her barely reached Lia''s chest. "Unbelievable..." Lia''s voice sounded in amazement. She remembered how exhausting it was when she was educating those beastkin. Just teaching them to read and speak normally took her nearly two years. Not to mention other knowledge. And she had only experimentally sent this cat girl to Viktor''s bedroom. In just one night. Not only could she fully understand human language, but she could even politely introduce herself. Beastkin never knew what politeness was. Even Lia''s subordinates were only respectful to her alone. Lia carefully observed the cat girl''s behavior and manners, which were completely like those of a normal human maid. "Magic is truly astonishing..." She could only attribute all of this to the wonders of magic. In any case, Vanilla''s performance had already exceeded her expectations. So, she asked with some anticipation about what currently interested her most: "Can you use magic now?" "You know, like ''bam!'' and shooting out a big fireball..." Vanilla just raised her obedient face, smiling as she watched Lia''s animated gestures. Only when Lia herself began to feel a bit embarrassed did Vanilla lower her head respectfully and say: "I''m sorry, Miss Lia, I''m still working hard to learn." "Master told me that becoming a mage is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires talent, and even more so, constant effort." "Uh... ah, well, you''re right." Lia never thought there would come a day when she would be educated by a beastkin. And by a cat girl who was so much younger and smaller than her in both age and size. Indeed, she had been too hasty. Wanting a mage to appear among the household''s beastkin was just a sudden whim of Lia''s. Even if Viktor hadn''t succeeded, she wouldn''t have said anything. Suddenly, two soft little hands grasped hers. Lia was a bit stunned, but in the next second, Vanilla lifted her hand and placed it on her own soft cheek. A softness transmitted from her palm, spreading all the way to Lia''s heart. Were all cat people''s faces this soft? Vanilla nuzzled Lia''s hand with her soft cheek for quite a while before finally letting it go. "Please don''t worry, Miss Lia." "Master said this behavior would make unhappy people cheerful again. I sensed that your mood wasn''t very good, so I took the liberty." "Oh, ah... thank you." Lia looked at her hands suspended in the air, grasped at nothing, feeling the lingering softness on her palms, somewhat lost in thought. "Please don''t thank me, Miss Lia." With that, Vanilla bent her body, bowing respectfully. "The kindness you showed in saving us will never be forgotten." "You can call on me anytime, use me anytime." Hearing her words, Lia could only smile helplessly. She placed one hand back on Vanilla''s head, rubbing it gently. "How old are you? You don''t need to act so mature." Vanilla enjoyed the petting, involuntarily letting out a purring ''hoo-hoo'' sound. Cat girls could be unhappy too, and sometimes, Lia would comfort them. Lia smiled, her eyes full of affection: "See?" "You''re still just a child who needs to rely on others." ...... "Viktor?" Lia suddenly pushed open the door to Viktor''s bedroom and stepped inside. She saw the half-open window by the bed, with a gentle breeze blowing in through the gap. Viktor was sitting in a chair by the window. He held a complex and abstruse magic book in his hand, reading it intently. The breeze ruffled his clothes, making him appear particularly hazy in the morning light. This was an elegant, noble count. Lia stared at Viktor, somewhat dazed. "Hmm?" Viktor slowly raised his head to look. Feeling his gaze, Lia suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. "Did I... disturb you?" As soon as she said it, she regretted it. She had never been so considerate before. In the past, regardless of whether Viktor was sleeping or not, she would rudely push open his bedroom door. Saying this now made her seem a bit unnatural. But Viktor didn''t seem to mind, just lowering his gaze. The book flickered slightly, turning into points of starlight, disappearing from his hand. "It''s fine." Hearing Viktor''s response, Lia breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, right." "How did you manage to do it?" Viktor knew she was referring to Vanilla. The cat girl they brought back yesterday. In fact, she had already become one of Vega''s followers. Hmm... Vega''s third follower. As an evil god, tampering with others'' thoughts was an incredibly easy task. Even Angus couldn''t prevent Vega from turning him into a fool and arbitrarily altering his faith. The little cat girl, who didn''t even have her own thoughts, was naturally at Vega''s mercy. Vega gave her thoughts, granted her knowledge, allowing her to skip those tedious stages of enlightenment. However, he wouldn''t tell Lia about this. So, Viktor explained with a pretense of profundity: "The power of magic." "Do you find it amazing?" Lia nodded, reluctantly accepting it. Then, she immediately asked her next question: "Weren''t you supposed to return with Gwen?" "Where did Gwen go?" The commotion Viktor caused in the Northern Territories had already reached the royal capital. Angus was killed by Jaxu, and Jaxu was then killed by Viktor and Gwen working together. The development of the entire incident left people feeling incredibly rueful. Although Lia didn''t understand why, after Viktor had beaten up Angus, Angus''s son also wanted to kill him? Was Uncle Angus really that despised? However, Lia didn''t care much. Apart from Gwen, she never really liked Angus''s family anyway. Viktor just looked out the window and said calmly: "Gwen?" "She was summoned by the Emperor and returned to the royal capital early." Lia blinked, somewhat puzzled. Why would the Emperor summon her? Before she could ask further, a servant arrived at the door of Viktor''s bedroom. She was panting heavily, her face flushed red, seeming quite urgent. Upon seeing Lia, the servant quickly adjusted her breathing, patted her chest, and hurriedly said: "Miss Lia, I''ve finally found you." "Ah, Master..." The moment she saw Viktor, she suddenly froze, her words seeming to get stuck in her throat. Lia realized the servant''s concern and waved her hand: "Don''t worry about him from now on, just say what you need to say directly." "Yes... yes." The servant lowered her head in confusion and continued: "Lady Leon sent a message. She said." "Among the ''children'' rescued yesterday, there was... an elf mixed in." Lia was stunned upon hearing this. "An elf?" "That''s what Lady Leon said." Lia rubbed her forehead, as if feeling somewhat troubled, and fell into deep thought. As nature''s favored ones, elves couldn''t be casually captured. If someone were to coerce an elf, the captor would face punishment from nature itself. Moreover, it was explicitly forbidden by the Empire. In terms of international status, elves were considered friends of the Empire. If someone dared to capture an elf and the news got out, The Empire''s army would probably be at your doorstep the next day. As for Cocotte? She didn''t count. She had signed a contract with the Kravina family and was an official employee of their household. Free to oppress as they pleased. Lia stroked her chin, muttering: "Those Reiser folks... they''ve got some guts." After all, the batch of goods they had just intercepted was originally meant to be transported to the Reiser family. Now Lia understood why a convoy of beastkin slaves needed a fourth-tier warrior as an escort. So they were hiding such a big secret. "So, what happened to that elf?" Hearing Lia''s question, the servant lowered her head and hesitantly reported: "Everything is fine for now, it''s just..." "Just what?" Lia looked at her curiously, gesturing for her to continue: "That elf lady keeps saying she wants to find their country''s long-lost Elf Queen." "Huh? Long-lost Elf Queen?" ...... In the royal capital, not far from Blaiston. Viktor''s mansion. Among the flower beds, a sleepy elf wearing light clothing was lying on a cloud. Suddenly, she woke up and sneezed. "Achoo!" Chapter 141: Oh no, it seems Ive walked into a wolfs den Lia pushed open the door and stood in the courtyard, observing the gathered crowd. Leon was standing at the entrance of the mansion, accompanied by another elf with long, pointed ears. The appearance of an elf naturally drew the attention of many servants. Lia waved her hand, dispersing the onlookers. Then, she focused her gaze on the elf. The newcomer had long golden hair that danced gracefully in the air. White silk wrapped around her, and her fair skin seemed to glow slightly in the sunlight. Her petite body appeared somewhat unsteady, like a delicate ice sculpture, standing nervously next to Leon. Leon approached Lia''s side and said respectfully, "Miss Lia, she says her name is Lexi." Lexi looked fragile, but her personality seemed to contradict her appearance. She held her head high, somewhat proudly, and was also examining Lia. However, upon hearing Leon''s respectful tone, she seemed a bit taken aback. "Fellow... kin?" she asked. "Why are you so respectful to a mere human?" Hearing Lexi''s words, Lia raised an eyebrow. This elf didn''t seem very friendly towards humans. "Shut up," Leon''s cold voice rang out. A chilling glint flashed in his eyes hidden under the hood as he gave Lexi a frigid look. Lexi seemed startled and stared at him blankly, only to receive Leon''s continued cold and distant words. "I have no kin like you." The surrounding air seemed to tense up. Lia, sensing the subtle atmosphere, quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Hey, alright, alright," she said. "Leon is my family, she''s just protecting me." As she spoke, Lia gently patted Leon''s back, signaling her to ease up a bit. She didn''t want Leon''s attitude towards Lexi to lead to rumors accusing her of abducting elves. Oh, Cocotte doesn''t count. As always, she''s a contracted employee. Free to oppress. "Okay Leon, don''t say anything more," Lia said. Hearing Lia''s words, Leon finally softened her attitude, turned her head away, and remained silent. Lexi still seemed unable to accept it, but then Lia spoke up with a smile. "I heard you''re looking for the Elf Queen?" she said. "I might have some information here." ... In the luxurious hall of the mansion, a faint scent of incense wafted through the air. Several enormous sofas occupied the center of the grand hall. Floor-length black and gold curtains covered most of the huge windows. Only a few rays of sunlight filtered through the gaps and the skylight above. Lia sat on the sofa, with Lexi naturally taking a seat opposite her. White, slow-moving clouds drifted across the domed ceiling, reflecting the azure sky before everyone''s eyes. Leon stood behind Lia, clearly in the role of a personal guard. "Why were you capt... mixed in with those demi-human ships?" Lia asked Lexi kindly. For elves, especially the seemingly proud Lexi before her, it was naturally inappropriate to use passive words like ''captured''. So Lia quickly corrected herself. Sure enough, the elf just slowly raised her head, appearing extremely proud and confident. "To find the Queen, I left the Elven Forest and happened to encounter those humans in the wilderness," she said. "They said they could help me find the Queen, but on the condition that I go with them and help them with something." "So I went along with them." She shrugged, her tone clearly nonchalant. It was as if she was telling Lia that if she hadn''t voluntarily gone with those people, she could never have been captured. Listening to her words, Lia wore an expression of complete agreement and nodded. "Did you have any impressions of those people who capt... encountered you?" she asked. "Huh? Impressions?" Lexi put a finger to her chin, her eyes blinking and darting left and right, as if trying to recall something complicated. "I just remember there was a warrior with a sword who looked quite strong. I was quite impressed by him," she said. "Of course, he definitely wasn''t as powerful as me." As she spoke, she crossed one leg over the other and spread her arms out on the long sofa backrest, palms up. Recalling the swordsman''s appearance, Lexi''s face still carried a hint of disdain. Lia looked at her, smiling and clapping her hands, saying admiringly, "Wow, that''s so impressive." "Oh right, it''s early in the morning and we don''t have much to offer. How about some tea?" she added. "Helnersen? Please brew some tea and bring it up." Lia called out behind her, then turned back to look at Lexi. "We only have tea here, you don''t mind, do you?" Lexi showed an indifferent expression and waved her hand. "Well, no matter how precious human things are, they''re nothing special. Ordinary tea will do," she said. "Back when I was still in the Elven Forest, we drank natural dew and nectar. Of course, the dew there isn''t ordinary dew." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "The elves would collect it and bless it with nature''s power. It''s incredibly sweet. If humans like you drank it, it could even extend your lifespan." Lia squinted her eyes again, clapping her hands lightly and tilting her head with a smile, "Wow, that''s amazing." "Of course, there''s so much you haven''t seen," Lexi said. Hearing Lia''s compliments, Lexi seemed to enjoy it very much and became even more proud. She held her head high, as if she could fly into the sky at any moment. Lia didn''t say much more, just continued smiling, quietly watching her. Lexi was still holding her head high, looking at the azure sky. But why did it feel like things were shaking? The expression on her face stiffened slightly. From outside the room came a series of massive tremors. It was as if the entire earth was shaking. Lexi, as if frightened, quickly shrank her head and covered her ears. "Wah, what''s happening?" she cried. "Don''t worry, that''s probably just the sound of our family knights'' daily training," Lia explained with a smile, as if nothing had happened. Lexi was very confused and looked up at Lia in surprise. "Da-daily training? Can it make such a loud noise?" she asked. "It''s nothing special. Their training usually involves carrying rocks, running, and practicing horseback riding," Lia replied. ... On the training ground, a dense formation of knights was arranged on the field. Each person''s body was burdened with an extremely large boulder. Those boulders were as tall as three or four people combined, like small mountains compared to the knights. Yet those knights carried the boulders on their backs as if they were weightless, running back and forth across the huge training ground with ease. After one round, they suddenly placed the boulders on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. A sound like an earthquake echoed throughout the entire estate, as if proving their efforts. A cat-eared instructor wearing a trainer''s cap and revealing black cat ears blew a whistle, constantly directing from the side. "Next group training! Continue!" she called out. The demi-human outdoor training methods were unexpectedly effective for human knights as well. Lia crossed one leg over the other, placing one hand over her mouth, half-covering it as she chuckled softly. "It''s just training that ordinary people can do," she said. Lexi: "..." Lexi was still puzzled about what kind of training could cause such enormous sound waves, transmitted so clearly to her ears. But suddenly, an incredibly terrifying pressure came from behind her. It was as if a muscular, cold beast was hiding in the shadows, staring at her. Lexi''s neck instantly stiffened, and beads of sweat formed on the back of her neck. It was like a huge shadow, blocking out the sunlight above her head, completely enveloping her. Soon, the shadow gradually moved away from behind her. A figure passed by Lexi''s side. He was like a giant, with a height equivalent to two people combined, and an incredibly muscular body. Even through his butler''s uniform, one could see the terrifying muscles that seemed about to burst out. He was like a giant bear, standing upright next to Lexi. In his enormous hand, he held a tray. The tray, which would require a normal person to use both hands to carry, seemed much smaller compared to his giant palm. On the tray sat an exquisite ceramic teapot, emanating the fragrance of tea. The giant bear-man gently pinched the teacup with two fingers, as if afraid to use too much force, and softly placed it on the table in front of Lexi and Lia. Then, he similarly pinched the teapot, which looked equally small in his hand, and poured tea into the empty cups before the two. The water level was controlled perfectly, neither spilling nor filling too full. Lexi watched in a daze. The huge body paired with the delicate tea set looked very incongruous. But his skilled and elegant movements seemed as practiced as if they had been honed over thousands of repetitions. Lexi couldn''t understand it. After finishing all this, the bear-man slowly bowed to the two. A strong sense of pressure slowly emanated from his body, as if completely enveloping Lexi within it. "Please enjoy," he said. Lexi, frightened by this powerful aura, trembled with both hands, lowering her head. Her previous proud demeanor seemed to have completely vanished. "Th-th-th-thank you for your hospitality," she stammered. Lia picked up her teacup and nodded at Helnersen with a smile. "Thank you, Helnersen. You may go rest now," she said. "Miss Lia, please don''t hesitate to call if you need anything," he replied. He bowed respectfully to Lia, and as he stood up, he glanced at Lexi. With just that one look, Lexi seemed to lose her soul, sitting stiffly on the sofa. Even after Helnersen had left with his muscular body, Lexi still hadn''t come back to her senses. It was as if that powerful pressure still hadn''t dissipated from her body. Until Lia''s voice rang out: "Huh? What''s wrong? You look a bit unwell." "Uh, oh, ah? I-I-I''m fine, I''m fine," Lexi finally came to her senses, smiling with a somewhat stiff expression. Seemingly wanting to ease the awkwardness, she picked up her teacup and gulped down some tea. But the next second, she quickly closed her mouth again. H-hot... so hot! Even though her face turned bright red, she didn''t open her mouth to spit it out. This temperature... she, as an elf, could handle it! Lexi forced herself to swallow, enduring the scalding heat. Even though tears were squeezed from the corners of her eyes from the heat, she still persisted in putting down the teacup. "Mm... this tea... is not bad!" she managed. Lia smiled, blew on her tea gently, took a small sip, and put down her cup. "That person just now is our family''s butler. Don''t be fooled by his large size, he''s actually quite dexterous," she said. "I knew you would be satisfied with the tea he brewed." Lexi nodded very agreeingly. "Yes, yes, I think you''re right," she said. Dexterous? Did they think she couldn''t tell that was a bear-man? The pressure Helnersen gave her was too terrifying. It felt like he could kill her with one punch. Lexi felt like she had inadvertently walked into some kind of wolf''s den. She was starting to regret it now. If she had known, she would never have come to this Kravina family, no matter what. Knights whose training alone could cause earthquake-like tremors. And that terrifying bear-man. That bear-man must be the strongest in their family, right... Lexi didn''t want to stay here for another second. With a forced smile, she said: "Um... let''s talk about the main topic, Miss Lia." "Ah, you mean about the Elf Queen? Well..." Lia smiled slightly, but that smile seemed as calculating as a devil''s. "You''ll have to ask my brother about that. He knows more." "Your... brother?" Lexi was slightly stunned. Suddenly, an even more devastating aura instantly climbed to the top of her head. In a daze, she seemed to have arrived in a place of silence. A blazing sun hung in the sky, and she seemed to be completely surrounded by a lush forest. Suddenly, in this primeval forest, she seemed to see some terrifyingly powerful beings. Two colossal beasts appeared in mid-air. One was spewing magma all over its body, while the other was entwined with wooden vines. The extremely terrifying pressure made Lexi''s body drenched in cold sweat. Click! Click! As if treading on stairs, crisp footsteps slowly sounded. It abruptly pulled Lexi''s consciousness back to reality. She couldn''t help but look towards the source of the sound. What met her eyes was a cold, stern face slowly emerging from the darkness. Before Lexi could see clearly, an indifferent gaze, like a sharp blade, pierced through her body. "I heard you have something to discuss?" Chapter 142: A Call of "Father" Shocks the World Elves are magical creatures. Born from nature, they are nature''s darlings. From birth, they are blessed by nature. Natural disasters do not claim their lives, and their extremely long lifespans allow them to live in peace and tranquility. This gives them a hedonistic attitude towards the entire world. Under nature''s blessing, even if elves do nothing, they can reach heights that are difficult for ordinary humans to attain, relying solely on their extremely long lifespans and nature''s gifts. Take Cocotte, for example. As an elf who has taken laziness to the extreme, any magic Cocotte learned was for the sake of having a good sleeping environment. With nature''s blessing, she didn''t even need much practice. She had already reached the fourth tier, a level that most mages couldn''t achieve in their entire lifetime. Moreover, as a former council member, she was among the top echelon of fourth-tier mages. As for magic practice? Where was the need for practice? Did magic that had been comprehended need frequent practice? But even such free-spirited elves feared one thing. That was nature itself. When Viktor appeared before Lexi, it was as if she was facing nature itself. It left Lexi in a prolonged state of stupor. The moment she saw Viktor, she had an urge to kneel down. She wanted to worship him, to prostrate herself before him. In Viktor, she seemed to see... ''Nature'' But Lexi knew that the man before her was clearly human. Yet what was this feeling all about? "You... I..." Seemingly uncomfortable under the gaze of the terrifying being before her, Lexi became somewhat incoherent. There was a feeling that kept reminding her, telling her. A flash of inspiration crossed her mind, and suddenly a word appeared in her thoughts. It was a word she had never uttered before. But that feeling kept reminding her, making her want to say that word uncontrollably. Suddenly, Lexi stood up abruptly and bowed deeply to Viktor. "Father!" Lia: "?" Leon: "?" Vega: "?" Viktor: "..." ....... Lexi lowered her head, her hands inserted between her legs, rubbing back and forth. Her face had already turned bright red. She felt utterly mortified, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into right away. What on earth had gotten into her head to say such a thing? Lexi knew how important this word was to humans. The man before her clearly looked much younger than her. Yet she had called him "Father". This was really... Too impolite! However, at this moment, everyone''s expressions had already returned to normal. As if they didn''t mind at all. Viktor had already taken the main seat on the sofa, with Lia standing beside him. She introduced Lexi with a smile: "Let me introduce you. This is the head of our Kravina family." "The current Chief Professor of the Imperial Royal Magic Academy." "One of the twelve council members of the Mage Council." "The youngest fourth-tier mage in history, Count Viktor Kravina." This string of titles left Lexi even more silent. "..." She didn''t dare to raise her head, not even daring to steal a glance at Viktor with her peripheral vision. Vega stood on Viktor''s shoulder, communicating in a voice that only it and Viktor could hear: You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I thought you had hidden a child from me at some point." "Feels like this one isn''t very bright." Viktor didn''t respond to Vega, as if in complete agreement. He sat on the sofa, leaning forward, his hands crossed on the table. "You want to find Cocotte Yade, right?" Lexi suddenly raised her head upon hearing Cocotte''s name, looking at Viktor with an incredulous expression. The surname Yade was one that only elven royalty could possess. An elf''s name is not given by their parents. Every elf is born without a name or surname. Because elves have no parents. ''Yade'' That place is where every elf is born. It is a giant divine tree, and all elves are conceived and born from this divine tree. Within the elven race, there are two treasures guarded for generations, concerning the survival and reproduction of elves. One is the ''Yade'' divine tree, and the other is the ''Moon''s Holy Spring''. The conception of each generation of elves requires watering the elven tree with the holy spring water. The spring water is poured into the divine tree, nourishing the natural energy within the tree to grow. After receiving the baptism of the spring water, the body and consciousness of the elves are constructed from within the divine tree. The power of nature will bestow names and surnames upon the elves. And the surname ''Yade'' will be bestowed upon one elf over the course of several hundred years. She will possess the surname ''Yade'' and become the queen leading the elves. Cocotte Yade is the elf who has been bestowed with the royal surname by nature in the past hundred years. Ordinary people would not possibly know her name. Yet the man before her not only spoke the name of the elven queen but also mentioned the surname ''Yade''. From Lexi''s perspective, this was an incredibly shocking thing. However, she didn''t know that during the years Cocotte had been a council member, her name had already spread throughout the Mage Council. The elves living in the ancient elven forest indeed had inferior abilities to obtain information. Perhaps, even now, they don''t know that Cocotte had once been a council member in the Mage Council. However, Viktor''s mention of Cocotte''s name made Lexi more certain. Viktor must know something. Lexi nodded vigorously, but Viktor still looked at her calmly, his tone even: "Then, what about the price?" Hearing Viktor''s words, Lexi was slightly stunned, as if she hadn''t understood Viktor''s meaning. But soon, Lia provided an explanation. "Hmm... you should know that some favors aren''t done for free." Lia''s hands rested on the back of the sofa, her body leaning forward, her chin resting on her arms, lying on one side. She was at Viktor''s head, smiling as she spoke. "Since you''re asking for our help, you should offer something in return, right?" Hearing these words, Lexi looked at the two, her eyes filling with a hint of mist. But she held it back, understanding that she absolutely couldn''t cry. After all, asking for help requires paying some price. The humans who caught her had said the same thing. They would help her find the queen. So Lexi had already prepared herself, very clear about her purpose for leaving the forest. She lowered her head, as if about to suffer some humiliation, lightly biting her lip. "I... I understand." "I''m willing to do anything, as long as you can help me find Her Majesty the Queen..." Lia suddenly laughed, she had been waiting for this answer all along. "Really?" "Re-really." As soon as the words fell, a white paper filled with black writing appeared in front of Lexi, along with a pen. Lexi looked down at the paper filled with black writing, somewhat confused: "What is this?" "Sign it." Lia smiled gently: "After signing, we''ll be family." "It''s reasonable for family to help each other, isn''t it?" As if a bad premonition traveled from her back to her spine. Elves have always had good sixth sense, and Lexi felt like she had fallen into some kind of trap. But for the sake of finding the queen, she still gritted her teeth, picked up the pen, and wrote her name on the contract. The moment she finished writing, the contract slowly lit up with a blue light. The paper left Lexi''s hand and returned to Lia''s. Taking the contract, Lia smiled slightly. "Well, from today on, you''re an official employee of the Kravina family." "Don''t worry, our family head will let you meet another employee properly." "Huh?" Lexi looked confused, still unable to understand what had happened. How did she become an employee? And what did meeting another employee mean? She came out to find the queen! Suddenly, a flash of azure appeared in Viktor''s eyes. In an instant, fierce winds arose. The huge curtains swayed constantly, the windows trembled slightly under the wind pressure, making a banging sound. That terrifying magical aura gradually gathered around Viktor, and an azure formation appeared beneath his feet. Extremely thick magical power spread throughout the entire room. "Is there going to be an earthquake!?" She suddenly became panicked, quickly standing up, only to find that her feet had been surrounded by an ever-expanding magic formation without her knowing. "A... teleportation formation?" "How can it be so big!?" The teleportation formation was formed in an instant, and a surge of blue magical power suddenly burst out from the skylight. The enormous energy gushed out through the open windows around. "Go in." Viktor''s voice slowly sounded. Lexi was a bit scared, but Viktor''s words continued. "You will see the person you want to see there." Perhaps Viktor''s words sparked Lexi''s strong will. She took a deep breath, summoned her courage, and closed her eyes. One foot stepped into the pillar of light. In just half a second, her entire form turned into blue energy and disappeared from everyone''s sight. After she left, the formation didn''t dissipate. Lia looked at Viktor, who still hadn''t moved, somewhat puzzled. "Hm? Aren''t we going back together?" Viktor stood up, his coat fluttering chaotically in the huge gale. Whooshing sounds filled the air. "Bring Cindy, and call Helnersen too." Lia was stunned for a moment. She could understand bringing Cindy, but calling Helnersen... Viktor put his hands in his pockets, his cold gaze seeming to look towards the direction of the royal capital. "There are some accounts I need to settle with Jace." "Properly." Chapter 143: Sterilizing the Entire Elf Race As the white light before her eyes gradually dissipated, Lexi looked up and saw a vast sea of flowers stretching out before her. Butterflies and bees danced incessantly above the vibrant blossoms, while the garden paths were carpeted with petals of various colors. The air, filled with floral fragrance, tickled her nose. "Where is this...?" Lexi stared at the sea of flowers in a daze. It was as if she had returned to the lush flower beds in the forest. It was evident that this floral paradise was frequently tended to. Viktor had told her that she could find the person she was looking for here. Could it be that the Elf Queen was here? Lexi looked around as she gently treaded on the petals, following the small path deeper into the sea of flowers. As she walked, an unfamiliar aura emanated from within the floral expanse. Feeling a surge of panic, Lexi quickly hid behind a flower bed. She poked her head out, peering over the tall floral wall. Lexi saw a young girl tending to the flowers in the sea of blossoms. She was cheerfully walking into the floral sea, carrying a watering can. One hand held scissors, constantly trimming excess buds from the flowers, while the watering can sprinkled water over the blossoms. A black robe seemed to conceal her body, but the warm sunlight refracted through the crystalline water droplets onto her flushed face, accentuating her sunny disposition. Lexi, with only her eyes exposed, watched the girl from afar, trembling slightly. What... what kind of place was this? How could there be humans here? Could it be that... the Queen... had been imprisoned by humans!? A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through Lexi''s mind, making her heart pound. She didn''t even notice that she had inadvertently crushed several flower buds to pieces. The girl seemed to sense something and turned her head to look in Lexi''s direction. Lexi quickly ducked down, curling into a ball and burying her head between her knees. ''Oh no, don''t see me... don''t see me...'' Perhaps her prayers were answered, as the surroundings remained quiet, with only the sound of her own heartbeat audible. Seeing that the other person didn''t seem to have noticed her, Lexi opened her eyes and looked around. She finally breathed a sigh of relief. But at that moment, something soft bumped into her back. Lexi felt her body stiffen as she raised her head. The sunlight before her eyes seemed to be obscured by clouds. A shadow gradually enveloped her. She was startled and wanted to turn around to see what it was. But the deep-seated nervousness in her heart prevented her from turning back, leaving her limbs immobile. At that moment. A soft voice came from behind. "Hey, you there, turn around." "You dare sneak in here, did you think I didn''t exist?" The moment the voice sounded, Lexi felt her hair stand on end, with only one thought left in her mind. She had been discovered! She was about to be caught! "Uh... don''t catch me, don''t catch me..." She hurriedly said, turning her body stiffly and slowly. Looking up, their eyes met. Viktor was right. She really did see the person she wanted to see. Upon seeing the other person, Lexi was slightly stunned, frozen in place. Cocotte Yade, sitting on a cloud, also saw Lexi''s long, pointed ears. "Eh?" "Ah?" Cocotte opened her mouth, sitting on the cloud, stunned for a moment. Her expression also stiffened a bit, as if suddenly realizing something, she quickly covered her ears and buried her head in the cloud. Then, she shouted loudly. "Help! Someone help!" "There''s a thief who snuck into the garden! Catch her!!!" The huge shout, carrying thick natural energy, spread throughout the entire garden. Lexi instantly became panic-stricken. She tried to stand up, but her body was already immobilized. Suddenly, Lexi noticed the green magic array flashing beneath her feet. Several green vines had completely entangled her, continuously draining the magic power from her body. A wave of weakness washed over her, and Lexi instantly realized that she had been restrained by someone''s magic! This was only a second-tier magic spell. Under normal circumstances, Lexi could easily break free. However, this second-tier magic array was inexplicably complex. It was as if countless intricate magical patterns were intertwined. Although the magical power was simply at the second tier, its complexity was comparable to the third tier. Most importantly, Lexi was not a mage. She couldn''t instantly break this magic spell. Finally, the caster of this binding spell appeared. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Henie emerged from behind the floral wall. Her expression was solemn, with invisible magical power floating around her. Countless patterns began to link between several arrays, forming elf-like totems, with runes continuing to carve complex patterns at the edges of the magic arrays. "Who are you?" Lexi opened her mouth, but she couldn''t utter a single word. Silencing magic! Moreover, the strength of this silencing magic was definitely not something that the human second-tier mage before her could achieve. Lexi''s mind instantly came to a conclusion. She turned her head, her gaze filled with confusion and disappointment, looking at the elf who didn''t even dare to raise her head from the cloud. Queen, why? "Quick! Henie! I''ve already controlled her with silencing magic! Hurry and catch her!" "Otherwise, she''ll chant super powerful magic!" Hearing Cocotte''s voice, Henie''s expression became even more solemn. She couldn''t help but think that this person who had somehow sneaked in was so dangerous. Even Cocotte couldn''t stop her! She no longer thought too much about it, as the magical power around her body continued to surge. The magical incantation began to chant from her mouth. "Verdant garments unfurl, entwine and restrain heaven''s law, sealed within creeping vines." As she gradually chanted, the flower petals beneath Henie''s feet began to slowly rise and rotate. A massive whirlwind rose from the ground, gradually engulfing the entire garden. "Life''s prelude, obstructing the path of life, whispers declared amidst purgatory." All the flowers began to tremble incessantly, streams of green aura emanated from the blossoms, gathering towards Henie''s chest in the sky. "Seal the covenant, ancient trees merge forms, imprisoned in the marsh''s temple." An extremely dense green magical orb began to expand continuously in the sky. Henie was in the midst of the petal storm, as if the surrounding flower beds were transmitting astonishing magical power to her. Her amber eyes glowed with a faint green light, and the surrounding vines danced wildly as if they had broken free from their restraints. Lexi was immobilized in place, unable to speak. She watched the continuously rising clouds obscuring the sun, shaking her head repeatedly. Her eyes seemed to contain a few drops of tears. But Henie just looked at her and said without mercy: "I won''t hurt you." "But you need to be controlled for a while, I need to know your purpose for sneaking in here." [Second-tier Magic: Fantastical Cage of Nature Spirits] As the words fell, that extremely terrifying magic instantly erupted. Endless vines, as if transformed into countless shackles and fetters, all poured towards Lexi. At the same time, as Lexi watched those terrifyingly numerous wooden vines, only one thought remained in her mind. This is fucking second-tier??? But almost at the instant the magic was about to touch Lexi. A figure appeared in front of Lexi amid a blue light. He stood with his hands in his pockets, not even bothering to specifically block it. In front of him, only an ordinary magic barrier was generated. The enormous magical power extended countless branches, completely blocking those endless tree vines on that barrier. The tree vines gradually transformed into wisps of magical power, following the barrier and slowly dissipating in all directions. Finally, as if nothing had happened. It gradually dissipated. The moment the magic disappeared, Henie was slightly stunned. Until she saw the person before her clearly, her amber eyes suddenly widened, and she exclaimed in surprise. "Professor!" The blue barrier gradually shattered, the wild wind slowly ceased, and Viktor''s wildly dancing coat also slowly fell. He looked at Henie and said faintly with approval. "Not bad magic." "It seems my absence these days hasn''t made you neglect your practice." Receiving the professor''s recognition instantly made Henie feel satisfied. She stood in place, smiling happily like a fool. Viktor didn''t continue to pay attention to Henie, he turned around and pointed a finger at Lexi. That complex and abstruse binding magic instantly transformed into points of starlight, dissipating into the air. Lexi could speak now, and she could move. But what she had just experienced left this timid elf unforgettable. She crouched on the ground, crying in fear. "Wuu... wuu wuu wuu..." After doing all this, Viktor turned his gaze back to Cocotte. This Elf Queen, who didn''t want to take responsibility for her people and even instigated Henie to restrain her own kind, needed to be taught a lesson. Seemingly sensing that the situation had been exposed, Cocotte hurriedly urged the cloud beneath her, intending to flee the scene. But she only heard Viktor''s utterly cold voice: "Now, if you leave, I''ll blow that cloud of yours into cotton." The cloud instantly froze in place, no matter how Cocotte urged it, it didn''t dare to move even half a meter. Cocotte''s body stiffened, and she couldn''t help but turn her head. One hand scratching the back of her head, she stuck out her tongue and closed one eye. Completely looking like she was asking for a beating. "Hehe?" ...... "I''m sorry! I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry!" Henie bowed rapidly, almost folding her waist in half. Unfortunately, her figure wasn''t enough to support her doing so, as she would hit her legs. Lexi sat in front of her, hugging her knees, slowly raising her head, her red-rimmed eyes still carrying many crystalline tears. As if she had become autistic, she didn''t want to say a word. Cocotte sat on the cloud with an unconcerned expression, and Lia, seeing this, couldn''t help but glance at her. "You''re fit to be the Elf Queen?" "When your own people come, the first thing you do is call someone to catch her." Cocotte felt a bit guilty, her eyes frantically drifting to one side. "I... I didn''t recognize her at first..." "Even if you didn''t recognize her, there''s no need to attack her with magic, right? Does she look like someone with much combat ability to you?" Lia complained with exasperation. Somehow, Lexi''s head was buried between her knees again, and even deeper. She seemed to have become even more autistic. Cocotte was quite helpless, she urged the cloud to float to Lexi''s side, reached out her hand, and patted Lexi''s head: "Ah, alright, alright, don''t cry anymore." Lexi slowly raised her head, her eyes still glistening with tears. "Then... are you willing to come back with me?" "No." She lowered her head again, her crying voice becoming louder. Lia stood to the side, arms folded across her chest, asking the question she had been puzzled about all along. "So, why don''t you want to go back?" Cocotte sat on the cloud, spreading her hands helplessly: "Do you like staying inside a tree all the time, watching a bunch of elves worship you every day, and not letting you leave freely?" Lia thought for a moment, then continued: "But you sleep all day except for sleeping, what''s wrong with staying in that tree sleeping all the time?" "But! But I get bored when I wake up!" "Tch, that''s quite reasonable." Lia rolled her eyes, her voice carrying a hint of disdain. "Then it seems your Elf Queen isn''t very useful, just staying in some broken tree every day." "It''s not really a broken tree, you know that we elves grow from nature, right?" Cocotte sat to the side, explaining: "But this nurturing ritual requires a designated elf to stay in the divine tree, only then can the divine tree nurture new elves." She pointed at herself, grinning and saying: "In other words, if I don''t go back, the Yade Divine Tree won''t nurture new elves anymore." "Hm?" Lia blinked. She felt like she had heard something that seemed quite serious. But Cocotte didn''t seem to care about those things, still having the leisure to ask questions. "Oh right, where did Viktor go?" "I still have some things I want to talk to him about, how did he just leave as soon as he came back?" "You mean Viktor?" Lia turned her head, looked left and right, then said with absolute certainty. "Wait a while then." "At this time, he''s probably demolishing someone else''s house." Chapter 144: This Thing, Its Called a Cannon! [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15+ Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... "Hmm, this outfit looks good." Jace Reiser stood in his bedroom, admiring himself in the mirror. He was wearing a pristine white suit with a bright red bow tie. A maid was helping him adjust his attire. After changing, he picked up a comb from the dresser and neatly combed his hair. Taking a deep breath, he appeared quite spirited. Today, he had to attend negotiations involving over a dozen family businesses. As the heir to the Reiser family, many important family matters had already been entrusted to Jace to handle. He walked out of the room, and several beautiful maids with an air of nobility bowed to him. "Young Master Jace, the carriage is ready." "Young Master Jace, here is today''s schedule." "Young Master Jace..." Jace responded to each of them, taking the schedule and reading it as he walked. Just as he stepped out of the main door, suddenly, a violent tremor shook the ground. Jace froze in place and asked the servants around him, "What... what''s happening? An earthquake?" The servants were even more confused, and even the knight guards donned their equipment and came to Jace''s side, becoming alert. At that moment, they witnessed an incredibly bizarre and shocking sight. A giant bear-man, as large as a titan, was walking towards the Reiser family mansion, holding several knights in full armor as if they were toys. Compared to the bear-man, those knights seemed like mere playthings. Anyone who tried to block his path was casually tossed aside. No one could stop his advance as he barged straight into the courtyard. The knights trembled as they looked at the giant before them. But he simply walked into the estate and threw the knights he was holding onto the ground. Those knights lay on the ground, already unconscious. Then, his gaze fixed firmly on Jace Reiser. Being stared at by this gaze was like being marked as prey by some terrifying beast. Jace stood dumbfounded, his mind racing frantically. He tried to recall when he might have offended such a creature. Soon, the giant bear-man put one hand behind his back. From behind, he picked up a human who seemed many times smaller than him. This human''s body also looked quite robust. But compared to the giant bear-man, he seemed as tiny as a chick. The man was dangling in the air, also unconscious. The bear-man swung him violently, and the man was thrown into the air, flying over many knights and servants, landing right in front of Jace. Even the ground cracked in several places where he landed. Jace stepped back in fright, then lowered his head to see the man''s face clearly. In an instant, a wave of dizziness washed over him, making Jace feel incredulous. "Sin... Sindy!?" As one of his family''s enforcers, Jace of course knew who Sindy was. Or rather, there were few nobles who didn''t know this person. The Reiser family had extremely deep pockets, naturally employing many strong individuals. And Sindy was one of them. As an adventurer, Sindy already had some fame. When Sindy joined the Reiser family, he became a newly promoted fourth-tier warrior. At that time, the Reiser family had heavily promoted his news. After all, it was rare for a fourth-tier to actively align with a family, so naturally, they wanted to publicize a fourth-tier warrior like Sindy to show off the Reiser family''s prestige. And now, their family''s fourth-tier warrior had been beaten to such a state? Thinking of this, Jace''s whole body trembled uncontrollably. Because the capital was very safe, the Reiser main family hadn''t assigned too many strong individuals to protect Jace. However, even if they had, they probably wouldn''t be a match for the terrifying bear-man standing before them. That''s right, Jace quickly recognized it. Because his family was involved in the Demi-human slave trade. And the muscular giant before him was clearly a bear-man, a race extremely rare even among Demi-humans. Bear-men had extremely long lifespans and were born with powerful physiques, making their bodies impervious to blades and incredibly strong. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Moreover, bear-men were extremely ferocious. Even the teams sent out to capture Demi-humans would try to avoid confronting a bear-man in the wild if possible. If they encountered a bear-man, even a dozen warriors of the same level working together would struggle to subdue it. To deal with the bear-man before them, it might even require dispatching an imperial army! Although bear-men were priceless, the fact that Jace could become the heir of the Reiser family meant he couldn''t be as brainless as his already deceased younger brother. This single bear-man could bury everyone present here. At this moment, Jace was very puzzled. How could a bear-man appear in the capital? But the current situation left no time for him to think further. Because at this moment, the bear-man before him seemed to fly into a rage. He roared, dragging his tank-like body, and began to rampage through the mansion. Some knights had no time to react and dodge, and would be sent flying more than ten meters by the extremely high-speed impact, falling to the ground and immediately losing consciousness. Wherever he went, even the surrounding buildings would collapse like dominoes. This terrifying bear-man rampaged through the Reiser family mansion, yet no one could step forward to stop him. The maids all huddled together, hiding in a corner of the garden. In this huge luxurious mansion, it was filled with frightened screams and painful wails. As if he had played enough, the bear-man stood still. Suddenly, a dangerous aura, like a fierce winter wind, continuously surged towards Jace. Jace looked at the bear-man, and the terrifying bear-man also looked at him. The moment their eyes met, Jace felt a murderous intent pressing down on him. A cold feeling slowly crept up from his spine to his brain. He looked at the giant bear-man, his face pale, unable to take his gaze off him. The bear-man began to walk towards him step by step. One step, two steps. Watching the bear-man slowly approach him, Jace''s legs froze in place, his limbs unable to move. No, he needed to save himself, he needed to save himself! Suddenly, as if thinking of something, Jace hurriedly shouted: "Stop him! Quickly stop him!" Following Jace''s order, there were always some knights who didn''t fear death appearing in front of Jace, trying to block the bear-man''s steps. But their effect was merely to slow the bear-man''s pace a little. He didn''t even bother with the weapon-wielding knights around him, allowing sword blades and spears to stab at his body. The sword blades were chipped, the spear tips bent. His body was like an iron wall of steel, incredibly hard. It made countless knights feel despair. But, in this brief moment, Jace suddenly ran back into the house. Soon, he burst through the mansion doors again, holding an extremely large weapon in his hands. It looked like a huge cannon, with a deep, dark muzzle. The silver-white barrel flashed with strange red patterns, converging on the gems embedded within it. The muzzle was carved with extremely complex runes, just a glance would make one feel its extraordinary power. Jace struggled to lift the giant cannon, aiming it at the bear-man before him. As if confidence had regained its peak in his mind, his smile became very arrogant. "Haha, aren''t you very aggressive? Come on then!" As soon as he finished speaking, the muzzle began to flash with light, gathering extremely dense magical power. Violent winds began to flow, rotating into the muzzle. That incomparable suction seemed to even distort the surrounding air. A stream of azure magical power gathered in the barrel, gradually brightening. While the magic cannon was still charging, the bear-man suddenly stood still. As if regaining his senses, he stood motionless, his expression unchanged, allowing Jace to continue charging. Seeing the bear-man so steady, Jace felt something was amiss. But the arrow was on the string and had to be released. He let out a loud roar, as if to boost his own courage. "You damned bear-man!" "Go to hell!!!" As his words fell, an extremely intense light burst forth from the muzzle. Dense magical power continuously poured out, transforming into a beam of magical energy, as if to completely engulf the bear-man before him. But Helnersen only moved his body, taking up a stance. He stepped back with one foot, forming a bow stance. He placed both hands at his waist and took a deep breath. His chest gradually swelled, as if an energy was bursting forth from his chest. [Martial Arts Stance - Defense] He placed one hand at the forefront, and the surrounding natural energy seemed to follow his breath, slowly gathering. In an instant, a green barrier slowly rose from the ground, enveloping Helnersen''s huge body. Finally, the violent blue light shot from the magic cannon, along with that incredibly thick barrier, completely engulfed Helnersen. Only a faint green could be seen between that blue light, like a lonely boat in a vast ocean, resisting that terrifying impact. The ground kicked up high dust, swirling in the sky. That beam of magical energy, dispersed by the barrier, spread out in all directions. Finally, as if the energy had been completely detonated, a white light suddenly burst forth, engulfing everything. The surrounding buildings turned to dust in an instant. The knights lying on the ground could only watch as that huge energy explosion spread out, helplessly watching as their bodies were gradually engulfed. Until their consciousness faded away. As the magical power slowly dissipated, the magic cannon gradually entered a cooling state, with white smoke rising from its muzzle. Jace weakly lowered it, letting it crash to the ground. He looked at the wisps of smoke before him, his expression incredibly excited. "Is this... the new weapon developed by the family?" The magic cannon in his hand was a new energy weapon developed by the family. Using elven nature magic as power, it gathered strong energy in the muzzle to burst out in an instant. It was also his first time using it, and he didn''t expect its power to be so terrifying. Although the consequences were very serious. Those dead knights, and the mansion turned to dust, all of these would require him to find a way to explain. But life is about living in the moment! He looked at this weapon with satisfaction, a sense of exhilaration rising in his heart. Money, status, and women... This, this is what''s truly romantic for a man! "Hmm, indeed not bad." "Much better than that little handgun from before." Suddenly, a calm voice sounded by Jace''s ear. Jace''s body suddenly trembled, a sense of crisis immediately rushing to his brain. Before Jace could turn his head, a hand patted his shoulder. Cold sweat instantly soaked his body, and Jace twisted his stiff neck, turning his head in fear. His gaze met the eyes of that familiar person. Those eyes seemed like millennia-old cold ice from the extreme north, set in the eyes, making Jace feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave. The powerful chill made Jace''s heart freeze, and even the muscles all over his body began to twitch. "Capturing elves, and sending your family''s enforcer to my territory, attempting to kill my people." "Jace, didn''t I tell you before." "Stay away from my people?" Chapter 145: So You Dare to Capture My Employee? The towering mansion gradually crumbled, dust rising in all directions, blanketing the vast courtyard with a swirling layer of brown particles. Viktor stood behind Jace Reiser, his cold gaze fixed upon him. His coat fluttered in the dusty wind, its white runes faintly glowing, repelling all approaching dust. Hearing that all-too-familiar voice, Jace''s heart skipped a beat. It felt as if a massive stone had suddenly lodged in his throat. He hadn''t even noticed when Viktor had appeared. It was as if a gust of wind had suddenly placed him there. Jace''s face stiffened, as if several steel nails had pierced his muscles, but he still tried to maintain a calm facade as he said: "Vick... Councilor Kravina." "I don''t understand what you mean." Viktor''s eyes showed not a ripple of emotion. "You don''t understand?" A magical array emerged from behind Viktor, rapidly rotating. A flash of white light enveloped Cindy, who was lying on the ground. She floated up and drifted in front of Jace. "You should recognize this person, right?" "I''m the one who beat her." Hearing Viktor''s words, Jace shuddered violently. He had thought the bear-man had inflicted such severe injuries on Cindy. But to his surprise, it was Viktor who had done it! His face remained tense, his eyes darting around, and sweat beaded on his forehead. But... what about that bear-man? Jace found it hard to connect the giant bear-man with Viktor. How could a creature like a bear-man possibly obey a human''s commands? But what he saw next completely overturned his understanding. Viktor called out to the rising dust cloud: "Helnersen." As soon as the words fell, a burly bear-man gradually walked out from the dust. His body was unscathed, only his clothes were slightly torn. A powerful aura constantly emanated from his every breath, the sound of his heartbeat like the beating of giant drums, reaching Jace''s ears. As his completely muscular body stood in the sunlight, the thick dust gradually dispersed. The huge ruins behind him were exposed to everyone''s eyes, with debris constantly falling, crashing into the walls that had been pulverized into sand and stone. The remaining fragments of the building seemed to sway precariously in mid-air. The fountain pool that had been bubbling moments ago was now split in two. The water was still gushing out, but now flowed towards the ruins. The twisted giant iron gate was also hanging on the ruins, creaking ominously. As for those family knights and maids? There was no trace of them anymore. In the wake of the battle, they had almost all disappeared under that attack. This huge courtyard was now completely buried under broken stones and shattered wood. Only Helnersen, with his tall figure, stood naturally with his back to the collapsed ruins. Seeing this scene, Jace''s mind went blank. "Wh... why?" He looked at the magic cannon he was struggling to hold, trembling uncontrollably. That shot just now had clearly hit the bear-man''s body. Under that blinding white light, no creature should have been able to survive. Even if it was a bear-man... But... what was going on with this bear-man? Jace''s eyes trembled in their sockets, feeling a sense of despair as he released his grip on the magic cannon. He slowly lowered his head, looking at his own hands. Those hands were constantly shaking with fear and shock. Perhaps it was the overwhelming sense of terror spreading throughout his body, but he felt his vision darken, his body becoming unsteady, and he fell on his bottom onto the cracked floor. "Surprised?" Viktor said calmly. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Helnersen took heavy steps, moving closer to Jace Reiser step by step. A strong sense of crisis surged in Jace''s heart. He raised his head, trembling as he looked directly at the terrifying bear-man. The giant bear-man placed his thick arm on his chest, standing steadily in front of Viktor, and gave a slight bow. "Master." Jace''s mind went blank instantly. Ma... Master? This bear-man... was actually Viktor''s man!? How on earth did he manage that!? Jace''s body shook even more as he asked Viktor: "Is he... a demi-human slave?" Hearing this, Helnersen lowered his head, looking down at Jace: "Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Reiser." "I am the butler of the Kravina family, Helnersen." His words were filled with politeness and respect that seemed at odds with his physical appearance. But Helnersen''s muscular body beneath that refined demeanor gave Jace an extremely ominous feeling. It was as if he was being warned. Just one punch. Yes, one punch from this bear-man in front of him. Could kill him. Jace''s eyes widened, his mouth agape. "Bu... butler?" The Kravina family actually allowed a demi-human to serve as their butler? And it was a bear-man at that! How was this possible? The level of ferocity of bear-men was unimaginable to ordinary people. In the impression of all humans who had seen bear-men, they were simply incapable of communicating with humans. They were like true beasts, with strength even greater than that of actual giant bears. And, even more ferocious and brutal than that. But the bear-man before him truly subverted his understanding. However, Viktor''s voice soon sounded above his head. "Just a reminder, I''m not here to chat about household matters with you." Jace shuddered again. He only now realized that he was already sandwiched between the two. Even if he wanted to call for help, there was no possibility of getting a message out. Escape? He couldn''t possibly escape in front of such a bear-man. He needed to save himself, he needed to save himself! Jace Reiser''s brain was working at high speed. He looked up at Viktor and hurriedly said: "Councilor Kravina... there might be some misunderstanding between us." "Misunderstanding?" Viktor looked at Jace, then his body leaned back towards the ground behind him. As he tilted back, it was as if ink suddenly formed on the ground, quickly structuring into a black chair that supported Viktor''s body. He rested one elbow on the armrest, propping up his face, looking at Jace with great interest. "Go on." After rapid thinking, Jace suddenly thought of a way to save himself: "As you can see, Councilor... Cindy was sent out by our main family to carry out the task of capturing demi-humans and elves." "We did indeed break the law, and for that, I''m willing to go to prison." Jace''s meaning was very clear. Cindy had nothing to do with him personally, she was sent by the Reiser family''s main branch. He knew nothing about it. But as the heir of the Reiser family, he couldn''t completely avoid responsibility. So, Jace chose to go to prison. Most importantly, it was Cindy who intended to kill on Kravina family territory. And Cindy had already been beaten to a pulp by Viktor. As for the crime committed by the Reiser family, it was merely capturing demi-humans and luring elves. This matter had nothing to do with the Kravina family. Jace''s reasoning was flawless. And as long as he could go to prison, he would be safe. Jace wasn''t afraid of prison at all. With the family''s network of relationships, he would be released very soon. Moreover, even in prison, those jailers wouldn''t dare to do anything to him. After all, he was the young master of the Reiser family, Jace. These jailers would only keep trying to curry favor with him. Having said this much, Jace was very confident. Because if this continued, Viktor would already be committing a crime. Thinking of this perfect reason, even Jace''s trembling body calmed down. His eyes also gradually regained some clarity. "Oh? Is that so?" Suddenly, Viktor''s voice sounded. As if with a hint of mockery, the corners of his mouth curved upwards slightly. A contract suddenly appeared in the air, slapping down on the floor in front of Jace. Jace lowered his head, looking at the contents of the contract, completely bewildered. He could only hear Viktor''s indifferent voice continuing: "That elf you captured is my employee." "Now, I should have a reason, right?" As soon as the words fell, Jace froze in place. He felt his body become extremely rigid. It was as if a huge black hand had firmly restrained his body. In Jace''s view, behind Viktor, terrifyingly violent flames suddenly ignited. The flames spread rapidly, completely engulfing the only intact and luxurious mansion. Thick smoke billowed, fierce fire raged. The fire devoured the last surviving wall, completely becoming fuel for the flames. In the midst of the raging fire, Viktor''s expression remained as calm as ever. "Since you say Cindy was sent by your main family," "Then, let''s have someone from your main family come in person." Instantly, a gust of black wind suddenly erupted, whipping up rubble and stones, raising dust. It was as if the night had turned into a gale, constantly sweeping under the blazing sun. As the wind died down, Jace gradually couldn''t keep his eyes open. He could only see everything in front of him become extremely blurry. Jace coughed while tightly closing his eyes, using his arms to shield his face. Then, the black wind gradually subsided. Jace and Viktor, who were originally amidst the raging fire, Disappeared simultaneously. Only Helnersen, this giant bear-man, stood in the roaring flames. He picked up the giant cannon that Jace had left embedded in the floor, and walked towards the flaming mansion. Chapter 146: Madam, You Wouldnt Want Anything to Happen to Your Child, Would You? A female knight in gleaming silver armor, exuding an aura of authority, followed an elderly man dressed in opulent attire as they strolled through the garden. The old man''s body was slightly stooped, an air of age emanating from his every movement. He walked at the front, hands clasped behind his back. His demeanor was gentle, akin to that of an ordinary, amiable elder. Yet, no one would mistake him for a common old man. He was the Emperor who had made the Empire great, reigning for over four decades, rendering the Empire untouchable. He was known as the mightiest person in the Empire, the invincible Iron-Blooded Emperor. Aubrey Sol. In the palace garden, devoid of unnecessary onlookers, only Gwen followed the Emperor, slowly treading along the narrow path. The crystal-clear spring water sparkled lively in the sunlight, butterflies and bees fluttered ceaselessly among the flowers, as if celebrating the Emperor''s presence. After a while, Emperor Aubrey halted, as if fatigued. Standing still, he squinted, a smile playing on his lips, and turned to face Gwen. "Countess Gwen." "I appreciate you indulging this old man with a walk." Gwen placed her hand on her chest and bowed slightly to the Emperor. "It is my duty, Your Majesty." "No need for such formality." Aubrey waved his hand dismissively and continued forward. Gwen followed closely behind. The Emperor, without turning back, spoke as if in casual conversation, his voice tinged with melancholy: "I grieve for what befell Angus." Before Aubrey''s ascension to the throne, Angus had been one of his capable subordinates. Though Angus''s extreme sense of justice had been hard for Aubrey to accept, news of his death still saddened the Emperor. Those comrades who had once fought side by side were departing one after another. But Gwen didn''t echo his sentiments. She merely lowered her head and said softly: "Your Majesty." "My father, Angus." "Deserved his fate." Thousands in the Northern Territory had nearly perished due to Angus''s inaction. If not for the Pale Mage Association''s desperate resistance, who could have relied on those knights? Aubrey remained composed and continued walking. Only his voice reached Gwen''s ears. "Gwen, justice is a noble concept, but..." "Never use justice as your sole criterion for judging right and wrong." Gwen listened to the Emperor''s words, her expression unchanged, silently observing his back. Aubrey''s voice remained steady. "You wish to champion those people in the North, that''s commendable." "But remember, Angus was your father, they are not." He turned back, regarding Gwen with a gentle gaze. Just like a kind, ordinary old man. If one could overlook the luxurious attire and various jewels adorning him. "Someone will enumerate Angus''s crimes, but that person shouldn''t be you." "You are now the Countess of the North, and Viktor''s fiance." "Consider how your words and actions might affect both yourself and Viktor." Hearing the Emperor''s words, Gwen lowered her head and answered, "Yes, Your Maj Aubrey, as if in casual conversation, turned his head and said with a smile: "However, I''m quite intrigued by the news of demons appearing in the North." "When Owiser heard this, his heart nearly leapt to the North." "He insisted on personally leading a team to investigate the situation there." He shook his head as he spoke, a wry smile on his face. "This child, still lacking in prudence." Gwen remained silent, following dutifully behind the Emperor. "Aubrey is faring better, though he''s prone to boasting about his achievements." "Attaining even a small accomplishment, he''s always eager to prove himself." "He''s my child, how could I, as his father, not know the extent of his capabilities?" Saying this, the Emperor''s eyes narrowed slightly. Without turning back, he spoke from the side: "Gwen." If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Which of the two do you deem more outstanding?" "Your Majesty." Gwen bowed slightly. "I am a knight. Knights should not meddle in politics." "Hahaha." Hearing Gwen''s words, Aubrey laughed and said as he walked: "You say you''re already a countess now, and you''ve voluntarily relinquished the position of Knight Commander." "Perhaps my words as Emperor don''t carry much weight with you anymore, do they?" Gwen respectfully replied from behind. "I wouldn''t dare, Your Majesty." "I will always abide by your will." "Is that so?" Aubrey nodded with a smile, as if casually remarking: "Then if I were to ask you to dissolve your engagement with Viktor, would you be willing?" Gwen was momentarily taken aback but quickly composed herself and responded: "Marriage matters should be decided by both parties, Your Majesty. It would be unfair to Viktor if only I were willing..." "You need not concern yourself with Viktor. I''m merely asking about your willingness." Aubrey stood still, his gaze like two sharp blades, piercing towards Gwen. Gwen lowered her head slightly, her voice betraying a hint of inner turmoil. "Your Majesty, might I inquire about the reason for this?" Aubrey nodded with a smile, turning his body back: "Very well, I understand." "It seems you''ve changed quite a bit as well." He hummed twice, seemingly lost in thought. "My youngest child, Aurelianne, you''re acquainted with her, correct?" Gwen respectfully nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty." "As you know, Viktor is her magic instructor." "But I personally feel that having only one teacher may not be beneficial for Aurelianne''s future development, so..." Aubrey''s voice, carrying a hint of imperial command, reached Gwen''s ears: "Might I request that you become Aurelianne''s swordsmanship instructor?" Gwen froze in place, momentarily stunned. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, a eunuch burst into the garden, panting heavily. The butterflies scattered in flight, some even colliding with the bright flowers. "Your... Your Majesty! A dire situation has arisen! Most urgent!" Aubrey calmly regarded him. The eunuch quickly caught his breath. "Count Viktor has returned!" This statement bewildered Gwen. She failed to comprehend why Viktor''s return would be cause for alarm. "Get to the point," Aubrey spoke, his voice level. The eunuch, realizing his error, paused for a second, frantically searching his memory before standing up straight. "Oh yes, yes! The crux of the matter!" "It''s terrible, Your Majesty! Count Viktor has demolished the Reiser family''s mansion in the capital!" "...?" At this moment, even the Emperor''s composure wavered slightly. ... Meanwhile, Kravina''s mansion was surrounded by a phalanx of knights, the perimeter sealed tight. Yet these knights could barely grip their weapons, their bodies trembling visibly. The Royal Knight Order had received an alarming report concerning Viktor. The gravity of the situation was unprecedented. It was said that Count Viktor had razed Jace Reiser''s residence to the ground. When the knights arrived at the courtyard of Jace''s estate, all that remained were indistinguishable rubble and splintered wood. The raging inferno continued to consume what was left of the mansion. Everything in sight had been reduced to ashes. Were it not for the severity of the situation, these junior knights would never have dared to encircle Viktor''s mansion. They were acutely aware of Viktor''s formidable power. In comparison, they felt as fragile as ants before a giant. Nearly half of these knights had witnessed the demon battle in the capital firsthand. They had seen Viktor''s strength with their own eyes. If Knight Commander Gwen were still present, they might have found some courage in her company. After all, Knight Commander Gwen was Viktor''s fiance. With the couple''s harmonious relationship, whatever transpired would likely not fall upon these lowly knights. But now, Knight Commander Gwen had resigned... Approaching Viktor''s mansion, they felt as if they had lost a vital shield of protection. Gathered near the estate, they dared not enter. They could only stand aside, quaking in their boots. After all, what was their meager monthly wage compared to the risk of losing their lives? After what seemed an eternity, a luxurious carriage approached, halting before the assembled knights. It came to a stop at the gates of Viktor''s mansion. The carriage door opened slowly, and the coachman placed an ornate stool beneath it. A noble lady emerged with graceful, measured steps. She wore an exquisite white gown, a delicate fan in her hand, her hair elegantly pinned up with a jeweled hairpin. A female guard extended her hand, bowing to the lady, assisting her descent. The beautiful and aristocratic lady placed her hand atop the guard''s, alighting from the carriage with regal poise. The surrounding knights, upon recognizing the arrival, collectively exhaled in relief. At last, someone of consequence in this matter had arrived. The Emperor''s sister, Madam Cassandra. Due to the incident involving Devon Reiser, Madam Cassandra had temporarily taken up residence in the capital and hadn''t departed since. She stood before the mansion gates, her bearing proud and unyielding. Behind her, the lightly armed female guard remained close, ever vigilant. The gates creaked open, and Lia emerged, a practiced smile gracing her features: "It''s an honor, Madam Cassandra." "I believe this marks our first encounter." Madam Cassandra, exuding nobility, unfurled her fan before her lips, her tone haughty: "Let us dispense with the pleasantries, Miss Lia." "Surely you''re aware of my purpose here. Release my son at once." Lia, mirroring the gesture, covered her mouth as she chuckled lightly. "Madam, whatever do you mean?" "Your son erred grievously. My brother merely seeks to educate him properly, as any elder might." Madam Cassandra''s eyes flashed with cold fury, her fan snapping shut with a sharp ''crack'', her hands crossing over her chest. "Am I to interpret this as a declaration of war against the Reiser family?" No sooner had the words left her lips than the female guard at her side placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. A palpable aura of menace emanated from her, filling the air with tension. Another fourth-tier combatant, Lia noted. Lia''s gaze flicked to Cassandra''s guard, but she showed no sign of intimidation. With seeming nonchalance, Lia''s fingers brushed over the differently colored gems adorning her glove, her eyes narrowing imperceptibly. "I believe there are certain matters I should apprise you of in advance." Her tone carried a veiled threat, a warning to the noblewoman before her. A chill seemed to emanate from Lia''s eyes, like a frigid wind cutting through the scorching sunlight. "Madam." "Surely, you wouldn''t want anything... untoward to befall your child, would you?" Chapter 147: Im Formidable, So Pay Up Upon hearing Lia''s words, Cassandra''s expression immediately darkened, her brows furrowing as she coldly regarded Lia: "Are you threatening me?" Lia once again donned her smiling demeanor. "Threaten? No, no, no." "This is merely a statement of fact, Madam Cassandra." She observed Cassandra''s gloomy countenance with an air of nonchalance. Seeing Lia''s attitude, Cassandra couldn''t help but clench her fists, a flicker of cold anger in her eyes. The female guard beside her, sensing Cassandra''s icy demeanor, began to tense up. A formidable aura, like a surging river, started to emanate from her. The surrounding air seemed to tremble under this terrifying pressure. "Stand down, Elsa." Cassandra was well aware that if her guard made a move against Lia, it would mean the Reiser family and the Kravina family would irrevocably sever ties. And this was Kravina territory. If a fight broke out, Cassandra knew she wouldn''t come out on top. Although there were many knights around, Cassandra also knew they weren''t here to help her. Even if they were, their combat prowess was too low to be of any use. As a member of the royal family, Cassandra understood better than anyone. The Royal Knight Order was only meant to keep ordinary people in check. Moreover... Cassandra''s gaze fell upon Lia''s gloves. She narrowed her eyes, brows knitting together. She could sense that within those gloves lay an immense power. Like a slumbering beast, its powerful pulse beating steadily. And, after the demonic events in the capital, Cassandra couldn''t bear the thought of losing a second son. She crossed her arms, her fingers tapping incessantly on her shoulders. "What will it take to release my son?" Lia continued to smile lightly. But her smile was like a sharp knife. Waiting for the perfect moment to plunge into the other''s heart. "Five hundred million Geo." "Wha-" "One hundred sets of armor made from Mosterli bones, along with matching Mosterli horns, and blades forged from Vesuvius volcano''s molten iron." "How about that?" Mosterli were extremely ferocious and rare magical beasts that could appear anywhere in the world. Because of this, Mosterli possessed incredibly powerful physical attributes. This made it exceptionally difficult for adventurers or armies to exterminate these creatures. Moreover, they had no fixed habitats. Today, a Mosterli might appear in the jungle outside the empire. Tomorrow, they could be found hundreds of miles away on a riverside plain. These creatures were always hard to track, meaning one would need to search every corner of the world for these cunning and powerful beasts. One hundred sets of Mosterli armor meant materials from one hundred Mosterli drops were needed. The Reiser family''s extermination squad might not even encounter ten such monsters in a year. As for the molten iron from Mount Vesuvius... Hearing the name of this material, Cassandra was momentarily stunned. This type of iron required venturing into the most dangerous areas deep within the volcano. Moreover, it could only be mined from the internal iron deposits when the volcano was erupting lava. And Mount Vesuvius had long since become a dormant volcano. This material, by all accounts, should be impossible to extract. However... When news broke recently that Mount Vesuvius was showing signs of imminent eruption, the Reiser family''s mining team discovered a portion of molten iron deposits in the deepest part of the volcano. It seemed that due to the prolonged high temperatures inside the volcano, a new vein of molten iron had formed. But... how did the Kravina family know they had mined those iron deposits? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Suddenly, Cassandra''s face froze. The blades that could be forged from those molten iron deposits. No more, no less, exactly one hundred sets. And Lia had just mentioned this exact number. ''Is it a coincidence?'' No. The person who nearly triggered the volcanic eruption was Viktor. A feeling of being thoroughly outmaneuvered began to cast a dark cloud over Cassandra''s mind. She bit her lip, speaking with some difficulty. "Aren''t you going a bit too far?" "You should know, this is kidnapping!" Although Cassandra hadn''t participated in her family''s business dealings, anyone could understand the value of these items. How incredibly expensive they were. "Madam Cassandra, don''t forget the grudge between your family and ours." Lia crossed her arms, her tone calm. "Even if it''s a crime, it was Jace Reiser who first sent people to attack Kravina territory." "Moreover, deliberately capturing demi-humans abroad, luring elves, and allegedly imprisoning our Kravina family employees." "These crimes are probably enough to hang your son twice over at the gallows, don''t you think?" Lia enumerated Jace''s crimes one by one, leaving Cassandra silent. She knew that no matter what she said now, as long as Jace was in their hands, they could find countless reasons. Just then, Lia pulled out a damaged pistol from her waist. Although the gun barrel was bent to the point where its shape was barely recognizable. The knights felt curious, craning their necks to look. But due to the distance and Lia''s careful positioning. Under her deliberate concealment, no one could clearly see what it was. "Madam Cassandra, as a member of the Reiser family, you should know better than me what this is, right?" Seeing the object in Lia''s hand, a flash of surprise crossed Cassandra''s eyes. "Why do you have..." "I told you, your child Jace Reiser tried to have me killed." "This, naturally, is my spoil of war." Lia smiled and put away the gun. "I''ll give you some time to prepare. When the time comes, my brother will personally come to collect the payment." "I hope you won''t be stingy with the ransom for your son''s life." With that, Lia elegantly swayed her hips as she turned and walked towards the mansion. The knights watched Lia''s retreating figure, but not one dared to stop her. Only after Lia''s silhouette had completely disappeared did Cassandra feel her vision darken, falling backwards. Fortunately, the female guard caught her in time and helped her up. Cassandra''s earlier imposing aura had completely dissipated, her mind filled with the image of that damaged pistol. Supported by Elsa, Madam Cassandra walked into the carriage, her face pale and dejected. ...... Emperor Aubrey sat on the throne, listening to the ministers below continuously reporting news. "Your Majesty, Count Viktor has kidnapped the Reiser family''s heir. Should you perhaps intervene to handle this matter?" "Viktor burned down the Reiser family''s mansion with a single blaze, now only ruins remain." "Your Majesty, Viktor is also using Jace to threaten the Reiser family, making outrageous demands. This behavior indeed seems to disregard the law." "We implore Your Majesty to investigate clearly." The ministers reported one after another, carefully probing the Emperor''s attitude on the conflict between the Kravina and Reiser families. They wanted to know exactly what the Emperor''s stance was at this moment. Aubrey absent-mindedly tapped his fingers on the armrest, looking towards Gwen beside him: "Gwen, what''s your take on this?" "Your Majesty, I believe there are still hidden aspects to this matter..." Hearing her words, the Emperor slapped the throne''s armrest and burst into laughter. "Earlier you said you were a knight and wouldn''t participate in politics." "But when it comes to Viktor''s affairs, you''re more involved than anyone." Gwen lowered her head, her face reddening, not daring to refute: "Your reprimand is justified." The Emperor shook his head and said. "It''s a pity Levi is away on a distant journey, otherwise I could ask for his thoughts." Seeing the Emperor''s reaction, the ministers grew anxious. What exactly was His Majesty thinking? This matter had already reached a very serious stage! What kind of existence was the Reiser family? They were nobles who practically ruled the South single-handedly. They controlled the economic lifeline of the South and were extremely wealthy. The Kravina family was equally important, mainly embodied in Viktor. Viktor''s identity was well understood by all. Whether it was the Reiser family or the Kravina family, if either side engaged in internal strife, it would be a great loss for the Empire no matter what. Just then, a eunuch slowly entered the hall, approaching the Emperor. "Your Majesty, Madam Cassandra requests an audience." The ministers immediately perked up, looking towards the entrance of the great hall. Cassandra, holding up her long dress, entered gracefully. She faced the Emperor, and the Emperor likewise gazed back at her. Although they were siblings, the feeling they gave to everyone present was as if there was no familial affection between them. The royal family was devoid of sentiment. Cassandra curtsied slightly: "Your Majesty." "Ah, Cassandra, you need not bow." Cassandra straightened up, speaking calmly. "Your Majesty, Jace has been kidnapped by Viktor, who is now threatening the Reiser family, demanding a large ransom." Her voice was calm, but her words seemed tinged with a faint anger. The Emperor sat on the throne, quietly listening to her speak. His fingers continuously tapped on the armrest. "So, do you want me to mobilize the army to capture Viktor, or..." Suddenly, Aubrey''s gaze became incredibly sharp. Like a blade capable of cleaving heaven and earth, suspended over Cassandra''s head. "Do you want me to intervene personally?" Under this terrifying pressure, the surrounding ministers all trembled slightly. Even the nearby guards lowered their bodies under this oppressive aura. But even under such a horrifying presence, Cassandra showed no fear, only lowering her head respectfully and saying: "Your Majesty, I''m not here to ask you to send troops." "You are my imperial brother, as family, you know my character best." Her eyes carried a hint of cold light. "I''ve already lost one child, and now, I cannot lose Jace as well." The Emperor fell silent. His sister, Cassandra Sol. Although she had now changed her surname to Reiser, the blood of the Sols still flowed through her veins. The ministers around who knew something about Cassandra also trembled slightly. They couldn''t help but recall that memory. The former princess, Cassandra, was no mere figurehead. She was known as the "War Saint." In her youth, Cassandra had also experienced the baptism of countless wars. She was equally powerful. But Cassandra''s strength was unlike others. Because she was neither a mage nor a warrior. Cassandra herself was very weak, even weaker than those warriors who served as cannon fodder. But she possessed an extremely special ability. [Level Up] She could greatly enhance those soldiers participating in battle. Whether it was physical strength, energy, endurance, or resistance. For normal third-tier warriors, their strength could be temporarily boosted to the level of a quasi-fourth tier. The only drawback was that it couldn''t give them the combat skills and experience of a true fourth-tier. Because of this. Madam Cassandra had countless admirers and protectors. All because her ability was too powerful. At this point, many ministers in the great hall fell silent. Cassandra gave the Emperor one last look, taking a deep breath. "This will only be my last resort." "Please rest assured, Your Majesty." "I won''t put you in a difficult position." With these words, she no longer looked at the sovereign on the throne, turning to walk out of the great hall. Cassandra, as a former princess with special powers, as a woman. Whether in war or marriage. She had always been at the mercy of others. Cassandra had never made any choices; for her, all choices were predetermined. The only time she had tried to choose someone she loved. But that person rejected her. So, she compromised. She was willing to sacrifice everything, simply because she was the Empire''s princess. And this time, Cassandra returned to the palace as a mother. As if telling everyone. This time. She was no longer willing to compromise. Chapter 148: Is It Too Late for Familial Reconciliation? [A/N] - Support & Read Up to 15+ Advanced Chapters on Patreon!! [A/N] - Don''t Forget to leave a [Review] C Your Voice Matters!!! ... News of the confrontation between the two great families spread throughout the royal capital. Many were perplexed by the events that had unfolded. What could have happened to create such a tense atmosphere between these two powerful houses? It seemed as if they were on the brink of open conflict. Most surprising of all was that even the Emperor appeared unsure which side to support. Who was in the right, and who was in the wrong? Madam Cassandra stood at the mansion''s entrance, silently watching as the family''s specially crafted carriage approached. The Reiser family''s vehicle was imbued with potent magic, capable of covering a thousand miles in a single day without difficulty. She was surrounded by layers of guards, their grand formation resembling a small army, their presence imposing. She was about to return to her family''s ancestral home, where she would conduct final negotiations with Viktor. As Madam Cassandra was about to enter the carriage, the female guard beside her, Elsa, seemed to sense something. "A moment, if you please, Madam." Cassandra turned her head coldly, glancing at Elsa. The female guard lowered her head and said: "Someone wishes to see you." "..." Amidst the encirclement of guards, a path slowly opened. Princess Aurelianne, adorned in jewel-encrusted finery, approached Madam Cassandra with measured steps, her face bearing a warm smile. She too was accompanied by guards, but compared to Cassandra''s entourage, her escort seemed meager. For she had brought only one person. And even this sole guard, she seemed reluctant to have along. Aurelianne turned back, addressing the guard behind her: "Celia, you may return now." Celia, standing nearby, hesitated and said: "But, Your Highness..." "Is there any place safer than by my aunt''s side?" Celia gripped her sword hilt tightly, eyeing the surrounding guards, her heart conflicted. After a brief moment, she nodded in acquiescence. "As you wish, Your Highness." As Celia slowly departed, Cassandra turned, regarding Aurelianne with a regal air. "Aunt Cassandra, it''s been far too long." Cassandra looked at Aurelianne, her lips devoid of any smile, her expression impassive. "Aurelianne, is it." "It''s been... what, several years since we last met?" Cassandra recalled that the last time she saw this child, she was barely ten years old. In the blink of an eye, she had grown so much. "You''re not here for a reunion at such a time, surely?" Aurelianne smiled, an aura of confidence surrounding her as she looked directly into Madam Cassandra''s eyes. "Of course not." Cassandra calmly returned Aurelianne''s gaze, her hands placed before her skirt. Compared to her former self, the Aurelianne before her seemed to have shed her timidity. Aurelianne spoke in a measured tone: "Aunt Cassandra, I''m here to implore you." "Please, do not make an enemy of my teacher." At these words, the surrounding warriors immediately tensed, their weapons making slight, ominous sounds. Cassandra also raised her head, regarding Aurelianne coldly. "Why do you say this?" "Don''t forget, you are of royal blood." Aurelianne sighed and said: "You cannot fathom how powerful my teacher truly is." "In short, I beg you to heed my advice." Aurelianne''s expression was one of utmost gravity: "Focus on negotiation, and comply with my teacher''s demands as much as possible." "A military confrontation will only hasten the Reiser family''s demise." Cassandra seemed about to speak, but Aurelianne pressed on. "I implore you to consider the North, think of those tens of thousands of barbarians." "Recall the fate that befell the Delin family." Cassandra narrowed her eyes and calmly inquired: "Are these your father''s words, or your own?" This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Aurelianne shook her head, a rueful chuckle escaping her lips. "In truth, I''d rather stand with my teacher, but you are my family." "I''m here merely to warn you. If you still intend to challenge my teacher, then..." "I beseech you, allow me to accompany you to the South." Hearing this request, Cassandra''s eyes narrowed further. She crossed her arms, her expression finally betraying a hint of gravity. "That old emperor... he truly is willing to let go." "I believe my teacher won''t harm me, and moreover..." At this, Aurelianne''s face softened into a gentle smile. "Aunt Cassandra, father always reminds me." "We are family." "..." Cassandra remained silent for a moment, then spoke as if in compromise. "If he''s willing to return Jace to me..." The final words were barely audible, perhaps Cassandra muttering to herself, Or perhaps, it was merely silence. She turned away, no longer facing Aurelianne. But her voice, now tinged with a hint of warmth, sounded faintly: "Enter the carriage, Aurelianne... no." "My niece." ...... "Why must you provoke Madam Cassandra so?" In the study, Lia couldn''t help but question Viktor. When Viktor had returned, he was alone. Had Viktor not informed her himself of Jace''s capture, Lia would have remained oblivious to her brother''s clandestine actions. And after that, he had instructed her to confront Madam Cassandra upon her arrival. If it were merely a matter of negotiation, Lia could have employed various rhetorical techniques. A more favorable outcome would have been all but assured. Yet Viktor''s directive to her had been clear: ''Enrage Cassandra.'' Lia struggled to comprehend. Given the Kravina family''s resources, open conflict with the Reiser family seemed far from rational. Moreover, they were all subjects of the Empire. Even if victory were attainable, the Emperor would surely not condone internal strife. "Anger clouds reason, and as a mother, her fury will only drive her to greater extremes." "Of course, I don''t intend to deliberately incite war." Viktor held a weighty tome of magic, reading while addressing Lia. The crow perched on the desk, dozing off. "Are you familiar with Cassandra''s exploits?" Viktor''s voice carried a leisurely tone. Lia, hearing his words, was momentarily taken aback before sighing. With one hand on her hip, she gestured helplessly with the other. "Is that not common knowledge? Who in the Empire hasn''t heard of the ''War Saint''s'' deeds?" The ''War Saint''s'' most renowned battle was the ''Battle of Thermesine''. At that time, the formidable Kingdom of Kant, with its elite forces, was wreaking havoc along the border between the Empire and the Kingdom. That region was known as "Thermesine". The Kingdom boasted numerous powerful third-tier warriors. Furthermore, thanks to the Kingdom''s unique alchemy, their warriors'' armor far surpassed that of the Empire. At that juncture, for the Empire''s army to engage the Kingdom in direct combat would have been sheer folly. Until Cassandra''s arrival. The moment the ''War Saint'' activated her ability, the Empire''s knights received an astonishing boost. Their strength multiplied, and their morale soared to unprecedented heights. No matter how formidable the Kingdom warriors'' armor, it crumbled before this newfound, overwhelming physical might. That battle saw a complete reversal due to Cassandra''s intervention. Thereafter, Cassandra earned a title uniquely her own. The ''War Saint'' In every engagement where she appeared, the Empire remained undefeated. "The Sol bloodline bestows unique gifts upon each princess." A lineage blessed by the gods themselves. "Cassandra bears this blessing, as does Aurelianne." "But alas, Cassandra lacked Aurelianne''s fortune; she had no father who cherished her so." Cassandra wed a man she should not have, solely to secure the Reiser family''s allegiance, to gain enduring benefits and support. And after the previous emperor''s passing, the invincible Aubrey no longer required such ties. The future Aurelianne would have even less need for this family''s backing. However, the Reiser family''s influence was vast, their foundation firmly entrenched in the Empire''s southern territories. And this behemoth, a veritable engine of power, threw its support behind Aubrey. The Crown Prince. Lia stared at Viktor, momentarily stunned. "You intend to... wage war?" "Not necessarily, but the Reiser family must be brought to heel." Viktor closed the book and rose. His casual attire was engulfed in flames, transforming into that signature black coat. The window flew open, a fierce wind causing his coat to billow dramatically. Outside, the sky had plunged into utter darkness, thick clouds obscuring all light. As if night had fallen prematurely. Viktor raised his gaze to the darkened heavens. "Has Vanilla arrived?" "After Helnersen returned to the main house, she came through the teleportation array you left behind." Hearing Lia''s words, Viktor nodded with satisfaction. "Inform Henie to tend to her needs." As he spoke, a white rune began to pulse slowly on Viktor''s coat. A whirlwind gradually coalesced beneath his feet. Papers in the study were sent into a frenzy, swirling chaotically. Viktor, hands in his pockets, began to ascend what appeared to be invisible stairs in the air. He climbed them one by one, moving towards the open window. The crow, seemingly alerted, quickly roused itself. With a flutter of wings, it alighted upon Viktor''s shoulder, perching there steadily. Viktor continued his aerial ascent, the tempest beneath his feet growing ever more violent, coalescing into a white vortex. Finally, a massive bird emerged from the maelstrom, Viktor firmly astride its back. Lia, disregarding the chaos in the study, rushed to the window. The storm whipped her hair into disarray; she used one hand to brush it back, straining to keep Viktor in sight. She gazed at Viktor''s figure, standing amidst the howling winds, and called out: "Brother!" "Why must you do this?" Viktor slowly turned, meeting Lia''s gaze, and opened his mouth to speak. In that instant, the gale intensified. "Screech" The giant white bird let out a piercing cry that cut through the dark sky. With Viktor on its back, it shot forward at breathtaking speed. Like a bolt of white lightning, it traversed thousands of miles in mere moments, flashing countless times between the low, ominous clouds. Weaving through the heavens with unmatched grace and power. Lia stood transfixed at the window, her gaze locked on the spot where Viktor had vanished. A sense of unease blossomed in her chest, its source unclear. Perhaps it was due to his parting words, which had reached her ears with crystal clarity. "Because" "I am your brother." Chapter 149: Join the Glorious Evolution! The carriage sped along the dirt road, surrounded by mounted guards in armor carrying various weapons. Numerous steeds galloped at high speed, passing through roads of flying dust and muddy water, until they reached a smooth street. The sound of hooves pulling the carriage gradually became sparse, until it stopped. Aurelianne was a bit confused. She asked Lady Cassandra: "Aunt, why have we stopped?" Cassandra reached out a hand and slowly pulled back the curtain of the carriage. "Because we''ve arrived." Aurelianne looked out through the carriage window. It was a scene that would astonish anyone who came here. Countless tall buildings rose from the ground, with magic-powered street lamps on both sides, and huge chimney-like structures spewing out magical power of various colors. The flow of vehicles on the street seemed to be enchanted as well. Aurelianne couldn''t see a single horse-drawn carriage. There were only mechanical devices emitting white smoke, moving at high speed. Some pedestrians were even equipped with strange mechanical prostheses as they walked down the street. Mechanical eyeballs swiveled back and forth in eye sockets, and it was unclear whether they could actually see people or not. There were also some cats and dogs with rotating gears scurrying about the streets, seemingly adding a touch of vitality to the entire mechanical city''s ecosystem. Aurelianne looked at the scenery outside the window, her eyes wide, observing everything like a curious child. "Let''s get out," said the guard outside as he opened the door and set up footstools for the two of them. The two alighted from the carriage one after another, their movements equally graceful. "Report back. You don''t need to continue protecting me," Cassandra calmly ordered the surrounding guards. This was Reiser family territory; there was no need for these guards to accompany them. They nodded to Cassandra in unison and dispersed in an orderly manner, well-trained. Only Elsa remained, continuing to stay by Cassandra''s side. Lady Cassandra turned around and looked at Aurelianne. "Next, we need to change our mode of transportation." Aurelianne was a bit puzzled, as she had spent most of her life in the capital and had never seen cities outside of it. The last time she had this feeling was when she went to Endymion with Teacher Viktor. That experience had given her many new sensations. And this time, the advanced city before her eyes equally filled her with wonder. However, unlike the Mage City, which felt magical, This place gave a sense of order and coordination. In this mechanical city, even the air seemed to become a bit heavy, accompanied by a hint of seriousness. Suddenly, a car flickering with magical power slowly approached them. At the rear of the car was a rather large magical power storage tank. Compressed, concentrated magical power was stuffed into it as a power source. The magical power on every part of the car body was strictly controlled by steel, distributed very precisely on it. Seeing this "carriage" that could drive automatically, Aurelianne was quite surprised. This carriage had no wheels; the body seemed to be enchanted, hovering slightly above the ground. Four seats were arranged in two rows front and back, but there was no one driving it. "A new product of the Reiser family. You can think of it as an automatic carriage that doesn''t need horses to pull it," Cassandra explained. Aurelianne blinked, couldn''t help but think of Teacher Viktor''s magical carriage that also didn''t need horses. However, it seemed to be somewhat different from the thing in front of her. Elsa stepped forward first, opened the door of the back seat, and bowed to indicate the two to get in. "Get in." After Cassandra spoke, she sat down in the inner position first. Aurelianne, with a nervous heart, sat in this strange ''magical carriage''. Elsa sat in front, serving as a bodyguard. The vehicle slowly started moving. Because it was floating in the air, the ride was very smooth. As they gradually went deeper into the city, The appearance of this city also revealed itself more to Aurelianne. Countless towering buildings flashed with strange colors. The rotating gears in mid-air constantly combined to form various signs, seeming to advertise some content. The vehicle drove to the city center. As if sensing something, she couldn''t help but look up. That was the highest point of this mechanical city. In the vast sky above, several powerful magical channels were connected at one point, and a huge magical barrier covered the sky above the city. An awe-inspiring clock hung on the high tower, shaped like a gear. Its two hands, one long and one short, emitted red and blue light. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Is that... magic?" Aurelianne asked. Lady Cassandra began to introduce to Aurelianne: "This is the place known as the ''City of Progress'' - Tiebo." "It''s also where our Reiser main family is located." If one only looked at the surface of this place, it might even make people feel that it was more prosperous than the capital. But... "Aunt, why haven''t you popularized everything here to other places?" Aurelianne inquired. Cassandra just rested her head on her hand, looking at the mechanical scenery around. "Not enough energy." "Energy?" Cassandra didn''t respond to her question, but continued: "These things are very convenient, right?" "But they require too much energy. We can only use them in this one city of not-so-large scale." The area of Tiebo, of course, couldn''t compare to the capital, or Blaiston under the rule of the Kravina domain. Blaiston had an extremely large population and conducted a lot of commercial trade relying on its seaport and harbor. Its maritime territory was very vast. Because of this, Blaiston could become the second most prosperous economic city in the empire. Strictly speaking, the area of the City of Progress established by the Reiser main family was not even one-tenth of Blaiston''s. Not to mention the capital. To popularize it in these two places would be an enormous expenditure in terms of both manpower and financial resources. The vehicle continued to move forward, passing through a dark mechanical tunnel. As the light appeared again, they arrived at the Reiser family''s main house. Getting off the car, Cassandra spoke calmly to the guard beside her. "Elsa, you can leave for now too. Come find me again later." "Yes," the female guard called Elsa bowed her head in acknowledgment and quickly left. Taking this opportunity, Aurelianne looked up. She opened her eyes wide, not wanting to miss anything here. The Reiser main house was very large, surrounded by huge solid stone walls, divided into several areas. Numerous servants were each performing their duties in the courtyard. Aurelianne, standing outside the gate, could see them constantly shuttling between one room and another. Those huge brown houses looked like mechanical high-rises, and there seemed to be some vague order between them. This place didn''t look like a home. It looked more like a small, concentrated city. "What you see now is the research and development area of the Reiser family. Without special permission, this place is forbidden to anyone," Cassandra explained. "Over there, the area that occupies the largest space is the testing area. There will be dedicated testers here to conduct tests on some novel gadgets." Cassandra led Aurelianne through the steel structures, introducing everything about the Reiser main house as they walked. "This is the botanical garden." Aurelianne peeked inside, where there were various common plants of sizes beyond common sense. Even the fruits that had just formed were taller than a maid. "Those botanical gardens are responsible for purifying the air here, as well as cultivating some vegetables and fruits, ensuring that these researchers can be self-sufficient." Aurelianne listened in a daze, nodding confusedly. Suddenly, in front of her, a robot with rotating gears wobbled past. This thing that could move yet was like a puppet immediately startled Aurelianne. She hid behind Cassandra, trembling as she asked: "What was that just now...?" "Hmm, you can understand it as a brand new invention. They have a collective name." "Magical technology." Cassandra walked with Aurelianne while explaining. "Everything designed here is for one original intention." "That is, to make human life more convenient." Cassandra said with her arms crossed. "With magic as the basic support, but also detached from magic, allowing even ordinary people who can''t use magic to enjoy the benefits brought by magic." "That''s... amazing," Aurelianne said, her eyes shining after Cassandra finished speaking. Everything before her eyes brought her immense novelty, filling her with interest in this unfamiliar land. But suddenly, she raised a question: "By the way, Aunt." "I heard those ministers say that you are suspected of luring elves... but why do you want to lure elves?" Lady Cassandra''s body stiffened for a moment, and she sighed: "It was your father who asked you to ask, right?" "I knew it. He''s always been worried about this issue." Aurelianne didn''t answer, but Cassandra turned and changed direction, slowly walking away. "Follow me." Aurelianne was very obedient, quietly following behind her. As they walked, Lady Cassandra arrived at the door of the research lab. There was an extremely strong guard at the door. Seeing Cassandra''s arrival, He directly made way, respectfully allowing this lady to pass: "Welcome back, Lady Cassandra." Those guards were very respectful to the lady. In Aurelianne''s view, this was Lady Cassandra''s control. A vague feeling rose from the bottom of her heart. Perhaps, the Reiser family had always been under her aunt''s control. The mechanical door slowly opened. During this time, Cassandra wasn''t idle: "To realize the plan of allowing ordinary people to enjoy the convenience of magic, our researchers have been constantly experimenting." "Later, we found that among human races, only mages can store large amounts of magical power as their energy source." "And once this magical power leaks out, humans can''t store it, nor can they transport it to other places to use as an energy source." "So, we got inspiration from other races, and finally proved this possibility." The moment they entered the laboratory, researchers were busy all around. They wore white coats, busy in the laboratory, all carrying blueprints and documents in their arms. Various precision instruments were placed on huge research tables, and many rooms were labeled with warnings to stay away. "Don''t mind them. They are all mages from Endymion who signed high-priced contracts with the Reiser family." "We need the wisdom of the Mage City, so we invited many people to help us." As Lady Cassandra walked, Aurelianne followed closely behind her. Those researchers constantly passed by the two of them, as if they hadn''t seen them, engrossed in their work. And Cassandra didn''t mind their rudeness at all. Here, it seemed that everyone had something to do. As the two walked, they came to a door. In front of the door, there were also two guards, as if guarding what was behind the door. When they saw Cassandra arrive, they bowed very respectfully: "Lady Cassandra." Cassandra said calmly. "Open the door." The man pulled out a card and swiped it in front of the door. [Authority Accepted] Accompanied by a mechanical sound, the mechanical door quickly rotated its gears, and the light on top turned blue. Cassandra continued to speak to Aurelianne: "Actually, I don''t know much about elves either." "But I hope you can replace the word ''lure'' with something else." As the door opened, Aurelianne saw what was inside and stood frozen in place. Before her eyes was an astonishing forest. Dense jungle intertwined with vibrant vegetation, and a rich natural breeze blew in their faces. Just being here could make one feel incredibly joyful. In the forest, many elves were frolicking, shuttling back and forth between the trees. Aurelianne stared blankly at those excited elves, while Cassandra stood in front of her with her arms crossed. "This is the secret that the Reiser family has been keeping." Chapter 150: Steam Buns, Wont You Support the Cause? Aurelianne stood in the forest, immersed in its wondrous and natural atmosphere. This world felt like a mystical realm, as natural as it was magical. Bright sunlight filtered through the trees, sparsely falling on the lush green grass, while the soft, moist air carried the coolness of a spring rain. A babbling stream constantly struck against rocks, creating crisp sounds. Standing in the forest, one could even feel the gentle breeze passing through. If Aurelianne hadn''t known she had entered from outside, she might have thought this was a mysterious forest in the wilderness. "The Forest Paradise?" she asked. "This place was originally designed as a residence for the elves, to persuade them to cooperate with us," Cassandra explained calmly to Aurelianne. "The researchers from the Mage City made theoretical predictions based on the magical wave patterns of an elven councilor." "When elves are in a joyful mood, they produce large amounts of natural energy." "This energy becomes the source of their magic, allowing them to grow and become stronger." A gentle breeze blew by, and Cassandra brushed aside her windswept hair, gazing at the mysterious forest before her. The elves seemed unaware of their presence, living happily in this place. They played and frolicked with each other, slept when tired, drank dewdrops and stream water when thirsty, and picked fruits from trees when hungry. Carefree and without worry. "So, we experimentally extracted the natural energy produced by the elves through their ''joy''." "The results were significant. The elves'' natural energy can be stored and used as a power source." Aurelianne was somewhat stunned. Seeing her expression, Lady Cassandra''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Self-moving puppets, lamps that don''t need magic to light up, even self-driving energy vehicles." "Everything you see is powered by the ''energy'' produced by these elves." "What, did you think we were imprisoning the elves at first?" Aurelianne finally reacted, feeling a bit embarrassed, her face slightly flushed. Although she hadn''t said it out loud, she indeed had such thoughts initially. "What benefit would there be in imprisoning them?" Cassandra continued. "They have no money, generate no profit, and harming them would incur the wrath of nature spirits." "But once we make them happy, the ''natural energy'' they don''t need can be used by us." Cassandra took a deep breath, seemingly also enjoying the fresh air from the lush forest. The breeze kept blowing her hair, but Cassandra let it flutter freely as she spoke softly: "This is a win-win situation." Aurelianne opened her mouth, voicing her confusion: "Don''t they feel confined staying here all the time?" "Confined?" Cassandra turned her head, looking at Aurelianne quizzically. "My niece, why would you think that?" "Our contract with the elves never stipulated that they must stay here permanently." Aurelianne blinked, not quite understanding Cassandra''s meaning. Just then, the closed door behind them opened again. Several elves, dressed in various styles of clothing, entered as if returning from shopping. They carried bags filled with clothes and food, chatting and laughing as they entered the forest. If Aurelianne hadn''t seen their pointed ears, she might have thought they were some noble young ladies. Upon entering, they noticed Cassandra, paused for a moment, then extended their hands in familiar greeting. "Lady Cassandra, long time no see!" "When did you return, my lady? Why didn''t you tell us in advance?" "I was hoping to go shopping with you, Lady Cassandra... How long will you be staying this time?" Cassandra smiled, nodding in response to each of them. After a brief chat, the elves headed deeper into the forest until they were out of sight. This left Aurelianne with countless question marks floating above her head. "They are absolutely free. They can come and go through this door as they please, leave the mansion, and visit the human city outside." "Moreover, the family provides them with enough Jio each month to cover their expenses in this city." "Now, do you still think they''re not free?" Aurelianne: "..." She fell into complete silence. "In our cooperation treaty with the elves, there is only one restriction on them." "That is, to stay as happy as possible." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Cassandra smiled faintly, seeming pleased to be able to clear up Aurelianne''s doubts. "Only when they are happy can the Reiser family obtain large amounts of energy to continue subsequent research and inventions." "Elves are the foundation of the Reiser family. How could we possibly harm them?" Aurelianne felt a bit embarrassed, lowering her head shyly. "I thought you were always doing something bad..." Suddenly, a hand rested on Aurelianne''s head, gently patting it. Cassandra spoke in a soft tone: "Child, don''t always assume the worst in everything." "But also, don''t think everyone is entirely good." "You should know that the world isn''t black and white; it''s a delicate shade of gray." As if reminiscing about something, Cassandra sighed lightly. "You are the princess of the empire; everything should be considered for the empire''s benefit." "I hope you remember, I was once a princess too." With that, she didn''t look at Aurelianne''s silent expression anymore. Turning around to walk outside, she called out to Aurelianne softly: "Let''s go out." As they walked, Cassandra suddenly stopped in her tracks. She narrowed her eyes, as if sensing something. Her gaze, like that of a venomous snake, darted towards the nearby darkness. "As a guest, do you need to sneak around when you arrive?" Aurelianne was puzzled, but as Cassandra''s words fell, a drop of inky blackness began to ooze out from the shadows. The black shadow expanded, like rippling water, growing into the shape of a creature. It was a one-eyed crow with only a single eye. It giggled with an indescribable, wicked charm. This suddenly stunned Cassandra. She couldn''t quite understand. Why would a crow appear here? Aurelianne, however, recognized the crow and exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth. "It''s... it''s Teacher''s crow!" "Teacher?" Cassandra turned back to look at Aurelianne. She naturally knew who Aurelianne''s teacher was. It could only be that one person... Suddenly, greenery sprouted, and countless vines intertwined on the ground, rising up. They seemed to form the shape of a wooden person. The crow flapped its wings and perched on the wooden person''s shoulder. Suddenly, the wooden figure moved. Its two hands stiffly came together, then opened. As if applauding. Then, the vines on the wooden figure''s head gradually receded. Revealing a somewhat gaunt face. He smiled, his lips curling upwards, and spoke to Lady Cassandra. "Well said, Lady Cassandra." Aurelianne recognized the newcomer and was utterly surprised. "Tea... Teacher!?" Even she hadn''t noticed when Viktor had entered. Lady Cassandra coldly looked at Viktor. "So it is you, Viktor..." "What do you mean by appearing here?" "Are you trying to prove to me that you have the ability to bypass all the guards of the Reiser family?" Viktor smiled, the wooden body gradually transforming into a coat draped over him. "Don''t be too excited, my lady." "That''s not what I meant." As the coat fluttered in the breeze, Viktor''s body seemed to have completely transformed. He put his hands back into the pockets of his coat, smiling confidently: "I just wanted to tell you that none of you can beat me, that''s all." Cassandra took a deep breath, glaring at Viktor. Aurelianne stepped forward and grabbed Lady Cassandra''s hand. "Aunt, don''t..." "What Teacher said is true." Cassandra looked down at her. "So what? I am Cassandra, once a princess of the empire! The decision-maker of the Reiser family!" "Am I supposed to stand by and watch him act so arrogantly on Reiser family territory?" She turned her head back to look at Viktor. "Viktor, what makes you so confident?" Viktor''s gaze was extremely calm, with a hint of helplessness mixed in. "There''s something I once told your son Jace." "I think this phrase can also be given to you." He made no extra movement, only the emblem of three broken human heads on his chest flashed a bright blue. "Call me Councilor, Lady Cassandra." Cassandra was slightly stunned, not quite understanding Viktor''s meaning. But she merely blinked. Suddenly, she seemed to appear in another world. Everything around her disappeared. Aurelianne, the door, the surrounding forest, even the ground beneath her feet. It seemed to be replaced by a barren, withered land. Raging flames suddenly rose up, as if about to completely devour the sky. Cassandra abruptly raised her head, because she sensed a certain crisis. In an instant, she was stunned. Before her appeared a monster. It was a monster that humans absolutely could not contend with, like a world-destroying behemoth. It dragged its volcano-like body, moving slowly. Step by step, it trod upon the sea of fire, its body flowing with extremely high-temperature lava. Its eyes were blood-red, seemingly surging with intense angry flames. As if in the next moment, it could incinerate all things. The sky-high flames and the sight of ashes everywhere made even Cassandra, who had been through countless battles, feel an extremely terrifying pressure and shock. At this moment, she was already sweating profusely, her body stiff, only able to watch as that world-destroying colossal beast continued to walk on this withered land. As if burning everything. "Is this... natural energy?" Cassandra had dealt with elves for a long time and was very sensitive to natural energy. That towering angry beast with flames constantly rising around it. It seemed like... A collective embodiment of natural energy. If such energy could be used by the Reiser family. Perhaps, it could directly support the energy consumption of the city of Tiebo for over a hundred years! But at this moment, Viktor''s figure walked out of the flames, step by step. The fire seemed to have no effect on him. "How is this possible..." Cassandra stared blankly at Viktor. The moment Viktor appeared, she sensed it. This vast natural energy. It was coming from Viktor. This made her unable to understand, and even somewhat unable to accept. And under the aura of fire, Viktor''s coat kept swaying, gradually becoming longer. Red patterns covered the entire garment, like a scarlet flame. He stood quietly on top of that fiery beast''s head, looking down at Cassandra: "What?" "Are you not convinced?" Chapter 151: Come, Let Me Teach You a Lesson A gentle breeze rustled through the lush forest, softly carrying fallen leaves along the flowing river. Beneath the verdant canopy, elves frolicked joyfully, their laughter echoing through the trees as they reveled in the vibrant land. But in an instant, the elves froze in place. Shock etched across every face as their minds went blank. An incredibly dense wave of natural energy seemed to emanate from somewhere in the forest, quickly engulfing them all. Sturdy trees suddenly bent precariously, yet the elves perched on the branches remained oblivious to the cracks forming beneath their feet. Under this overwhelming pressure, hundreds of elves turned in unison towards Viktor''s location. The entrance to the "Forest Paradise" was now completely engulfed in a fierce inferno, crackling as it burned. Yet these flames that appeared from nowhere seemed fantastically surreal. As if possessing a mind of their own, they clung to the forest but did not spread outward even an inch. Aurelianne glanced anxiously between Cassandra and Viktor, her expression filled with panic. Before her stood her teacher and her aunt. Cassandra was now surrounded by the sea of fire, her gaze vacant and lost. Aurelianne recalled that Viktor had merely uttered a single sentence. In the blink of an eye, her aunt had fallen into this terrifying predicament. Aurelianne hurriedly tried to explain to Viktor: "Teacher! This must be a misunderstanding!" "Aunt and the others haven''t harmed any elves..." Viktor simply stood there, motionless, while the jet-black crow perched on his shoulder had one eye glowing with an eerie sapphire light. As if preparing for something ominous. He turned to look at Aurelianne and said calmly: "I taught you how to use your own power, but I failed to teach you how to judge situations." "That was my negligence." Aurelianne was taken aback, unable to grasp the meaning behind her teacher''s words. "Let me ask you, why does the Reiser family need elves?" Aurelianne quickly repeated what Aunt Cassandra had just told her: "For energy, to make life more convenient for ordinary people." "And then? Have they actually made life more convenient for ordinary people?" Aurelianne froze at Viktor''s follow-up question, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. "But... Aunt said it was just a lack of energy." "The lack of energy is merely an excuse, a fact that Cassandra is unwilling to admit." Viktor looked down at Aurelianne and posed another question: "If this technology were to spread throughout the empire, even to those remote villages, what do you think would happen?" "Well..." Images flashed through Aurelianne''s mind. Tedious and dangerous jobs replaced by self-moving automatons, streets devoid of horse-drawn carriages, instead filled with magical floating cars. "Isn''t that... better?" Viktor replied flatly: "That would only widen the gap between rich and poor, causing the empire to become polarized." When machines replace manual labor, landowners no longer need to pay wages to laborers. They only need to invest in these automatons that can work tirelessly for them. The nobles no longer require human workers, only paying the Reiser family annual maintenance fees for the machines. As laborers lose their jobs, the wages once meant for them now flow directly into the Reiser family''s coffers. But eventually, even the landowners will find themselves growing poorer. The food they produce goes unsold,and piles of clothes from textile factories remain unsold. Because no commoners can afford to buy them anymore. The commoners, now jobless, struggle even to put food on the table.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Eighty percent of the empire''s wealth would flow to the Reiser family and the nobles who had established early partnerships with them. And this change would be almost imperceptible at first. As Viktor painted this bleak picture, Aurelianne''s imagination ran wild with the implications. She couldn''t accept it, a look of fear crossing her face as she glanced towards Cassandra. "How could this be..." Vast numbers of commoners would face hunger, poverty, and homelessness, forced to mortgage their last possessions just to survive. After exhausting their last coin, they could only await a slow death. "Of course, you needn''t worry about this just yet," Viktor added. "Such a situation won''t occur for a long time." The Reiser family lacked sufficient energy; they were still in the trial phase, working towards that goal. "You must have seen the ''people'' living in Tiyebo," Viktor continued, his voice low. "This place is called the ''City of Progress'', boasting advanced medical techniques." "Those residents you saw with various prosthetic limbs? Most are wealthy individuals from other countries or cities." "Seeking a semblance of normal life despite their disabilities, they must reside in Tiyebo, undergoing annual examinations and constant prosthetic replacements." "Do you know the minimum daily expense for each of them?" It was a sum beyond Aurelianne''s wildest imagination. "Ten thousand Gios." In the capital, ten thousand Gios could purchase ten thousand loaves of bread. But in Tiyebo, this mechanical marvel, it barely covered one person''s daily expenses. "So you see, not a single commoner walks these streets. They simply cannot afford to enter this city." "Now, do you still believe all this truly serves the ordinary people?" Viktor''s words sent a chill down Aurelianne''s spine. She had been blinded by Aunt Cassandra''s few choice words and the city''s superficial prosperity. She had completely overlooked the cruel reality lurking beneath this gilded facade. Tiyebo was not the wonderful, carefree technological utopia it appeared to be. It was a voracious, money-devouring monster wrapped in a beautiful exterior. "I don''t deny that your Aunt Cassandra may have once cared for the empire''s common folk. She was, after all, once an imperial princess." "But the Reiser family was never destined to be hers alone." Viktor''s indifferent gaze swept towards the depths of the distant forest. Many elves had cautiously peeked out, drawn by the traces of natural energy, watching Viktor from afar. The moment they caught sight of him, each would startle and quickly curl back into the lush foliage. "So you must understand why they bend over backwards to please the elves." "Elves can bring them wealth to rival nations, so they exploit the elves'' power to amass even more value for themselves." When elves lose their natural energy, it''s akin to a tiger having its fangs and claws forcibly removed. Their wild nature ground away, they no longer possess the ability to protect themselves. Instead, they self-anesthetize in this manufactured "paradise", living a seemingly carefree life. All the while, they continue supplying fresh energy to the Reiser family, deluding themselves into believing that humans truly care for them. "Of course, I won''t outright condemn this behavior. These elves are, technically, willing participants. Though they were coaxed here, they haven''t actively opposed the Reiser family''s actions." Viktor''s words sank into Aurelianne''s mind one by one. Her body trembled slightly as she lowered her head, utterly bewildered. At this point, she could no longer distinguish right from wrong. Aunt Cassandra had indeed painted a beautiful future for Aurelianne. Combined with the sight of this advanced city, it had filled her with fantasies about the future. But these beautiful illusions were now shattered to pieces by Teacher Viktor. The harsh reality hidden behind the glittering facade lay bare before her. "But... why does the Reiser family need so much money?" she asked, her voice small. Viktor looked at the confused Aurelianne, about to respond when Vega''s voice suddenly whispered in his ear. "Viktor, we can leave now." The crow''s single eye no longer glowed, while Cassandra seemed utterly drained, kneeling limply on the ground. Viktor spared Cassandra a brief, indifferent glance, taking in her dispirited state. Finally, his gaze shifted towards the entrance. "Although I''d like to tell you more, but..." The doors of the research institute burst open with a thunderous rumble. Elsa charged in, leading a contingent of warriors. The guards'' eyes immediately fell upon Cassandra''s crumpled form. Elsa''s face contorted with shock and rage. Her gaze snapped up, locking onto Viktor. Elsa''s expression darkened dangerously. Her hand flew to the hilt of her sword as she barked out orders: "Alert all high-level combat forces of the family!" "Designate the intruder Viktor as the highest threat!" "Attack immediately! No need to take him alive!" The warriors drew their weapons in unison, faces grim as they formed a tight circle around Viktor. Yet Viktor remained motionless, utterly calm in the face of imminent danger. Seeing this, Aurelianne gathered her skirts and planted herself firmly between Viktor and the warriors. She faced down the armed force, chin raised defiantly. "I am Aurelianne Sol. You know who I am." "Now, tell me: what do you intend to do to my teacher?" Elsa''s eyes narrowed as she regarded the princess, but her grip on her weapon didn''t loosen. "Your Highness, please don''t make this more difficult than it needs to be." "What? You''d dare attack me as well?!" Aurelianne''s voice rang out, sharp and commanding. She fixed Elsa with a stare that belied her years, filled with a maturity and authority that gave the warriors pause. They hesitated, taking a few steps back. None present dared risk the severe consequences of raising a hand against the imperial princess. Suddenly, an eerie green glow pulsed through the air. Countless vines erupted from all directions, ensnaring the warriors in their tendrils. The vines suspended their captives, rendering their struggles futile. Aurelianne, startled by this display, began to turn. But before she could, she felt a warm, large hand gently rest atop her head. With a light touch, Viktor shifted her slightly to one side. His voice, slow and confident, sounded from just behind her. "Aurelianne." "I''m not so fragile that I need a student to protect her teacher." Chapter 152: Netorare, Forced Betrayal The warriors were suspended in mid-air, their bodies twisting as they struggled against the unyielding vines. No matter how hard they fought, the vines held firm like iron shackles, keeping them securely in place. Elsa stood alone, motionless. She was the only one not bound by this magical restraint. Surveying her incapacitated subordinates, she exhaled slowly. She tightened her grip on the massive sword at her waist, positioning the blade before her as if facing a formidable foe. Meanwhile, Viktor had cleverly maneuvered Aurelianne to his side. "I can see you''re itching for a fight," Viktor said coldly to the vigilant Elsa. "What''s holding back that anger of yours?" Elsa lowered her stance, her body taut like a drawn bow, reminiscent of a cheetah poised to strike. Viktor observed her, a smirk playing on his lips. Suddenly, he let out a laugh, "Is it because of Cindy? That warrior I left in tatters?" In an instant, Elsa''s eyes widened. She launched forward like an arrow released from a bow. The air around her seemed to split, forming a sharp rift in her wake. In the blink of an eye, Elsa became a blur. A cold glint of light traced a silver-white arc through the air, aimed directly at Viktor. The blade vibrated in the air, its cold gleam intensifying. Aurelianne, standing to the side, suddenly widened her eyes. So fast! The lightning-quick charge made it impossible for her to clearly see Elsa''s form. However... Viktor''s reaction was even swifter. As the blur thrust towards him, Viktor simply reached out with one hand and effortlessly caught the blade. His palm was sheathed in a layer of lava, forming an impenetrable defense. The moment Elsa''s blade was gripped, she saw the peculiar lava hand guard and her eyes widened in shock. Viktor looked at her disdainfully: "Want to know how I thrashed that Cindy fellow?" A sense of impending danger shot straight to the top of her head. Elsa instinctively tried to retract her sword, but Viktor''s enormous fist, encased in lava, was already descending rapidly towards her head. "Like this!" Bang! A heavy punch landed squarely on top of Elsa''s head. The intense impact momentarily robbed her of her senses, leaving her mind blank. The pain exploded instantly, causing her to crumple to the ground, rolling uncontrollably. It took a long while before Elsa''s senses gradually returned to her body. But this only brought her more intense agony. The blue light in Viktor''s eyes faded slightly. [Strength Enhancement (Large)] "Seems your strength falls short of Cindy''s." "A speed-type warrior? Or perhaps an assassin?" Elsa, enduring the pain, retreated to a safe distance. Her form gradually faded, seemingly blending with the surrounding environment. This was an assassin''s skill. [Concealment] It was hard to imagine that a woman wielding such a massive sword was actually an assassin. Although assassins were quite effective against fragile classes like mages, however... "You''re not worthy of my full effort." Viktor extended a hand, magic flashing at his fingertips. The concealed Elsa was instantly drawn towards him. His muscular hand firmly gripped Elsa''s neck, lifting her into the air. Elsa struggled in Viktor''s grasp, using all her strength to pry his fingers open, not even caring that her great sword had fallen to the ground. Viktor suddenly flung her, sending her flying directly into a giant tree. A cloud of dust rose, startling even the observing elves behind with this powerful strike. Aurelianne stood to the side, staring blankly at Viktor. Teacher Viktor''s fighting style... how was it... So different from other mages? Was this the correct way for mages to fight? She seemed to have some slight understanding, but then suddenly realized. Now, the situation had escalated dramatically. A real fight had broken out between Teacher Viktor and the Reiser family! Suddenly, those warriors broke free from the vines. Without Viktor''s continued mana input, the vines had become somewhat fragile. This allowed them to barely break free. They fell to the ground, and before they could steady themselves, they prepared to come to Elsa''s aid. But in the next second, Viktor extended a hand, pressing down slightly.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. A gray formation rapidly constructed itself in mid-air. [Second-tier Magic: Gravity] Enormous magical power poured into the formation, slamming countless warriors into the ground, unable to lift even a finger. "As spectators, you should just continue to watch from the sidelines." "I don''t have the leisure to play around with you." As he finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound reached his ears. At some point, Elsa had already stood up again, her great sword back in her hands, charging towards Viktor once more. Viktor extended a finger, quickly generating a red magic array in front of him, like a giant lion holding a solid shield. The totem merged into the center of the red array, and a barrier appeared in front of Viktor. [Second-tier Magic: Moses'' Protection] The high-speed attacking Elsa shattered the red shield the moment she touched the barrier. She was about to press her advantage, attacking Viktor in the instant the shield disappeared. But Viktor, unhurried, used one finger to touch Elsa''s forehead, as if gently tapping it. Elsa froze slightly, an ominous feeling rising from the depths of her heart. But by the time she reacted, it was already too late. [Second-tier Magic: Light Explosion] Almost instantly, a crimson explosion roared, accompanied by billowing smoke. Elsa, hit by the extremely powerful impact, flew out of the smoke like a kite with cut strings. As the smoke gradually cleared, Viktor stood calmly in place, not even his coat ruffled in the slightest. Watching Viktor deal with Elsa''s attacks so calmly and effortlessly, Aurelianne sensed a quality unique to Viktor. Elegance. She found it difficult to associate this word with the mage profession. The more powerful the mage, the stronger the magic they used, the longer the chanting time would be, and the more thorough preparation they needed. Those who had been her teachers before, were basically all like this. That cumbersome image was hard to associate with elegance. But watching Viktor''s battle alone seemed to be a kind of enjoyment. What he used were just the most basic and common spells. Yet he could fight an assassin with ease, even completely overwhelming her. It was as if... He was battle-hardened. Viktor constantly faced Elsa''s attacks, countering each move, his attention fully distributed around him. He just stood in place, yet seemed invincible. But why did the teacher only use first and second-tier spells? Could it be? "Is the teacher teaching me!?" Aurelianne was suddenly dumbfounded. Even in this situation, was Teacher Viktor still giving her a lesson? But Viktor''s effortless response, in Elsa''s eyes, seemed more like humiliation. She became incredibly angry, the muscles on her body seeming to constantly tremble, her blood flowing at high speed. The speed of her attacks also increased. The cold light flashed multiple times in an instant, but Viktor, as if he had anticipated it, easily and skillfully avoided them, and repelled her with simple methods. The great sword repeatedly scraped across the ground, carving out extremely deep furrows in the earth. After a long while, Viktor remained unscathed. The great sword never ceased its dance, and Elsa gradually became frenzied. "Why! Why, why!" She couldn''t believe it. Even if Viktor had used fourth-tier magic to defeat her with full force, she could have accepted it. But the opponent consistently used only low-tier magic to respond. One defense, one attack. Each counterattack was very effective. Although the damage wasn''t high, it was extremely insulting. Elsa''s rain-like dense attacks couldn''t touch Viktor even once. Her mentality gradually became irritated, and she began to doubt herself. The attacks became faster and faster, faster and faster. Until her body suddenly stopped in mid-air. [First-tier Magic: Telekinesis] "Had enough?" Viktor extended a finger and dropped it. With a bang, Elsa slammed heavily into the ground. She still wanted to stand up, but Viktor raised a foot and stepped on her head. This made it impossible for her to raise her head. She kept struggling, trying to lift her head, but couldn''t even perform this simple action. Viktor lowered his head, looking down at Elsa from above. "What''s your relationship with Cindy?" "Husband and wife, lovers? Or..." "Are you just simply fond of him? Admiring his strength?" Hearing this, Elsa''s struggling movements became even more intense. As if he had gotten the answer, the corners of Viktor''s mouth slightly raised. "I see." "Then, compared to him, I should be much stronger, right?" Elsa''s face was buried in the soil, and she suddenly stopped struggling. Seeing her reaction, Viktor laughed with pleasure. As if thinking of something interesting, he spoke with a smile, his words sounding like a demon''s in Elsa''s ears. "I can let that fourth-tier warrior go, and release all of you here." "But the price is, you must follow me and become my subordinate." "Then, you will cripple Cindy with your own hands." Hearing these words, Elsa became extremely angry, only to hear Viktor continue: "Otherwise, tomorrow you''ll see that guy''s corpse hanging at the entrance of the Reiser family." At this, she stopped struggling. Viktor was very satisfied. "Choose. I believe you''ll make the right choice." Those warriors, though their bodies were embedded in the ground, still shouted with difficulty from the side: "No! Don''t agree to him!" "Our reinforcements will arrive soon, Miss Elsa, please hold on!" "Madam! Please ''upgrade'' us!" But Cassandra had no reaction at all, and Viktor turned his head, his gaze falling on him. "Upgrade?" The crow on Viktor''s shoulder, its eyes flashed a golden yellow, like the morning sun, making people feel at ease. Viktor''s body was suddenly covered with a layer of holy light, a mysterious power surging in his blood. The various attributes of his body began to soar. Those warriors raised their heads with difficulty, but saw Viktor emitting golden light, completely dumbfounded. "This familiar ability..." It was clearly Madam Cassandra''s power! But why was that power bestowed upon Viktor? Their gazes turned to Cassandra, who was kneeling on the ground, looking lost. Madam Cassandra, have you betrayed the Reiser family? Viktor removed his foot from the top of Elsa''s head, slowly turning around, As if carrying a divine majesty, he looked down contemptuously at those warriors embedded in the ground. "The upgrade you mentioned." "Is this it?" Chapter 153: Using a Cannon to Shoot Mosquitoes A golden light gradually emerged from Viktor''s body, his eyes flickering with a golden-yellow glow. As his energy circulated, the surrounding air began to ripple continuously, spreading outwards like waves. Feeling the power flowing through his body, Viktor experienced an unprecedented sense of comfort. [Viktor: Kravina] Lv: 43 Lv: 45 [Upgrade status in progress Time remaining 1:59:50] HP: 16000+5000 [Equipped with Gaia] / 21000 MP: 17500/19000 It was hard to imagine that a mage would have HP higher than MP. He carefully felt his lightened body, noticing that almost all aspects of his attributes had been enhanced. It was roughly equivalent to a two-level increase. Counting the previously accumulated experience, he could use this ability to temporarily reach level 45 attributes. This was Madam Cassandra''s ability [Upgrade]. However, it now belonged to Vega. Even the power of the Inheritance Temple could be stolen by Vega. Madam Cassandra''s ability was merely a gift passed down from her diluted holy bloodline. Those warriors trembled as they watched Viktor''s aura continuously rise. The man standing before them was already incredibly powerful, and under Madam Cassandra''s [Upgrade], how much stronger would he become? They dared not imagine. Viktor didn''t care about the warriors'' thoughts. He turned around and looked at Elsa lying on the ground. He bent down, reached out a hand, and grabbed Elsa''s chin, forcibly lifting her head. Seeing the expression of humiliation, hatred, and unwillingness intertwined on her face, he felt no ripple in his heart. "So, what are you still struggling for, Elsa?" Viktor''s demonic voice sounded in Elsa''s ear, breaking down her psychological defenses step by step. "Are you going to sacrifice yourself to save everyone here?" "Or..." "Let everyone here accompany you in death?" As soon as he finished speaking, the door suddenly burst open. Outside, another batch of new warriors rushed in. They were well-equipped, their bodies covered in various steel armors flowing with magic, holding glowing firearms in their hands. Aurelianne couldn''t comprehend these novel things at all. She could only watch helplessly as those warriors gathered nearby, pointing their dark gun barrels at Viktor. A muscular man wearing incomplete armor slowly walked in. It was the guard from outside earlier, his body also emanating an extremely powerful fourth-tier aura. Blood energy gradually rose from his body, his form slightly swelling, looking exactly like a wild beast. Two powerful auras collided, causing the surrounding air to bend slightly. Soon, his gaze swept across the surroundings. Those warriors who came to support first were all lying on the ground, like puppets that had lost control, completely sunk into the earth. Madam Cassandra''s eyes were unfocused, kneeling there lifelessly. Elsa was also grabbed by the chin and lifted up by Viktor, as if being coerced. Seeing this, the man understood everything that had happened. He looked at Viktor, his body faintly emanating the aura of a powerful being. "Viktor Kravina, you are already guilty of heinous crimes! Will you not surrender?" He waved his hand, and those subordinates wearing fine armor immediately became alert, blue fluorescence flowing on their gun bodies. "Do you want to taste what it''s like to be shot into a sieve?" Viktor didn''t turn his head, but just glanced at those waiting warriors behind him with a cold sidelong glance. "It seems they didn''t give you a chance to save them." He lowered his hand, letting Elsa fall powerlessly back into the soil. The cloak on his body began to burn under the slightly trembling golden light, the intense flames stabbing towards the sky, gradually lighting up with red patterns. The red patterns gradually crawled up from his skin, passing through his shoulders and neck, reaching around his eyes. "It seems I don''t need to continue playing with you anymore." Suddenly, an incredibly shocking aura accompanied by scorching heat burst out, filling the entire space.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Before Viktor could turn around, that fourth-tier warrior sensed an unparalleled crisis, widened his eyes, and ordered the soldiers: "Quick! Launch the attack!" As soon as he finished speaking, countless warriors pulled their triggers, and the sky-piercing blue flames flashed wildly. Endless bullets mixed with the glow of magic power, the hot air and magic power blended together, making people feel extremely stuffy. The blue bullets traced smooth trajectories in the air, shooting towards Viktor at high speed. However, Viktor just casually waved his hand. A wall of fire rose from the ground out of thin air, stopping in front of Viktor. Those blue bullets turned to powder the moment they touched the fire wall, dissipating in the air. But those warriors didn''t stop attacking, whether due to fear or excitement, making them even more frenzied. Even their bullet reloading actions became faster. The gunfire continued to flash, the attack never ceasing. Aurelianne crouched behind Viktor, covering her ears with both hands. But even with her ears covered, the thunderous sound still kept entering her ears. Shock and confusion rose from her heart, making Aurelianne feel utterly perplexed. What kind of weapon was that? Finally, that thick wall of fire seemed about to disappear. The warriors seemed to see a faint hope, and the commander also appeared extremely excited, shouting: "Everyone continue! He can''t hold on much longer!" The frenzied hail of bullets rushed towards the fire wall, they completely disregarded whether the bullets would be consumed. However, the fire that seemed about to dissipate was like a wall of sighs, blocking all the bullets outside. It couldn''t be penetrated at all! Only Viktor''s voice sounded faintly behind the fire wall. "You call this firepower?" As he finished speaking, Viktor''s movements finally changed. He put one hand in his pocket, standing sideways, and raised the other hand, making a gun gesture. Sparks seemed to appear at his fingertips. A complex red array began to construct in mid-air, those exquisite and complex harmonious patterns gradually began to connect with each other, forming an extremely regular array. Energy began to gather towards the center of the array, sparks gradually coming together. The flickering flame in the center of the magic array became more and more violent, more and more rapid. The surrounding air gradually began to fluctuate, sparks scattered, as if unable to control that power. Elsa raised her head, being the closest, she felt the sense of crisis more intensely. Suddenly, she widened her eyes and hurriedly shouted. "Viktor! I agree..." "Too late." A desperate voice sounded in Elsa''s ear, blocking her last words. She stared blankly at the light emanating from Viktor''s fingertips, and in a daze, seemed to hear a faint whisper. "Bang." As the words fell, a line of golden fire shot out from Viktor''s fingers, like flames surging from a gun barrel. Accompanied by a strong sonic boom, instantly! An extremely wild red light, like the sun, covered the entire space. The intense pillar of fire, like a fierce beast, surged towards the enemy. Fire tongues danced. Seeing this incredibly powerful magic, the commander''s eyes bulged, and he ordered loudly: "Defend! Defend quickly!" Countless soldiers stepped forward, taking out shields flowing with blue magic from their backs, standing in front. A blue light gradually connected them, a cyan energy shield slowly rising from the ground. [Blue Array Interception] The warriors shouted fiercely, the huge barrier seemed to withstand the surging powerful flames. But the next second, the raging flames carrying endless energy seemed to completely devour that barrier. The raging flames surrounded them, making a terrifying crackling sound. White hot light, like a nuclear explosion. Swallowed all the countless people present. [Flame Severance Resentment] The surrounding ruins were illuminated by the flames, smoke and dust filled the air, and the screams from the enemies abruptly stopped. Only Viktor still stood in that reddish-brown light, the glow of the flames reflected in his eyes, like the dance of fire spirits. Aurelianne and Elsa watched the whole process from a safe position. At this moment, only shock remained in their hearts. War magic. They had never seen any mage who could release such powerful war magic so easily by himself. Elsa, with dust on her face, looked at the flames that continued to roll forward in shock. In her mind, one thought occupied everything. Awe. Finally, the fire gradually dissipated. And the red stripes on Viktor''s body also gradually subsided, his coat regained its color, dimmed down, and swayed in the wind. He stood calmly in front of the giant pillar of fire, his finger still pointing towards the direction of the enemy, as if announcing the arrival of victory. The fire pillar gradually dispersed. And those warriors at the forefront had long disappeared under the constantly surging flames. A large number of firearms were melted by this flame, red-hot molten iron sank to the ground, and even human bodies were completely vaporized. That seemingly invincible barrier only withstood part of the damage from this magic. Many warriors'' bodies still retained the upper half of charred flesh. But their lower bodies had turned to ashes in the flames, dissipating with sparks. They were already dead, only half a corpse left. Those warriors who had just broken free from Viktor''s restraints were completely submerged by a violent flame, dying gloriously. Not even a complete skeleton was left. Only the fourth-tier leader remained, barely alive after being burned by the flames. Viktor walked to him step by step. Looking at him with an extremely cold gaze. He didn''t even have time to beg for mercy. The next second. A flame flew from Viktor''s palm onto his body. Gradually devouring his last bit of life. Viktor turned around, no longer looking at the warrior who had turned to ashes. Instead, he looked at Elsa, whose mind was already occupied by fear. His voice sounded indifferently. "Last chance." "Pledge allegiance, or..." "Perish." Chapter 154: The Princesss Daily Training An endless sea of fire spread around, scorching heat engulfing the remnants of human bodies. A reddish-black hue began to flow between heaven and earth, forming what seemed like a small mountain. The state of those human deaths was horrifically tragic. In the flames, they didn''t even have time to resist. Even from a distance, Aurelianne could smell the acrid odor of burnt flesh wafting from the corpses. She stared blankly at the incredibly gruesome scene before her, suddenly covering her mouth. Her eyes widened, and her body doubled over. The cruel image was momentarily too much for her to bear. At this moment, she dared not look at her teacher again. That terrifyingly powerful war magic had turned these warriors into ashes in just an instant. Although Aurelianne had killed monsters with her own hands before, Facing human corpses, appearing before her in such a bizarre and terrifying manner, Her heart couldn''t help but churn with nausea and fear. Killing magical beasts and killing humans were entirely different matters. A sense of discomfort gradually spread throughout her body, and her stomach began to convulse. If it weren''t for forcibly controlling her body through sheer willpower, she might have vomited long ago. Why did she have to witness this sickening and disturbing scene? Why did Teacher Viktor have to kill them? But Aurelianne didn''t ask this foolish question. She had lived in the imperial palace for over a decade. During these ten-plus years, she had seen too much scheming and intrigue. This taught her how to be a good child in others'' eyes, and how to act to please others. She wouldn''t be foolish enough to criticize Viktor. These people had attacked them indiscriminately, wielding those mysterious, magically-driven weapons that fired blue projectiles at her teacher. Her teacher was merely retaliating. Aurelianne understood this principle deeply. She had no right to judge Viktor''s actions. ''But...'' She felt so sick, she wanted to vomit. Aurelianne seemed to see Viktor in this state for the first time. Cruel, merciless. This teacher suddenly felt somewhat unfamiliar to her. Suddenly, she heard Viktor''s voice, cold and resonating nearby. "Pledge loyalty, or..." "Perish with them." Aurelianne looked at the scene, somewhat unable to accept it. Before this, that female guard had accompanied her from the capital to this place. She had always maintained a cold demeanor. But now. Elsa looked up at Viktor, trembling. Her heart no longer held any resentment; reverence gradually turned into fear, burying all other emotions. She had never seen such a terrifying being before. A fourth-tier mage? No... He couldn''t be called just a fourth-tier mage. Elsa had seen many mages. Even when she was still an adventurer, she had a fourth-tier mage as a teammate. But no mage could be like Viktor. He was like the embodiment of violence and destruction. He wasn''t a mage. He was a monster wearing the profession of a mage as a cloak. Elsa''s body kept trembling, her previous courage long exhausted. Gradually, she lowered her head and knelt on the ground. "...Yes." As Elsa knelt on the ground, pledging loyalty to Viktor, Viktor merely gave her a cold glance before raising his head again. He didn''t care at all whether Elsa would agree to him or not. For Viktor, this was just one of the few moments of amusement he could think of. He didn''t even comfort Aurelianne, just coldly watching her actions as she struggled to suppress her discomfort. Although her current state was far from good. ''But...'' This was something she, as the ''Eternal Witch'' and future Sol IX, would inevitably experience. Viktor was merely fulfilling his duty.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Teaching. "Playtime is over, Lady Cassandra." Viktor turned his gaze back to Cassandra, looking at this former princess who couldn''t accept reality. "It''s time for you to wake up." As his words fell, Cassandra slowly raised her head. With disheveled hair and a pale face, she looked like a pitiful person who had lost her soul. "My lady, anger cannot solve anything." "We could have handled this better." Viktor raised his head, looking down at Cassandra. "Unfortunately, this outcome was your choice first." Viktor stood in front of her, slowly moving his body to the side, as if deliberately allowing Cassandra to see clearly the sea of fire behind him. To see clearly those horrifying, terrified corpse remains. Cassandra''s eyes widened, as if going mad, kneeling on the ground and laughing: "Viktor, at this point, are you still trying to mock me?" "My lady, I just want you to recognize the difference between us." Viktor adjusted the collar of his coat with both hands, his tone utterly calm. "Even if all the forces of your Reiser family were here today, it would be futile." "My power is not limited to this." As soon as he finished speaking, the towering sea of fire gradually subsided at this moment. Tender green sprouts emerged from within, sparse greenery spread out, covering this magical indoor forest anew. Those corpse remains seemed to have turned into fertilizer, entwined and buried by roots, as sturdy branches shot up from the ground. In an instant, the wild grass became extremely lush, the greenery seeming to wash away the despair from earlier, with a natural feeling permeating the surroundings. Those elves who were secretly observing were equally surprised to see this suddenly grown forest. Amazement, adoration... various emotions emanated from their bodies at once. As the intense natural energy washed over her, Cassandra raised her head, looking at the miraculous greenery. The surrounding flames seemed to gradually dissipate under the greenery. It was as if no battle had ever taken place here. Viktor smiled faintly: "Even if you could defeat me, so what?" "Since I could enter here, I can leave at any time." Cassandra didn''t respond. Because she knew that what Viktor said was an absolute fact. If Viktor hadn''t deliberately revealed himself, she would have had no way to discover his presence. A fourth-tier mage who could appear before her anytime, anywhere. This was undoubtedly an extremely serious potential threat to the Reiser family. Cassandra''s voice trembled slightly: "What exactly makes you so hostile towards the Reiser family?" "My lady." Viktor narrowed his eyes, looking at her coldly. "Even you would do anything for your family." "..." In an instant, Cassandra fell silent. But Viktor''s voice didn''t stop. "My conditions remain unchanged." "Gather what I want, and I''ll return your son to you." Viktor put one hand in his pocket and lifted the dazed Aurelianne with the other, turning around. "By the way, your guard is not bad." "Now, she belongs to me." Elsa stood up trembling, casting a very guilty look at Cassandra, then lowered her head and followed behind Viktor, slowly leaving. Cassandra weakly raised her head, looking at Viktor''s receding figure. Suddenly, she noticed the crow perched on Viktor''s shoulder. Without realizing it, it slowly turned around, staring at Cassandra with its single eye. In its eye, a golden color flashed across the bottom. In a daze, she could only see a glimmer of mockery flash in the crow''s eye, as if it was giggling. Just like... A deceiver who had stolen everything from her. And was about to mock her mercilessly in front of her face. Suddenly, a black wind began to blow without warning. Its color grew deeper, as if to completely engulf Viktor and his group, sweeping up. Cassandra stared blankly at that black whirlwind. Until it gradually disappeared, and sunlight fell again. But Viktor''s figure seemed to have vanished along with that black wind. Disappearing without a trace. Cassandra looked at where Viktor had disappeared, recalling the glimmer that flashed in the crow''s eye before it left. She reached out a hand, trying to summon her power in the air. However, no power responded to her call. At this moment, Cassandra''s mood became incredibly complex. It felt like relief, yet also like loss. Perhaps the curse imprinted in her bloodline had finally been removed, and she would no longer have to participate in those wars she so despised due to this damned ability. Or perhaps the dissipation of this power made her nostalgic for the glory that once belonged only to her. It was as if a tangled web enveloped her, leaving her nowhere to go. Cassandra lowered her head and sat on the ground. Hugging her legs, utterly desolate. The surrounding greenery began to grow gradually, and countless elves peeked out from the forests all around, walking towards Cassandra. They surrounded Cassandra, silently watching her. A sense of sorrow and loneliness gradually entwined around them. In the interplay of sunlight and greenery, it seemed to intensify even more. ... "Teacher, I... feel a bit unwell." Outside the Reiser family''s gate, Aurelianne finally couldn''t contain her emotions and spoke to Viktor. She had never been a cruel child, and when she saw that brutal scene and Aunt Cassandra''s desolation, Her heart was filled with nothing but sympathy, unable to say anything else. But Aurelianne understood that the hatred between the Reiser family and her teacher was irreconcilable. However... "Teacher, why did it turn out like this?" Aurelianne lowered her head, feeling dejected. "I originally thought that if I came back with Aunt, I could prevent the conflict between you." "In the end, I couldn''t prevent anything." Suddenly, a strong hand was placed on Aurelianne''s head. An intense sense of reassurance filled her heart, and her teacher''s voice softly sounded in her ear. "Because she is your family, so you instinctively want to shield her, protect her." Viktor looked straight ahead, gazing at this advanced city that remained bright even at night. Even though the Reiser family had suffered casualties, it didn''t affect its operation. Surrounded by the lights around him, it was as if he had returned to his former world. "But, I''m the same." Lia was also his family in this world. So, within his capabilities, Viktor would not allow anyone to cause her even the slightest grievance. Aurelianne raised her head blankly, looking at Viktor''s stern face. Without realizing it, even she didn''t know why, The words suddenly came out. "Then... will you protect me for a lifetime too?" "..." The wind began to blow again. As if carrying a hint of melancholy. Chapter 155: The Domesticated Kitten Goes into Heat In the end, the Reiser family yielded and agreed to compensate the Kravina family. This news quickly caused a stir in the nobility circles and began to spread like wildfire. However, apart from the families directly involved, no one knew the truth behind this incident. The Reiser family remained tight-lipped about the matter, only agreeing to the demands put forward by the Kravina family. Many who were waiting for further developments on the incident had no way of obtaining information. But soon, another piece of news emerged, drawing public attention. Crown Prince Aubrey, who had recently returned to the capital, announced to the people that he would lead the army back to the south again. People began to speculate. The second prince had already led his troops to the far north to investigate matters concerning demons. And now the crown prince was also taking his army back to the southern lands. This aroused suspicion among many. No matter how much news spread or how chaotic it became, the royal family seemed unaffected and began to take action. And the cause of all these events, Was all related to the man caught up in a series of incidents. Viktor Kravina. ..... Three days later, a group of carriages loaded with heavy cargo slowly stopped in front of the Kravina mansion. Lia had been standing at the entrance early, arms folded across her chest, a smile on her face, as she sent people to start counting the goods delivered by the carriages. She lifted the burlap, revealing gleaming blades and shining armor underneath. The blades were slightly curved at the hilt, with thin and light blades that sent chills down one''s spine. They looked as if a block of ice had been carved into weapons, seemingly with a streak of crimson flame flowing within. The armor was piled into a small mountain, with sharp spikes embedded on the shoulders. The bones of magical beasts were fused beneath the double iron walls of the armor, looking extremely light yet constantly emitting an intimidating aura. Moreover, the five hundred million Geo had already been transferred to the Kravina territory''s account. Lia had been a merchant for a good ten years. Until today, she had never seen so much money. Strings of numbers flowed continuously in the account, almost dazzling her eyes. "The Reiser family is really loaded, sending over so many things without a peep," Lia said, looking at the fully loaded goods, her heart blooming with joy. The servants from the Reiser family who were delivering the goods heard Lia''s words, gritted their teeth, but dared not make a sound, only seething inwardly. Even Lady Cassandra had already voluntarily yielded to the Viktor family, what could they, as subordinates, say? Suddenly, a vortex of air rose from the ground. Blue-white light began to dance in the air, thousands of blue micro-lights gradually falling from the sky, swirling like liquid in the air for a few circles before landing on the ground. Viktor''s form gradually materialized. The vortex whipped his coat, slowly appearing beside Lia. Lia was startled and was about to say something, but saw Viktor intently examining the equipment on the carriages. She closed her mouth, not wanting to disturb Viktor. "Send these to the basement," he said. "All of it?" she asked. Viktor nodded slightly, turning towards the massive mansion. Lia was still a bit confused, but then she heard Viktor''s voice drifting back: "Just to remind you, that money might be spent completely." Hearing Viktor''s words, Lia blinked her eyes, "Huh?" Her mind went blank for a moment, and she couldn''t help but shout: "Viktor! What are you going to do that could spend five hundred million?!" "Explain it to me!" Viktor didn''t explain further to her, continuing to walk forward, his form gradually dissipating. After a long while, the basement door was pushed open with a creak. A damp and musty smell wafted out. Vanilla slowly walked in, her tail gently swaying behind her. The single-wheeled carts behind her entered the room in an orderly manner under the effect of magic. They almost completely filled the entire basement. After finishing all this, she turned to look at the man behind her, gracefully curtsying. "Master, it''s all prepared." Viktor reached out his hand and gently rubbed Vanilla''s head.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Vanilla very much enjoyed the feeling of being stroked by the warm hand, involuntarily narrowing her eyes. Her ears stood up and began to lean towards the center, her tail wagging faster. "You''ve improved very quickly." "It''s thanks to Miss Henie''s good teaching." Viktor withdrew his hand, and feeling the warmth leave, Vanilla felt a bit lost. "You can go rest now." "Yes." "Please call me anytime if you need anything, Master." She curtsied slightly, turned and left the basement, walking into the dark passage. Viktor watched her departing figure, while Vega on his shoulder glanced at him: "What, feeling reluctant?" "I heard their tongues have barbs, is that true?" Viktor coldly glanced at Vega. "Where did you hear that from?" "From novels, the things written in them are all so exciting, do you want to read them together?" Vega giggled, but Viktor no longer paid attention to it, saying indifferently: "Aren''t you interested in how much a demi-human mage can grow?" "Tch, I only care about myself," Vega said somewhat disdainfully, turning its bird head away. Even if that was its believer, Vega operated on the principle of not being responsible for the followers it gained. As long as they could bring it power, that was enough. Viktor walked towards the depths of the basement, not raising his head. "You should read fewer of those novels in the future." "Why?" "They''re not good for your brain." Creak The heavy wooden door of the basement slowly closed in the darkness. Henie lay sprawled on her desk, her brows furrowed, allowing the sunlight to fall on her unsmiling face, giving her a somewhat melancholic appearance. She held a pen in her hand, writing and sketching in a massive notebook. Although her previous notes had been destroyed, the knowledge she could recite by heart would not be forgotten. When she had nothing else to do, she often rewrote this knowledge, recording it anew with her pen. As she was writing in her notebook, there was a knock at the door. Knock, knock. Henie was a bit puzzled but still pushed back her chair, stood up, and opened the door. As the door opened, a small cat dressed in a black and white maid outfit stood before her. The petite body paired with the somewhat oversized maid outfit looked a bit incongruous. However, her gentle aura could not be concealed by the maid outfit. Vanilla placed her hands on her chest and bowed deeply to Henie: "Miss Henie." "Ah, it''s Vanilla." Seeing her, Henie wasn''t surprised. The professor had mentioned that Vanilla was a new maid in their household, with a very special status as a demi-human. She knew how unfairly demi-humans were discriminated against in human society. Although different from humans, her kind-hearted nature made her disapprove of the behavior of ostracizing demi-humans. When she learned that Vanilla had been captured, she felt even more sympathetic. So she took extra care of her. Therefore, she would teach Vanilla some magic every day. Because Henie had been unable to become a mage for a long time, she often faced cold stares and bullying from others at the academy. Every time she saw Vanilla, Henie would recall those unpleasant experiences. She didn''t want those bad experiences to be repeated with Vanilla. So she always taught her with great patience. As for why it was her teaching, and not Cocotte, who was clearly superior in both magical knowledge and power, Even Henie knew how lazy that elf was; asking her to teach would be too much. "Come in!" Henie ushered Vanilla into her bedroom. In the room, Henie sat on the bed and looked at Vanilla beside her, asking: "How''s your study of telekinesis magic coming along?" Vanilla didn''t say much, just put her hands behind her back, her long, slender tail swaying slightly. On the desk in front of her, a red flower pot gradually began to emit a green light, floating in mid-air. It turned two circles in the air before landing back in its original position on the desk. Henie watched Vanilla''s telekinesis magic with some surprise. "What amazing talent, and you only started learning this magic yesterday." "Although telekinesis is one of the more commonly used first-tier magics, to be able to use it to this extent is already quite proficient." Hearing Henie''s praise, Vanilla''s tail kept swaying, seeming very happy. "You flatter me." "Hmm, it looks like I need to increase the difficulty for you." Henie turned around and began to flip through the first few pages of her thick notebook, intently looking for more basic magic. Her black robe swayed dramatically as Henie moved her body. Vanilla, watching Henie wearing clothes that didn''t fit her at all, couldn''t help but feel puzzled. "Um, Miss Henie, please forgive my impertinence in asking." "Why do you always wear such a large robe?" Henie turned back, looking down at her own clothes. "Ah, this?" She reached out and tugged at the wide collar, then said: "This was given to me by the professor. He said I should wear it all the time, otherwise it might cause trouble for others." Vanilla tilted her head. "Cause trouble?" Vanilla felt confused. "Although I don''t quite understand, could you take off your clothes and let me see?" "This..." Henie looked to the side, feeling a bit conflicted. But when she saw the expectation in Vanilla''s eyes, her heart softened a bit. After all... they were both girls, so it should be fine, right? Thinking this, Henie unbuttoned her chest. The large black robe gradually fell away. Suddenly, Vanilla froze in place. Underneath the robe was just a very normal outfit, a brown top and beige wide-leg pants, which looked unexpectedly coordinated. And big. The curvaceous figure was already fully displayed even in ordinary clothing. And very big. Not much of the fair skin was exposed, but as if enhanced by some kind of magic, it seemed to glow slightly. Very big. A strange sense of allure attracted Vanilla. As the little cat girl stared, her gaze became somewhat dreamy, and her cheeks flushed slightly. The air seemed to have become a bit sultry, her tail raised high, as if petrified in the air. Suddenly, a sharp and somewhat unpleasant cat cry erupted from Vanilla''s throat. "Meow~" Soon, she stood there stunned. Henie also froze in place. As their eyes met, Vanilla''s face turned bright red, like a ripe apple. She immediately stood up, pushed open the door, and hurriedly rushed down the stairs, running out. But Henie remained rooted to the spot, as if realizing something, and blurted out: "Was that just now..." "The mating call of a female cat?" Chapter 156: Why Dont You Ask My Brother to Help? Henie was completely stunned. She stared blankly at Vanilla''s departure, hurriedly putting back on the black robe that could conceal her charm. Before this, even she herself wasn''t clear why Professor Viktor had asked her to always wear this outfit. And now, after Vanilla''s attempt, the thing that had always puzzled her seemed to have found some answers. Perhaps the problem was with her? Some idea flashed through her mind, feeling within reach. But Henie still wanted to try once. After all, practice makes perfect. However, Professor Viktor had said that she shouldn''t take off this robe casually. Moreover, Henie would never do such a thing to ordinary people randomly. Whether it was because of her own shyness or because she would be seen as a pervert. So... She paced back and forth in the room, suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her mind. There were two candidates in her heart. One was Professor Viktor. But the professor would never let her take off her clothes, and besides... She would also feel a bit shy to do this in front of the professor. As for the other candidate. She already had the answer in her heart. "I need to find Cocotte quickly." Henie used magic to push open the door and hurried down to the garden. ...... At this moment, in the garden of the Kravina mansion, Cocotte and Lexi were in the midst of a sea of flowers, facing each other. Cocotte sat on a cloud, with an expression of extreme drowsiness. While Lexi stood opposite her, looking at her with some anxiety. "Your Majesty, you..." "Oh, how annoying, I''ve told you not to call me Your Majesty!" "Alright, Your Majesty, when will you come back with me?" Cocotte sprawled on the cloud, her face wearing an expression of extreme helplessness and frustration. "I don''t want to! I don''t want to go back!" "I don''t want to be just a machine for reproduction!" This sentence reached the ears of many servants passing by the garden. They looked towards the garden with utter shock. Soon, the servants covered their faces, trotting away from the garden in embarrassment. Probably after some time, rumors about a certain former fourth-tier councilor would spread throughout the Kravina family. Although now, Cocotte was still very stubborn. Lexi widened her eyes, equally devastated. "But... if this continues." "The Elf race will eventually become extinct!" "Then why not just choose a new Elf Queen?" Cocotte sprawled on the cloud, waving her hand indifferently. Lexi continued: "But, no elf could be as excellent as you, able to gain the recognition of the Yade Divine Tree." "Oh my! Then let her go get the recognition!" "But!" Cocotte hurriedly covered her ears, shaking her head with an extremely unwilling expression. Seeing her reaction, a hint of disappointment flashed in Lexi''s eyes. Cocotte became even more impatient, waving her hand and explaining loudly: "Guess why I hid in Endymion for decades? Isn''t it because you guys always nag in my ears?" "What does extinction or not have to do with me? I don''t want to be this queen!" "Just because the Yade Divine Tree chose me, so I have to stay in that broken tree forever? What a joke!" Lexi stared blankly at Cocotte. Having stayed in the Kravina family for so many days. She had never seen Cocotte show such an angry side. Lexi felt unable to understand. Being chosen by the Yade Divine Tree to become the queen.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Shouldn''t it be a great honor? But why is this? "Because it''s a kind of forced coercion against her will." At some point, Lia stood nearby, arms folded, watching the argument between the two elves. Both elves reacted and looked towards Lia. "I just heard from the servants that you were discussing something particularly exciting." "I''m quite interested, so I came to listen." Lia blinked and shrugged: "But now, I understand." Why would Cocotte rather run to Endymion and become a councilor than inherit her position as the Elf Queen? Before this, Lia was still a bit confused. No matter how good the status of a councilor is, it surely can''t compare to being the queen of a race. Cocotte lay on the cloud, half of her face buried in the white cloud beneath her, only her eyes exposed, feeling a bit unhappy. "It''s like this." The Yade Divine Tree forcibly chose her. For Cocotte, she didn''t care what her identity was. She just needed a stable place to sleep. But inside the divine tree, even if she wanted to sleep, she would hear the constant prayers of the elves. It was like mosquitoes buzzing in her ears constantly. It made it impossible for Cocotte to sleep. This is a very ironic thing. Due to the special nature of elves, no one can force elves to do things they don''t want to do. However, the mother of the elves - the ''Yade Divine Tree'', violated this rule. The Yade Divine Tree forcibly named the elves, giving them different identities. Every elf assigned a different surname had to obey their own position. And the elf who obtained the surname ''Yade'' needed to strictly adhere to her position. Becoming that leader who reproduces for the elves. The young Cocotte was unwilling to be bound by the divine tree, and even more unwilling to be forced by her fellow elves. So she took advantage of the night when her people were off guard, escaped from the divine tree, escaped from the Elf Forest. Although she eventually became an employee of the Kravina family, compared to when she was the queen before... It''s much freer here than within the tribe. Called the freest race, yet their queen couldn''t have a bit of freedom. How ironic it sounds. Cocotte lowered her eyebrows, as if unwilling to recall the past, completely burying her head in the cloud, her body also calming down. But Lexi still couldn''t accept it, she could only quietly look at Cocotte and say: "If you don''t go back..." "At least, I should bring your news back to the forest." Having said that, she turned to leave. But then, Lia''s voice sounded, stopping her. "Hey, little girl... uh, your age might be much older than mine? Nevermind." She shrugged, and when Lexi''s puzzled gaze turned to her, Lia took out that black and white contract and waved it in front of Lexi. Lexi blinked, feeling a bit confused. "Don''t forget, we have a contract between us." "As an employee of Kravina, if you leave here, it would be equivalent to breaching the contract." Lia put away the contract and smiled at Lexi: "I don''t need to tell you the consequences of breaching the contract, right?" Lexi''s body trembled slightly, saying somewhat stubbornly: "You, you''re forcing me!" "Wrong~ How can exercising my rights over my employees be called forcing?" Lia still wore a smile. But her words full of calculation sounded a bit harsh to Lexi. "It''s written clearly on the contract, this is not forcing." "This is the condition you agreed to with me." Lexi''s mind was in a daze, flashing back to many memories of that time. Find the Elf Queen. The premise is to sign the contract. Become an employee of the Kravina family. She widened her eyes, stepping back a few steps, feeling somewhat incredulous. At this moment, she finally understood. How foolish she was when she first entered human society. She had become a poor soul controlled by others just like this? "Is this... human calculation?" A feeling of being out of control filled her heart, Lexi''s body seemed to go limp, unable to stand steady. At this moment, she seemed to personally experience Cocotte''s predicament. That feeling of being forced, yet powerless to resist. It really feels terrible. Lia ignored Lexi who was struggling to accept reality, swaying her waist as she walked to Cocotte''s side. Seeing her lying on the cloud, looking dispirited and sad. Lia sighed slightly, her gaze softening a bit. She reached out a hand and gently patted Cocotte''s back. "Alright, we promised you that we wouldn''t let other elves force you to go back." "You''re an employee of our family, how could I let you go back to inherit the title of queen?" Cocotte still didn''t respond. Seeing this, Lia became a bit worried and continued. "Come on, get up, no one will force you anymore." "In the Kravina family, you are free." There was still no sound from Cocotte in the cloud. Lia was a bit worried, She slowly leaned her head over tentatively. But she only heard a few quiet breaths, exceptionally steady: "Zzzzzzz..." "...?" Lia was stunned for a moment, looking at Cocotte who was completely buried in the cloud in disbelief, and even pushed her a bit. But there was no response at all. "She... fell asleep!?" Damn it, give me back my concern from just now! She helplessly withdrew her hand and covered her head. "I''m really stupid, how could I worry about someone as heartless as you." But just as she lowered her head, a black figure emerged from the lush part of the garden. She crossed over the high flower wall, blocking the bright sun. Appearing in front of everyone. "Cocotte! Can you help me look at..." The moment the voice sounded, Lia raised her head, her gaze following the sound. She saw Henie. This little teaching assistant who was actually very beautiful, yet had to wear an unfashionable, oversized robe. At this moment, she had placed her hand on the button at her chest, as if about to unbutton her clothes. But she also saw Lia, and the movement of her hand paused. Henie looked at Lia, Lia looked at Henie. Their eyes met. Inadvertently, Lia''s words slipped out. "Henie, you..." "If you really can''t hold it anymore, you can go find Viktor." Chapter 157: Masters Task On the crafting table lay an armor piece and a blade, side by side. Viktor gently placed his hand on the equipment, which glittered under the lamplight. A white light gradually emanated from above. Before his eyes, a line of unique text appeared. [Do you want to spend 500,000 Geo to enhance?] Viktor''s voice sounded faintly. "Enhance." As the words fell, a golden light burst from Viktor''s hand, floating towards the equipment, slowly fusing with the steel. The white light began to change, gradually replaced by a golden glow, like lake water, submerging the equipment. A blue panel materialized in front of Viktor. [Enhancement successful.] He examined the attribute columns of the equipment, narrowing his eyes. [Armor: Mostle''s Armor (Enhanced +5)] [Effect: HP: +3500, Defense: +100, Elemental Resistance: +35%] [Skill: Wear and Tear - When attacked, the enemy''s weapon wear rate increases by 50%] [Weapon: Molten Iron Blade (Enhanced +5)] [Effect: Attack Power: +150, Fire Attribute Damage: +30%, Attack Speed: +40%] [Skill: Flame Sword Qi - Your attacks will carry 20% fire attribute damage.] Equipment enhancement - another special ability that players could use. Enhancing equipment required certain conditions. For such basic ordinary equipment, the enhancement condition was to spend a large amount of Geo. Each piece of equipment could be enhanced up to five times. The price of each enhancement would increase, starting from 100,000 Geo, and increasing by 100,000 Geo after each enhancement. Until the final 500,000. But if players wanted to continue enhancing after reaching the limit of five enhancements... Viktor looked up, and the panel appeared before his eyes again. [Do you want to spend 1 million Geo to evolve the weapon - Note, this enhancement may fail, and if it fails, the enhancement count will be reset to zero.] "Enhance." Viktor didn''t hesitate and calmly stated his decision. As the words fell, a golden light surged from his hand, transforming into an enormous golden hammer, smashing down hard on the not-so-large workbench. In an instant, golden light began to reflect from the steel, and flames began to dance on the equipment. The armor in front of him had now become as small as a skeleton, with the steel on it turning sharp and vibrant. The bone spikes embedded around the armor made it even more intimidating. [Armor: Mostle''s Indomitable Will] [Effect: HP: +5500, Defense: +200, All Resistance: +50%] [Skill: Indomitable Thorns - When attacked, the enemy''s weapon wear rate increases by 80%, and 30% of the damage from this attack is returned.] The evolved armor had reached its peak and could no longer be enhanced by players. Viktor set it aside and turned his attention to the blade. The same text appeared before his eyes, and Viktor calmly placed his hand on the blade. But the moment he touched it, the golden light began to waver. The glow gradually dimmed, and then wisps of black smoke rose from the equipment. Viktor narrowed his eyes, seeming to have anticipated this outcome. Enhancement failed. For equipment that fails to evolve, its enhancement value resets to zero. This meant that the 1.5 million Geo previously invested in this weapon was all wasted. Vega stood by, watching the golden light continuously emitting from Viktor''s palm, marveling. It could clearly sense that the equipment that had undergone the baptism of golden light had become much stronger. "I''m very curious, what kind of power is this exactly?" "The power of money." Viktor casually replied, watching the amount of Geo in his account rapidly dwindling, without much fluctuation in his heart. For a professional player, the currency in the game was just a string of numbers. Being able to convert this string of numbers into a guarantee to strengthen oneself was the most important thing.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Moreover, this was money he had extorted for free anyway. He didn''t feel any pain at the loss. But after the first successful evolution of the armor, his luck turned sour. Evolving over and over again, the Geo decreased continuously like a flowing stream. It took nearly 30 million Geo before finally crafting a successfully breakthrough long sword. Viktor examined the blade as the golden light gradually dissipated, slowly picking it up. On the straight blade, slanted spikes appeared on both sides. Mysterious golden runes were inlaid on the blade, as if there was an extremely special spirit constantly roaring. The runes began to glow faintly, starting from the base of the blade, red light gradually spread across the entire steel. [Weapon: Wrath of the Fire God] [Effect: Attack Power: +300, Fire Attribute Damage: +50%, Attack Speed: +60%] [Skill: Resentment - Your attacks will carry 50% fire attribute damage, and after a certain charging time, can release a sword qi at most, dealing 400% damage of this attack] "Not bad." Viktor examined it for a while, then let go. The blade quickly vanished in mid-air, stored in his backpack. There were still a hundred pieces of equipment left, piled up in the corner like a small mountain. Viktor had only evolved two pieces of equipment, and evolving the remaining equipment would require too much Geo. Moreover, if it failed once, it would be a complete waste. Quit while you''re ahead. Viktor''s finger pointed in the air, storing two of the equipment in his backpack. "Next, it''s time to test their power." He turned and walked towards the outside, and Vega quickly flapped its wings and flew to his shoulder. The heavy wooden door of the basement creaked open, then slammed shut. A dull sound echoed throughout the basement. ..... Darkness, all darkness. A small house built entirely of stone, without even a lamp lit. Elsa, sleeping in the depths of darkness, sat leaning on the bed, her eyes hollow, her head lowered. As if she had completely lost consciousness. It had been three days since she left the Reiser family. During these three days, Elsa''s state had been like this. Whenever she thought of that war magic released by Viktor. Her body would uncontrollably start to tremble. That terrible killing scene could flash before her eyes. The door slowly opened, a beam of light shot in from the high doorway, shining on Elsa''s pale and haggard face. After not seeing sunlight for a long time, she instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes from the light. Pain filled her eyes. Gradually adapting to the light, she saw the person walking into the room. Ding dong - Two crisp sounds, that was the sound of metal colliding with rock. Two pieces of equipment were thrown onto the ground. Elsa slowly lowered her head, looking at the armor and blade that had fallen on the ground, her mind a bit dazed. When she was in the Reiser family, she had seen that armor. It was made from parts dropped by a rare monster called Mostle. And the other blade, Elsa also knew. Made from rare molten iron in the volcano, its power was not to be underestimated. These extremely precious equipment were all prepared for the Reiser family''s subjugation team. Looking at them, Elsa was very clear that the Reiser family had agreed to compensate Viktor. "Put it on, take up the weapon." The familiar cold voice sounded, and Elsa numbly stood up, cleanly and neatly taking off the cloth armor wrapped around her body in front of Viktor. She didn''t care at all about her exposed skin, bent down, easily put on the armor, and picked up the blade. The moment she put on the armor, she felt an extremely powerful force added to her body. This was unreasonable. If this was equipment brought from the Reiser family, it couldn''t possibly bring such an obvious power to the user. She could hardly believe it, but the feeling in her body wouldn''t lie. Viktor quietly looked at the level and HP above Elsa''s head. Lv41 The effect was very obvious. This equipment had increased her HP by a lot. What Elsa was wearing now were those ordinary armor and weapons enhanced to the extreme. However, he still hoped to see Elsa''s performance in actual combat. So, he looked at Elsa and said. "Don''t you want to see Cindy?" At the sound of his voice, Elsa slowly raised her head and looked at Viktor. In her hollow eyes, there was finally some fluctuation. "Then follow me." As the words fell, Viktor left the small house. Elsa hurriedly followed behind, the armor on her body did not make her feel any hindrance. Instead, she felt that her body had become much lighter. She followed behind Viktor like this, her eyes couldn''t help but fall on Viktor''s neck. Now Viktor seemed to be completely unguarded... Elsa couldn''t help but have an idea. If now, she were to sneak attack him... Could she succeed? Once this idea appeared, it wouldn''t go away. Now, she was wearing extremely powerful armor. The sharp blade in her hand gave her unimaginable power. Now, if she sneak attacked, it must work. Because he''s just a mage, under such close-range conditions, a mage couldn''t resist the attack of an assassin of the same level. Couldn''t resist... right? Suddenly, Elsa recalled the scene of her confrontation with Viktor. In close combat, she was completely crushed. There was no hope of winning at all. The idea that had just arisen disappeared without a trace. At some point, Viktor had completely crushed all of her confidence. Even if she now had powerful strength, even if the opportunity was within reach. She would also think. Viktor was just deliberately selling her a flaw. Or rather, he simply wouldn''t care about her sneak attack. He was very strong, strong to the point of being unreasonable. Even if she really did sneak attack in advance. It would probably be easily dealt with by Viktor. Elsa completely lost the desire to take action. She lowered her head and continued to follow behind Viktor. Just as she lowered her head, she didn''t notice. The eye of that black crow were watching her at all times. Chapter 158: Caught in the Act, Already in the Shape of the Master Passing through an extremely dark and winding tunnel, Elsa saw its end. It was a staircase entrance, appearing before the two through a faint light. Below the stairs, it was pitch black, impossible to discern anything. But Elsa had a very strong premonition. The person she had been longing for was just down these stairs. Soon, Viktor''s voice sounded in her ear: "Go in, he''s inside." "Remember, don''t forget what you promised me." Elsa''s heart was pounding as she walked up the stairs with heavy steps. One step, two steps. She didn''t know how long she had been walking, not even realizing it herself. Around her, there was only darkness. She kept walking, kept descending. In the darkness ahead, a beam of light appeared. Elsa stepped into this light, and suddenly, a strong glow surged up. She raised a hand to shield her eyes, struggling to adapt to this brightness. Finally, a whistling wind blew past her ears. She squinted, gradually opening her eyes. Around her, it seemed like she had come to a whole new world. This was a plain, incredibly spacious in all directions. The sky was filled with dark clouds, looking somewhat oppressive. There seemed to be several towering peaks in the distance, but under these dark clouds, she couldn''t see clearly. The stairs behind her had vanished without a trace, she looked back and saw only a vast plain. Elsa clearly remembered that she had been walking down the stairs towards the underground. But why had she come to a spacious plain? Suddenly, Elsa''s body trembled slightly. It felt like a penetrating gaze was constantly staring at her. No, that''s not right. Elsa suddenly realized, a chill spreading throughout her body. This place was a space magic that only mages could create. That gaze was Viktor''s. He had been watching her all along. But before Elsa could adapt to her surroundings, suddenly. A familiar voice sounded behind her. "Are you... Elsa?" Elsa''s body froze, she turned around abruptly. In this instant, she suddenly felt joy and excitement. It was the person she had been thinking about day and night. Now, he appeared by her side. Seeing Elsa turn around, Cindy was equally excited and overjoyed. He hadn''t mistaken, it was his Elsa! "Elsa, are you here to save me!" "Since you can appear here, you must be able to find a way out!" "Quick! Let''s get out of here together! Leave this place!" Perhaps due to excessive excitement, his body was constantly trembling. He stumbled towards Elsa. But just as he was about to touch Elsa. A red sword light flashed, hot flames burst up fiercely under Cindy''s feet. Cindy was startled, involuntarily stepping back, looking incredulously at Elsa who had swung her weapon at him. "Elsa...? Why did you..." I''m sorry, Cindy. Elsa closed her eyes, not wanting Cindy to see her complex expression at this moment. Being in this space, she constantly felt Viktor''s surveillance. She understood that if she didn''t do as Viktor said. Then, whether it was her or Cindy. They would both die here, accompanying each other in death. So, for you to be able to leave here alive. Please forgive me, Cindy. My love.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Elsa reopened her eyes, at this moment, her gaze was ice-cold. Her voice, with a distant tone, sounded in Cindy''s ears. "Sorry." "I have pledged loyalty to Lord Viktor." Cindy''s eyes were filled with unacceptable shock. He stared blankly at Elsa before him, who seemed to have become a different person. "Elsa, you..." "How could this be..." But Elsa''s gaze was extremely cold, as if looking at a strange hunting target. "This is the task given to me by Lord Viktor, my master." "...Master?" Cindy''s emotions were somewhat collapsing. He widened his eyes, looking at Elsa, shouting madly. "Tell me, Elsa!" "What you said isn''t true! Tell me!" Swoosh! The flame blade drew a fiery mark in the air, completely igniting the space between the two. Cindy could no longer see Elsa''s expression, only hearing her voice sound indifferently. "This is how it is, Cindy." "Take out your weapon." She raised the weapon in her hand, the cold light of the blade pointing at Cindy. At this moment, something seemed to strike Cindy''s heart, causing it to ache severely. He found it hard to accept everything happening before his eyes, his body unsteadily retreating two steps. "No... Elsa." "This isn''t real... This isn''t real..." He became more and more agitated as he spoke, as if falling into madness, widening his eyes, waving his hands constantly in front of him. "You''re not Elsa, you can''t be her!" But just as his frantic voice had just fallen, in an instant. Elsa''s figure had appeared in front of Cindy. That blade flashing with cold light, instantly tore through the air, carrying an extremely sharp airflow, about to fall on Cindy''s body. Clang! At the last moment, Cindy quickly drew the great sword from behind him, blocking that extremely fast blade. The force was so strong that it made him step back several paces. After stabilizing his posture, he widened his eyes in shock, looking incredulously at the weapon in his hand. His proud great sword now had a crack from the blade''s cut. This... how is this possible!? This great sword was a weapon gifted to him by the Reiser family at great expense. Cindy had even broken open half a mountain with this great sword without even a slight bend appearing. But more than this, what he found harder to accept. Was Elsa. Under this terrifying force, Cindy clearly felt. Elsa was serious. With one hit, the woman''s body in front of him began to shake rapidly, her form suddenly hidden in afterimages. After she concealed her form, Cindy felt the hair all over his body stand on end. He and Elsa had been comrades, fighting together for who knows how long. He understood very well how sharp Elsa''s attacks were. Similarly, Elsa also knew him very well. Instinct told him that crisis was approaching. Cindy raised his great blade, fiercely blocking behind him. Bang! As a fourth-tier warrior, Cindy''s powerful body was actually unable to withstand this extremely overbearing force. Smoke burst from under his feet, the ground forcibly cracking into a large patch. A huge gust of wind blew across the entire land, the high-speed gale hitting Elsa''s armor, making a banging sound. "Impossible!" Elsa was just an assassin! How could an assassin almost overwhelm him, a warrior, in the realm of strength? "Nothing is impossible." Elsa''s form reappeared, speaking calmly. She could feel the lightness brought by the armor on her body, and the power given to her by the blade. This feeling was incredibly magical. But at this moment, Elsa couldn''t relax. She raised her head, a cold light flashing in her eyes, continuing to launch attacks at Cindy. She couldn''t have even a bit of mercy, nor could she have any personal feelings. Otherwise, Cindy wouldn''t be able to leave here alive. She had to use all her strength, using this powerful equipment, to beat Cindy to a pulp. Even if it would only leave him with his last breath, it could achieve the result she most hoped for. Stay alive! Leave this place! Thinking of this, Elsa''s attacks became even more fierce. The shadows in the sky became more and more numerous, making it impossible for Cindy to discern from which direction the crisis would come. He could only try his best to block Elsa''s fierce attacks. But each block only made his palms tremble more. The battle was fierce. Yet no one noticed, in the sky above, where the dark clouds gathered. A figure slowly appeared. Viktor lowered his head, looking at the battle below with boredom. He had no interest at all in the fight between the two. "No technique to speak of." At the same level of forty, NPCs and top players were incomparable. Players had better equipment, more meticulous plans. And, more exquisite operations. In Viktor''s eyes, Cindy and Elsa were just two ordinary NPCs who had barely reached level 40. This battle had no entertainment value to speak of. If a comparison had to be made, it could be understood as. Two silver-ranked players, struggling and fighting hard. Viktor coldly looked down below. "How boring." Both were fourth-tier. But in terms of strength and skill, the two were completely inferior to Angus Delin, who was a boss unit. After all, at the same fourth tier, there was no comparison between a boss and ordinary fourth-tier NPCs. "Is that so? I find it quite interesting." Vega, standing on Viktor''s shoulder, stretched its neck, looking down. It had always been interested in such cockfight-like behavior. "However, that man is going to lose." "That''s normal." Viktor said flatly, without a trace of emotion in his tone. In a situation where both sides'' strength and skills were not much different. The superiority of equipment could have an important impact on the battle situation. Elsa was wearing armor and weapons that Viktor had enhanced five times in a row, greatly enhancing her own attributes. Cindy, at just level 40, was already one level below Elsa. Under the equipment gap, it was even harder to resist. "However, this test should be over now." A chill was released from Viktor''s body. "People with no value to use." "Can die now." Chapter 159: Professor, Im Going to Undress! Soon, Cindy found an opportunity to retaliate. Seizing the moment of Elsa''s mistake, he swung his great sword, striking her incredibly hard armor. Caught off guard, Elsa had no choice but to endure this heavy blow. The massive impact sent tremors through her entire body. Her internal organs quivered incessantly, a wave of dizziness and nausea suddenly surging from the depths of her heart. But... That was all. Despite the ferocious attack, She suffered no substantial damage to her body. The armor bore only a white mark. And Cindy''s great sword, upon contact with the armor, shattered like an egg against stone. It splintered completely, scattering across the ground. Cindy stared blankly at the broken blade in his hand. Elsa, too, halted her attack, looking in disbelief at Cindy''s shattered weapon. At this moment, Cindy lost his last means of defense. Elsa''s hand, still gripping the blade, began to tremble. If Cindy still had a weapon, Then Cindy, who knew her so well, would certainly be able to parry all her attacks. Even if she went all out. But Elsa had underestimated her own strength. Or rather, she had underestimated the astonishing power this equipment bestowed upon her. And as a warrior who had lost his weapon, Cindy was now like a defenseless toy. Elsa''s hand, clutching the blade, hesitated, unable to strike. But... A penetrating gaze seemed to fall upon her. Waves of coldness crept up her spine. Elsa suddenly felt a violent tremor in her heart. She couldn''t resist Viktor. That feeling was as if it were commanding her, seeing through her very soul and heart. Suddenly, a horrifying thought arose in her mind. ''Kill Cindy.'' Kill... him? In an instant, this single thought consumed Elsa''s mind. This idea rapidly occupied her entire consciousness. She could no longer control her hand, couldn''t stop the chaotic rationality in her mind, couldn''t resist the incessant voices in her head. Squelch The blade pierced through Cindy''s chest. As the blade went through, Elsa''s eyes widened in horror. Cindy, too, stared in disbelief at his pierced chest. Elsa, gripping the sword hilt, had driven the blade deep into his chest cavity. The blood, scorched by the flames, couldn''t even flow before being completely dried up. Without realizing it, even Elsa herself didn''t notice. In an unconscious state. She had killed Cindy. ''Well done.'' The cold voice in her mind calmly sounded. Instantly, Elsa felt her whole body go limp, seeing the horrifying wound on Cindy''s chest, feeling utterly desperate. She helplessly looked around, watching Cindy''s life rapidly fading away. Cindy opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But, the next second... Crack A shattering sound rang in her ears, the surrounding space fracturing like layers of breaking mirrors. The space cracked layer by layer, gradually returning to reality. Elsa looked around in despair. All around were cold stone walls, adorned with many black, rusty iron locks and shackles. And Cindy''s limbs were completely restrained, firmly locked to a wooden stake. Suddenly, Elsa looked at her own trembling palm. Her hand was still firmly gripping that blade. The sword blade had long since pierced through Cindy''s chest. Finally, she could only see Cindy''s widened eyes, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. He couldn''t even speak, tilting his neck, taking his last breath. Elsa let go of the blade, her spirit seemingly shattered. At this moment, she fully realized. From beginning to end, this had all been just an illusion. There was never any battle with Cindy; from the start, she had come to this secret room. Cindy, unable to resist, had been imprisoned on that wooden stake all along. Allowing her to launch an attack on him. Everything was just her imagination within the illusion. Until the end, when she personally drove the sword through Cindy''s chest. At that time, even an unarmed Cindy could have dodged that attack. Unless. He had been imprisoned here all along. Yes, it was she who had personally killed him. At this moment, Elsa''s spirit completely collapsed. She fell to her knees, wailing in grief. The blade still protruded from Cindy''s chest, blood gushing forth. Elsa clutched her hair tightly, in complete disarray. Throughout the entire interrogation room, only her shrill cries of anguish kept echoing... ... In the warm study, sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the red wool carpet. "Tell Lia to notify Helnersen," Viktor said. "Have him select a batch of capable demi-humans and send them to the royal capital." Vanilla stood before Viktor, giving a slight bow. Then, with a slightly flushed face, she slowly retreated. Watching Vanilla''s petite figure as she left, Viktor couldn''t help but feel puzzled. How strange, the little cat girl''s demeanor seemed off somehow. But he didn''t dwell on it, sitting at the desk and examining the two documents in his hand. These were the investigation results sent by Lia. Two information files, each bearing a name. Cindy and Elsa. Viktor skimmed through them, gaining some insight into these two individuals. Cindy and Elsa were both adventurers. In the southern adventurers'' capital, they once belonged to the same team. During their time as adventurers, Cindy gradually developed feelings for Elsa. At that time, Elsa, citing the need to improve her strength, rejected Cindy. She became fourth-tier first and was noticed by the Reiser family, recruited into their team, and finally became Lady Cassandra''s personal guard. The Reiser family, recognizing the relationship between Cindy and Elsa, used Elsa as leverage and a weapon as incentive to also bring Cindy into the family. However, Cindy and Elsa were assigned to different departments. Cindy was mainly responsible for capturing demi-humans for the Reiser family. Interestingly, Before this mission to capture demi-humans and bring the elf Lexi back to the family, Cindy had proposed to Elsa. He told her, if this mission went smoothly, they should get married. As comrades who knew each other well, This time, Elsa agreed. But what no one could have imagined was that... "In the end, Elsa killed Cindy with her own hands." Two flames climbed up the documents, easily reducing the two people''s files to ashes. "I suppose this news spreading to the south will cause quite a stir." Both Cindy and Elsa were renowned legendary adventurers in the south. Their deeds were greatly admired by many adventurers. After all, being noticed and joining the Reiser family was a great honor for those southern adventurers. It was like everyone living as freelancers, experiencing feast or famine daily. Suddenly, someone found a job that could provide for them for life. Naturally, others would be envious. Imagine if the news of Elsa personally killing her fianc Cindy spread to the south. Perhaps Elsa would earn a new title. "''Black Widow''? Or maybe ''Mantis Killer'' would be more fitting." Vega glanced at Viktor. "No one can be more insidious and cruel than you, Viktor." He had never intended to let Cindy live. But he had given that poor woman a faint glimmer of hope. In the end, it was by her own hand that this hope was shattered. "Don''t misunderstand, I''m merely vindictive," Viktor said calmly. "Besides, a mentally broken woman is easier to control compared to one filled with hatred." Viktor explained dispassionately, not bothering to address the sarcasm in Vega''s words. As his voice faded, a knock sounded at the door. "Enter," Viktor called. Viktor looked up to see the succubus lady, wearing a loose robe and looking timid, walk in. She first turned around, carefully closing the door. As if steeling herself, she took a deep breath. Then, Henie raised her head, looking at Viktor with a flushed face. As if encouraging herself, she shouted loudly: "Professor! Please brace yourself mentally!" "I''m going to start taking off my clothes!" Viktor: "?" Chapter 160: Dont Speak, Just Kiss Me! Before Viktor could react, Henie''s hands were already at her chest. It seemed she was about to unbutton her clothes in the next moment. But before she could start undressing, Viktor had already raised his hand. A white light emanated from his hand, and Henie suddenly felt her body controlled by some energy, forcing her to float in mid-air. "Eh, eh eh!" Floating in the air, Henie couldn''t control her body and could only bend over, her hands and feet flailing anxiously. Viktor stood up and slowly walked to Henie''s side, examining her. Feeling Viktor''s gaze, she stopped flailing and closed her eyes shyly. As if expecting something. But life often goes against our wishes. What she expected didn''t happen. Instead, only Viktor''s calm voice rang beside her ear. "It seems something must have happened without my knowledge that made you curious about your body." Henie couldn''t help but open her eyes and look up at Viktor. Viktor was looking down at her, his gaze direct and unwavering. As their eyes met, Henie grew even more shy. "Professor, I..." "Well, since you''re so eager to understand..." A blue light flashed in Viktor''s eyes, and the buttons of Henie''s robe automatically unfastened, the garment sliding down. The curvaceous body beneath the robe was completely exposed before Viktor. Feeling as if she had been stripped bare, sensing waves of coolness, Henie quickly lowered her head and bit her lip. Her face turned so red it seemed water could drip from it, like a perfectly ripe apple tempting one to take a bite. "After reaching Second Tier, is that unique quality of your body becoming harder to control?" Viktor said while glancing at his attribute panel. On the status bar, a negative buff named ''Charm'' was clearly displayed below his health bar. [Damage dealt to this unit reduced by 50%.] This was just reflected in the attributes. But his physical body in reality clearly felt some irrational stirrings. However, this charm could be dispelled. But there was no need. Viktor placed his hand on Henie''s back, touching her fair and delicate skin. Level 25 A level 25 succubus already possessed excellent charm abilities. Most succubi were at this level. They had decent experience but hadn''t lost their youthful innocence. However, the succubus before him was still completely inexperienced. A pure and innocent succubus at such a high level. It was definitely surprising. At this moment, when Viktor touched her, Henie felt an electric sensation surge through her brain. Feeling a wave of pleasant excitement, she couldn''t help but look at Viktor with misty eyes full of expectation. "Professor, I..." "That''s enough." Viktor withdrew his hand. The loose robe that had fallen was lifted back onto Henie''s body with psychic force. "As I said before, keep your clothes on." As the words fell, Henie''s misty eyes suddenly cleared up considerably. She couldn''t help but widen her eyes, recalling what had just happened. What just happened? Did she go into heat like Vanilla? The moment this thought arose in Henie''s mind, it made her feel incredibly guilty. She was the one who asked the professor to check her physical condition, yet at such a time, her mind couldn''t help but wander to lewd thoughts. Thinking of this, she grew nervous involuntarily. Would the professor think she was an improper person? Viktor casually snapped his fingers, letting Henie''s body descend from the air. The moment she landed, Henie quickly tightened the black robe around her body. She lowered her head in shame, timidly stealing glances at Viktor. But Viktor had already turned his back to her, walking towards the bookshelf. "Have you ever learned about your background?" Viktor asked as he walked. Henie paused slightly and shook her head.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. She had never seen her parents since she was little. Even the name Henie was given to her by the orphanage director. Viktor walked to the bookshelf, his finger sliding across the thick spines of numerous books, as if searching for something. Finally, he stopped at a moderately thick book with a yellow cover and pulled it out. "This one will do." Viktor took the book and returned to Henie''s side, handing it to her. "Read this book. It might answer your questions." Viktor''s voice was calm. Henie took it with some confusion, pausing as she looked at the unfamiliar text on the cover. "Elvish?" Elvish was the exclusive language of the elven race. To translate such Elvish text, one would need to cross-reference with elven characters. Fortunately, there was an elf readily available at home. Henie took the book and held it to her chest. If this book could answer her questions... She felt an urge to open it right away. "Thank you, Professor!" Henie bowed deeply to Viktor and turned to leave. But Viktor suddenly called out to her. "Wait." "Since you''re here, I hope you haven''t forgotten something." Henie turned around and looked up at Viktor in confusion. Suddenly, her body froze in place. As if completely bound by some extremely powerful magic, she couldn''t move an inch. She could only watch helplessly as Viktor before her slowly reached out with one hand, gently lifting her chin. The man before her leaned down. The next second, her eyes widened. A warm softness pressed against her lips, touching them lightly. Like someone savoring an exquisite dessert. In this moment, her body filled with a burning sensation. Warm magical energy concentrated in her heart, spreading to her limbs. Her mind went completely blank. Though not much time had passed, this moment''s sensation felt incredibly long. Until Viktor straightened up again, his finger gently wiping away the slight moisture at the corner of her lips. His eyes carried a hint of pleasure. "Remember, stealing kisses from others isn''t polite behavior. Consider this a lesson." "Thanks for the treat." Bang! It was as if a bomb exploded in Henie''s brain, making her completely lose consciousness. Even after she walked out of the study, her mind remained in a daze. She didn''t even know what had supported her in leaving the study. Standing at the doorway, Henie finally came to her senses, quickly using her large hood to cover her face. Her heart was pounding. Her brain had lost the ability to think clearly. She raised her fingers to her lips, touching them lightly. It seemed the soft sensation still lingered there. "Thanks... for the treat?" The crow stood on the desk, watching Viktor who had returned to his chair. It raised its head, lifting its beak proudly. "Viktor, kiss me." "Get lost." Viktor leaned back in his chair expressionlessly, raising one hand to cover his head. Under that strange charm state, he still hadn''t managed to calm down. It was as if something had unconsciously altered Viktor''s thoughts, making him unable to resist kissing Henie. His first kiss was gone. He felt somewhat troubled, even his current state felt unnatural. As a professional game carrier, how could he slip up in front of a succubus? He had underestimated the charm ability of succubi. Vega flapped its wings in dissatisfaction, its sharp, hoarse voice ringing loudly by Viktor''s ear: "Why!" "You can kiss a succubus, but why not me? Just because I''m a crow?" "This is species discrimination!" Viktor glanced down at it and sneered. "Heh." "So you do realize you''re a crow?" Ignoring the crow that had been provoked to breaking point, he leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk, and began to review what happened. If he had dispelled the charm earlier, this wouldn''t have happened. But was it possible... That his failure to use magic to dispel the charm was also due to being under the charm''s effect? Viktor realized his own irrationality and slumped back in his chair. "Succubi." "Truly dangerous." Vega flapped its wings unhappily, flying towards the bookshelf. It kept looking, trying to find a satisfactory novel to pass the time. As it flew to the front of the bookcase, Vega''s gaze fell on an empty spot on the shelf. "Viktor?" Vega''s puzzled voice gradually rose from in front of the bookcase. "Did you give away that yellow book I often read?" ... Meanwhile, in the lush garden, Henie had found Cocotte again. This time, there were no outsiders around. Henie and Cocotte''s eyes met. Lying on her cloud, Cocotte lazily let out a long yawn, with slight sleepy tears at the corners of her eyes. "I heard you came looking for me at noon, but I was taking my afternoon nap then." "Now, what''s happened?" Henie seemed somewhat nervous, fidgeting as she handed the yellow book to Cocotte. "The professor said this book could help me resolve my doubts." "But it''s written in Elvish, which I don''t understand." Doubts? What doubts? Even as an elf, she was curious about others'' little secrets. Cocotte blinked, no longer feeling sleepy, and directly took the yellow-covered book from Henie''s hands. She sat cross-legged on the cloud, looking at the title. She opened a page with interest, where the author''s name was written in Elvish. "Bell Kegmo?" She casually flipped through it some more, her expression growing peculiar. "Um, I should tell you first, this work wasn''t written by an elf." "Elven surnames are all determined by the Yade Divine Tree, and Kegmo isn''t among them." "Also, this is an autobiographical novel written from a male perspective." Cocotte shrugged. The elven race had no males, because elves didn''t need males. "It seems someone deliberately wrote this in Elvish to hide something." Henie listened in bewilderment, as Cocotte asked with an odd expression: "Are you sure you want me to translate this for you?" "Yes! I''m sure!" Henie nodded quickly. Since the professor said this work might resolve her doubts. Then she needed to read and understand it. "Don''t say I didn''t warn you." Cocotte sighed somewhat helplessly and opened the first page of the book. In human language, with an extremely gentle tone, she recited a passage from the book. "Helpless, I was confined to the bed." "By her, taken without restraint..." Chapter 161: Where Did You Get That Erotic Novel? Unbridled desire? Hearing this, Henie felt an inexplicable strangeness. But Cocotte continued reading aloud. The rich language in the book made her feel as if she were there herself. "Her alluring gaze sparkled like starlight, shimmering with enchantment." "Like poison, it drew me into an endless sea of desire." "Blood-red lips beckoned to the deepest yearnings of my heart, manipulating my inner desires." "I was captivated by her bewitching charm, unable to break free." "Her touch, gentle yet powerful, intoxicated me in this forbidden love." "Under her teasing, I lost all control. I let her strip away everything and embrace me..." "Stop! No need to translate anymore!" At this point, Henie couldn''t take it anymore. She loudly stopped Cocotte from reading further. These words made her face flush crimson. From her cheeks to her ears, everything had turned completely red. No wonder Cocotte had such a strange expression when reading this book. This was clearly an obscene book that would never pass censorship! How did it end up on Professor Viktor''s bookshelf!? Henie frantically snatched the book from Cocotte''s hands. Cocotte was a bit dumbfounded. Seeing Henie''s thoroughly reddened face, she couldn''t help but smile teasingly: "So you like reading these... romance novels?" "It''s not a big deal, I read them sometimes too." The more Cocotte spoke, the more embarrassed Henie felt. Finally, she simply pulled the large hood of her robe over her head, hiding her face, too ashamed to look at Cocotte anymore. But Cocotte did share some useful information. "Though from the description of the female lead in this book, she should be a succubus." "...A succubus?" Henie looked up at Cocotte in confusion. Cocotte crossed her arms and nodded solemnly with closed eyes. "That''s right, a succubus." The knowledgeable former council member finally demonstrated her expertise. "Succubi emit their own unique charm." "Once someone sees a succubus''s true form, regardless of gender or race, they''ll be affected by this charm." "Their bodies will involuntarily feel hot and crave love." Hearing this, Henie couldn''t help but think of Vanilla. That''s exactly what happened when she saw her own body. She entered that state... How similar it was to what Cocotte described! She seemed to have some guesses about her condition now. But she still couldn''t quite believe it. How could this be possible? She was clearly human. "Pure-blooded succubi can appear in whatever form their target most desires. If they want, they can even transform into elves like us." Cocotte pointed to herself and continued. "Oh right, there are also mixed-blood succubi." Henie was slightly startled at this. "They''re the product of succubi mating with other races. They retain some succubus traits but can''t transform into other races." "And they have an intense craving to be loved." As Cocotte kept explaining, Henie suddenly froze. At this moment, all the questions in her heart seemed to find reasonable answers. No wonder every time she saw the professor, Deep in her heart, there would be a stirring desire. As if craving for something. "So... I''m a succubus?" She stood there dazed, muttering to herself. Hearing her words, Cocotte was even more confused than Henie and blurted out:Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "What did you just say?" She rode her cloud around Henie, examining her from all angles. Then, Cocotte stroked her chin, pondering for a moment. Finally, she gave a very serious conclusion. "Impossible! How could you be a succubus!" "What succubus would be like you, almost twenty years old and never had a romance?" "If you were a succubus, wouldn''t you have died from repression long ago?" Henie stared at Cocotte in confusion, opening and closing her mouth without words. "I..." As if trying to prove something, Henie made an extremely bold attempt toward Cocotte. She unbuttoned her chest and took off her loose robe, revealing her curvaceous body. Upon seeing this little succubus''s body, the former elven council member was suddenly stunned. For the first time in nearly a century, her body that had never felt anything experienced a strange heat. It was like an unprecedented joy filling her heart. Although this charm didn''t last long. After all, being able to affect a fourth-tier mage approaching the fifth tier was already quite impressive. But this joy it brought to Cocotte left a deep impression on her body. Cocotte stared wide-eyed at the blushing, extremely shy Henie. Then she quickly lowered her head and compared with her own figure. "...I''m sorry." "I believe you now." ...... The Kravina household finally welcomed a period of peace after a long time. After about three days, Helnersen, who was at their old territory, strictly selected many demi-human guards for Viktor and sent them to the mansion in the royal capital. Nearly a hundred shadow guards stood very seriously on the Kravina family''s huge training ground, arranged in neat formations, awaiting orders. The shadow guards all wore hoods and cloaks, only revealing their differently colored eyes. They appeared thoroughly disciplined. Leon stood at the front of the entire team, reporting to Lia: "Lady Lia, everyone has arrived." "They are all elite members who stood out from the training camp." However, Leon was curious. Why did Lady Lia suddenly call all these demi-human guards to the royal capital? For demi-humans, the royal capital was a dangerous place. Here, they faced even more severe discrimination. There were strict laws stating that if demi-humans were encountered, anyone could expel them from the territory. If their demi-human identity was exposed in the royal capital, they could face ill treatment. Lia counted the numbers and nodded to Leon. "Mm, line up first. What exactly needs to be done will wait for Viktor to arrive." "Vi...Viktor?" Leon was confused - what did this have to do with Viktor? But soon, a man wearing a coat appeared before everyone. A crow stood on his shoulder like a symbol of his identity. Everyone recognized who this was. Viktor Kravina. The true master of the Kravina family. The moment he appeared, a terrifying pressure seemed to weigh down on the demi-humans'' heads. Like a world-ending monster examining its prey. The shadow guards all lowered their heads, not daring to meet the man''s gaze. But Viktor wouldn''t let them have their way. "Raise your heads, all of you." "Remove your hoods and masks, look at me." His words rang in everyone''s ears with an undeniable authority. Their bodies trembled slightly, then they obediently removed their hoods and masks. Revealing their features and forms completely. Viktor calmly observed them. Most of these demi-humans had cat or dog ears on their heads. Viktor silently watched them, then suddenly, an enormous magic array materialized beneath his feet. The crimson and emerald lights of the array began spreading across the sandy ground, encompassing all the demi-humans. Brilliant light shot upward, seeming to illuminate the entire training ground, as the dazzling dual colors shifted and moved across the earth. Soon, a massive array with complex patterns began converging from the edges toward the center. All the demi-humans within the array felt that terrifying power, their bodies experiencing slight stinging sensations. Before Viktor, their levels and health bars appeared. The average was level 25, with some at 26 and 27. All were at the second tier. Helnersen had quite good judgment. Then, accompanied by that astonishingly powerful array, the sky above gradually became covered by dark clouds. Ripples began appearing in the sky. As if something was about to fall from above. Everyone present couldn''t help but look up at what was emerging from those ripples. They were sword blades and battle armor. Gleaming with faint light, they fell from the sky like meteors, one after another. Landing precisely in front of each demi-human. They lowered their heads in confusion, unanimously looking at the heavy armor and blades. Seeing this, Lia couldn''t help but smile. "Alright, now I finally understand what these weapons and equipment are for." In the center of the training ground, Viktor''s voice rang out like a massive bell. "Do you want to become stronger?" His voice seemed capable of dispersing dust from the air, and even the gloom in the sky appeared to clear somewhat under its resonance. "Do you want to win respect for yourselves, no longer suffer discrimination and oppression?" In their daze, they seemed to hear. A sharp, raspy voice overlapping with Viktor''s. Before them, the man''s figure seemed to shift slightly. As if transforming into a huge, mysterious black crow. It flapped its wings, flickering and fluttering. As if speaking some mysterious divine oracle. "Then follow me, worship me." Suddenly, several black waterfalls began rising from the ground, flowing upward toward the sky. The clear sky after the clouds dispersed connected with these black waterfalls. They watched this bizarre scene in awe. Like an illusion. "And then" As his voice fell, an enormous single eye rose above the reverse-flowing black waterfalls. The huge, terrifying eye with its elongated pupil. As if examining them up and down. Under that gaze, their minds seemed to twist. Only that divine, hollow voice constantly echoed in their ears. "Believe in me!" Chapter 162: Tags: Tentacles, Cat Girls, Beast, Hypnosis The towering black waterfalls continuously dripped from the sky, gradually dyeing the earth black. The spurting black liquid flowed along the array''s patterns, spreading outward from the formation''s edges. The demi-humans felt the sky darkening and couldn''t help but look up. The giant eye seemed capable of seeing through everything. Ethereal starlike points began rotating, moving toward endless blackness. A calm yet heavy voice, mixed with slight labored breathing, slowly descended from the dark depths of the pupil. That mysterious voice was like a carving knife, continuously affecting their consciousness. "Habika" Black tentacles wildly whipped through the sky, approaching the ground along the reverse-flowing waterfalls. Their identical color made them distinguishable only by their vague outlines. The mysterious black tentacles climbed onto the demi-humans'' bodies, completely wrapping them from head to toe. No one could resist these mysterious creations. They were completely immersed in darkness, unable to see each other clearly. They could only let the tentacles begin to corrode their bodies. Wrapped in darkness, they felt their bodies being peeled away layer by layer, their souls exposed with nowhere to hide under that eye. Their limbs weakened, growing increasingly limp. Their bodies seemed marked with some mysterious brand, a burning sensation rising from their hearts. As the tentacles gradually withdrew from their bodies, they involuntarily prostrated themselves on the ground. The posture was like worshipping something in the sky. The extremely black and giant vertical eye looked around, tightly contracting its pupil. After an unknown time, that power surged like a tide from the blackness below, entering through their feet and palms, gradually flowing back through their limbs. They felt control returning to their bodies and slowly raised their heads. The huge mysterious eye in the sky had vanished without a trace. In its place hung a bright moon high above. Pure moonlight pierced through the dark clouds, falling onto the dim ground and their dazed faces. They completely regained their senses, consciousness returning to reality. Looking up, they slowly gazed forward. Viktor stood before them. That terrifying twisted crow still perched on his shoulder. As if nothing had happened. But the scenes they had experienced were deeply imprinted in their minds. Just recalling them made their bodies shiver. As if those black tentacles were caressing their bodies all over again. "Now, respond to me." The cold voice belonging to the man before them rang in each demi-human''s ears. They looked at the indifferent Viktor, trembling involuntarily. Reverence suddenly rose from their hearts, spreading throughout their bodies. Several cat girls gently shifted their bodies. *Clank* The sound of armor rubbing came from their bodies. Instinctively raising their arms, they found the seemingly warm red blades somehow gripped in their hands. An amazing power slowly transmitted from their forearms, supporting them. The demi-humans fell silent. They looked at their companions around them, almost all wearing the same armor and holding identical weapons. Finally, they looked at Viktor and responded. One cat girl knelt before Viktor on one knee. Then the remaining shadow guards behind her uniformly bowed their bodies. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* The demi-humans unanimously knelt before Viktor on one knee, one hand placed on their chests while the other wrapped behind their bodies. This was their exclusive pledge of loyalty. Viktor smiled with satisfaction. Under the moonlight, his shadow stretched very long. That mysterious black shadow seemed to split into a grin, appearing incredibly mysterious and sinister. ....... "How did you manage to do that?" After the ritual ended, Lia found Viktor with great confusion and asked the question in her heart. Lia wasn''t among the ritual''s targets, so she didn''t know what those demi-humans had experienced. At this moment, Viktor stood in the center of the training ground. And around him was now completely empty. The mansion temporarily couldn''t accommodate so many demi-humans, so Leon had to lead the newly pledged followers to other lodgings.Stolen novel; please report. Until the new courtyard was built, there would be a place that could house many demi-humans. When Viktor told her to bring a group of demi-humans, Lia couldn''t believe it herself. Viktor actually wanted to establish his own private guard unit with a group of demi-humans. While counts could reasonably recruit private soldiers to protect their territories, most counts would train knights. This was the origin of family knights. Magic corps like Duke Levi''s were quite rare, as they required many magic users to form. Initially, Lia thought Viktor would recruit some mages to form his own mage corps. But Viktor didn''t do that. Instead, he chose a group of difficult-to-tame demi-humans. Although demi-humans resembled humans, they were full of wild nature. This was a major reason why humans couldn''t treat them as normal people. Even after training, most of their wild nature wouldn''t be suppressed. Preserving this wildness actually made group activities easier for pack-oriented demi-humans. This resulted in demi-humans having poor discipline and being difficult to control. Basically, they would only listen to Lia''s commands. After all, demi-humans understood gratitude better than humans. Lia thought Viktor would need more time to completely tame these demi-humans. But unexpectedly... In just one night, they all pledged loyalty to Viktor. Lia was very curious about what Viktor had done. Viktor simply explained: "Personal charisma." "???" Lia gave Viktor a disdainful glance and said sarcastically: "You''re qualified to say that?" In Lia''s eyes, Viktor''s only redeeming qualities were his good looks and powerful magic abilities. Her improved attitude toward him later was because Viktor gradually became more human-like. Well, he was quite excellent now. Fine, she had to admit, the current Viktor wasn''t bad. At least she didn''t dislike him. But demi-humans weren''t creatures who would submit just based on that. Viktor glanced at her and explained again: "Beasts have a sense of competition," "If their strength is equal, or there''s only a small gap, they''ll fight each other." "But if there''s an obvious disparity in strength." "Like this." As he finished speaking, Viktor extended one hand. Around his wrist, a red light gradually emerged. Two flames suddenly burst forth. Red flames danced in the air. One flickered for a moment before taking the form of a hellhound, its body flickering with orange flames. The hellhound kept barking fiercely at the other flame. But then, the other primal flame began spreading outward like through blood vessels. The red patterns gradually constructed an extremely muscular tiger. That fearsome tiger merely stood there, head held high, proudly looking at the hellhound before it, not even breathing heavily. The flame-wreathed hellhound tucked its tail, lowered its head, and prostrated itself, not daring to move. Seeing the state of the tiger and hellhound, Lia understood somewhat and said: "So you''re comparing yourself to the tiger." "No." Viktor said calmly. "Not just that." Suddenly, the original hellhound was infused with magical power, its flames growing several times more intense. The hellhound''s size gradually increased until it reached a height that two tigers stacked couldn''t match. The flames burned with fury. Everything around seemed completely illuminated, the temperature rising rapidly. Lia felt the surrounding heat, even breathing becoming somewhat difficult. Squinting her eyes, she saw two fierce heads grow from the fire hellhound''s shoulders. Abyssal maws dripping with flickering flames continuously fell, scorching the ground below until it cracked. Flames kept bursting forth, as if expressing endless rage. The towering firelight lit up the night so brightly that even the moon became dim. The nearby tiger, seeing the hellhound transform this way, lowered its head in fear, its tail no longer swaying. But perhaps due to its pride as king of the forest, it still growled softly at the three-headed dog. The flame-covered cerberus merely glanced at it. Instantly, it transformed into endless violent flames, completely devouring the tiger. And this made itself grow even larger. The flames grew and burned fiercely. The three-headed dog opened its three giant maws toward the sky and howled. "Awoooo!!!" The piercing cry accompanied by high temperature echoed throughout the entire mansion. Lia stared blankly at the three-headed fire dog. "What... what creature is this?" "The guardian of hellCerberus." Viktor waved his hand casually, and the flames gradually dispersed. Only red and black spark fragments remained, slowly dissipating in the air. He turned around and gently patted Lia''s shoulder. "When there''s a chance, I''ll get you a real one." "?" Lia stood dumbfounded, watching Viktor''s back with confusion. As he slowly walked back toward the mansion. ...... Just as dawn was breaking, the Delin mansion began operating like clockwork. Gwen stood in the training ground holding her sword, preparing to train. But she kept feeling unmotivated. As if her mind was elsewhere. Since returning from the Northern Territory and being summoned by Emperor Aubrey. She had been in this inexplicably irritable state. Even holding her sword had become somewhat unstable. Perhaps because recently, she felt her strength had reached a bottleneck. Many mistakes appeared in movements she had practiced countless times. "...Viktor." She gripped her sword tightly, looking at the empty ground ahead. This morning, Viktor hadn''t come again. Viktor hadn''t come to practice with her for a long time. She could understand, after all, the Kravina family hadn''t been peaceful lately. She closed her eyes, trying hard to recall the feeling of practicing with Viktor. Only then could she feel all her muscles being fully engaged. While Gwen continued her sword training, a maid hurriedly came to her side. Lowering her head, she spoke to Gwen extremely respectfully: "Family Head." Since inheriting her father''s title, the servants had changed how they addressed her. Although she had emphasized that they could address her as usual. But these servants felt that only the title of Family Head could emphasize her status. Could remind her at all times. She was no longer just an ordinary knight. Now she was Countess Gwen Delin. A knight countess who controlled vast territories in the North. She stopped her sword practice, wiped her sweat, and turned to look at the maid. The maid kept her head bowed respectfully, presenting a letter with both hands. Gwen was somewhat puzzled, but the maid said: "This is an invitation from the Kravina family." "Count Viktor hopes to have dinner with you tonight." Chapter 163: So Cool, I Want to Learn That Too Lia covered her mouth with one hand, yawning. "Hah..." Gwen stood before her very seriously, hands clasped together, face full of distress as she said: "Lia!" "You''re my only hope now." Lia put one hand on her hip, looking Gwen up and down, and sighed with extreme exasperation. "You called me here early in the morning just for this?" "Just because my brother invited you to dinner, you''re getting this worked up?" "Please, get a grip!" Gwen pressed her lips together, feeling incredibly complicated. "But..." "If I go wearing this, wouldn''t it be too impolite?" She spread her arms, looking down at the light knight''s armor she wore. There was no help for it - Gwen had never owned a formal dress, let alone worn makeup. Even at the last banquet, she was forcibly made up and dressed in Kevla''s old formal dress. But if sister Kevla were here, she wouldn''t need to be so troubled. Lia looked at Gwen with frustration, as if disappointed in an unworthy student: "In the past, you would never think like this." If it was the previous Gwen, she would have coldly rejected Viktor. Not like now, acting just like... A young girl who just started dating and becomes completely helpless when asked out on a date. "What kind of love potion did Viktor give you?" Lia covered her forehead with one hand. "Lia! I can''t break this appointment!" Gwen heavily placed both hands on Lia''s shoulders, looking at her earnestly. The heavy pat almost sent Lia flying. She struggled to remove Gwen''s hands from her shoulders and held them. "This concerns a knight''s honor!" "?" Lia looked at Gwen with an expression that said she didn''t understand but was greatly shocked. What did this have to do with a knight''s honor? Are you sure you''re not just making up an excuse? But jokes aside. Since Gwen asked for help, she naturally had to assist. She took out a pocket watch from her bosom and looked at the time. "Let me see... counting from now until evening." "Well, we should make it in time." She closed the watch and said to Gwen. "Have your maids take your measurements, I''ll go find some mages now - though it''ll be expensive." Gwen was slightly stunned. What did they need mages for? Lia sighed tiredly. "Is your head filled with nothing but muscle? We don''t have time to find a tailor now." "Mages are more expensive, but they can use magic to make prettier clothes, and much faster."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Oh, oh..." Gwen nodded obediently, seeming to half-understand. "As for makeup and such, ah, I''ll help you with that personally." Looking at Gwen''s naturally beautiful face, Lia felt somewhat troubled. Despite being a battle-hardened knight, she still maintained incredibly smooth skin that gave off a bright and vibrant feeling. It was simply enviable. Lia put her hand on Gwen''s shoulder, intending to force her down into the chair. But even using all her strength, she couldn''t push Gwen down. Gwen tilted her head in confusion, but saw Lia raising her eyebrows with a strained smile. "I''m saying..." "Could you please cooperate?" "Ah, y-yes..." Gwen hurriedly sat down, sitting properly in front of the mirror. Lia let out a breath and took out her makeup case from her waist pouch. "Close your eyes." Gwen obediently closed her eyes. She felt slight tickling sensations on her face as someone dabbed and drew for a while. Hmm... This feeling was just like when Kevla did her makeup. Very uncomfortable. Then, she heard Lia''s voice beside her. "By the way, now that Baron Angus has passed away and you''re a countess." "You should have the freedom to handle your own engagement now, right?" Gwen kept her eyes closed and remained silent. In the silence, Lia didn''t continue questioning either. The two seemed to share an understanding, not pursuing the topic further. After a while, Lia put away her makeup case and clapped her hands. "Alright, this should do it." Gwen opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror. ... Seifor Restaurant. This was the most luxurious high-end restaurant in the entire empire. Its chain stores bloomed in many cities across the empire. Seifor Restaurant had an extremely unified style and planning. The overall building was like a huge castle, with each room being an independent private room that could view the beautiful night with its brilliant lights across the royal capital. Gentle cello music flowed through the dim restaurant, flickering candlelight reflecting the unique luster of nanmu wood. The white tablecloth reflected a brilliant sheen that added an extra touch of mystery. Crystal pendants hanging from the ceiling reflected marvelous ripples of every ray of light. That elegant and tranquil atmosphere flowed continuously through the restaurant. Many nobles frequently dined here. Because this place was an excellent way to demonstrate their noble status. Although dining here required long-term reservations. It was often fully booked for many days in advance. At this moment, an ornate carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance of Seifor Restaurant. Lia, wearing simple casual attire, stepped down from the carriage. The surrounding nobles were quite surprised to see Lia. In the royal capital, virtually all nobles knew who Lia was. But why was she here? And from her appearance, she didn''t seem to be here for dining. Then, she elegantly extended her hand to a mysterious lady inside the carriage. A white-gloved hand met Lia''s delicate, soft one. The lady slowly emerged from the carriage. Under the white formal hat hid an exquisitely beautiful face. In the night''s embellishment, Gwen''s light makeup was captivating. Her grand and luxurious formal dress exuded an air of nobility. The dress, made of magical materials, sparkled with slight white light around it. It flowed like a gentle stream, like a miniature galaxy in motion. To the nobles present, she appeared as a queen descended from heaven. Countless nobles lingering near the restaurant were stunned at the sight of her. Who was this beautiful woman? How could there be someone so beautiful in the royal capital that they had no impression of? Compared to her, even their companions seemed to fade into insignificance. They weren''t the only ones who thought so. The noble ladies, looking out through the restaurant''s windows, were all dumbstruck. She was simply too beautiful. Hers was a face that would be heart-stirring even without makeup. Her beauty wasn''t just simple prettiness. Her sculpted features carried a knight''s determination, righteousness, and a handsome charm that could captivate both men and women. The noble ladies who saw Gwen even blushed, their hearts pounding wildly. Oh no! This is... the feeling of falling in love! Meanwhile, Gwen appeared quite shy, keeping her head slightly lowered. She could feel the gazes gathered upon her. Stares that she could normally ignore, or even boldly return, Now made her too embarrassed to raise her head and meet their eyes. However, compared to last time, she was more accustomed to wearing a formal dress this time. Moreover, perhaps due to the magical materials used in this expensive dress, it felt very comfortable to wear. The chest area wasn''t tight anymore. Though without armor, she felt a bit chilly below. Lia led her through the crowd''s gazes to the restaurant entrance. Then, Lia released her hand. This made Gwen feel slightly unsteady, her high heels almost unable to support her body. She really couldn''t adapt to such an anti-human design as high heels. "From here on, I won''t accompany you further." Lia gestured toward the restaurant''s main entrance with a nod, indicating to Gwen. Gwen looked toward the door, somewhat confused. A figure slowly emerged from the entrance. He wore a black coat, with a mysterious raven perched on his shoulder. Under everyone''s watchful gaze, the man''s coat gradually began burning with flickering flames, as if transforming into tail feathers waving in the air. Around him, greenery quietly arose. A serene environment like green wilderness gradually spread throughout the restaurant. Green phosphorescence gradually lit up from the grass, making everyone feel this incredibly rich natural essence. The air, filled with life energy, made them feel extremely relaxed. Viktor walked slowly, his coat gradually transforming into an immaculate suit under the flames. A silver brooch adorned his chest, with the Mage Council''s medal on one side. His entirely black attire made him appear incredibly elegant and dashing, his cool gaze adding a touch of mystery. Soon, he stood before Gwen. The surrounding nobles were stunned by what they had just witnessed. "That''s... Viktor!?" "The head of the Kravina family is here too!" "So cool, I want to learn that clothes-changing magic too..." But after a moment''s reflection, they suddenly realized. If this person was Viktor, Then that woman must be... "The current head of the Delin family, Viktor''s fiance, Gwen!?" When this voice rang out, many present were completely dumbfounded. In the nobles'' impression, Gwen had always maintained the image of a righteous knight. They found it impossible to reconcile that image with this top-tier beauty before them, superior in both bearing and appearance. However, Viktor had already placed one hand behind his back, slightly bowing forward. His other hand extended toward Gwen. A perfect gentleman''s etiquette. Gwen stood somewhat dazed until Lia quietly urged her from the side. "What are you waiting for? Hurry and take his hand!" At Lia''s reminder, Gwen hurriedly came to her senses, her cheeks burning red as she placed her hand in Viktor''s palm. Seeing Viktor''s gentle smile made Gwen relax. Viktor held Gwen''s hand as they walked into the restaurant under the nobles'' watchful eyes. Lia stood outside the door, watching their retreating figures. "Ah." "For today''s sake, I''ll let you enjoy yourself properly." With that, she casually departed under everyone''s returning gazes. Gwen was led by Viktor''s hand, slowly entering the restaurant. The surrounding gazes seemed to have increased. This made her feel quite uncomfortable, keeping her head down, not daring to speak. She had never experienced being the center of such attention before. What was going on today? At this moment, Viktor led her to stand in the center of the restaurant. Countless gazes around them converged on the couple like spotlights. "Do you know what day it is?" Viktor''s voice sounded beside Gwen''s ear, making her lift her head and look at him questioningly. Their eyes met. Suddenly, Viktor snapped his fingers. Around them rose vines filled with natural green energy. On those vines hung a suit of armor and a fire-red blade. The two evolved pieces of equipment gave off a slight golden glow, appearing somewhat hazy in the lamplight. The steel seemed to have subtle patterns flowing through it, with runes carved within, barely visible. "This is my gift for you, the most suitable present." As a knight, Gwen keenly sensed the power contained within these two pieces of equipment. But she was confused. Why was Viktor giving these pieces of equipment to her? And why emphasize that this was a gift? As she pondered, Viktor clapped his hands again. Behind him, several servants pushed silver-white carts. On top sat a magnificent cake over ten layers tall. Around them, the beautiful music became more cheerful. Even the nobles felt the joyous atmosphere and couldn''t help but join in, applauding. Only Gwen, unaware of the truth, looked at the smiling Viktor. His gentle gaze calmly met hers. The breeze carried his warm words to her ears. "Happy birthday." "My dear knight." Chapter 164: That Kind of Thing... At Least Wait Until After Marriage "My... birthday?" Gwen stared at the elegant Viktor before her, frozen in place. The cello music around them shifted from its initial gentle rhythm to something more lively and joyful, while the restaurant''s lighting reflected even more brilliantly from the crystal fixtures above. Everyone''s attention was focused entirely on the two of them. It seemed as if everyone present tonight was here just to celebrate her. Gwen had never experienced anything like this before. Due to her childhood experiences, no one had ever celebrated for her. Only when Kevla was at home would her most loving sister secretly prepare two pieces of cake for her. But after Kevla grew up and left home, even this small surprise was stripped from Gwen''s life. As time passed, she herself had forgotten this special day that used to mean so much to her each year. At this moment, Gwen seemed to understand. Why Lia had patiently helped her with makeup and designed such an exquisite dress. Why Viktor had suddenly invited her to dinner. It turned out they had been preparing from the very beginning. An indescribable emotion slowly bubbled up from the depths of Gwen''s heart. She remembered now. Today was indeed her birthday. A day she herself had almost completely forgotten, yet Viktor had reminded her of it. Him - the person she once despised the most. Gwen stood motionless, feeling as if a huge stone was suspended in her heart. She wanted to say thank you, to express gratitude to Viktor standing before her. But her throat felt blocked, unable to produce any words. She stood there, growing increasingly anxious. All around, countless eyes were watching her. If she continued without responding... Wouldn''t that embarrass Viktor? Move, Gwen. It''s just one sentence, how hard could it be? Please... "I..." "Hmm?" Viktor smiled at her. That smile showed an emotion Gwen had never seen on Viktor''s face before. Was he truly happy? Just for me? For someone like me? Even as she remained silent, his gaze stayed gentle. Like bright moonlight. Guiding and illuminating her. "You don''t like it?" "No... that''s not it." Gwen shook her head, hurriedly speaking up. But her voice came out somewhat hoarse. Gwen felt nervous and regretful. Regretful that she had spoken those words. How could her voice sound so unpleasant? Viktor would surely be mocked by others. Perhaps noticing her slight embarrassment, Viktor bent down slightly in a gentlemanly manner and slowly took her hand. The sensation of his large palm came through their gloves. A warm feeling rubbed against her palm, causing a tingling sensation. Though he held her hand just as before, this time the feeling was completely different. Her heart felt itchy yet somehow reassured. As if someone had built an iron castle around her for protection. Viktor''s voice softly sounded beside Gwen''s ear: "Well then, shall we dine?" "Lady Gwen." The moment his words fell, flames rose from the restaurant floor, shooting straight toward the sky. On the ground, the released verdant energy quietly ignited, and slender tree trunks were wrapped in flames. As leaf buds burned, consumed by fire, crimson flowers began to burst forth.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Like night-blooming cereus appearing, bringing beauty to all for an instant before being consumed by flames, carrying even more exquisite splendor. The temperature gradually rose, but the surroundings merely became comfortably warm. Like sitting beside a hearth fire, quiet and cozy. Then, the expanding flames began to gradually envelop both Gwen and Viktor. The vast restaurant opened its dome, and a castle of flame slowly formed within. Under everyone''s amazed gazes, those spark-filled plants gradually turned to ash, drifting in the air. A burst of flames suddenly roared up, flickering for a moment. The two people within those flames seemed to dissolve into ash. Like a stream of light ignited in the air, quietly departing. After they left, the huge cake on the table seemed to be automatically sliced by a blue magical dagger. The cake was cut into uniform pieces, each the same size. They slowly floated in the air, as if carried by invisible hands, steadily settling before each spectator present. The nobles, looking at the cake placed before them and thinking of Viktor''s marvelous magic, felt somewhat at a loss. They never expected that. Just coming out for a meal, they would even get to share cake. Perhaps... Viktor wasn''t as cold and distant as others had said? In any case, this time. Viktor''s grand celebration of Gwen''s birthday would quickly spread throughout the royal capital. ....... Gwen slowly landed on the ground and opened her eyes. Before her was an extremely large and luxurious private dining room. Candles lined the walls, their lights twinkling toward the ceiling. The floor beneath was incredibly soft - looking down, Gwen saw red wool carpeting covering the entire room. The massive red silk curtains hung down ten meters to the floor. Transparent windows surrounded them on all sides - they were in the highest rooftop room of the restaurant. Through the windows, they could see every movement of the crowd below. Servers lined both sides of the room, elegant and extremely respectful. Before them was an extremely long dining table, covered with a white tablecloth and laden with golden plates of various sizes, each holding exquisite delicacies - truly extravagant. "Isn''t this too wasteful?" "I wasn''t sure what you liked, so I ordered one of everything." Viktor spoke as a server pulled out his chair for him to sit. A server stepped forward to offer him a napkin, but Viktor waved his hand. A flame appeared from nowhere, transforming into a burning napkin that hung at his chest. Then, with a snap of his fingers in the air, the dishes began floating around, rotating one after another before Gwen''s eyes. Making her dizzy with the display. Whatever she wanted to eat, with just a thought, would float before her the next moment. Since getting to know Viktor, Gwen had always thought magic was an incredibly amazing and convenient ability. The servers watched in amazement, seeing Viktor''s completely natural control making them feel somewhat superfluous. You''re this capable? What do you need us servers for? Viktor nodded to one side, and the servers immediately understood his meaning. Showing their keen perception, they turned in unison and orderly left the private room. In the vast room, only Viktor and Gwen remained, seated across from each other. She looked up at Viktor. The man before her was completely at ease, holding his knife and fork, eating slowly. Even his chewing appeared extremely elegant to Gwen. She had only dined with Viktor twice before. And each time made her feel that Viktor''s elegance wasn''t from training, but rather an innate quality in his very bones. He perfectly embodied noble refinement and grace. Just watching him was a pleasure. Gwen gradually relaxed and opened her mouth to say gratefully: "Thank you... for helping me out of that situation earlier." In those circumstances, if Gwen hadn''t said anything, they both would have been ridiculed. After all, being unable to speak a single word - was that befitting a former captain of the Royal Knights? Fortunately, Viktor had suddenly taken her away, quickly removing Gwen from everyone''s scrutiny. It was as if he had anticipated it, ready to help her escape at any moment. "It''s fine." Viktor didn''t look up, continuing to eat methodically. Gwen lowered her head, her hands nervously fidgeting at her waist as she asked: "Um... that." "How did you know my birthday, and why... did you do all this?" Why are you being so kind to me? These words, Gwen didn''t speak aloud. She feared he might simply respond that it was basic noble courtesy. For some reason, she didn''t want to hear such words from Viktor''s lips. Besides Kevla, she couldn''t think of anyone else who had ever celebrated her birthday. She wanted to gently freeze this moment in her heart, even if his supposed kindness was just her wishful thinking. Viktor picked up his knife and fork, cutting a piece of the thick steak and piercing it with his fork. "Open your mouth." Gwen froze, her mouth slightly parting. Just as she was about to say something, Viktor had already stood up, reaching out with the fork to bring the meat to Gwen''s lips. Gwen leaned back slightly, looking at the piece of steak as her face immediately flushed red. "I-I... that''s not what I meant..." "Open your mouth." The calm words carried an undeniable authority. Under Viktor''s gaze, Gwen''s mind went blank. She couldn''t help but close her eyes and slightly open her mouth. The steaming meat entered her mouth. Gwen chewed, feeling the juices burst in her mouth, the warmth flowing across her tongue. Though it was just ordinary steak with an ordinary taste. Yet now it seemed incredibly delicious. Gradually, Gwen found herself lost in the sensation. She didn''t want to open her eyes. Didn''t want to open them and find Viktor gone from before her. Better to just continue like this. The sound of rustling came beside her ear as Viktor sat back down in his chair. He picked up his knife and fork again, casually spearing a piece of cake and tasting it. After slowly savoring it, Viktor''s voice gradually sounded by Gwen''s ear. "After we finish eating, don''t go home yet." "I want to take you somewhere." "...!?" As if thinking of something, Gwen''s face turned bright red. She suddenly opened her eyes, no longer able to stay calm, hurriedly standing up and waving one hand frantically before Viktor while loudly protesting: "N-no!" "That kind of thing should at least wait until after marriage..." Viktor: "?" """ Chapter 165: Is That All? How Could I Lose! Gwen sat atop the giant bird, her pretty face flushed crimson. It turned out she had misunderstood... Viktor had said he wanted to take her somewhere. At first, Gwen thought... No, she had never thought that way! As a righteous knight, Gwen would never admit that any indecent thoughts had crossed her mind. It was absolutely impossible! After dinner, a swirl of white wind gathered at Viktor''s feet. Then, this enormous and astonishing white giant bird was summoned by him. She had seen this big bird before, in the North, at her home. At that moment, in front of countless knights, she stood before Viktor, actively supporting him. Even if it meant opposing all the knights of the North. And now, she was sitting on this giant bird, up in the sky, under the moonlight. The wind seemed to have become unrestrained, howling and dancing. The wind, not particularly violent, still wildly blew Gwen''s white formal dress. She pressed down hard on her white formal hat, fearing it might be blown away and disappear into the vast night. One hand also held down her skirt, preventing the strong wind from lifting it. Her appearance looked somewhat comical, her reddened cheeks becoming even more bashful. But the surrounding scenery was extraordinarily beautiful. In the quiet sky above, silver stars twinkled as if hung on a curtain. The mysterious night sky seemed to be telling a story, captivating one''s heart and soul. The giant bird glided through the clouds, like a shooting star crossing the Milky Way, streaking towards the horizon. She was in the air, looking down upon the earth. Below her was the vast, prosperous royal capital. Under the night sky, it was brilliantly lit. Amidst the dreamlike scenery, a wonderfully enchanting light permeated. It was as if a second patch of luminous stars had appeared in the world. Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, his black suit somehow having changed back into a windbreaker. The howling gale constantly blew his black coat, making it flap noisily. Raised in the air, it looked like it had transformed into a long, slender tail feather. Suddenly, Viktor''s voice slowly sounded near Gwen''s ear. "How does it feel?" "It''s beautiful." Gwen held onto her hat, her eyes reflecting the hazy starlight. Her long-troubled mood seemed to gradually calm down from its anxious and flustered state. She didn''t know why. Perhaps it was because of the surrounding scenery, which made her unconsciously settle down to appreciate it. Or perhaps it was because the person who could put her at ease was right beside her at this moment. Gwen raised her head to look at Viktor again, staring at his back. Her gaze also carried a hint of tenderness. She opened her mouth, asking the question she had wanted to seek an answer to from the beginning. "Why... are you so kind to me?" Whether it was at the hotel in the volcano, or when she first returned to the palace and faced everyone''s doubts. Even when she was in the North, in her home. Viktor always took meticulous care of her. He was the first to stand in front of her, protecting her. Even when the justice she pursued was about to collapse, it was Viktor''s appearance that made her beliefs even more steadfast. He was like a bright star. When Gwen was on the verge of falling into darkness, he brought her the light of salvation. "First of all, you''ve stated the obvious," Viktor said as he turned around, calmly looking at Gwen. "Why shouldn''t I be kind to you?" Gwen was suddenly stunned, looking at Viktor with a gaze mixed with confusion and lack of understanding. Viktor sighed, finally shaking his head helplessly. "Remember," he said. "I''ve always been your fianc."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. As his words slowly fell, it was as if he was talking about some trivial matter. But his calm and gentle tone kept echoing in Gwen''s ears. It made her unconsciously sit up straight. Her eyes widened like two copper bells, her cheeks burning hot, staring at Viktor in a daze. Her heart was pounding wildly. Even though it was such a cool night. She felt her body continuously heating up... Her body trembled slightly, and even she couldn''t explain clearly what kind of emotion this was. Suddenly, Viktor waved his hand towards the sky. In front of him, a clock made of flames appeared before the two of them. A long and a short hand were slowly moving. The periphery of the clock was surrounded by several golden magic spells, and in the center, there seemed to be a golden scale constantly swaying. Whenever the hands passed over a Roman numeral, that number would become hazy, eventually transforming into a red light and burying itself in the clouds. The hands slowly moved towards the top, constantly ticking. "It''s about time," Viktor said calmly. The giant bird beneath Viktor suddenly let out a screech. That piercing cry that split the sky instantly penetrated the air, slowly spreading throughout the entire royal capital. The sound wasn''t loud, but it brought a bit of movement to the quiet city. Those residents who hadn''t yet gone to rest all poked their heads out, curiously looking out from their houses to find the source of the sound. At this moment, Vega''s eyes emitted a faint blue light, connecting with Viktor. Almost at the instant the magical power surged. Countless arrays lit up under Viktor''s feet. HumHumHum Complex and innumerable magic arrays began to flash and overlap incessantly, even using the clouds as a canvas, gradually dyeing them. Rich magical power continuously overflowed from around the arrays, sweeping out in all directions like a tide. The magical power of various colors gradually spread across the streets of the entire royal capital, and the brightly lit city was also gradually enveloped by these strangely colored veils. Around Viktor''s body, thick magical power was constantly being released. Patterns emerged, as if all the painter''s paints had been overturned at once. "Watch carefully, don''t blink," Viktor''s voice sounded in Gwen''s ear, causing her to involuntarily look towards the magic array. Then. From that enormous magic array, an extremely bright light flashed. The huge wheel array rapidly expanded, as if gathering the dispersed magical power from the earth. In an instant, vibrations transmitted through the air. Numerous streams of magical power formed into fireworks, trailing smoke, breaking through space. Under layers of distortion, those magical fireworks twisted and turned as they rushed into the sky above. In an instant, the strange-colored light was ignited in the sky, scattering in all directions. It turned into countless points of light in the sky, overshadowing even the stars, and thousands of brilliant flowers completely bloomed at this moment. All the residents of the royal capital saw this beautiful scene, as if a more dreamy starry sky had been placed before them. Many children poked out their heads, pointing at the sky, shouting to their mothers: "Mom! Look! It''s fireworks!" Lia, who had been busy in the study all day, stretched lazily in the darkness, walked to the window sill, and looked up at the sky through the window, her eyes reflecting the beauty. Henie was working very hard writing and drawing in her notebook, the bright flames outside seemed to have completely ignited the night sky. She raised her head, put down her pen, and gazed towards the high sky. Aurelianne, in the palace, was boredly flipping through the monster catalog that Viktor had given her in her bedchamber. Soon, feeling an extremely terrifying magical power fluctuation, she couldn''t help but widen her eyes. The fireworks flickered in her eyes, she widened her eyes, colors flowing in them. "So beautiful..." Endless flames turned into fireworks, carrying various colored and strange tails, continuously blooming in the sky. Cocotte Yade was yawning in the garden when suddenly, she jerked awake, widening her eyes and looking up. "Holy crap, war magic!?" No, who the hell is so extravagant to use freaking war magic as fireworks!? At this moment, everyone in the royal capital saw this extremely astonishing scene. The fireworks continued for a long time, constantly exploding in the sky. Gwen, being the closest, felt the warmth from the magical power. In her eyes, waves of light flowed. In the corners of her eyes, there seemed to be some moisture. Was it emotion? She wasn''t sure either. The fireworks continued non-stop, lasting for several moments. Just before they finally disappeared, the sky fell silent. A small but bright magical power gradually rose towards the night sky, as if gradually merging with the moon. When it slowly stopped in the air, that magnificent yet gentle light seemed to spread throughout the entire world. Beside Viktor, the three hands of that flame clock were slowly moving. Until finally, those hands simultaneously settled at the top of the clock. Symbolizing the arrival of twelve o''clock. Symbolizing the end of an entire day. Symbolizing a new beginning. "Happy birthday," Viktor''s voice sounded in Gwen''s ear as the fireworks gradually dissipated in the night sky. Gwen was still looking up, as if still savoring the moment, her gaze fixed on the stars in the sky. The fireworks seemed to have dispersed, but also seemed not to have dispersed. It was as if something had been hidden in her heart. Suddenly, she took a deep breath, as if she had made some decision. "Viktor." "When you''re teaching the princess, do you have to stay by her side all the time?" Viktor nodded, calmly responding. "To ensure the princess''s safety, staying by her side is necessary behavior." "...I see." She lowered her head, as if explaining. "The day His Majesty summoned me, he asked if I could become the princess''s swordsmanship teacher." "He gave me a few days to make a decision." Viktor listened quietly, seeing Gwen look over at him. Seeing Gwen''s face, suddenly, he was slightly startled. Her expression, as if ice melting, revealed a bright smile, like the rising sun, utterly captivating. "Having been a knight for so long, suddenly becoming a teacher seems like a very novel thing." "I think, I''d like to give it a try." The sound of the wind gradually passed by their ears, and Viktor couldn''t help but come back to his senses. He looked at Gwen, letting out a light hum. "Is that so." The corners of his mouth, slightly raised a few degrees. "I''m quite experienced in the profession of teaching." "Why don''t we practice?" Gwen looked at him in a daze, smiling happily. "Alright" "I won''t go easy on you." Chapter 166: He Can Launch a Nuclear Blast, Your Loss Is Not Unjustified The City of Progress, Tiebo. The gears on the massive clock tower turned stiffly, the hands barely dragging their rusty bodies downward, making a "dong" sound. But soon, a greater vibration gradually drowned out the creaking of the meshing gears. The clanking of armor reverberated as an iron-clad army marched into the city in orderly fashion. A man was escorted in the center of the troops, slowly entering. Jace Reiser had returned. The Crown Prince was also by Jace''s side. He looked up, admiring the mechanical city before him, and let out a long sigh, filled with emotion. "We''re back again, Jace." "I know you harbor resentment, but Viktor is no ordinary person." Jace''s face still bore some colorful marks, and his left cheek seemed slightly swollen. He lowered his head, his voice no longer like before, but rather muffled: "I know, Your Highness." The Crown Prince sighed and said calmly. "Recently, the Mage Council has prepared a title for Viktor." The twelve councilors of the Mage Council each had different areas of expertise, and thus would have corresponding titles by which people addressed them. For example, Heim Horn, his uniquely created illusion magic was extremely powerful. Moreover, no one had ever seen his true appearance. So, he was called by everyone "The Phantom of a Thousand Faces." Similarly, the current Imperial Mage Councilor, Rachel Azure, because of her self-created magic [Natural Sparrow], could be distributed to any corner of the world. "The Natural Observing Eye." This was Rachel''s title. Each councilor represented an extremely high level of achievement in a field of magic. Therefore, until today, the council had finally decided on the title for Viktor, the new councilor. [The Judgment that Strips All Phenomena] In Viktor''s battle records, any magic he used was extremely violent. As long as he wanted, any location could be turned into a hell, even changing the surrounding ecological environment. Even huge mountains could be razed to the ground. This title was hailed as the absolute representative among battle mages. Because of this, many mages wanted to imitate Viktor''s style and began to pursue those powerful large-scale battle magics. Once buried among tens of thousands of spells, those difficult and complex large-scale battle magics now occupied a place in the entire magical field. However, no one could cast magic as effortlessly as Viktor. Any large-scale offensive magic required the user some time to prepare. But Viktor was different. He seemed to have completely ignored even the incantation. Even his mana reserve was terrifyingly unlike that of a normal fourth-tier mage. "In any case," the Crown Prince calmly watched the troops enter Tiebo City, continuing to speak softly to Jace beside him: "Remember what Uncle always told us." "Learn to endure." Saying this, the Crown Prince slightly clenched his fist. Endure. "Two years at most." "As long as I can ascend to that position, your Reiser family''s revenge will be exacted sooner or later." He had endured for decades, a few more years didn''t matter. Jace remained silent, not responding. The Crown Prince thought Jace didn''t want to continue this topic, so he casually asked: "How is Aunt doing?" Jace shook his head. After the last incident, Lady Cassandra''s condition was not very good. She had returned to the capital and remained secluded. Even when people from the palace came to invite her back, she didn''t see anyone. "Although it''s a pity, never mind." "After all, I don''t need her abilities for now." A magic car hovering in mid-air gradually stopped in front of the two. The two sat in the back, feeling the floating sensation as the magic car slowly started. Along the way, they passed various wealthy nobles and saw all kinds of magically driven robots. From the outside, this mechanical city still seemed as prosperous as usual. Soon, the two entered a dark tunnel. The magical phosphorescence on both sides of the car kept flashing, allowing them to see the road ahead. Until the light shone into their eyes again. A huge castle appeared before them. Faint magical power was constantly flying towards the sky, but this time, that magical power seemed somewhat scarce.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Reiser main house seemed to have declined quite a bit. There were far fewer researchers coming and going, with only a few bespectacled people hurrying between various research institutes. In the corner, several of the latest mechanical creatures had now lost power, piled up like scrap metal, ignored by all. Due to the last agreement, the Reiser family had experienced a major economic setback and was forced to lay off many employees. But none of this mattered to the Crown Prince. He walked familiarly into a research lab in the distance. The two passed countless researchers, gradually walking to the depths of the room. In the dark interior of the laboratory, a primitive gate slowly opened. Jace Reiser and the Crown Prince walked in side by side. Around them, there were no shadows of any other people. All around, countless lights lit up, illuminating the surroundings brightly. In this huge white room, many glass jars filled with thick green nutrient solution were neatly arranged on the walls. In the center of the green nutrient solution, many different types of monster remains were placed. Like specimens, they were completely frozen in this small space. Among them, there was an obviously huge jar containing the body of a giant magic dragon. This body was missing only a head, as if it had been deliberately cut off. As the Crown Prince passed by, he looked at this huge magic dragon with some delight. This was once his trophy. It had earned him quite a bit of military merit. Looking up. Long, thin, transparent tubes were inserted into those monster corpses immersed in nutrient solution, as if drawing the power of those monsters from when they were alive. Green solution accompanied by black aura flowed continuously and reversely into the ceiling. The Crown Prince''s gaze moved away from the dragon''s corpse. "Now, I need new military exploits, greater achievements." "Only in this way can I surpass Owiser and suppress him completely." After saying this, Jace behind him did not respond, but just silently followed him. The two walked towards the deeper part. After passing through a long dark tunnel, the door at the end appeared before the two. The dense mechanical screws on both sides of the upper half of the door gradually pulled out, and a stream of warm steam emerged from the cracks of the door, filling the dark tunnel. Then, the huge iron lock in front of the door seemed to have a key inserted, and the three layers of restraints gradually twisted open. A red light penetrated the upper and lower sides of the door, opening outwards layer by layer. A secret room appeared before the two. In it was placed an extremely large glass jar. In the center of the jar filled with nutrient solution, a pair of huge wings of pure white and jet black floated quietly in the center, as if wrapping around the humanoid creature immersed in it. At the top of the jar, circles of transparent pipes were inserted into the interfaces on the edge. Those monsters seen in the previous room seemed to have turned into power, injecting into the jar before their eyes layer by layer. The Crown Prince slowly looked up at the creature in the jar. "As long as she''s still here, everything is not a problem." As if sensing someone''s arrival, the creature in it slowly opened its wings. It was a woman. Her eyes were filled with coldness and indifference, her pupils emitting a phosphorescent green light, like a venomous snake waiting to hunt. Her face was gaunt, with several strange patterns flashing across it, twisting and winding from her forehead all the way to her neck. Yet she had an extremely ghostly heroic spirit and beauty. A head of white center-parted long hair hung at her waist, draped behind her. She wore extremely simple clothes, merely like two pieces of differently colored and heavy cloth, completely wrapping her body. As her body stretched healthily, the black and white wings gradually retracted behind her. The Crown Prince stared at her, his eyes filled with extreme fervor. "She must have become even stronger now." "My ultimate weaponSapphirose." Yet he failed to notice that in one of Jace''s eyes, a streak of jet-black color flashed inexplicably. ...... "Interesting." In Viktor''s study, Vega stood on the desk. One eye flashed with a thick black color. Viktor held a book in one hand, leaning back in his chair, reading while asking casually: "What did you see?" "A monster? Perhaps a bit more complex than that." Vega seemed to think of something, suddenly giggling, squinting at Viktor. "Don''t you know everything? Let me ask you." "Do you know what I just saw?" Viktor didn''t even look up, asking calmly. "Describe it in detail." "Looks like a woman, with a pair of wings, one black and one white. Oh, she has a name." Viktor closed the book and put it on the table. The yellow cover and Elvish language on the book cover were particularly eye-catching. He thought for just a moment before the words came out. "Sapphirose." Vega blinked, somewhat puzzled. "If you were to do fortune-telling, you''d definitely be taken as a charlatan." "Thank you for the compliment." Viktor closed his eyes and thought. Sapphirose, the final boss of the third chapter of the game. She was known as the One-Winged Angel. This was a boss with stacked numerical values. Because she was created for the purpose of being the ''ultimate human weapon''. Possessing the physique of a top-tier warrior, as well as damage values not inferior to a mage. As a modified human, she had the genes of no less than a hundred different monsters in her body. This even included powerful dragon species. Because of this, she possessed at least hundreds of different monster skills. In short, if the third chapter boss were to appear prematurely now and fight him. Even Viktor would feel some pressure. However, according to the game''s progression, she shouldn''t be that powerful now. In the third chapter, Sapphirose had her own consciousness. She was born for the purpose of protecting humans, but after the fall of the Reiser family, she had no one to take orders from. So, her own emotional consciousness made her believe. To protect humans to the maximum extent, all humans should be confined and controlled. Only in this way could the safety of every human be guaranteed. Thinking of this, Viktor sighed. "Another extreme terrorist, I hope she doesn''t provoke me prematurely." Otherwise. Viktor would have no choice but to take out this boss ahead of schedule. What? He might not be able to win? He just felt some pressure, not that he couldn''t win. It would just take some time. "However, it''s time." Viktor stood up, and the small yellow book on the desk seemed to be blown by the wind, automatically flying onto the bookshelf. Seeing this, Vega flew to Viktor''s shoulder. "What''s the activity today?" "Today, Gwen becomes a teacher." Under his feet, a blue magic array slowly lit up, and the surrounding whirlwind spread throughout the study. The huge bookshelves were blown and shook constantly, and many corners of the carpet were lifted. Soon, the wind gradually calmed down, and the blue light flashed. Whoosh! In an instant, a man and a crow completely disappeared from the gradually calming study. Chapter 167: Want to? Have the Teacher All to Yourself? Aurelianne stood inside the palace, holding a heavy longsword in her hand, her breathing perfectly steady. The iron sword, weighing dozens of pounds, seemed weightless in Aurelianne''s grip, incredibly stable without the slightest tremor. Anyone could see at a glance that Aurelianne must have undergone extremely rigorous training. Gwen stood beside her, observing Aurelianne''s movements. They were perfectly standard. Her sword-holding posture was like that of a battle-hardened veteran soldier. Absolutely flawless. "Not bad," Gwen nodded approvingly, signaling Aurelianne to start swinging the blade. Aurelianne quickly raised the sword hilt and swung it forward. She began repeating the motion mechanically, following a strict pattern. Her sword swings carried a powerful sense of force. Each swing seemed to slightly tear open a gap in the air before her. The sword tip flashed with a faint cold light, and the air around the blade wrapped into a gentle breeze. Gwen watched Aurelianne and nodded, appearing even more satisfied. So, being a teacher instructing a student was such a simple matter? Viktor had told her it was difficult, but this clearly wasn''t hard at all. With each practice repetition, Aurelianne''s movements became increasingly proficient. Every chopping motion grew faster, with more imposing momentum. The whistling sound of air being cut became more frequent. It didn''t look at all like someone practicing for the first time. After about hundreds of swings, Aurelianne felt her stamina starting to wane. After all, she was only fifteen years old. Naturally, her endurance couldn''t compare to those knights who had already entered their prime years. Moreover, she was a girl. Even Gwen might not have done better than her at that age. During the break, Aurelianne extended the blade towards someone nearby. Celia quickly took the offered sword and brought Aurelianne a clean towel. "No need," Aurelianne shook her head, declining the towel Celia offered. A stream of energy began to gather around her, and a blue magic circle appeared beneath her feet out of thin air. White flowing light gradually spread throughout Aurelianne''s body. As if evaporating all the sweat from her body, it slowly dissipated. Seeing Aurelianne cast magic, Gwen was slightly startled. She felt this magic looked somewhat familiar. It seemed she had seen such a scene somewhere before. Celia looked at Aurelianne with great concern, but could only stand aside without daring to say a word. On one hand, she had long been warned by the princess not to interrupt during her studies. On the other hand, The person teaching the princess swordsmanship this time was Gwen Delin. As the princess''s guard, Celia was also a woman. And among the women in the capital, few did not admire Gwen. Despite being a woman, she possessed a very tough independence and unwavering dignity. She constantly exuded an aura that made people feel they could rely on her. Her personal charisma had earned the admiration of many women who wanted to be self-reliant. Of course, those who praise will also have those who criticize. There were always some people who couldn''t stand Gwen''s behavior, believing that she achieved her current success solely because she had a very capable fianc. She was nothing more than a scheming woman who took advantage of others and acted smug about it. While Aurelianne was resting, Gwen hesitantly asked from the side. "Your Highness." "You''ve had relevant practice before, haven''t you?" The princess smiled at Gwen and spoke candidly: "Yes." "Usually, when my teacher Viktor is teaching, he always has me do several hours of physical training." "He tells me that even as a mage, one must have enough stamina to support one''s body." Hearing Aurelianne''s explanation, Gwen nodded in sudden realization. So that was it. Viktor was also skilled in swordsmanship, Gwen knew very well. But it seemed he had only taught Aurelianne the basic motions of sword swinging. She began to consider whether to skip the tedious sword swinging and move directly into sword technique practice. But soon, she dismissed this idea. The basics were the most important part. Even at her level, she still insisted on daily sword swinging practice. Having made her decision, she said to Aurelianne: "After you''ve rested enough, let''s do a few more sets of sword swinging practice." "Alright, Teacher Gwen." Aurelianne closed her eyes, breathing softly. Feeling her mind gradually calm down, her swollen muscles slowly relaxed, and strength gradually spread throughout her body.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Her heart beat strongly, thump-thump. Suddenly, it seemed a violent wind arose around them, even lifting all the nearby door curtains, which fluttered noisily in the air. The maids all held down their skirts, fearing they might be flipped up by this sudden gust. Aurelianne''s long hair was blown upwards, but she still calmly kept her eyes closed. Completely undisturbed by the anomaly around her. Until a warm large hand was placed on her shoulder. Feeling a sense of heart flutter, Aurelianne couldn''t help but open her eyes, slowly raising her head to look behind her. Viktor had suddenly appeared, looking down at her. "How''s the practice going?" Hearing Viktor''s voice, Aurelianne felt particularly delighted. She happily squinted her eyes and nodded very obediently. "Mm! Just like usual, I don''t feel tired at all!" Viktor gave her a slight nod in response, then turned to look at Gwen. Seeing Viktor''s sudden arrival and meeting his deep gaze, she seemed to become somewhat embarrassed. "V-Viktor?" "Why did you come over at this time?" Viktor looked at her and smiled slightly. "I was a bit worried, so I came to check on you." Hearing these words, Gwen immediately became even more embarrassed, turning her head away with a slight blush. One hand tightly clenched into a fist, placed by her mouth as she lightly coughed twice. "It''s my working hours now..." "You being here will distract me." Aurelianne and Celia stood beside the two, blinking their eyes, both staring at Gwen simultaneously. Celia felt something was off in her heart... How come this was different from what was agreed? Shouldn''t Miss Gwen be a more independent woman? How come now she seemed no different from those rumors? No... how could this be possible?? How could Miss Gwen fall for that man whose attitude and behavior were particularly awful! As the princess''s personal guard, Celia didn''t have many channels to obtain information. She naturally didn''t know that under last night''s curtain of darkness, the fireworks that filled the capital''s sky Were set off specifically for whom. Aurelianne just stood to the side, watching the interaction between the two, slightly pursing her lips. Suddenly, she raised her head, as if reminding Gwen: "Teacher Gwen, I''ve rested enough." "We can continue now." Hearing Aurelianne''s prompt, Gwen finally came to her senses, hurriedly regaining composure and patting her slightly warm cheeks. "Ah! Yes, Your Highness!" She no longer paid attention to Viktor beside her, walking straight to Aurelianne''s side to supervise her sword practice. Viktor didn''t feel bored either, casually finding a chair to sit down. His gaze rested on Gwen, not moving away for a moment. The surrounding servants behaved very respectfully, diligently preparing various fruits for him, placing them on exquisite plates. The princess''s teacher, Count Viktor. These servants were also quite familiar with him. After all, Viktor often entered the palace, and through his comings and goings, they naturally recognized this person of noble status. The princess had also specifically instructed. Once her teacher came to her side, they must serve him wholeheartedly. Even more respectfully than they would treat her. This also made the servants feel an extremely great pressure. However, the person before them didn''t think too much about it. After setting down the fruits, Viktor even very politely said to them. "Thank you." The calm and gentle tone, coupled with that handsome face, made the servants blush involuntarily. They hurriedly bowed and turned around in unison to quickly withdraw. After leaving, they couldn''t help but think of the grudge between the Kravina family and the Reiser family. How could a nobleman who would be so polite to servants like them be a bad person? Viktor sat in the chair, quietly watching Gwen and Aurelianne. Both were very focused and hadn''t become lax or slack because of his arrival. On the contrary, their state had become even better. Aurelianne''s movements became increasingly proficient, and Gwen constantly observed and corrected the princess''s actions. Whenever she entered a working state, Gwen would become very responsible. And Aurelianne was also a particularly obedient student; she would do her utmost to meet her teacher''s requirements. At the beginning of the sword swinging, Aurelianne appeared very relaxed. Soon, real sword technique training was brought up. Chopping, thrusting, upward slashes, blocking... Many combat techniques appeared before Aurelianne. At first, Aurelianne seemed to struggle a bit. Because sword technique training was completely different in difficulty from simple sword swinging. But supported by sufficient stamina, she went through training session after training session. Under Gwen''s tireless guidance, Aurelianne gradually became more at ease. What Gwen needed to do was to make Aurelianne remember this feeling, forming long-term muscle memory. Time passed unknowingly, and the sun slowly hid behind the western mountains, only showing a red patch. The light of dusk shone through the windows, slanting into the luxurious room. Vega stood on the table, having finished the last grape in the fruit plate. At this moment, Aurelianne planted the longsword in front of her body. Even though she was exhausted, she still supported her body with the sword, panting heavily. The magic power inside her body had been completely depleted, and she couldn''t even use magic to recover her strength or clean away sweat. In contrast, Gwen. She also planted an ordinary knight''s longsword in front of her. But as if tireless, she hadn''t even shed a drop of sweat. For Gwen, this was nothing compared to her usual training intensity. The breeze through the window blew her long silver hair, making her look valiant and heroic in the dusk. "Let''s stop here for today." Hearing these words, Aurelianne immediately felt a strong wave of fatigue sweep over her entire body. Today had really made her feel too tired. She couldn''t help but fall backwards. Instantly, a gust of wind supported her body. The soft force made Aurelianne feel particularly at ease. Only when Teacher Viktor was around could she be as unrestrained as she was now. Because she knew. As long as he was there, she would never be hurt. Viktor stood up, raising his palm, passing a white light over Aurelianne''s body. As the white light swept over her body, the sweat on Aurelianne''s body was cleaned spotlessly, and the sticky feeling under her armor also disappeared. It felt especially cool, as if she had taken a bath. After doing all this, Aurelianne felt a strong drowsiness. In her daze, she only heard Viktor''s voice sounding by her ear. "Rest well today." "Tomorrow, I will take you to other places for training." Hearing the reassuring voice, Aurelianne slowly closed her eyes. Then, Viktor walked to Gwen''s side and said to her: "Let''s go back." Gwen also responded to him with a smile, nodding. "Okay." A gust of wind gathered from under their feet, and the surrounding air also became somewhat restless. Whoosh! In an instant, the whirlwind suddenly burst, but Gwen and Viktor had already disappeared without a trace. Until the surroundings became completely quiet. An abrupt voice sounded at this moment. "Celia." "Your Highness." Celia stood very respectfully beside Aurelianne. Meanwhile, Aurelianne opened her somewhat drowsy eyes. She quietly looked at the ceiling, her voice somewhat flat as she asked Celia: "If I could sit in Father Emperor''s position," "Would I be able to get everything I want?" Chapter 168: Corruption, Submission of the Forest Fairy Celia stood beside Aurelianne, frozen in place, her mouth agape, not daring to make a sound. Was this... something she was allowed to hear? Suddenly, as if remembering something, she hurriedly turned her head to look at the surrounding servants. Such words must never be leaked! Fortunately, those servants didn''t even look this way, their expressions calm, completely acting as if they hadn''t heard anything. They were primarily pretending to be deaf and mute. After all, Aurelianne was very kind to these servants, so they naturally wouldn''t cause trouble for their mistress. Celia blinked her eyes, only able to stammer in response: "Y-Your Highness..." "This servant... doesn''t understand these things..." Discussing such matters in the palace was already a great disrespect. Even though Aurelianne was a princess, the emperor''s favorite child. But after all, Emperor Aubrey was still sitting on the throne. Such outspoken statements were like declaring one''s covetousness for the throne. Even the two princes didn''t dare to throw out such dangerous remarks. In the minds of the vast majority, the throne was passed to males, not females. From the founding of the empire until now, it had gone through eight emperors. Every emperor had been male. How could there be any reason for a princess to act as regent? Not to mention... becoming an empress. Unless the princess could become as powerful as the current emperor, or even more powerful than the current emperor. Able to suppress all dissenting voices and actions with her own strength. Celia absolutely dared not say more. Aurelianne squinted her eyes, seeming to become a bit drowsy. "Is that so..." Celia beside her also didn''t dare to say much, only quietly lowering her head, her body trembling slightly. But soon, Celia could no longer hear Aurelianne''s voice. She slightly raised her head, secretly glancing at Aurelianne. The princess was lying peacefully on that transparent, slowly flowing whirlwind, sleeping soundly. Two faint blushes appeared on her face, and her slightly chubby cheeks looked very cute. Celia quietly looked at her, her gaze extremely complex. Setting aside Aurelianne''s identity as a princess, Her Highness was just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. She should have had a naive and romantic life. But now, it seemed as if she was forcing herself to bear some extremely difficult burden. ... "I won''t!" In the Kravina garden, a stubborn voice suddenly rang out from the flower bushes. Cocotte was like a stubborn donkey, tilting her head, pursing her lips, sitting firmly on the cloud like a great Buddha statue, immovable no matter what others said. She looked at the man in front of her very dissatisfied, shouting loudly: "You said before that as long as I helped you, I wouldn''t have to work anymore!" "This is coercion! I''m going to report you to Aubrey!" Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, expressionless, calmly looking at the former lazy councilor in front of him. "I''ll say it again, as an employee of the Kravina family, you have an obligation to work for me." "Moreover, the person you''re following and protecting this time is the emperor''s daughter herself." "Simply put, this time you''re not just working for me, but also for the emperor." The implication was, go ahead and report if you want. You see whether the emperor thinks his daughter is more important, or your sleep is more important. Cocotte gritted her teeth, one hand crossing in front of her body, frowning, looking at Viktor like a food-guarding puppy. "You!" "You think this will make me agree to you?!" "I''m telling you, I absolutely refuse!" But Viktor still spoke calmly.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "If you don''t listen, I''ll send you back home." "Wuwuwu, I''ll agree to you, okay?" Today''s debate victory and defeat, Cocotte defeated. After dealing with this stubborn donkey, Lia slowly walked over from the side and said to Viktor: "Those demi-humans have all gathered... so, what exactly do you want to do?" "Take them on a long trip." Viktor replied indifferently. Hearing Viktor''s brief answer, Lia showed a helpless expression, holding her forehead and sighing: "Leaving again? How many days do you plan to be gone this time?" Viktor turned his head to look at Lia, speaking unhurriedly: "If you miss me, just use this." Viktor reached out a hand and lightly tapped on Lia''s glove. Lia didn''t avoid Viktor''s outstretched hand, but her body leaned back slightly as if a bit disgusted. Her cheeks were like lightly ripe apples, somewhat flushed, as she gently turned her head away. "How old are you now, would I still miss you?" "I''m not that sentimental." Viktor nodded, not continuing to reply to his tsundere sister. But Lia seemed to think of something, secretly glancing at Viktor, and lightly coughed. "Ahem, by the way, does Henie know you''re leaving?" "I''ve seen that her state hasn''t been too good lately." Viktor seemed not worried at all, responding unhurriedly: "I''ve already given her advance notice." Henie''s state was within his expectations. After learning the fact that she wasn''t human, Henie naturally needed some time for self-doubt. When she could fully accept the fact of her identity, she would slowly emerge from the internal consumption of self-doubt. She would also become stronger than before. Moreover, Viktor had already returned the overstuffed Leighton to Henie. This time when he left, he would take Cocotte along. If anything unexpected happened at home, there was still that guy Leighton to guard against. A gust of black wind rose hovering in the sky, and Viktor slowly raised his head, looking towards the horizon. A black crow slowly flew over from the sky. It circled a few times, steadily landing on Viktor''s shoulder. The crow''s mysterious and profound single eye gathered a barely perceptible gleam of light, its beak pressed against Viktor''s ear, opening and closing, speaking in a voice that only the two of them could communicate with. "Everything''s ready." "However, I don''t quite understand your motive." Viktor walked silently towards the outside of the garden with his hands in his pockets. As he walked, he responded to Vega: "Demi-humans are easy to control, you should know that." Vega nodded affirmatively. The basic element needed to become a believer is sincerity in the heart, completely and truly believing in a deity. And Vega, as a... crow that only eats and sleeps, and reads erotic books every day. No one knew its divine name. Habika''s true name was so rare that no country could find its history. After all, this ancient deity was no pushover. Even if someone knew, they would definitely not include it in history for people to understand. Naturally, it would be very difficult for anyone to sincerely believe in Vega. After all, they didn''t even know what kind of god Vega was. So, Viktor could only find another way. Therefore... "Demi-humans became the best choice." After remembering that the empire still had demi-human slaves, Viktor immediately realized that these creatures, similar to humans but different from humans. They also possessed wisdom and thoughts, but compared to the various complex relationships of humans, they were simpler. In the world of demi-humans, they only had ''survival''. Survival was their only purpose, and for this, they would grasp any hope of staying alive. This point applied equally to demi-human slaves. And once a powerful deity appeared. Just by believing in Him, the demi-humans could live better. The demi-humans would willingly dedicate their faith. They had no reason not to make their lives better. In Vega''s eyes, a blue light flashed, symbolizing wisdom. "No wonder." "From the moment you saw those demi-human slaves, you had already started formulating such a plan, right?" Becoming enemies with the Reiser family, and threatening them, threatening this merchant family that dealt most severely in demi-human slaves. Obtaining a large number of weapons, equipment and funds from them, and then completely bringing the legion composed of demi-humans into the open. "But will the empire allow it?" "Whether they allow it or not isn''t important, what''s important is how the future emperor will think." Viktor''s calm yet indisputable tone sounded faintly. Vega slightly widened its single eye. "Subverting the founding political power of a strong country? Interesting." "Viktor, you''re even crazier than I imagined." So what would Vega do? "Choosing you was the most correct choice I''ve ever made." As the words gradually fell, Vega''s gaze also seemed to gain a bit more madness. Since humans couldn''t be relied upon, why not change to another race? For Vega, it didn''t matter who its believers were. What mattered was that it only needed to have these believers. "It''s time to go." Viktor''s coat behind him swayed slightly in the air, but after just a moment, the coat changed from swaying to frenzied dancing. "We should go pick up people." The moment the words fell. The breeze seemed to transform into a violent beast, its entire body rising from the ground. Stirring up a strong storm, constantly blowing the dust rolling and rotating on the ground, and spiraling upwards towards the sky. The sky was gathered with dense dark clouds, as if blocking out the radiance of the sun. The thick clouds were rolled by the fierce wind into a huge vortex of air, constantly twisting, as if transformed into a giant eye, adding a few hints of eeriness. Lia and Cocotte stood behind Viktor, feeling the constantly blowing gloomy wind. The violent air kept playing with their collars, and facing the strong storm, they couldn''t help but stare blankly at Viktor''s back. Behind Viktor, there seemed to be an extremely black and ghostly crow shadow, constantly trembling under the sky. It grew bigger and bigger until it completely stabilized its form, pulling out a sinister smile, looking towards the sky. Arrogance, contempt, pride... Those emotions seemed to pour into that wicked smile all at once, filling the stuffy air. At this moment, the sky over the capital became darker than ever before. Chapter 169: What? Nothing to Fucking Say? ♀ Under the massive golden palace, the air felt incredibly heavy. Countless ministers lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound. The entire hall was serious to a frightening degree. This atmosphere was due to Aurelianne''s arrival. This princess, who had almost never appeared in the hall before, came here in person for the first time. When the surrounding officials saw Aurelianne, they were all stunned. After all, this was the princess''s first time attending court. What did this mean? None of the ministers present knew, nor did anyone dare to find out. Princesses don''t act as regents, this was common sense. Moreover, Aurelianne''s greatest claim to fame was still her title as a flower vase princess. Although recently the princess''s reputation had changed somewhat, after all, the empire''s strongest fourth-tier mage Viktor had become her teacher. Making people realize that Aurelianne might actually have some ability as a mage. But no matter how impressive, no matter how much her reputation changed, she was still a princess after all. Aurelianne ignored the puzzled looks of the ministers and quietly sat in the position below the emperor. With an innocent smile, she looked at those extremely nervous officials. That''s right, this aged old emperor had even prepared a chair in the palace for his most beloved daughter. This was treatment that even the two princes hadn''t received. But thinking it over, they felt this was somewhat normal. As emperor, His Majesty certainly wouldn''t stand behind one of the princes like these nobles, naming names. Because that would mean His Majesty had publicly announced his choice for the next monarch. And the princess could avoid this discussion, so the emperor could shamelessly dote on his daughter in front of everyone. After all, no matter how much he doted on her. The final outcome for a princess was only one. Political marriage. However, seeing the emperor''s stance, many ministers still felt uneasy. They didn''t know why the princess had come here today. It couldn''t be that she just came here to watch the court session and relax, right? Or perhaps this court session itself was related to her? As the heavy drums signaling the start of the court session were struck at dawn, Emperor Aubrey on the throne waved his hand at the ministers bowing to him. The crowd of officials slowly rose and began to report to the emperor. "Your Majesty, Prince Owiser has arrived at the White Mage Association in the Northern Territories and met with General Vladimir." "I believe in a few days, we will be able to investigate the truth about the demons in the North." Another group of officials stepped forward, equally eager, and continued: "Your Majesty, there has been great chaos at the monster rifts in the South, but Prince Aubrey returned to the South to suppress it not long ago." "Before long, news of victory will come from the front lines." In the court, one group after another, as if afraid of being outdone, reported on the achievements of the two princes. Although neither side had yet taken substantial action, these officials made it sound as if both princes had already achieved their goals. The entire morning court session became a scene of scrambling, basically all about describing whose achievements were greater. Soon, from comparing the future achievements of the princes, it turned to the officials looking down on each other, entering the stage of mutual impeachment. Aurelianne looked at this chaotic scene with some surprise. This was her first time attending court, naturally also her first time encountering such a situation. This was somewhat different from what she had imagined. Aubrey sat on the throne, smiling and looking down at Aurelianne. "Disappointed you, hasn''t it, Aurelianne?" "But it''s like this every morning, I''m used to it." The emperor chuckled there, and with each laugh, the heads of the ministers below would involuntarily lower a bit more, not daring to say much. That laughter was as if watching clowns, mocking them. But everyone wanted to be that minister who rode the dragon to success. With the emperor clearly not having many years left, they seemed more anxious than anyone. The emperor on the throne wasn''t annoyed either, just squinting his eyes and chuckling, continuing: "Now you know why your teacher basically never comes?" Aurelianne nodded thoughtfully. But after all, she was still an underage princess, and with such an identity, there were some things she certainly didn''t need to understand. Even if she understood, she couldn''t show that she did. So, she asked her father the emperor as if very innocently: "Why do my royal brothers have to do such dangerous things?" Aubrey placed one hand on the armrest of the throne, tapping his fingers incessantly, and said with a smile:Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "Of course for the empire, for our country." Aurelianne nodded and continued innocently: "Teacher said he wants to take me to the South, to take me to the monster rifts there for training." "I also want to fight monsters like Big Brother." As soon as the princess said this, Aubrey had no reaction, but the officials on the crown prince''s side seemed to explode, becoming extremely anxious. They bent over, hurriedly saying to the emperor: "This must not be allowed, Your Majesty!" A crowd of ministers walked to the center of the hall, looking up at Aubrey, telling the emperor the pros and cons in trembling voices. "The princess is worth her weight in gold, she absolutely cannot risk her life!" "The monster gathering place in the South is sufficiently guarded by the army led by the crown prince!" They appeared somewhat afraid. Regardless of what the princess was thinking for now. They knew very well what Viktor''s combat power was like. That day, the war magic ignited over the entire capital was seen by countless noble officials. If he really took the princess there, what would be left for the crown prince to do? What monster uprising? With one spell from this master, how many monsters would still be alive? But due to the indirectness required in court, they naturally couldn''t directly state their thoughts. They could only pretend to care about the princess''s safety to persuade Aubrey to refuse the princess''s request. Before they finished speaking, Aurelianne''s gaze swept over faintly. "Mr. Quentin, I remember, you are the director of the Monster Management Bureau." The person called Quentin seemed not to have expected that Aurelianne would remember his identity. Seeing Quentin''s bewilderment, Aurelianne began to speak slowly. "The army my elder brother is leading mostly consists of first to second-tier warriors and knight squadrons, with few third-tier among them." "And there are only a few barely adequate second-tier mage corps for logistics support." As she spoke, an extremely vast magical power surged from Aurelianne''s body. The magic instantly immersed the entire hall, as if in a deep sea. Countless ministers felt this terrifying aura and couldn''t help blinking. Wasn''t the flower vase princess said to be just an ordinary first-tier mage? But how could she have this amount of magical power that even second-tier mages might not match? She''s only fifteen years old! Aurelianne took in the gazes of all the ministers and said very calmly: "Do you think my strength is inferior to theirs?" Her words seemed to carry some unquestionable dominance. At this point, Quentin was left speechless by Aurelianne. He cast his gaze towards the second prince''s faction. The noble ministers there also understood very well. It wasn''t a good idea to kick the crown prince''s faction while they were down at this time. If there''s one, there will be two. If this time they really let Princess Aurelianne go with Viktor under the pretext of training. This time it was the crown prince who suffered a setback, but next time, it might be the second prince''s turn. So they were willing to provide some support for Quentin. A minister from the second prince''s side stood up and said: "Your Highness, you indeed have impressive strength for your age. However, the crown prince has after all led an army into battle, ensuring safety." "Forgive my directness, but although Count Viktor is strong, he may not be able to look after you in battle..." "Then why not add me to the mix?" A lazy voice suddenly sounded from outside. Everyone was drawn to this voice without exception. They saw a white cloud. Slowly, it floated in from outside the hall. When they focused their gaze on the person on the cloud, their pupils suddenly contracted, feeling greatly shocked. Cocotte Yade! Since Lia had introduced her once in the palace, those noble ministers had a very deep impression of this elf. The future Elf Queen, and also the former councilor who had known the current emperor from before. That minister who had just spoken up was so frightened he could barely speak. "Coun... Councilor Yade." Fifth tier was a realm that countless people dreamed of and could hardly imagine. And Cocotte was one in a million, about to cross into the fifth tier. At this moment, all his words of concern earlier seemed to have become nonsense. If such a mage couldn''t protect a princess, who could protect the princess? Should they ask the emperor himself to do it? But they still didn''t want to give up, someone stood up and continued: "But... Your Highness, you should at least have a guard unit that can protect you..." As soon as the words fell, a clanking sound of iron armor rang out from outside the hall. Everyone looked out, wanting to see where this sound of steel was coming from. Suddenly, they widened their eyes. Outside the door appeared a legion formed of demi-humans. They had various animal features like cat ears and dog ears on their heads, trembling slightly in the sunlight. They wore armor made of bones that shone brightly. The slightly protruding spikes on the armor made people feel somewhat fearful, like the faces of beasts. Among this legion of all demi-humans, they noticed a human woman. She stood out particularly. An extremely powerful fourth-tier aura emanated from her body. She wore the same armor as the demi-humans and carried the same weapons. Some sharp-eyed ministers recognized that woman. "Isn''t that the fourth-tier adventurer from the South, the ''Giant Blade Assassin'', Elsa?!" "How is this possible, wasn''t she supposed to have become Lady Cassandra''s guard?" Amidst a chorus of shocked voices, an even crisper sound of metal armor clashing slowly approached. Gwen walked out step by step. With her back to the morning sun, the brand new silver armor on her body shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Like a sun goddess walking out of the light, she displayed her unique majesty and strength. A red blade emitting a terrifying aura hung at her waist, and just at first glance one could perceive the endless flames it carried. She slowly walked out, standing at the forefront of all the demi-humans, outside the palace. The moment they saw Gwen, those nobles suddenly froze. At this moment, facing Emperor Aubrey, she slowly placed one arm across her chest and knelt on one knee. Whoosh! The crowd of demi-human guards behind her uniformly followed Gwen in saluting the emperor. An aura of iron blood and strength surged from this demi-human legion, like a powerful existence with its own natural will. A terrifying sense of hunting entered the hall, making the ministers feel their hair stand on end. But then, that fierce aura in the hall disappeared, becoming as calm as lake water. Those ministers naturally knew that no matter how complex the aura, it could never completely disappear. Unless... someone even more powerful had arrived. They guessed correctly. From the shadows of the hall, traces were drawn out, that black ink-like substance quickly gathering on the floor beneath the ministers'' feet. Soon, a patch of darkness began to surge, and a muscular body began to constantly reassemble. The man in the trench coat stood behind everyone. A faint and familiar voice gradually sounded. "The army you wanted, I''ve brought." He stood with his hands in his pockets, the familiar black crow perched on his shoulder, revealing his identity. Amidst the shocked gazes of countless people, he slightly raised his head, with an arrogant posture, coldly looking at them. "What?" "Nothing to say?" """ Chapter 170: What Do You Mean? Are You Being Racist? A soul-shaking pressure crawled up the trembling and weak bodies of the ministers, spreading into their hearts. The ministers stared blankly at the kneeling demi-human legion before them, suddenly realizing something. Quentin was especially anxious, pointing at the demi-humans outside the hall, hurriedly saying: "Your Majesty! Look at this troop." "They''re all demi-humans!" The rest of the ministers, disregarding the chill sweeping their bodies, exchanged words: "That''s right... those are demi-humans!" "How can demi-humans enter the country? Even form an army!" The ministers spoke more and more excitedly, their voices growing louder and louder, completely ignoring Viktor standing behind them. It seemed that if their voices were just a bit louder, a bit louder still. They could reach the emperor''s ears. Demi-humans have very sensitive hearing, and the discussions in the hall clearly reached their ears. Heads lowered, holding their breath, they just lightly bit their lips. The fists placed on their chests also clenched slightly. They weren''t stupid. At this moment, they could clearly feel it. Those humans, looking at them from afar, their eyes full of disdain and contempt. As if they were merely treating them as a bunch of savage beasts. The emperor''s body leaned back slightly, his back pressing tightly against the throne, staring at those noisy nobles, a flash of displeasure in his eyes. "So, what do you think should be done?" Hearing the emperor ask for their opinion, the nobles thought the emperor had relented. They were somewhat happy, even getting carried away, speaking without thinking. A noble seized the opportunity, hurriedly saying: "In my opinion, Count Viktor should disband this demi-human troop and expel them from the country." "The empire shouldn''t allow these non-human races to enter." "Ha... then you might as well not allow me in either." Cocotte yawned, sitting on the cloud, pointing at herself, saying faintly. "After all, I''m not human either." Hearing Cocotte speak, that noble suddenly closed his mouth, too frightened to say a word. In human eyes, elves and demi-humans weren''t really any different. Because they weren''t human. But elves were considered nobler than demi-humans. After all, demi-humans had no human rights, they could be bullied however one liked. But elves were different. He didn''t want to suffer any curses in the latter half of his life. At least for now, he wasn''t willing to be hated by an elf. Especially not by a powerful fourth-tier elf queen. Although the ministers didn''t dare say anything disrespectful to Cocotte, they still smiled and retorted: "That''s not quite right, Councilor Yade, you''re an elf, naturally not comparable to demi-humans." Cocotte blinked, looking at the noble who spoke. "What do you mean?"Stolen novel; please report. "Elves aren''t human, right?" The man instantly froze in place. Weren''t elves supposed to be kind and friendly? Did that not apply to the elf queen? "No... I... that''s not what I meant..." "Then demi-humans aren''t human?" "This, I..." He was completely confused by Cocotte''s sophistry, wringing his hands, constantly thinking, but his slow brain couldn''t come up with any meaningful rebuttal. How was he supposed to respond? If he admitted demi-humans weren''t human, wouldn''t that be directly insulting all elves including Cocotte? Even though elves really weren''t human! The ministers opened their mouths, but couldn''t say a word. "Finished speaking? Then it''s my turn to say something." At this moment, Viktor''s cold gaze swept over everyone. The instant his voice sounded, they involuntarily froze in place. "I remember, all of you have bought quite a few demi-human slaves for your homes, right?" "This is no secret." Hearing Viktor bluntly expose this cruel fact in front of the emperor, the nobles broke out in a cold sweat. According to imperial law, demi-humans were forbidden from entering the country, and slave traders were prohibited from capturing demi-humans outside and illegally bringing them in. Although demi-humans might appear within the empire''s borders on their own, and captors could dispose of captured demi-humans as they wished. Even keeping them at home as slaves. But... If many nobles had some demi-human slaves in their homes. Where did all these demi-humans come from? It''s not possible that a group of demi-humans deliberately entered the country just waiting to be captured by humans, right? If the emperor wanted to investigate, he could naturally trace the clues of slave traders from them. When that time came, the situation would be quite different. Viktor looked at those noble ministers with mockery, the meaning in his words very simple. If you can use demi-human slaves for work, why can''t the Kravina family form an army of demi-humans? As for the danger of demi-humans? Who dares to mention danger in front of Viktor? "I understand what you want me to prove, very well." Viktor raised his hand, snapping his fingers in the air, as if receiving some command, all those demi-humans stood up. The cat and dog ears on top of their heads kept swaying. They stood at attention in unison, completely ready for battle. Judging from the reaction of this demi-human troop, its discipline could even be compared to a regular army of the empire. And on the seemingly thin bodies of these demi-humans, there seemed to be a hint of dangerous hunting instinct and cruel coldness. Those noble ministers were completely stunned looking at this uniformed troop. Although some of them weren''t very familiar with the empire''s army. But they could clearly feel from the demi-human troop before them. What professionalism meant. At this moment, many people had self-doubt in their hearts. Were they really demi-humans? Could demi-humans understand human commands? No need for whips, no need for food, just a snap of fingers? Then, Viktor slowly walked to Quentin''s side. One hand lightly patted his shoulder. Feeling the heaviness transmitted to his shoulder, Quentin''s whole body trembled. He couldn''t help but slowly turn his head, looking at Viktor with extreme fear. "Mr. Quentin, as the director of the Monster Management Bureau, you should understand better than me." "Monsters have intelligence too." Viktor''s calm voice sounded beside his ear. This was true, the Monster Management Bureau would capture those rare monsters that could cause riots, and properly contain those monsters. Among those captured monsters, many had developed some intelligence, races that wouldn''t rely entirely on instinct. "So, what makes you think demi-humans don''t have intelligence?" "Just because you treat them as beasts?" The cold voice seemed to penetrate to the bone, drilling into Quentin''s ears. He couldn''t stop trembling, his voice somewhat weak, his gaze involuntarily fixed on those demi-humans. The demi-humans felt Quentin''s gaze, still standing seriously in place, looking straight ahead, not moving an inch. This was clearly an elite troop that could completely follow orders! At this moment, the large hand on his shoulder slowly lifted. Only then did Quentin feel that the near-death pressure from just now gradually dissipate. Viktor walked in front of him, his back to Quentin. "I hope you understand one thing, I am their master." "It''s not your turn to point fingers." The moment the words fell, a strange color flashed in the eyes of the crow on his shoulder. The next moment, a pair of huge black wings suddenly grew from Viktor''s back. Red light flowed between the feathers, black fragments falling in mid-air. The wings fluttered slightly in mid-air, as if to drive away all irrelevant people. The ministers looked at the pair of wings bursting out from Viktor, as if realizing some terrifying existence, all scared into shrinking back into the hall. Demi-human traits? No! That was clearly something only magic could achieve. Quentin was still trembling, tentatively asking Viktor: "Count Viktor, are you... really human?" Viktor merely turned his head, glancing at him coldly. "I''m not human." "Are you?" The mocking words descended on everyone''s heads, making them feel their hair stand on end. In Viktor''s eyes, they were like a bunch of naked primitive beasts. Making them feel utterly ashamed. After a long silence, a hearty and vicissitudinous laugh came from the throne. Seeming to dispel all the surrounding pressure. The noble ministers finally moved, turning back to see the emperor patting his chair, laughing out loud. Aubrey''s laughter gradually subsided, and he said to the princess with a smile: "Isn''t this all prepared already?" "Aurelianne, feel free to go with your teacher." With these words, it was as if a bomb had been lit in the minds of all the ministers present, "bang", becoming completely blank. In their ears, there seemed to be a faint ringing. The emperor had agreed. Aurelianne, sitting in her chair, was looking at Viktor''s back, her eyes involuntarily flashing a little star. Feeling nothing but admiration. Emperor Aubrey looked down fondly at the princess sitting below, smiling and saying: "Go ahead, Aurelianne." "Don''t let me down." ... Wild snow danced incessantly under the sky, howling cold winds also constantly cutting the skin of visitors. On the vast and boundless snow plain, there seemed to be no trace of life''s color. A group of guards and knights trudged through the deep snow, dragging their feet, moving forward with difficulty. Under the white snow, an extremely heavy smell of blood rose from the earth, diffusing in the air. A voice sounded faintly. "We''re here, this is the site of the decisive battle back then." "Also where the demon appeared." Led by General Vladimir''s deputy, the third-in-command of the White Mage Association, Dick, this army from the capital was investigating the demon incident here. The second prince flipped down from the sleigh, wrapped in a thick fur coat, breathing out cold air, looking around. Soon, he narrowed his eyes. "The aura of a demon." The second prince could very clearly feel that a demon had indeed appeared here. And this bloody smell... ''Is it Wrath?'' A low and viscous voice slowly came to his ear. The second prince had no time to reply to Yem''s words, just raising his head to look ahead. Looking at that sea of ice. Some time ago, this snow plain experienced an extremely terrifying war. So many barbarians died at that time that the blood color in the sea of ice here still hasn''t completely dissipated. He was somewhat curious about who brought the Wrath from Jace here. Thinking it over, he could only come up with one answer. "Viktor..." The second prince muttered this name softly, then cast his gaze forward. On the sea surface, there was a grand ruin covered by heavy snow. A ruin suddenly appearing on a flat sea surface, this he couldn''t quite understand. Could it be that some building existed here before? Dick slowly explained: "According to the spies at the time, they did indeed see a complete white temple here, at first they thought it was made by those barbarians." "But that temple has already been destroyed by Count Viktor." The second prince looked at the ruins over there, feeling somewhat surprised. Viktor again? But what exactly was this? Suddenly, as if an enraged beast had stopped roaring. The surrounding snow and wind gradually subsided, as if isolated outside a space. The sky overhead was gradually covered by dark clouds, extremely gloomy. But this abnormal weather seemed somewhat... strange. It was clearly overcast, but... Where was the wind? Why was there no wind? The second prince seemed to sense something, abruptly looking up. A pair of eyes, as if crossing the shadowy clouds. Towards him. Or rather. Towards those temple ruins. Staring intently at it. """ Chapter 171: The Dukes Daughter is Impressive The Second Prince narrowed his eyes and lifted his head, feeling the intense pressure from above the clouds. "What is that?" Within the clouds, something seemed to be rolling, stirring up wave after wave of air currents! It twisted back and forth in the air, surrounded by dense streams of white energy. The clouds obscured it, and the surrounding winds came to a halt. Standing beside the Second Prince, even Dick himself sensed something amiss. Having lived in the far north for years, Dick was accustomed to the cold, but this weather inexplicably brought about a sense of irritation and fear. He stood next to the Second Prince and said respectfully, "Your Highness... perhaps we should conclude our investigation for today?" This was already an abnormal situation. The North, known for its constant wind and snow, had suddenly fallen silent. He needed to hurry back and report this to the General. But the Second Prince didn''t respond. As if noticing something, the Second Prince looked towards the group of knights still investigating. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Don''t get close to that place!" The Second Prince''s voice rang out loudly, causing the knights near the ruined temple who were about to inspect it to turn their heads. But suddenly, their bodies froze. It was as if a pair of giant eyes were watching them from within the wind. In the silence, they could only hear the distant voice. "Run..." Boom A thunderous roar, accompanied by a storm, swept across the sky! A massive, dazzling light flashed by, as if a storm had descended upon the mortal realm. With devastating power, it plowed through the snow-covered plain, heading straight for everyone at the ruins. In an instant, Dick quickly grabbed the staff at his waist and raised it. The staff immediately emitted a brilliant light. [Glory''s Protection] A huge energy barrier suddenly rose up, seemingly inlaid with countless shimmering gems, flashing with a dazzling radiance. But in the face of that raging wind, it appeared incredibly fragile. A terrifying scene unfolded before the two. The storm raged, carrying a horrifying pressure, devouring everything in its path. Even the seemingly solid barrier was shaking and on the verge of collapse in this storm. Finally, a crack appeared in the barrier. With a ''crack'' sound. Like shattering glass, it could no longer withstand the surging storm. Dick was thrown back hundreds of meters by the aftermath of the storm, slamming hard into an ice wall, instantly losing consciousness and fainting. Only the Second Prince remained standing in place. Unknowingly, black stripes had crawled up his face. The storm did not shake his body; around him, several thorns sprang up from the ground, tightly binding him. As the storm dissipated, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, half-kneeling on the ground. Severely injured... Merely being affected by that terrifying attack, even with the barrier absorbing much of the force. He had suffered such severe injuries. The Second Prince looked at the scene before him with utter shock. Everything around had disappeared. The abandoned temple ruins, the surrounding knights. It was as if everything had scattered with the wind under that astonishing storm. What on earth was that? He suddenly looked up, gazing at the sky above. He saw its form clearly. It seemed to be a... giant worm-like creature. Its claws appeared even thicker and more powerful than a giant dragon''s, clutching a mass of dark clouds, gradually revealing its head. A huge, pitch-black head. It was as dark as the clouds, seeming to have two antennae on top of its head. Its body, black as ink, continuously rolled within the cloud layer. "...A snake?" The Second Prince stared wide-eyed, looking at the sky in terror. That huge monster, able to freely traverse the sky. It was definitely not something humans could defeat. And it certainly couldn''t be a snake. Suddenly, its head moved. As if sensing something, those eyes like two bright lamps looked in a certain direction. It abruptly began to move its body, re-entering the cloud layer. The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the weather slowly returned to normal. Feeling the ice and snow once again falling on his body, the Second Prince finally moved.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. He sat down heavily, gasping for breath. For the first time, he felt the sensation of death creeping into his heart. That feeling was so close to him. "...Greed, are you still there?" "What exactly was that just now?" In response to his inquiry, Yem''s voice, slightly trembling, sounded out. "That was... a Calamity." The Second Prince froze in place. A Calamity? What on earth was that thing? "Don''t ask me too much." "Don''t let it discover you. Don''t... provoke it." Yem''s voice gradually subsided. The Second Prince remained silent. He raised his head again, looking towards the sky. Looking in the direction where that terrifying monster had departed. "The Pale Magic Association..." ...... [Second-tier Magic: Water Curtain] Multiple magic arrays surged around Erica, intertwining with the surrounding wind and snow. Like rippling water, it radiated out from around Erica''s body. "Splash......" A stream of clear spring water fell from the sky, like dancing water, gathering around Erica, gradually forming a small vortex, enveloping her within. "Hum hum hum......" As the mist grew thicker, Erica within the water curtain became increasingly blurred. Suddenly, the mist violently expanded, enveloping the entire water curtain. Within this water screen, every part of her body seemed to be washed over and over again by the water flow. Erica closed her eyes, allowing the water vapor to permeate around her, not moving at all. "Not bad." Beside her, Amelia stood, a lollipop in her mouth. She quietly watched Erica, nodding with satisfaction. "It seems your control over your own magical power has improved a bit more." The water curtain persisted for a while before gradually dissipating into the wind and snow. Erica''s expression remained unchanged as she opened her eyes, smiling politely at Amelia: "Thank you." Today''s magic practice had ended, and she sat down on nearby steps to rest. But her expression showed a hint of worry. The Second Prince had rushed from the capital just to investigate the demon incident. She knew this very well. Although Erica didn''t know if that Second Prince could actually uncover anything, she was somewhat concerned. After all, that demon was summoned by Professor Viktor. "Woo" Suddenly, an alarm sounded abruptly, and Erica suddenly raised her head. In the many days since coming to the North, she had never heard such an urgent alarm. "What''s happening?" Amelia stood beside her, speaking calmly. "If this kind of alarm is sounded, it generally signifies the occurrence of two things." "Either a barbarian invasion, or some kind of natural disaster is about to happen." Erica nodded in realization. But among the barbarian tribes, the two most powerful forces were already nearly extinct. And the remaining barbarians were no longer a significant threat. So... "A natural disaster?" "No." Amelia reached out her hand, sensing the surroundings, where the wind had unknowingly already calmed down. She raised her head, her gaze fixed directly on the sky above, where that terrifying creature had already exposed half of its body. "I''m afraid it''s even worse than that." Suddenly, deep in Erica''s heart, there was a slight sinking feeling. It was as if something was calling out with a series of echoes. She raised her palm. As if responding to some kind of summons. In the center of her palm, a stream of air involuntarily rose up. Erica raised her head, also looking towards the sky. That terrifying creature, which had exposed half of its body, revealed its enormous eyes, like giant light bulbs. "!" Erica knew very clearly. The gaze of that terrifying monster. It was looking directly at her. Suddenly, it withdrew its gaze. Its body rolled back and forth between the cloud layers, stirring up waves of air currents around it. In an instant, it reared its head and let out a long roar to the sky! "Roar" A sound like a dragon''s cry resonated across the entire territory. Then she just raised her head, looking towards the sky. Astonishing winds began to blow again. And this time, the biting cold wind seemed to carry a knife-like cutting sensation. ...... Vladimir, wrapped in a large fur coat, stood atop a snowy mountain. Feeling the dangerously cold wind around him, he reached out a hand, pinching the cigar in his mouth. He took a deep drag. "Hiss..." Behind him stood several mages clad in white robes. Vladimir didn''t turn around, speaking indifferently. "Have they all gathered?" "More or less." The person behind him reported. Vladimir raised his head, looking at the enormous creature in the sky. The giant worm-like creature continuously twisted its body, carrying an unparalleled sense of pressure. The surrounding wind howled, blowing his large fur coat behind him. A pain shot through his cheek, and he reached out to touch his face. A trail of blood smeared down his hand. Even the wind carried such terrifying power. Faced with such a horrifying existence, Vladimir showed no panic, instead laughing. "I''ve never seen anything like this in all my years." "It must be something only those gods could create." He took another deep drag of the cigar in his mouth, then violently threw it onto the snow, stomping on it hard. "Too bad, I don''t believe in any fucking gods." "Tell the others, all the children in the territory, the elderly, and the women who can''t fight, take them all to the Northern Frontier." Ever since the Delin family changed hands, along with politicians like Kevla mediating back and forth. The relationship between the Pale Magic Association and the Northern Knights had eased somewhat. And now, they had no choice but to seek the protection of the Northern Knights. "Oh right, and that little girl Erica." "She''s Levi''s child, we can''t let her join the battle." Hearing this, the people behind him became anxious. "General, what about you?" If he could avoid fighting, he certainly wouldn''t want to engage with this kind of creature. "If this thing could communicate, perhaps there might be some room for negotiation." Unfortunately, it came with hostile intent. That monster was clearly targeting the Pale Magic Association. A gust of icy wind howled past, carrying flying snow, the biting cold forcing his cheeks to turn bright red. He furrowed his brows tightly, his gaze fixed on the distant sky. Its enormous body writhed in the air, dark scales gleaming with an evil light. Its eyes surged like a raging storm, as if ready to devour and grind everything to dust. "If I leave, how will I cover your retreat?" Vladimir grinned, his smile seeming to carry a hint of madness. "Even if I die, I''ve got to peel off a few pieces of this long worm''s skin." His voice echoed in the wind, filled with unyielding courage. The wind was bitterly cold, snow was flying, and the fierce snowy air whirled up fiercely behind him. His white hair fluttered wildly in the wind, like a banner, flying high. He tightly gripped the huge battle axe materialized from his gloves, frost''s chill emanating from the axe blade, even the surrounding air had frozen into ice crystals. Wind and snow intertwined, the cold permeated, and a tense atmosphere filled the air. At this moment, he was like a war god, cold and fearless. Vladimir Lebedev lv47 Chapter 172: How Fierce Is My Black Dragon? Three days had passed since Viktor left the capital. During these three days, the capital seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber, extremely quiet. A knight raised his reins, continuously slapping the horse''s back. The rapidly galloping horse, feeling the constant pain, could only run with all its might. The horse''s hooves kicked up billowing dust, its silhouette resembling a shooting star as it passed through the city, finally breaking the silence that had enveloped the capital for days. Arriving at the palace, the knight dismounted, not even taking the time to settle his horse. Out of breath, he rushed up several flights of stairs. He stumbled into the great hall, his swaying body nearly unable to stop in time. Quickly adjusting his half-fallen, half-standing posture, he appeared utterly flustered in front of the many ministers. "Your Majesty, urgent news from the Far North!" The ministers were startled by the knight''s sudden arrival, looking at him with confusion and concern. What had happened? After the knight caught his breath a little and swallowed hard. The ministers'' faces showed even more anxiety, and the emperor, sitting on his throne, waved his hand at him. The knight hurriedly knelt on one knee, rushing to explain: "While investigating the demon in the Far North, the army led by the Second Prince was completely annihilated!" "His Highness the Second Prince is severely injured and is currently recuperating in the Delin family''s territory." "What!?" Upon hearing this, all the ministers present drew in a sharp breath. Especially those nobles who had originally supported the Second Prince''s faction immediately erupted, turning into a chaotic mess. They began discussing frantically, one after another. "Could it be... they encountered a demon!?" Hearing the ministers'' speculations, the emperor also frowned slightly, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen. "What''s the reason?" The knight instinctively swallowed, barely daring to breathe as he continued: "According to the news from the Pale Magic Association." "They... encountered a monster." ...... Vladimir stood on the snowy plain, holding a frost giant axe that exuded a biting cold, standing under the gloomy sky. His gaze was fixed on the sky above, on the enormous worm-like creature hidden among the rolling clouds. Behind him were over a thousand members of the Pale Magic Association who could still fight. However, they were also severely injured, many only able to raise broken staffs and damaged magical instruments. The remaining mages had all been dispersed. They were escorting the civilians who couldn''t fight away. At this moment, the monster''s silhouette gradually swayed between the cloud layers. Layer upon layer of hard black scales covered its snake-like elongated body. The heavy dark clouds also rolled continuously under the sky, with gusts of extremely powerful hurricanes tearing through the earth. It was like an inverted gray ocean, ready to submerge all living beings in the next second. The terrifying pressure, accompanied by strong air pressure, squeezed the bodies of everyone present. Vladimir''s body was covered in blood, with not a single part unscathed. Even his eyes had become blurry and unfocused, forcing him to close one eye. Despite this, he still stood firm before the giant dragon, stubbornly staring at its restless, enormous body, like a statue holding up the heavens and earth. The dragon twisting its body in the sky now made a move. Waves of powerful and fierce air currents continuously rose from the ground, pouring into the gloomy dark clouds. The swirling air currents gradually expanded, forming a giant vortex that slowly pressed down. The dragon''s pitch-black body gradually flashed with white light, like a layer of flowing white scales. Its body gradually transformed into a shooting star. The vortex grew larger and larger, the constantly swirling air seemed to carry the momentum to shred everything, gradually drawing out a pale and heavy hurricane, rotating between heaven and earth. The ground began to be continuously stripped away, and the suffocating air pressure that filled the space now became even heavier. The rolling dark clouds seemed as if they could completely crush the entire world in the next second. Vladimir just raised his head, gripping his weapon tightly. Aiming at that shooting star-like huge body, he spread his arms. Like a fearless hero. ...... Listening to the knight''s description, many noble ministers trembled incessantly, as if personally experiencing that terrifying and desperate scene. Vladimir, this legendary general of the empire, his name was known to many in the empire. He was very powerful, the strongest ice mage known to the empire. But even such a powerful figure was crushed to this state when facing that enormous monster.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Is this... really possible? The knight continued: "However... no one from the Pale Magic Association was injured." Hearing this news, they were shocked again, discussing among themselves. "How is that possible?" "Such a monster, and it didn''t harm anyone?" "Well... not exactly." The knight stammered, unable to speak for a long time. A nobleman grew impatient and shouted from behind: "Just spit it out!" The knight closed his eyes, as if mustering up courage, and shouted loudly: "General Vladimir discovered the monster''s approach in advance and evacuated everyone in the territory, seeking refuge with the Delin family." "In the end, the General himself stayed behind... to buy time." As his words fell, the entire hall sank into a long silence, followed only by a series of sighs. General Vladimir was already one of the most powerful figures in the empire. Within the empire, there weren''t many who held the title of General. Even Angus, the former head of the Delin family who guarded the North, couldn''t earn such an honor. Like His Majesty, he was also a "strong figure of the previous era." He had already reached retirement age, but for the sake of the people in the Far North, he was willing to sacrifice himself. Hero. This word rose in everyone''s hearts. "I understand." The emperor''s voice seemed to carry no emotion. But in his chest, it was as if a fire of anger that could devour everything was burning. A powerful aura instantly filled the space of the entire hall, as if it could ignite everything in the next second. Suddenly, everyone saw it. A red lion, faintly visible behind Aubrey It bared its huge teeth, ferocity slowly overflowing from its eyes. The lion''s muscular body gradually stood up behind the throne, looking towards the northern sky. "Vladimir''s sacrifice will not be in vain." This extremely terrifying aura made the knight feel difficulty breathing. He could only barely raise his head and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please... please allow me to speak frankly... things are not as you think." "To be precise, apart from the investigation army accompanying the Second Prince... there were no casualties." "The General, he also survived." As soon as this news came out, the entire hall erupted in a wave of exclamations. The emperor''s clenched fist suddenly relaxed, and he exhaled, the powerful pressure dissipating with his breath. He lowered his head, slowly looking at the knight with an extremely cold gaze. "Tell me everything you know, all at once." "Yes!" The knight was startled, his legs trembling, and he began to narrate non-stop: "The situation at that time was already precarious, but at the very last moment..." "Duke Levi''s daughter, Erica du Cloye, stepped forward." ...... In the endless gale, the divine dragon seemed about to break through the cloud layer and rush towards the ground in the next second. Vladimir spread his arms and closed his eyes. He had long been prepared to face death. But suddenly..... The frenzied wind gradually calmed. The overwhelming sense of despair slowly dissipated. Vladimir didn''t even feel pain, and for a moment, he thought he had already reached heaven. He tentatively opened his eyes. The surrounding destruction was still terribly severe, no different from before. The mages around him were still injured. But without exception, they all widened their eyes, slowly raising their heads to look forward. They weren''t looking at him, Vladimir knew clearly. He curiously followed their gaze and looked over. A figure with golden hair was standing on the edge of the snowy mountain cliff. The wind around seemed to have completely gathered around her, blowing her white robe, constantly swaying in the whirlwind. In front of her, people finally saw the true appearance of that giant dragon. Its enormous body coiled in the sky above, covered with a layer of scales as hard as black obsidian, trembling incessantly in the hurricane, emitting a low sound of rocks grinding together. From time to time, streaks of flowing light flashed across its scales, spreading throughout its entire body through the gaps between the scales. Its eyes were enormous, terrifyingly large enough to match the size of a person. No one understood how this monster could fly. It clearly had no wings, but the wind seemed to cling to its body, allowing it to float. But facing this monster, Erica showed no fear at all, instead stubbornly staring at it. "I know you''re looking for me." "Isn''t that... enough?" The enormous dragon floated in the air, its pair of majestic eyes fixed firmly on Erica. There was no terrifying sense of crisis; compared to before, it had become extremely calm. No one understood why the ferocious serpent from just moments ago had suddenly become docile. Just because of Erica? Because she had come? Vladimir widened his eyes, speaking softly beside her. Afraid that his voice might cause the huge monster in front of them to move again. "Amelia." "Didn''t I tell you to take her away..." A woman walked up beside Vladimir, taking off the hood on her head. "She insisted on coming back." She still wore an eye patch, a lollipop in her mouth, revealing her identity. "So you just listened to her and brought her back!?" Vladimir''s voice was low, suppressing the anger in his heart. If something really happened to that child. How could he explain to his old friend? "Hey, old man." "I don''t want to hear you lecture me." Amelia glanced at him, completely disliking his attitude. "But if she encounters danger..." Before Vladimir could finish, Amelia had already interrupted him. "I only look at results." "Now, you''re still alive, saved by her." "That''s the result." She calmly looked forward, watching Erica in front of her, and opened her mouth. That golden-haired child only said one sentence. "Don''t... hurt them." The dragon''s eyes seemed to carry a hint of intelligence, with streaks of light flowing in its eye sockets. Suddenly, it raised its head and let out a long roar towards the low sky. In an instant, the frenzied storm, chaotically carrying swirling snow, swept across the earth. As if it would swallow everything around. In that wind and snow, everyone had to raise their hands to shield their eyes. Finally, the suddenly erupting storm gradually subsided. In the sky above, the low, black clouds also gradually dispersed. The moment their vision cleared, everyone anxiously looked forward. Including Vladimir. At the edge of the snowy cliff, that terrifying monster, along with the endless dark clouds, had disappeared. And with them, the golden-haired girl. They widened their eyes in disbelief. Only Amelia. She put her hands in her pockets, her expression calm, closing her eyes, feeling the surrounding wind that had calmed down but was still gently blowing. "How miraculous." "Miraculous wind, and..." "A miraculous person." """ Chapter 173: The Princesss Rebellious Phase Upon learning the final outcome, the people in the hall seemed to fall into an even deeper silence than before. If the story had ended with General Vladimir''s ultimate sacrifice saving everyone, it would have been a tale worthy of respect and commemoration. But... Erica du Cloye? How was she able to stop such a monster? The truth ignited doubts in the ministers'' hearts, leaving them bewildered. Regardless of the truth, Erica''s disappearance had become an undeniable fact. No one knew her current condition or whether she was alive or dead. Silence once again became the keynote of this court session. The Emperor slowly raised his head, his expression unreadable. "How is General Vladimir''s condition?" "Your Majesty... the General is severely wounded, but his life is not in danger." The Emperor nodded and spoke softly. "The north is secure for now. Send someone to summon him back to the capital." "This old general must be in need of some rest by now." After speaking, he stood up from his throne, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly began to pace. The ministers all stood frozen in place, not daring to make a sound, only able to stare at their aging sovereign. Suddenly, Aubrey''s hoarse voice rang out: "What was that monster called? What were its characteristics?" The ministers were all taken aback. The reporting knight hurriedly responded: "It... was enormous yet serpentine in form, able to fly without wings, with eyes more terrifying than a dragon''s." "Therefore... the White Magic Association''s conclusion was... a dragon." "Oh, a dragon, is it?" The Emperor chuckled, nodding with a smile. He walked out to the palace exterior on his own, where sunlight filtered through thin white clouds, illuminating his figure. Aubrey slowly raised his head, looking up at the azure clear sky, feeling the warmth of the sunlight. "Send word to locate its position." "Notify me as soon as it appears within imperial territory." In that instant, the Emperor''s vital energy began to surge. The ministers seemed to see something in the Emperor''s silhouette. That phantom image flickered continuously until finally manifesting again as the red lion from before. The crimson lion gradually grew enormous, and finally, with its incomparable imposing presence, sat beside Aubrey. The Emperor narrowed his eyes, looking up at the clouds on the horizon. ''Levi.'' ''What exactly did you leave behind for your daughter?'' ... In the southern Empire, at the Monster Rift grounds. Yellow sand swirled in the air, with a scorching sun hanging in the cloudless sky. Warm breezes kicked up bits of dust from the ground, making the air shimmer. Countless people gathered in the surrounding streets. Warriors with swords at their waists, male and female mages wearing various colored robes and holding magical implements, and muscle-bound men wielding giant axes. Though they belonged to different professions, they shared a common title. Adventurers. And here lay the largest monster rift within imperial territory. This was a place known as a paradise where danger and opportunity coexisted. The Adventurers'' Capital Godinlima. But now, this usually bustling city had received some unexpected visitors. The adventurers unanimously cleared a path for the military force moving through the street. Hundreds of demi-humans marched down the street. Their cat and dog ears twitched atop their heads as they moved in perfect formation, wearing matching bone-reinforced armor. Though they were demi-humans, the powerful pressure they emanated made even these fearless adventurers hesitate to approach.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. This was clearly a well-trained force. At the front of this force was their leader. She was a knight. With flowing silver-white hair and cold pride in her eyes. Her body was clad in silver armor that flowed with golden light, emanating an obvious imposing presence. Everyone could see that this knight''s equipment was far superior, certainly not ordinary quality armor. The adventurers'' eyes widened. "Who... whose force is this?" Someone spoke dazedly, as if spotting a familiar face, straining to look more carefully into the ranks. "Hey, look at that woman." "''Giant Blade Assassin'' Elsa?" Among the demi-humans, a human walked in their midst, standing out conspicuously. Elsa''s eyes were vacant, her expression neither happy nor sad. The signature giant blade at her waist was gone, replaced by the same weapons used by the demi-humans. "Wasn''t her team disbanded long ago? Didn''t she join the Reiser family with Cindy? Why is she back..." "Not sure... wait, something''s not right." Behind the demi-humans, a white cloud slowly floated along, drawing all the spectating adventurers'' attention. "Hiss... an elf!" The surrounding adventurers were all shocked when they clearly saw the being on the cloud. It was one thing for demi-humans to appear here, as there were plenty of demi-human slaves in this adventurer''s city. And in this chaotic gathering place for adventurers, demi-human slaves were even more common than in prosperous cities. But what was this elf doing here? Though this elf... seemed somewhat easy to bully. Because she maintained a drowsy appearance, half-lying on that pure white cloud. Following behind the demi-human forces, she seemed completely out of place with their style. It even made people forget to question what that floating cloud actually was. Suddenly, the demi-humans stopped at an open space in the middle of the street. They halted in place, placing one hand on their chests and bowing slightly forward. As if welcoming someone. Under the watchful eyes of all the adventurers. Suddenly, black patterns flashed across the ground, passing through the crowd and gathering before the demi-human forces. A black magic array began forming spontaneously on the ground, with a hexagram slowly rising from the black outline. A pair of massive black wings materialized above that array, suddenly spreading wide as countless black feathers swirled in the sky, gently falling to the ground. The wings folded, gradually shedding and dispersing all their feathers. Under this baptism of black feathers, a dark figure gradually emerged from among the feathers. He stood silently in the center of the array, a crow perched on his shoulder, appearing incredibly elegant amid the dancing feathers. But the shocking pressure emanating from him constantly filled everyone''s surroundings. If before some might have offered comments, upon seeing this man they felt as if frost had penetrated their bones. No one dared make a sound. Who was he? No one could answer them. The man ignored all the onlookers, simply standing on the array and giving a slight bow to the air. The black array at his feet instantly changed color, brilliant light shining forth. Within that strange light, an elegant small castle suddenly rose from the ground. Towering spires reached toward the sky as peculiar colors flowed across the castle walls. The great doors slowly opened. Countless white doves broke free, bursting from the doorway and flapping their wings skyward with a flutter. Among the flock of birds, a delicate hand in a pure white glove extended, resting in Viktor''s palm. That noble and elegant figure slowly emerged from within the castle. She wore extremely noble and luxurious armor, crowned with a diamond-studded diadem. Faint pure white magical energy rose around her, with white divine light shining behind her, making her stand out like the moon among stars. Who... was she!? Upon seeing Aurelianne, all the adventurers were stunned. Just looking at Aurelianne from afar made them feel an urge to kneel. This entire force was extravagant beyond belief from start to finish... Just who were they? Soon, another military force approached from the distance. The Crown Prince, wearing golden armor, slowly walked out among his entourage. He approached Viktor with a smile. The observing adventurers couldn''t help but look up, their emotions becoming extremely respectful. Just because of his arrival. In this Adventurers'' Capital Godinlima, everyone knew whose territory this truly was. The adventurers at most just hunted monsters around the rift to make a living. Only he was the true master here - the Empire''s Crown Prince, Prince Albanie. All the surrounding adventurers gathered around the street, secretly watching the scene before them, not daring to make a sound. Suddenly, the Crown Prince''s friendly voice rang out: "My dear sister, I''ve heard what happened, though I didn''t expect you to arrive so quickly." "Please forgive your brother for this inadequate reception." In the shocked silence, a sense of awe grew in all the adventurers'' hearts. That girl adorned like the stars and moon among her entourage. Was actually... the Crown Prince''s sister. Which meant, she was the Princess!? No wonder this force had no less than three Fourth-tier auras that the adventurers could sense. Only the Emperor''s daughter would warrant such terrifying military might as escorts. Aurelianne smiled sweetly at her royal brother. "Dear brother, you need not feel guilty. I failed to notify you in advance of my hasty arrival, please forgive me." The Crown Prince continued smiling gently, saying to Aurelianne: "The journey must have tired you. Allow me, as your brother, to welcome you properly." As the Crown Prince spoke, he reached out to grasp Aurelianne''s arm. But suddenly, a repulsive force stopped him, preventing his hand from touching Aurelianne''s arm. The Crown Prince frowned slightly, not understanding, and instinctively looked up. He met Viktor''s utterly cold gaze. "Your Highness, the Princess has grown up," a frigid voice, devoid of any courtesy, sounded in his ear: "Growing children always have their rebellious phase, don''t you agree?" Chapter 174: Is Having a Teacher Enough? A gentle breeze stirred up dust, dancing in the air. The atmosphere between the two seemed to grow colder, almost frozen. The adventurers watching nearby held their breath, not daring to make a sound. The Crown Prince''s brows furrowed, his gaze turning slightly cold. However, sensing this tense atmosphere, Aurelianne broke the silence first. "Brother, what teacher means is that I can''t always listen to you anymore. After all, I''ve grown up, haven''t I?" She displayed such a kind smile that it created an illusion before the Crown Prince''s eyes. In his mind, Aurelianne was still that obedient little sister who was always respectful to them, constantly beaming with childlike innocence. But her current words weren''t those of compliance. Like a seed buried in soil, sprouting tender green shoots, still growing continuously. She had become independent, developing her own thoughts. This shouldn''t be... The Crown Prince''s hand, suspended in mid-air, withdrew awkwardly. "Indeed, Aurelianne has reached that age. After all, you''re here for training, which is good." He maintained a cordial smile, showing no trace of the embarrassment from being refused. "If you need anything, just ask. Your brother will support you." "Thank you very much, brother." Aurelianne smiled, placing her hands at her waist and giving him a dignified slight bow. Then, looking straight into the Crown Prince''s eyes, she spoke seriously. "We just need you to clear the frontline, allowing us unhindered passage to the border." Looking at Aurelianne''s serious expression and hearing her request, the Crown Prince seemed surprised. "You want to venture deep into the monster rift? But that''s too dangerous..." "Brother." Aurelianne interrupted the Crown Prince with a smile, speaking with great confidence: "I have my teacher." These few simple words left the Crown Prince frozen in place, but he quickly recovered, offering a polite smile. "I see." He waved his hand, summoning an officer to his side. "Notify the frontline warriors - when they see the Princess''s team, let them pass immediately without credentials." The officer clasped his hands and saluted the Crown Prince, quickly shouting: "Yes, sir!" The Crown Prince nodded slightly, and the officer hurriedly turned to leave. "Aurelianne, you''ve grown up," the Crown Prince looked at her, his eyes seemingly filled with pride. "So have you, brother," Aurelianne maintained her smile, making even the sky seem brighter. "You''re becoming more like Father." At these words, the Crown Prince paused for a moment, then as if remembering something, stood at attention with his legs together, placing his right fist over his chest in a military salute to Aurelianne: "May you return victorious." The wind began to pick up, scattering the thick clouds above into patches that rolled toward the horizon, revealing the azure sky overhead. The dust on the ground rose with rhythmic footsteps, as if reaching to touch the white clouds above. The demi-human troops marched away in unison, their uniform silver armor emanating a powerful presence, like a squad of resilient natural envoys full of vitality. The surrounding adventurers, watching this scene of sibling harmony, seemed touched. Who said the royal family had no affection? Rather, it was that man in the black coat who didn''t look like someone trustworthy. After Aurelianne''s departure, the Crown Prince watched the demi-human troops slowly disappear before turning away. He led his army, likewise departing from the area. ... The Empire''s southern frontline was located at the edge of national territory, consisting of three lines. One line was near the city. Outside the city stood an extremely fortified wall, built to resist constant enemy harassment. Many powerful knights guarded this edge of the city frontline, constantly watching for monster invasions. If this defense line were breached, the entire southern city would be in grave danger. The second line was the main battlefield where the Empire''s army fought against monsters.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Army soldiers would engage in endless battles with monsters overflowing from the rift. Naturally, this was also the most brutal frontline, where lives constantly clashed and vanished. But the last line... that was stationed at the absolute edge of the Empire. Strictly speaking, it had already left Imperial territory, existing beyond civilization. There, a monster rift flickered with purple light, flowing with void-like strange energy. This monster rift had appeared fifteen years ago, constantly growing and spewing forth unprecedented monsters. Even now, the monster rift still existed, having grown considerably larger compared to fifteen years ago. The rate at which monsters emerged had increased, and that void-like strange energy had become somewhat chilling, as if powerful creatures slumbered on the other side of the rift. If they were to awaken, they would burst through the rift and completely tear the world apart. Therefore, fearless warriors were needed to constantly investigate and clear the depths of the monster rift - they were the adventurers. These adventurers gathered several miles away from the monster rift. Peculiarly shaped towers stood among the rock walls, their walls flickering with strange colors, containing the rift in a patch of barren land. The deeper one went into the building complex, the stronger the monster presence became. Adventurers would accept missions from the city guild, crossing the frontline with issued credentials to enter the rift. Now, adventurers planning to investigate the rift today had already gathered outside the towers. An adventurer team captain carrying a giant axe cheerfully asked a nearby adventurer, "Hey! Isn''t that Captain Hansen? What are you hunting today?" "Hmm... Rift Rabbits, and we need to collect fifty Rift Rabbit eyes." "Such a dangerous mission, you dare to accept it?" Hansen shook his head and sighed: "No choice, after all, we have over a dozen people to feed. How else can we manage without taking risks?" ... As the two chatted casually while waiting for the rift to open, suddenly a powerful presence approached from behind. An army composed of demi-humans slowly approached from behind them. The overwhelming pressure made both captains shudder, exclaiming in unison: "What powerful presence!" "Could it be the Crown Prince''s army in person!?" But upon seeing the unique bone-crafted silver armor worn by the troops, they dismissed their thoughts. "Demi-humans?" "An army composed of demi-humans, interesting." Many adventurers crossed their arms, equally attracted by this unique army. The powerful presence emanating from this force was like a panther waiting to hunt, making all adventurers feel a subtle sense of crisis. But there were always some adventurers with unique personalities who wanted to provoke strangers. This was a very handsome blonde warrior, his flowing long hair emphasizing his beauty. He said to nearby adventurers, "I''m interested in that human knight in front." As they approached, he whistled at the proud knight. The moment his sound rang out. A chill crawled up his spine to his brain, making him feel utterly suffocated. Despite standing under the blazing sun, his whole body was covered in goosebumps. He couldn''t even detect where this terrifying presence came from, his body trembling uncontrollably. Even when facing powerful monsters from the rift, he had never felt such fear as now. Finally, the demi-human troops passed before him. Gwen, who led them, didn''t even glance at him. Just walking past him, that cold presence had already made his limbs feel numb and frozen. This knight was very powerful. What he sensed wasn''t just her own strength. It also came from those uniquely styled equipment she wore. If he were to duel this knight, he would lose. This force was extraordinary. But what felt strange to him was that the overwhelming pressure that made him tremble hadn''t come from this knight. Then who was it... Suddenly, his heart violently jumped. It felt like a dark, hollow gaze had appeared behind him. An extremely terrifying stare fixed upon him. The blonde adventurer immediately broke out in cold sweat, taking several deep breaths. A companion nearby noticed his discomfort and laughed, patting his shoulder. "Pia, first time seeing you like this." "Got scared?" "No... I..." He smiled bitterly, slowly raising his head to see an extremely elegant figure at the end of this force. It was a girl wearing a noble crown. The silver armor shone like light bursting from the sky, her graceful bearing emanating an extremely gentle aura. This immediately shocked the adventurers'' spirits. Behind that noble figure seemed to be a white cloud following closely. Something seemed to be lying on it, but they couldn''t see clearly. This demi-human force marched straight toward the gate guarding the rift. The gate guards looked up, then deeply bowed to the elegant figure in the center of the force. The heavy gates pushed aside the sand, slowly opening to let the entire force through. This left all the waiting adventurers outside completely stunned. They had waited so long outside the gate, still pending today''s application. What right did that force have? Why did the guards open the gates for them without even thinking? Just because they were all women? "Because she is the Imperial Princess." A cold voice sounded beside Pia. He suddenly froze, utterly confused. Clearly, there had been no one behind him just now. So how did this voice come from behind him? Pia suddenly turned around, only to meet Viktor''s calm gaze. In that instant, he seemed to understand. That terrifying presence from before had come from this man. "One more thing." The cold voice continued. "Today, we''ve booked the entire place." Chapter 175: Flirting with My Wife? Game Over for Everyone! "Booking the entire dungeon?" This statement left all the adventurers present completely dumbfounded. They had spent considerable effort assembling their teams and waited patiently for an hour before the Monster Rift opened, all hoping to gain some benefits from within. Yet Viktor appeared and, with just one sentence, intended to waste their entire day''s preparation? Who wouldn''t be stunned by such a situation? As free adventurers, they weren''t known for their gentle temperaments. They gathered around, demanding an explanation from Viktor. Angry expressions and tense atmosphere permeated the air, creating a suffocating environment. However, in the next second. A mysterious barrier suddenly emerged beneath Viktor''s feet, gleaming like purple flowing light, instantly spreading outward and isolating the crowd. The heavy purple light emanating from the barrier created an inexplicable sense of pressure, as if anyone who approached would fade into insignificance under its influence. The adventurers, feeling this powerful magical force, stood stunned and immobilized. "Since you can''t accept my kind explanation, then..." Viktor slowly extended one slender finger, gently pressing downward in the air. His eyes suddenly filled with an azure glow, like jewels twinkling in the starry sky. Instantly, space was compressed by an invisible force, transparent power penetrating into every adventurer''s body. The ground beneath their feet shattered from the sudden pressure, cracks spreading out like ripples. [Second-tier Magic: Gravity] Carrying vast and mighty magical power, a terrifying pressure descended upon thousands of adventurers, pressing them forcefully toward the cracking ground. Their legs began to tremble uncontrollably, their entire bodies pressing against the ground. It felt as if their lungs were being squeezed tight, making even breathing difficult. Only a few adventurers managed to remain on one knee, barely supporting their bodies. "It seems you prefer to communicate through force," Viktor spoke coldly, scanning everyone present with detached eyes. Health bars and varying levels gradually appeared above the adventurers'' heads. Most were only first or second-tier levels, with a few possessing third-tier power. Like that blonde man from earlier - Level 39. These were independent adventurers. In the game''s lore, the Adventurers'' City was divided into three major factions: First was the supreme Imperial Army, responsible for defending against monster frontlines. Second were the teams formed by independent adventurers - the most numerous but not particularly strong on average. They were mostly fixed members who gathered together to tackle Monster Rifts for minor gains, currently lacking unified leadership. Finally, there were several Adventurers'' Guilds focused on investigating deep within the Monster Rifts. The Adventurers'' Guilds regularly recruited powerful adventurers, gathering them together. Their mission was to continuously explore deeper into the constantly monster-spawning rifts, attempting to reach their depths. There was a well-established balance between the Guilds'' exploration and independent teams. Usually, the Guilds would delve deep inside, clearing out the powerful respawned monsters, ensuring these creatures wouldn''t appear in the real world. Afterward, Guild members would rest for a few days. That''s when independent adventurers would enter, hunting simple monsters and gathering what meager resources they could find. In other words, they had come at an awkward time - just after the powerful monsters had been cleared and independent adventurers were preparing to enter. But it didn''t matter anymore. Viktor''s voice rang out calmly. "I''ll say it again - today, we''re booking the entire place." With those words, Viktor withdrew his hand into his coat pocket. Immediately, the adventurers felt the crushing gravity dissipate from their bodies. They stood up again, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, sweat and tears mixing together. The man before them hadn''t harmed them - he had merely demonstrated the overwhelming gap between their powers with a single gesture.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Strong enough to crush them all. Yet they felt unwilling to accept it. Today, they would have to return without any income, dismissed by the man before them. Some had families to support. But now, they could only clench their fists in silence, not daring to resist. In the Adventurers'' City, rules had long since faded. Here, it was truly survival of the fittest - the strong defined everything. As they stood there dejectedly, the sky seemed to begin raining - but not with water. Instead, hard gold coins began falling. The adventurers let the coins hit their faces. The denomination on these coins left them incredulous. 100 Geo each. They stood dazed, slowly raising their heads to watch Viktor''s retreating figure behind the barrier. His cold voice echoed in their ears: "This is Her Highness the Princess''s kindness and gift to you. Thank her." At this point, many adventurers, seeing the Geo on the ground, hastily knelt to gather them. Some even turned their fists against the weak, forcefully snatching coins. But the moment they grabbed the coins, their bodies convulsed as if electrocuted, turning to charred husks smoking on the ground. Seeing this, the other adventurers jumped in fright. "Five coins maximum per person. Don''t say I didn''t give you a chance." Viktor''s voice faded as he disappeared into the rift. The adventurers stood frozen, watching his vanishing figure. They suddenly recalled the noble girl surrounded by the crowd. The Empire''s... Princess. The blonde-haired Pia watched Viktor leave, feeling the terrifying hostility gradually dissipate. Even now, he couldn''t understand why that person had shown such intense hostility toward him. At this moment, an elderly mage slowly approached. Pia recognized him - he was another third-tier mage among the independents, and he had visited the City of Mages before. "Quite an extraordinary person has arrived," the old mage remarked. Pia looked at him questioningly. "You know him?" "Of course. I don''t think there''s a mage who hasn''t heard of his reputation." The elder stroked his white beard, eyes narrowing as he continued thoughtfully. "You should know that mages like us value talent and knowledge above all else." Talent and knowledge were a mage''s most important assets. Lacking either made it impossible to become a powerful mage. Having talent but lacking knowledge might allow a mage to quickly reach second-tier, but without sufficient knowledge, reaching third-tier would be difficult. Let alone the mighty fourth-tier realm. And having knowledge without talent meant likely spending one''s life in mediocrity. This was why powerful mages were always fewer in number compared to warriors of similar levels. Moreover, the more powerful the mages, the older they usually were. Warriors relied on physical strength, benefiting from youthful bodies, but their physical condition would rapidly decline in old age. Knights emphasized technique - the stronger their skills, the more powerful they became. Only mages required both talent and knowledge - neither could be lacking. "But this person, younger than you, has magic powerful enough to crush all of us," the old mage''s voice continued softly. Pia suddenly froze as realization struck him. That person''s power just now... was magic? Someone so powerful, so young... was actually a mage!? In his daze, he seemed to recall a name, though the memory was hazy. A name that had once spread throughout the Empire. Who was it again? The old mage spoke softly, revealing the other''s identity. "Did you see the insignia on his chest?" "That''s a symbol only the highest ranks of the City of Mages - Endymion - possess." Pia froze. "Let me tell you something common knowledge - a Councilor''s insignia can never be forged." A chilling thought crept up his spine as the old mage''s words continued. "The youngest Mage Councilor - Viktor Kravina - has arrived." ... The Crown Prince sat in a spacious room, wearing golden armor, sitting majestically in his chair. He pressed a hand to his forehead, eyes tightly closed, Recalling Aurelianne''s behavior then made him feel cold to his core. His sister, who had once been so gentle and obedient, but now... "So it was Viktor''s influence after all..." The Crown Prince exhaled heavily, narrowing his eyes as his thoughts gradually cleared. He couldn''t stop Viktor and Aurelianne from entering the Monster Rift - they hadn''t even given him time to prepare. They hadn''t even allowed him time to hide his secrets. "I must keep them away from the lower levels." So he picked up a crystal ball from the table. As light flickered within, a voice transmitted through. "Your Highness? How rare for you to contact me directly." "No need for small talk, Hela," the Crown Prince said wearily, rubbing his temples. "I need you to lead your guild into the Monster Rift." "Of course, you''d better contact other guilds as well." After a moment, the voice from the crystal came through with a hint of mockery. "My, this isn''t an easy task, Your Highness." "You know today is the independents'' time, guild members are resting." The Crown Prince simply listened silently to the other''s words, then spoke calmly: "Then what if an extremely powerful monster appeared in the rift that needed your attention?" Silence suddenly fell on the other end of the crystal, accompanied by notably rapid breathing. "You really can''t refuse me." The Crown Prince smiled slightly. "Miss Hela." Chapter 176: A Test of Abandonment for the Princess The Monster Rift, also known as the Monster Abyss or Dungeon - the last name being coined by players. Strictly speaking, this was a void realm separate from reality. The surroundings were vast and empty, with maze-like pathways. The nearby walls might disturb observers - they undulated slowly like purple, writhing masses of flesh, with membrane-like tissues connecting between the fleshy masses. On these flesh walls, as if carved by some unknown force, shifting forms appeared. Purple smoke seeped out between the fleshy surfaces, followed by black-purple fissures that kept trembling. Looking up, endless purple spread across the space''s dome like spilled paint, constantly churning. Occasionally, monsters would slowly squeeze out from these fissures. While they were still covered in mucus and membrane, barely able to stand steady on the writhing ground, a demi-human would instantly draw their blade, stomp hard, and rush at lightning speed toward the newly-born monster. Swoosh! A cold flash of light, and in the blink of an eye, the monster''s body froze in place. Before it could even solidify its shape, it was split in half, sliding to the ground. A flame followed immediately after, engulfing the monster''s fragile body. The fierce fire burned frantically, reducing the monster to ashes. Weak, too weak. Compared to the well-equipped demi-humans, these monsters were mere cannon fodder. Viktor walked with his hands in his pockets, with Aurelianne following beside him. The deeper they ventured into this space, the more puzzled Aurelianne became. She looked up at Viktor and asked: "Teacher, why are we training here?" And why bring so many people in such a conspicuous manner? She couldn''t understand. The monsters here were pitifully weak, offering no challenge whatsoever. However, this was still her teacher''s choice. Although Aurelianne had doubts, she would only obey. Viktor''s voice sounded beside Aurelianne''s ear: "Where you are now is the first ten levels - the Dark Field of Pain. The Monster Abyss is divided into many levels, and every ten levels, the surrounding scenery and monsters change. The first ten levels of the Dark Field of Pain are the most basic and simplest tier." "The deeper you go into the Monster Rift, the stronger the monsters become, and even their respawn speed increases. So, it''s normal for the monsters here to be weak." Aurelianne seemed to understand and didn''t inquire further. The team continued forward, clearing the weak monsters along the way. These monsters were all pathetically weak, being thoroughly eliminated in just a few moves. Soon, however, the team stopped in their tracks. They had reached the end. Ahead lay what appeared to be a bottomless purple abyss. Within it, what seemed like a pair of giant eyes kept flickering, examining the approaching team. From the purple abyss, a stone bridge gradually rose. Behind the bridge, a giant door slowly emerged from the flesh walls. "Go forward, and you''ll reach the eleventh level," Viktor said calmly. "After the eleventh level, you''ll face real challenges." Of course, most of the monsters in the rift had been cleared by the guild members. Plus, with fourth-tier mages like Cocotte accompanying them, this team wouldn''t be in danger. Aurelianne looked at the door in surprise, then Viktor''s voice reached her ears: "Do you know why I brought Elsa along?" Hearing this, she couldn''t help but look at the solitary assassin among the demi-humans. Despite being a powerful fourth-tier adventurer, she now seemed like a mere tool, always following Viktor''s orders. She stopped thinking further and shook her head in confusion. "Because she used to be an adventurer too." Aurelianne blinked, seemingly not understanding Viktor''s meaning. But as his words fell, Viktor''s figure gradually became slightly transparent. "By the way, what follows is your own trial." Hearing this, Aurelianne''s eyes widened. She instinctively reached out, trying to grab Viktor''s coat, but only caught air. Her teacher was still there before her, yet somehow unreachable. She stood frozen, her heart pounding. "T-Teacher?" His voice continued around Aurelianne, carrying an advisory tone: "From here on, Elsa will guide you, and Gwen will protect you."If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "Finally, trust Cocotte - no one here is stronger than her." Viktor''s form gradually turned to white powder, slowly crumbling away before Aurelianne''s disbelieving eyes. His body dispersed like dust in the wind. "Lead this team below the thirtieth floor - that''s your lesson for today." The remaining powder scattered completely with Viktor''s final words. Everyone silently watched as Viktor vanished, coat and all. From the sky, a single black feather floated down, landing in Aurelianne''s palm. She looked down at the perfect raven feather, feeling dazed as her mood gradually sank. Anxiety, restlessness, fear - various emotions surged up as Viktor departed. Her teacher... had left her? The sound of armor clinking together reached her ears. Gwen stood beside Aurelianne, kneeling on one knee. "Your Highness." At the sound, life returned to Aurelianne''s vacant eyes. She looked down at Gwen with helpless eyes. "Where... where is my teacher?" At this moment, she seemed like a little princess left alone without her guardian. Gwen responded respectfully: "Viktor has other matters to attend to. He informed us beforehand, please don''t worry." Aurelianne lowered her head, slightly crushing the black feather in her hand. The raven''s tail feather became slightly deformed in her grip. He informed you beforehand? Then why... why didn''t he tell me? Just because I''m his student? Gwen looked up at the silent Aurelianne. "...Your Highness?" Her tone showed concern and confusion. "No, I''m fine." Aurelianne raised her head again, seemingly restored to her usual bright smile. Viktor''s departure appeared to have no effect on her. "Thank you for telling me this, Teacher Gwen. Let''s continue - my lesson isn''t over yet." "Yes." Gwen stood up and returned to the front of the team, leading the demi-humans behind Aurelianne. The surrounding demi-human guards regrouped, adjusting their armor and gripping their weapons tightly. They followed Gwen across the stone bridge, continuing deeper into the Monster Rift beyond the door. ... Meanwhile, in the depths of the tenth level. Viktor''s form gradually solidified as he stood in place, looking at the writhing cave before him. Vega perched on Viktor''s shoulder, covering its beak with a wing while yawning. "Say, you left that little girl behind - won''t she hold a grudge against you?" Viktor didn''t look at it, walking straight toward the cave''s depths. When reaching a fork in the path, he didn''t even need to think, decisively entering one of the branches. As familiar as returning home. At the same time, Viktor calmly said: "She needs to become more independent." "Surely there could have been better ways?" The raven chuckled, making one wonder what colored nonsense filled its lacking brain. "Tsk tsk, I hope you''re not setting yourself up for some imprisonment ending." "However..." The raven looked up, peering through the walls toward the purple dome. Its single eye flickered with a certain light, as if sensing something. "For you, getting them out of the way is indeed a good choice." "You really planned everything, didn''t you, Viktor?" Viktor remained expressionless, ignoring Vega''s praise as he continued walking forward in silence. The path became more complex, with increasing numbers of branches, but Viktor''s mind seemed to contain a map, always choosing the correct route. Finally, the path reached its end. Viktor walked to the terminus, quietly observing the surroundings. The walls around were perfectly uniform, completely different from the writhing flesh before, as if specially constructed. And within these orderly walls stood an enormous... door. Though "door" might not be the right word - it was more like a disc. The disc was carved with an extremely terrifying magical beast, its ferocious form and sharp fangs displayed vividly before Viktor. Vega''s eye widened slightly, marveling at this masterpiece of a stone door. "A door? Interesting. The previous maze and levels were surprising enough." "This mysterious Monster Abyss - which deity created such a thing?" As if sensing their presence, the massive stone door slowly twisted, gradually moving to both sides. Creaking sounds echoed through the narrow passage, reaching Viktor''s ears. Boom! When the door fully opened, a tremendous sound burst forth. A damp and cold smell wafted out, entering Viktor and Vega''s nostrils. A musty scent clung to Vega''s body, making it naturally raise one wing to cover its nose. Finally, the void behind gradually revealed itself, like a giant mouth completely swallowing the two. Viktor didn''t hesitate, extending one foot into the void. "Before the main event begins." "Let me warm up first." As his words fell, Viktor''s body completely entered the void. The great door slowly closed again. Another heavy sound, and it was completely sealed. Then a voice rang out between the entire door, incredibly ethereal and light: [Trial Initiated] [ChallengerViktor Kravina Level 43] [Difficulty AdjustmentAdjustment Complete] [First TrialRemain Unharmed Through Five Monster Waves While Eliminating All Creatures] [Challenge Begin] Chapter 177: Woohoo! (The Dragons Roar) Some adventurers still lingered in front of the Monster Rift. Pia was among them, standing hesitantly before the tall tower. Most people had happily left after receiving their gold coins, but not these ones. They all wanted to see how long the princess''s non-human team could last inside the Monster Rift. Just then, waves of terrifying pressure came from behind them. They quickly turned around. More than a dozen different people stood together, emanating powerful pressure. One of them carried a giant axe, built so massively he barely looked human, his face covered in scars amid layers of flesh, appearing extremely fierce. "That''s... ''Wall Breaker'' Pal Chu?" Someone had what appeared to be a rhinoceros horn growing from their head, with a fierce expression and imposing presence. "And there''s ''Mad Rhino'' Biss, why would they come at a time like this?" They were all top experts from the [Beast] Guild, among the most powerful figures in this city of adventurers. The Beast Guild lived up to its name. Just standing there, their wild pressure felt like suppressed beasts, making people''s hair stand on end, their legs losing all sensation. Most of the fourth-tier combat forces in the adventurer city had gathered here. Finally, their gazes turned to the woman at the front of the crowd. Compared to the burly men behind her, her figure was even smaller than average. A flowing black dress concealed her legs, and she held a fan in her hand. At the corners of her eyes were two elongated black marks, like tear stains. "Well, everyone''s here," her eyes narrowed slightly, gradually emanating a predator-like sense of danger that crawled up the adventurers'' spines. But her words remained very polite. "I''m sorry, but we have some business today. Could you let us have this place for another day?" [Beast] Hela. The former was her title, the latter her name. As her title suggested, she was the strongest in the [Beast] Guild. No one knew her background, or even how long she had lived. In the eyes of most adventurers, she was incredibly powerful, to an unfathomable degree. This guild leader rarely appeared in public view, let alone on a day like today. After all, today was a working day for independent adventurers. Could it be... she came because of Viktor? Those independent adventurers seemed to have silently reached this guess. Pia stepped forward voluntarily to explain: "Um... Guild Leader Hela." The petite Hela slowly raised her head, looking at him through narrowed eyes. Just being looked at by her made Pia''s whole body tremble slightly. [Beast] Hela was truly terrifying. Keep in mind, he was a third-tier warrior about to reach fourth tier... Her eyes bore extremely strange black patterns that extended from the corners toward her temples. The inner black patterns seemed to merge into her white eyeballs. Like a beast entering hunting mode. Extremely ghostly. Under those soul-capturing eyes, one would unconsciously overlook her delicate features. Pia endured his fear and continued: "I need to inform you in advance, a team has already entered the Monster Rift, they..." "Hmm... no need to continue." She calmly interrupted Pia, withdrew her gaze, and walked forward with elegant steps. When she walked, her body had no ups and downs. It even made people wonder if she had human legs under that dress. Suddenly, she stopped. Because something ahead prevented her from walking further. "Magic?" She looked up at the purple barrier flowing in mid-air. The barrier was decorated with purple stardust, flowing slowly with consciousness. Like having awareness, it kept moving with Hela''s gaze. The barrier wasn''t particularly solid, just enough to stop those third-tier independent adventurers. But the construction of this barrier was very intricate. Hard to break through. "Interesting," she mused. "Whoever went inside must be a very powerful mage." Hela''s eyebrows suddenly sank, her pupils becoming vertical. A bone spear broke through the yellow ground, shooting straight up and striking the barrier. Boom! Under this powerful strike, the barrier trembled. Before the vibrations stopped, a second bone spear erupted from deep underground. It targeted the same position and attacked again. One, two, three times. Crack The barrier finally couldn''t withstand the powerful pressure and completely shattered. It transformed into falling white fragments, gradually crumbling from the air. The purple stardust floated in the air, slowly dissipating. Including Pia and the other independent adventurers, they stood dumbfounded looking at the broken barrier. That barrier that had stopped all of them was broken so easily? So this was... the strongest guild''s leader, [Beast] Hela? Hela gently closed her fan, and the bone spears retracted back into the ground. She looked at where the spears had withdrawn, frowning in thought. Although she hadn''t used her full power, it still took several strikes of normal fourth-tier attacks to break through? Thinking of what the Crown Prince had told her, she grew more curious. Something must have appeared in the Monster Rift to attract such powerful beings. Her strange eyes seemed to show a hint of excitement. Hela didn''t turn around, but glanced back with her peripheral vision. "Oh, right, right," she said. "Although the barrier is open now, you still need to behave." Hela narrowed her eyes again, using her fan to cover her delicate nose. The patterns at her eye corners seemed to extend into spikes, and a cold feeling shot out from her gaze.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "Very dangerous monsters will appear inside. Don''t try to sneak in, okay?" Behind her, those burly adventurers hoisted their giant axes, shouldered their chain hammers, and flexed their muscles as they stepped on the ground. With a snort, they took heavy steps into the Monster Rift. When they passed the gate guards, the guards didn''t even try to stop them, just letting them through. Hela very politely bowed slightly to the guards, leading her adventurers into the purple void. Dangerous monsters? Hearing Hela''s final words, the adventurers remaining around the rift trembled involuntarily. "Should we go back?" "Yeah..." It seemed this was no longer something independent adventurers like them could participate in. Pia didn''t want to stay either, though he still wanted to catch a glimpse of that cold knight with silver hair. But... The princess''s army and the arrival of the [Beast] Guild all spoke to today''s special nature. He planned to quickly return to the city and spread this as gossip. But just as everyone was preparing to leave, suddenly he stopped in his tracks. As someone nearly at fourth tier, he was the first to sense the changes in the surroundings. The gentle breeze gradually ceased. The previously clear sky suddenly grew dark. The sun seemed to be blocked by something, its brilliant light gradually fading. The adventurers also sensed the strangeness. When the sun disappeared, they couldn''t help but look up. At some point, heavy dark clouds had completely covered the sky. And they hadn''t even noticed. Normally, such weather would often stir up gusts of gloomy wind. But now the surroundings were completely silent. More adventurers began noticing this point. "What''s going on? Why did it get so dark?" "Hiss, strange, why isn''t it cooling down with such dark clouds?" "Where''s the wind? Why did the wind stop?" They walked while discussing these puzzling changes. But suddenly. "ROAR" A deep dragon''s roar echoed from deep within the dark clouds, spreading across the vast land. A pressure even more shocking than those top adventurers instantly hung over everyone''s heads. Neither Pia nor the other adventurers could control their trembling bodies. They struggled to raise their heads and look again at the increasingly black sky. It was a pitch-black body. Occupying the entire cloud layer. As if looking down on the insects below with contempt, it revealed its two eyes. At this moment... All the winds seemed to exist solely to support its body. They suddenly recalled Hela''s recent words. Terrible monsters would appear in the Monster Rift? What a joke! No matter what appeared inside the rift, but right now... That which could be called terrifying. Was crouching above their heads. Crouching in the clouds. ... Beyond the void appeared a strange alternate space. This place was completely different from the tenth floor of the Monster Rift, with no writhing flesh or surging rifts. The surroundings were filled entirely with uniform cyan stone slabs, covering the entire space in a layer. Strange reliefs were carved into the surrounding stone slabs, combining together to appear extremely bizarre. Viktor stood on the empty stone slabs, looking at the fallen monster corpses beside him. Various unnameable monsters lay fallen here, sharp bones piercing through flesh to expose internal organs, sprawled messily on the ground. The hard horns on their heads were broken, scattered in pieces across the floor. Those monster corpses burned with unceasing flames. Viktor stood calmly in place, not moving even half a step. This was the trial challenge of the tenth floor of the Monster Rift. Within the Monster Abyss, every tenth floor had a hidden challenge. One only needed to find that hidden "door" to unlock the corresponding challenge. And each floor''s challenge had corresponding requirements. Additionally, there was no need to worry about whether increasing levels would reduce the difficulty. The higher the level, the higher the monster levels in the trial. The difficulty wouldn''t change, as the trial would make corresponding adjustments for players. The tenth floor trial, which was the first trial of the Monster Abyss. Its requirement was Clear all monsters in this place without taking any damage. A total of five waves of monster hordes. At this moment, Viktor had endured to the final wave. In the previous four waves, he had been surrounded by countless monsters but hadn''t taken even a scratch. Not even his windbreaker had been torn. Composed, calm, elegant. ''Another familiar feeling, as if having challenged this thousands of times before.'' Watching Viktor, such thoughts arose in Vega''s mind. The last time in the Heritage Temple of the Far North, it had similar thoughts. At this time, Vega slowly raised its head, as if sensing something. "They came quite quickly." Viktor didn''t respond, but quietly watched as the surrounding walls began to twist. Behind the stone slabs, one remnant after another appeared, countless different parts linking together endlessly in the air until forming complete bodies. The monster landed on the floor, moving its assembled body, and howled at Viktor. Then, in mid-air, thousands upon thousands of miscellaneous limbs continued linking together amid blood. The monster horde appeared out of thin air this way. This final wave of the horde had reached unprecedented numbers. "Is that so." Viktor''s voice softly sounded, and suddenly, his windbreaker seemed filled with magic power, beginning to flutter wildly. Several fire-red stripes lit up, covering the entire garment. The stripes not only flowed on the windbreaker, but even climbed onto Viktor''s body. On the back of that windbreaker, a pair of monster-like fire-red eyes lit up. Almost instantly, the surrounding temperature began rapidly rising along with his changes at an obvious speed. The ground covered in stone slabs seemed to be covered by streaks of red magic power... """ Chapter 178: The Loser Has to Bear the Winners Child? The adventurers from the Beast Guild, carrying their great swords and battle axes, trudged forward through the purple, writhing flesh deeper into the dungeon. They were currently inside the Dark Field of Pain. Hela walked at the front of the group, holding a folding fan and humming a tune, appearing completely at ease. For these top-tier adventurers, the first ten levels of the Monster Rift were as familiar as their own backyard pastures. Completely unthreatening. As they walked, Hela suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if sensing something. Behind her, some adventurers gripped their swords, staffs, and bows more tightly, also growing alert. The warriors'' silver longswords gleamed with a faint light, the mages'' bodies began to emit glowing auras, and the archers nocked three arrows to their bowstrings, ready to fire. A muscular giant carrying a huge axe squeezed his way out from the group and asked Hela in a deep, muffled voice: "Boss, why''d we stop?" "Shh." Hela gradually closed her fan and held it vertically to her lips in a gesture of silence. Her eyes glanced sideways, and behind the fan, her mouth curved into an eerily excited smile. "I can smell it - human scent. Mmm, such a pure fragrance." She lightly waved her fan in one direction. "That way." Hela started walking in the direction she had indicated, while the adventurers behind her looked confused. The muscular man scratched his head but said nothing, just waving at the group to follow along. ...... Meanwhile, in that alternate space, the scenery had completely transformed from before. The stone walls of the entire space were shattered, with many bluestone slabs having fallen from the walls and ceiling. Stirred-up dust rose from the ground, making the whole space appear hazy and gray. Purple-black blood flowed between the stone slabs, forming bizarre patterns. Countless monster limbs were piled on the broken stone slabs, making it impossible to distinguish which body parts belonged to which monsters. Though the monster corpses were gathered in one place, their flesh seemed to continuously split apart in mid-air, turning to ash and gradually floating away. Under Viktor''s extremely wide-ranging magical attack, the so-called monster tide had been completely obliterated. Viktor stood silently in place, his coat no longer fluttering. The red patterns receded from his neck until they completely disappeared. His palm relaxed, and the staff instantly vanished from his hand. Even among war magic, there were different levels. For such large-scale one-time clearing magic, with the help of the staff [Ulust], he could cast it completely without Vega''s assistance. Similarly, casting such terrifying war magic alone would put tremendous pressure on him, but fortunately, the power of Calamity was enough to support him in casting such magic. Viktor stood calmly in place, feeling the surrounding temperature gradually cool as the space began to twist and tear. Soon, that massive room lost its shape and space, transforming into pure void. Viktor stood in this pitch-black void, as an echoing voice gradually rose from the rolling nothingness. [Challenger - Viktor Kravina] [Time: 1:11:11] [Challenge Successful - Dispensing Reward] As the voice faded, a light began to flicker before him. The golden light pulsed rhythmically like breathing, slowly floating toward Viktor. Then, it settled before him. Feeling warmth in his palm, the golden light gradually faded, revealing the true form of the crown-like magical item. Two golden branches seemed to continuously intertwine, forming an extremely large crown. In the center of the crown, a strange gem that resembled a monster''s heart kept trembling. In the center of that heart, a tiny eye surveyed the surrounding void. Purple and two golden streams twisted together, creating an extremely bizarre sight. [Imperial Artifact: Pain-Loathing Beast Remnant] [Skill: Sharp Howl from the Void - After the user enters combat, if they do not receive damage from any effects within a certain time period, this artifact will remove its restrictions.] [Five seconds after restrictions are removed, it will create a void portal, from which countless powerful void creatures will descend into the world, tearing apart and devouring everything they see.] [During the void creatures'' descent, if the user receives any damage, the summoning will immediately terminate, and the void creatures will be pulled back into nothingness by mysterious forces.] Imperial Artifacts were equipment without any attributes.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Additionally, using them would not occupy other equipment slots, and each Imperial Artifact''s skills would be related to the challenge task. The effects of Imperial Artifacts were extremely powerful, but similarly, their restrictions were also astonishing. How to properly use them was a complex and serious topic. Having obtained the Imperial Artifact, Viktor''s expression showed little change. His palm relaxed, and the crown automatically entered his inventory. He raised his head, looking at the newly generated door before him. "Let''s go." ...... A group of adventurers walked through the purple fleshy cavern, constantly probing the dark surroundings. The path was extremely complex; even for a team entering it, finding the correct route would be difficult. Hela narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully examining the several branching paths before her. She remained silent. ''...'' They were lost. The caves here were unusually strange; she had never seen such a bizarre and complex place before. The space within the Monster Rift was capable of changing at any time. Perhaps today''s path had two forks, but tomorrow, they might appear in different locations. Moreover, within the Monster Rift, No one could reach its end. Once, a fourth-tier adventurer attempted to find the end of this world in the safest Dark Field of Pain, from levels one to ten. But the path seemed to generate endlessly, never allowing him to find its edge. No one could guarantee 100% exploration here. Fortunately, Hela herself was following the scent left by that person. The branching paths before her had disrupted her walking route. But even if they were lost, it didn''t matter. The terrain within the Abyss could be broken. Even if the terrain was broken, it would automatically repair itself the next day. It was just that the constantly extending path before her eyes made her feel that there might be some secret in its depths. But... she couldn''t see through it. Nor did she want to explore it. Such matters only needed to be left to those lower-tier adventurers. Hela was just here to find someone, nothing more. Suddenly, some sounds came from the dark caves in the depths. Thud! Thud! Thud! She raised her head, looking towards the front. Carefully listening to the echoing footsteps coming from inside, she finally clearly distinguished them. Those were human footsteps. The adventurers behind her also became alert again. Swords were raised, bows were drawn, and giant axes were shouldered. Hela opened her fan, covering her mouth. Everyone''s gaze focused on the depths of the cave where the footsteps were coming from. Finally, a figure slowly appeared. The person wore a set of jet-black coat, with what seemed to be some runes engraved above the collar. On his shoulder stood a crow. The man''s eyes were cold, and in the darkness, his eyes were like two sharp blades stabbing towards them. The crow''s deep, dark single eye also flickered with a faint light. A heavy, oppressive feeling slowly pressed down on the adventurers. They stood on guard, feeling their muscles stiffen. Although he was just a human, the feeling he gave everyone was like facing an insurmountable monster. The man''s voice rang out coldly. "I remember notifying that this place was booked for today." Looking at these people, Viktor''s eyes were as cold as ice, his tone not at all polite. "Do you all enjoy coming uninvited?" The tense atmosphere seemed about to explode, and the adventurers gripped their weapons tightly. However, Hela raised her hand backwards, signaling the adventurers behind her to stop their actions. Her strange gaze bloomed like a flower, silently watching Viktor with an eerie smile. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes gradually extended, with thorns protruding in all directions. "Let me introduce myself, I''m Hela, the leader of the [Beast] guild." "But I''ve never seen you before, you''re not from the South, are you?" Before Viktor could respond, Hela suddenly laughed and continued: "Look at me asking, you probably don''t want to answer me." "However, I''m quite interested in you~" Hela covered her face with her fan, seemingly unable to control herself as she stuck out her tongue and licked her lips. Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent, with only one voice remaining, as if resuming after a pause. "Excuse me." With an explosive burst of air, Hela''s figure disappeared from her spot. The next second, she appeared in front of Viktor. Her hand transformed into claws, and behind her, five bone spears suddenly thrust out. Following her hand, they rapidly stabbed towards Viktor. An incredibly terrifying cold and sharp aura rushed towards Viktor. Those adventurers instantly broke out in cold sweat. The speed was so fast that no one could react in time. At this critical moment, Viktor raised his right arm. A round shield emanating an evil aura instantly blocked all the bone spikes. Hela''s eyes suddenly widened, the flower-like patterns at the corners of her eyes also trembled a few times, curling up together. A sudden dizziness filled her brain, making her instinctively retract the bone spears and leap back more than 30 feet. A dangerous feeling... Was that reaction speed something a human could achieve? And that round shield... It actually made her feel inexplicably dizzy. What on earth was that thing? Perhaps the man before her wasn''t the mage she was looking for. Was he a knight? Or... a warrior? But if the man in front of her wasn''t mistaken, he was a very powerful expert. In the extremely brief moment of dizziness just now, he absolutely could have counterattacked her. But he didn''t... Hela just raised her head, the patterns at the corners of her eyes slowly stretching out again, twisting like two vines. Looking at Viktor, her gaze held several more degrees of excitement. "Are you pitying me?" Then, Viktor''s voice rang out calmly. "I just don''t need to take advantage of someone''s weakness." Hearing such an answer, Hela was slightly taken aback. An extremely dangerous light flashed in her eyes. Those vine-like patterns actually began to wave incessantly, and their ends suddenly burst into black flower buds. Sharp bone spikes rapidly erupted one after another behind her. "Very well~" Hela extended one hand to caress her face, her gaze filled with excitement and enchantment. "I can''t wait to have you now." Chapter 179: I Was Wrong, I Wont Dare Again Sharp, bone-chilling flashes burst forth from the walls, following Hela''s claws as they struck towards Viktor. Countless bone spears precisely targeted each of Viktor''s vital points. Yet whenever those bone spikes were about to touch Viktor, he would instantly block them with his round shield. Even when he couldn''t block in time, his fluid movements allowed him to easily evade. Hela weaved between the bone spears, launching swift and fierce attacks during the brief intervals when Viktor dodged each thrust. But Viktor remained composed throughout, even appearing completely at ease. At some point, he materialized a wooden sword out of thin air, accompanied by numerous iron cards that continuously spun and danced around him. Red and green lights flickered in mid-air, nearly blinding Hela''s eyes. Yet even so, Hela''s attacks didn''t diminish in the slightest. Carrying whistling winds, she swung her long sharp claws while bone spears aimed straight for Viktor''s chest. As if wanting to completely tear out his heart, she was like an absolutely ferocious beast. Seeing this, the adventurers behind her couldn''t help but tremble in their voices. Yet within their trembling, there seemed to be hints of excitement. "Boss is getting serious!" "Never thought we''d see Boss fight again." "But that guy is too amazing... when did the South produce such a powerful knight?" "He might be a warrior." Viktor ignored the surrounding chatter, continuously dodging the bone spikes while wielding his round shield to block all of Hela''s claw attacks. As the battle intensified, Hela''s level and health bar were revealed to Viktor. Level 48 The woman before him was clearly another old monster who had survived for ages. Beast Hela - Viktor naturally recognized who she was. In the game''s background, Hela had once proposed that adventurers should follow beasts'' behavior as their standard, maintaining a fierce and brutal fighting style that completely tears apart enemies. But this combat proposal was naturally opposed by many. The reason was that most adventurers were human, and should maintain human group consciousness in battle, without needing complete destruction and excessive brutality. This proposal to view adventurers as noble humans gained widespread approval. But interestingly, Hela, who had always adhered to her own fighting style, achieved a breakthrough two years later in the game''s background. She became the only fifth-tier adventurer in the southern adventurer capital. Correspondingly, when the two princes died successively leaving the South leaderless, this created a situation where the [Beast] Guild dominated alone. However, the reason she advocated that adventurers should be as ferocious as beasts... Was because Hela herself wasn''t human. The wooden sword in Viktor''s hand flickered with green light, gradually transforming into a wooden mallet. On his arm, several arrays flashing red and yellow continuously formed. Faint power coursed through his blood vessels, gathering in Viktor''s large palm. [Power Enhancement - Major] The next second, the wooden mallet seemed to shatter the air as it charged straight towards the incoming sharp bone spears. Bang! A massive wave erupted in this corridor, powerful energy swirling in the confined space. After the intense collision, cracks actually appeared in those bone spears, which began to slowly crumble. Countless iron cards accelerated their rotation, red and green lights becoming like meteors as they sliced at high speed. Hela couldn''t dodge in time, and a wound was forcefully carved into her fair arm. Red blood slowly flowed from her arm. Hela immediately stood still, staring somewhat dazedly at the wound on her arm. Those adventurers were equally shocked to see Hela actually bleeding drop by drop. "Boss... got hurt first!?" "How... how is this possible!?" They stared at the man before them with wide eyes of disbelief. Hela took a few steps back, staring at her flowing blood. Those kaleidoscope-like beautiful yet eerie eyes also began changing into different patterns. Like a true beast, she had almost completely abandoned reason. But at this moment.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The wooden mallet in Viktor''s hand gradually dissipated into green magical energy. The iron cards around him also stopped flying, their light dimming as they merged into two cards that returned to his waist. This made Hela, who had just entered her state, pause as rationality gradually returned. Even the adventurers appeared somewhat confused. What''s going on? No more fighting? Hela slowly straightened up, withdrawing the remaining bone spears back into her body. The black flower buds at the corners of her eyes gradually retracted, the vines stretching out. At some point, perhaps due to excessive frenzy, those thin black stripes had unknowingly crept up to the back of her head. Her gaze revealed hints of confusion. "You''re strong, but why did you stop fighting?" Hela hadn''t treated Viktor as an enemy. As adventurers, sparring with each other was a very normal thing. But since Viktor had withdrawn first, she wouldn''t be unsportsmanlike and continue attacking. A cold voice rang out as Viktor looked at Hela, raising one finger. "First, you''re the one who attacked without rhyme or reason." At these words, Hela felt somewhat embarrassed, her gaze wavering slightly. Although she didn''t want to be so impulsive, the wildness within her body was constantly difficult to suppress. Upon meeting a strong person like Viktor, she would instinctively attack. She was about to apologize when Viktor immediately raised a second finger. "Second." "I never said I was done fighting." The moment these words fell, an extremely vast and mighty magical power suddenly surged up. Like huge waves churning the sky, carrying overwhelming pressure. Viktor narrowed his eyes, hands in his pockets. "The close combat just now was only out of necessity." And now? His mana was fully restored. Suddenly, the surrounding terrain began to change. Large sections of wall became covered in flames, the ground transformed into magma that continuously churned. Fire burst forth through the earth, and giant trees burning with flames began to grow twisted and contorted from the walls. Light illuminated the entire space, like the sun hanging overhead, as the terrifyingly scorching temperature rapidly rose. The entire cave seemed about to be completely melted by this shocking magical power. Hela felt the incredibly terrifying temperature and pressure, the patterns in her eyes continuously changing. He who possessed such exquisite close combat skills... wasn''t a knight, nor a warrior. But rather... a mage? How was this possible? If Viktor''s aura from before had been evenly matched with hers, or even notably weaker... But now... It was as if two massive beast shadows appeared behind Viktor, continuously flickering. The entire cave trembled violently from this immensely impactful presence. Viktor''s cold voice rang out, like an unmelting piece of ice in a volcanic mountain. "Please allow me to introduce myself." "My name is Viktor Kravina." The moment the name rang out, all those adventurers were stunned. This was a name very familiar to them. This was a name that had, long ago, spread throughout the entire empire from north to south. Countless adventurers knew of this figure. But just as they were carefully recalling exactly who this name belonged to... The magical power in the space began to surge madly, like an ocean pouring in, about to completely flood the entire cave. The flames began continuously reorganizing, the heat becoming even more expansive. Behind Viktor, it was as if there were two miniature suns contracting and swirling in the air, as if about to explode. Everyone stood frozen in place, even forgetting to flee. Because at this moment, they remembered. A few days ago, the Mage Council had publicly announced their youngest council member and bestowed upon him a mage title. His name was Viktor Kravina. Also known as... "[The Judgment that Strips All Phenomena]" The radiance of two suns began continuously expanding, starting to devour that dark cave. Flames accompanied by magical power began exploding frantically, thunderous booms and scorching waves beginning to sweep everything away. The red also transformed into a beast, swallowing everything into its belly ahead of the light. Those cyan walls began to collapse thunderously, white light continuously bursting forth from within, turning to dust that rose in the air. Whoosh That light gave off waves of crimson, then white light once again covered everything, completely overwhelming the thunderous sounds. It was as if time itself had been stretched incredibly long at this moment. After the light gradually dissipated, the surrounding walls were nowhere to be seen. There was only continuously churning agitated flesh, carrying burn scars. Looking up, they could even see the churning purple sky, restless and agitated. Fortunately, they were generally fourth-tier in strength, barely withstanding that terrifying explosion. The Beast Guild adventurers were naturally tough-skinned, and that terrifying explosion wasn''t targeted at this group of adventurers. Otherwise, they would likely have been reduced to ashes long ago. Countless sharp bone spikes shielded Hela''s body, blocking the explosion''s aftershocks. The bone spikes retracted as Hela raised her head, watching the bright sky gradually fade from its brilliance, the patterns in her gaze slowly ceasing to change. Her lips trembled as she spoke, her voice shaking immensely. "He... is the real monster." In her daze, she saw Viktor''s figure. That man in the black coat stood in mid-air, hands in his pockets. His coat continuously swayed in the flickering light behind him. Two different colored lights began flashing against each other under the white sun, red and green complementing each other. Two giant beasts also seemed to be roaring repeatedly behind him. As if deliberately attracting something. Viktor looked down at the dazed Hela and all those so-called top adventurers, saying flatly: "Never mind." "Since you''re here, just stand there quietly." "Be an audience." Hearing these words, all the adventurers including Hela immediately froze in place. What did these words... mean? But the next second. "ROAR!!!" A dragon''s cry seemed to tear through the sky, penetrating through layers of space. Viktor raised his head again, looking toward that deep purple silent sky. "It''s here." The wind swept past. At this moment, the sky was no longer peaceful. "Wind Calamity Doragon." Chapter 180: The Black Dragon Was Too Big, The Rift Burst The black dragon, crouching in the sky, pierced through the thick clouds and let out a heavy breath, as if sensing something. It suddenly raised its head and released a terrifying roar toward the sky. The surrounding storms began to gather incessantly, transforming into a pair of invisible hands that stretched the pulsing purple rift to an enormous size, as if threatening to devour everything around it. The adventurers outside, paralyzed with fear, were completely stunned as they watched the rift being forcefully torn open before the monster. "What kind of terrifying inhuman power is this... to forcefully tear open a Monster Rift?" they wondered in shock. But before they could fully regain their composure, the black dragon penetrated the thick clouds, seemingly carrying the winds with it, and began diving toward the ground. Boom! Bang! The surrounding air began to explode continuously, accompanied by white mist and sparks of flame, as the dragon plunged straight into the void rift. The air pressure even carried them along, sending them flying and floating in the air. If they hadn''t grabbed onto nearby buildings, they would have been swept between those black scales and ground to powder. Only after the rift had completely swallowed the enormous body of the giant black dragon did the surrounding air gradually return to calm. The terrifyingly oppressive air pressure also vanished without a trace. The adventurers, after regaining their balance, felt cold sweat soaking their backs. ... Hela followed Viktor''s gaze, slowly looking up at the purple sky. Soon, she sensed an even more terrifying pressure coming from above the adventurers'' heads. That overwhelming force, capable of tearing everything apart just with its presence, completely paralyzed them in place. Chills began surging from everyone''s spine toward their hearts. A beast? No, this was something far more powerful than any beast. No living being she had ever encountered could compare to that divine creation in the sky. In the final moment, even Hela couldn''t maintain her composure under this powerful oppression, her body beginning to tremble. Could this be... what the Crown Prince mentioned? The terrifying monster appearing from within the rift? It truly was horrifying. At some point, above the surging purple sky, a massive black shadow had charged into the heavens. It coiled across the void above, with violent air currents swirling between its body. Its eyes revealed majesty, and fierce storms burst forth from its nostrils. That majestic gaze fixed firmly on Viktor. Or rather, it was looking at the two giant beast shadows behind Viktor. And Viktor likewise stared back at it. As if the two Calamity powers within his body had taken form, standing behind Viktor with equal majesty, fearlessly staring at that black colossal form. Two mighty auras clashed together, thick magical power and overwhelming pressure exploding outward in all directions. Storms gathered continuously around Viktor, his coat dancing wildly, as red and green heterochromatic light began flashing across his coat, the stripes gradually flowing onto Viktor''s skin. Following his neck, climbing up beneath his eyes. Those strange patterns emitted powerful magical energy, revealing savagery and fury. Hurricane winds carrying dust, stirring the purple void, continuously rolled with the spreading dark clouds. Suddenly, Doragon moved first. As if showing off its power, its body suddenly twisted in the void above. Sharp wind vibrations shook the air, and a blade instantly slashed across Viktor''s cheek. [Air Blade] All this happened in an instant. When people came to their senses, Viktor''s face had already burst open with a bleeding cut. Those adventurers had only seen the dragon move its body slightly, and blood drops had already splattered in the air. "That''s... Viktor''s blood?" The adventurers stood dumbfounded, eyes wide. That powerful man, who could match Hela even in close combat, his least proficient area, actually... was wounded. And also, being at the fourth rank. They hadn''t even seen when Viktor had taken this attack. Viktor glanced at his cheek, feeling the slight warmth on his face. Wounded. That attack came at a speed impossible for any human body to react to. He raised his head again, his gaze turning toward the giant beast floating in the sky. An endless health bar now appeared in Viktor''s vision. Similarly, its level slowly emerged. Wind Calamity - Doragon Level 60 Sixth Rank In the early game, it was a boss that no player could defeat. The Wind Calamity was the freest among all Calamities, unlike the Fire Calamity sealed and sleeping under a volcano, or the Wood Calamity being used as a charging battery by the City of Mages. Even though it was no longer in its prime, just its normal presence was enough to shock people. However, it was also a sixth-rank boss that Viktor was certain he could defeat above the fourth rank.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Because of the Wind Calamity''s characteristics. It was different from the Fire Calamity''s ability to cause extremely powerful area damage, and it didn''t have the Wood Calamity''s super strong vitality and recovery. Doragon''s advantage lay in its unparalleled mobility. It could swiftly move through space, dragging its serpentine body. Everything about its body''s growth and shape was designed for ultimate speed. But, as the Calamity unrivaled in speed, if one could restrict its proud mobility... Then... it would become nothing more than a long worm ready for slaughter. Instantly, Viktor''s eyes flashed with powerful light. Vega, already understanding, had its eyes flash with the same phosphorescence. A barely visible thin line extended from the crow''s body, slowly connecting with Viktor. [Link Successful] Feeling the endless magical power transmitted to his body, like a vast ocean, completely at his disposal. The abundant magic began overflowing from his body, even spreading across the entire ground. The surrounding adventurers seemed to sense an unusually thick magical power as well. They couldn''t help but clutch their chests, as if a stream of water had blocked their throats. They lowered their heads, struggling to look around. Their eyes flashed with incredibly shocked and frenzied light. [The Judgment that Strips All Phenomena] A fourth-rank mage likewise widened his eyes. He had lived for over a hundred years. Although he had only entered the fourth rank realm a few years ago, after long-term training and absorbing endless knowledge, he believed he was a worthy fourth-rank mage. He had even received a proactive invitation from the City of Magic, becoming a member of Endymion. But now, if his magical power were to be compared with Viktor''s... It was like a drop of clear water falling into an endless ocean of magical power. He slowly raised his head, his wrinkles furrowing even more, staring blankly at Viktor. "This is... the top power of the Mage Council." "The Twelve Councilors." Suddenly, under the influence of the massive magical power, the purple flesh walls seemed to feel discomfort, gradually beginning to writhe. Viktor''s expression remained unchanged as he floated in the air. The ground''s writhing was Viktor actively using magic to stimulate this land to begin restructuring. In this abyss, any damaged terrain would naturally repair itself. Magic could perfectly accelerate this repair process. And modify it. Those adventurers stared blankly at Viktor''s performance, including Hela. "What exactly does he want to do?" The patterns rotating in her eyes suddenly contracted, returning to an unopened flower bud, slightly solidifying. "Could it be..." Under everyone''s puzzled and shocked gazes, those walls began to rise continuously, covering an extremely vast space, completely isolating everything outside. Those adventurers felt the trembling beneath their feet but could do nothing. The flesh ground they stood on seemed to combine into an arena, even gradually forming spectator steps. Magic steadily seated the group of adventurers on the flesh steps, easing their stiff bodies. They and Viktor... were simply not on the same level of existence. At this moment... Hela recalled Viktor''s words. "He put us all in the position of spectators?" She suddenly raised her head, staring at Viktor. Hela finally realized. That proud mage. Actually dared to imagine fighting that terrifying monster one-on-one! At this moment, Viktor, standing in mid-air at the center of the entire arena, slowly extended one hand and touched the collar of his coat. White runes began dispersing from the coat, light faintly brightening, as white smoke began to rise in the air. The next second, a white giant bird materialized in the air. Viktor lightly stepped onto the giant bird''s body, a white form undulating in the air. His eyes showed not a hint of emotion as he quietly watched that continuously rolling dragon. The moment it saw the white giant bird, the dragon''s originally majestic and steady eyes became bloodshot. The air currents around it began to rotate at high speed, as if to cut everything, spiraling toward the purple void sky. Whoosh! Carrying violent storms, gray haze rose around the giant dragon. But before it could charge out a hundred miles, a purple membrane appeared in the sky above the arena, like some mysterious substance. Doragon slammed hard against the barrier. That purple membrane bent slightly, absorbing the massive force, even bouncing it back toward the dragon''s body. Bang! Explosive wind instantly passed through the giant dragon''s body. Doragon shook its somewhat dizzy head, and the next second, swung its sky-reaching dragon tail. The tail sliced through the air, stirring up powerful blades, striking at that purple barrier again. But no matter how intense the attacks, they couldn''t break through that strange wall. It began to feel confused. As a Calamity, it didn''t possess much thinking ability. It only acted according to instinct. The things before it had exceeded its understanding. But equally confused were those adventurers who had become spectators. The walls that Viktor could blast a hole through with just one spell. Yet this monster couldn''t break through? But they could no longer get an answer. Because Viktor''s confident voice slowly rang out. "Your greatest mistake was letting anger blind your eyes." "Giving up all your advantages to come here looking for me." Beside him, Vega laughed mockingly, its eyes showing the sharp light of successful calculation. And Viktor also extended one hand, [Uruste] appearing in his palm out of thin air. As Viktor gripped the staff, rainbow-colored magical power, like seeds taking root and sprouting from nothing, slowly climbed up along the staff. Countless arrays constructed themselves from thin air, complex and exquisite patterns beginning to interconnect. Several arrays seemed to merge into one, thick magical power continuously bursting forth with powerful momentum. Boom! Boom! Boom! The magical power grew increasingly thick, and the arrays became increasingly vast. Heterochromatic light began to spread, finally transforming into a divine tree. Above the crown, a cyan moon slowly cast out soft light in all directions. Hum Circles began to revolve and intertwine around Viktor, complex arrays no longer appearing just on the staff. They even appeared around Viktor''s body, the intense radiance becoming dazzlingly bright. Numerous magic arrays began rotating at the same moment, vast magical power like a roaring sea, completely pouring down toward the earth. Those adventurers, feeling the incredibly shocking heterochromatic light, completely forgot even their surprise and thoughts in an instant. At this moment, Viktor''s voice seemed to come from ten thousand miles away, ethereal words slowly ringing out: "Now..." "Prepare to kneel." Chapter 181: Dark, This Abyss is Truly Dark ''Invincible terrain.'' In this Monster Abyss, this was one of the most remarkable features of this land. The terrain here wasn''t simply an accumulation of matter, but rather seemed to possess consciousness like a living being. After an area was destroyed, it could automatically repair itself after a period of time. Once repaired, the abyss terrain would trigger an invincible protection for a certain period. And now, this enclosed arena was in that perfect state of ''terrain invincibility.'' Viktor utilized the terrain mechanics of the Monster Rift to create a natural dueling ground between himself and the Wind Catastrophe. A natural cage of confinement. All creatures existing within the barrier were trapped inside, unable to even escape. In this confined space, Doragon, who could barely stretch out its body, had lost all advantages. Its proud mobility was severely weakened. As Viktor gathered his magic with a confident voice, Doragon fell into intense rage. Its dignity as a Catastrophe would not allow it to fly to the sky. That would be seen as fleeing, and it would not flee. Even though it was completely imprisoned in a place that confined its freedom. Against this being before it that seemed to share the same origin, it was confident it could crush him like an ant. Suddenly, the surrounding winds gradually ceased. As if forcefully stopping the chaotic storm, the surrounding space became absolutely silent. Only Viktor''s sun-like heterochromatic light kept flickering in the air. Those adventurers sitting on the steps also sensed something. It seemed the surroundings suddenly lacked... wind. The wind had disappeared. The violent winds inexplicably subsided. They didn''t know what happened, but confusion and shock still filled their hearts. [Storm''s Choice] Like Guledon and Druja, This was the passive aura of Doragon, the Wind Catastrophe. It allowed the Catastrophe itself to freely control the storms around its body. On the surface, it seemed quite peaceful. However... this seemingly harmless breeze not only made Doragon''s movements extremely swift but also concealed a terrifying ability. That was the power to turn other elements'' powerful attacks into non-elemental ones. Various colored elements would become mere mana bombardments before [Storm''s Choice]. Strictly speaking, it also countered Viktor who possessed the power of Catastrophe. Under the storm, all beings were equal. In this instant, Viktor''s eyes flashed with strange colors. The formations in the sky stopped their cycles, like countless meteors breaking through the atmosphere, as numerous seven-colored star points gathered together. Mana began to burst forth from countless formations all at once. The giant tree on the staff opened to both sides, and the green moon slowly rose into the high sky. "Will of all life, heterochromatic brilliance turns to contempt." "Joy without suffering, heaven shall fall here." [War Magic: Rising of Strange Stars] Opening with war magic, as a sign of respect. As the words fell, countless flickering seven-colored stars appeared as if from a giant mouth emerging from the green light. Buzzing vibrations echoed continuously as beams of extreme light burst forth with thunderous sounds, breaking through the purple sky, forcefully tearing a cross-shaped rainbow rift. The powerful and scorching magic made the entire purple ground shake frantically. Like a planet crashing through the void, it slammed towards the dragon''s pitch-black body. Bang! The giant light orb seemed to channel all mana into the center, completely engulfing the giant dragon. "What... what was that!?" "Can... can that still be considered magic!?" Those adventurers all covered their eyes, as if fearfully avoiding something. Their hearts also began to tremble with that muffled rhythm, and all their muscles instinctively tensed up. Doragon hung in the light, suddenly roaring towards the sky and the heterochromatic rift. Countless black scales received that terrifying mana. As if in an instant, that magnificent power pierced between the gaps in its scales. Allowing the intense rainbow colors to completely engulf itself. Boom! In an instant, the world sank into complete whiteness, surroundings absolutely silent.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Breathing and heartbeats completely evaporated. Those adventurers sitting on the steps also curled up together, their eyes filled with absolute terror. The light quickly touched the edge of the purple barrier, but in the next second. The powerful impact bounced back through the soft purple barrier, crashing into Doragon''s body again. Hela felt the powerful heat and thick mana slowly moving away from her. Only then did she slowly open her eyes, that spectator stand created for them. It seemed to have become a measure he specifically prepared to face that monster. Fortunately, those staying in the spectator stands would at least not face any life-threatening danger. Meanwhile, from within the dust, a huge black shadow suddenly burst forth. The black scales all over its body gradually separated from the red. Those scales as hard as giant rocks began to shimmer with heterochromatic light, flowing with radiance. The huge, extending body kept rolling in the sky, its speed instantly exploding to the peak, tearing through space. The giant dragon''s body was covered with a thin layer of white wind breath, and the blurry black shadow actually began to revolve at high speed above the entire arena. Seeing that it could still move normally, the adventurers widened their eyes. That monster, under such terrifyingly powerful magical attack, actually wasn''t affected at all? How was this possible!? Of course, only Viktor knew that his magic had indeed taken effect. However, facing a Catastrophe, the effect wouldn''t be too obvious. As a Catastrophe, even the Wind Catastrophe which seemed the most fragile among all Catastrophes, had an HP bar that stretched for thousands of miles. Additionally, due to the huge level gap between Viktor and Doragon, along with the powerful wind breath surrounding it that blocked much of the damage. At least, it was too early to render Doragon immobile. The first war magic was just an appetizer. Viktor gripped his staff tightly, watching Doragon freely soaring before him, without any surprise in his eyes. "The attribute difference is still too great." After all, it was a level 60 world boss unit. Even though Viktor had challenged it countless times, the attribute gap was indeed difficult to bridge. "Then..." Viktor slowly raised the staff in his hand, as rays of light began to shine around him. [Mana Boost MAX] [Spellcaster''s Blessing] [All Attributes Increase (Advanced)] [Lethal Tempo] [Absolute Focus] [Unyielding] [Transcendence] [Mana Penetration] [Spatial Acceleration] [Wind Spirit''s Blessing (Resistance Increase)] Green lotuses suddenly bloomed one after another. At this moment, he was like a deity standing in the center of a lake. Streams of mana climbed up his shoulders along his windbreaker. Viktor could clearly feel powerful strength flowing into his body. Flashes of light passed through his eyes as one powerful buff after another appeared under his status bar. Those spectating adventurers also couldn''t help but look at Viktor in shock. Watching Viktor continuously applying mana buffs to himself, they were all dumbfounded. This was during combat! He could actually spare time to use buff magic. Is this... still human? Sure enough, buffing oneself in front of a monster was itself an act of provocation. Watching Viktor continuously lighting up with buff effects, Doragon felt anger rising from its heart, the scales on its body beginning to clatter. It coiled its huge body as countless transparent wind blades began slicing through the entire space. Its giant tail tore through space, striking towards Viktor. Viktor, still calmly applying buffs to himself, observed the trajectories of the incoming swift blades without panic, skillfully avoiding the attacks. The powerful pressure brought by the giant tail was also easily dissolved by him, his agile form perfectly dodging the dense offensive. Familiar with all upcoming attacks, He was like a soul dancer leaping through the air. But Doragon didn''t stop attacking despite Viktor''s continuous evasion, instead becoming increasingly violent. Streams of wind arrows pierced through the void, stabbing towards Viktor''s vital points from behind. In an instant, the adventurers who took everything in sight all held their breath. But Viktor seemed to have anticipated this situation, the cold corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Sorry, too late." As soon as the words fell, Viktor who was originally standing on the giant bird''s back was suddenly shattered to pieces. Broken wooden splinters floated in the air. Everyone saw clearly that Viktor in the sky had somehow become a substitute at some point. Then, where was the real Viktor? At some point, Viktor stood in another part of the high sky, one hand gripping the staff tightly, while the other held that crown with the pulsing purple heart. He slowly raised that crown flickering with golden light and placed it on the staff. The chanting voice slowly rose. "Void evil beast, disdaining all illness and suffering." As he spoke, faint purple smoke rose from Viktor''s body. His eyes were calm as he gradually walked in the air. "Not deluded by thousands of bestowed blessings." Each line of chanting made people feel incredibly profound, as if coming from the silent void. Doragon was still attacking continuously, but countless wind blades and raging winds seemed like toys. As soon as they approached Viktor, they would easily dissipate under his all-around defense. Doragon''s form also began high-speed traversal through space, but Viktor with all kinds of buffs already applied seemed even faster than Doragon. But Viktor knew this was merely because he had seen through all of Doragon''s attack trajectories. [Second Tier Magic: Black Smoke Flash] As the words fell, the giant dragon''s rolling body instantly passed through Viktor. But only rolling black mist remained in place. "Devour the form of heaven and earth, break through the flower stamens." The moment Viktor''s chanting voice completely fell. Time had just passed five seconds. At this moment, a sound like a heartbeat rang out, thump thump. Everyone present was shocked, they covered their ears, as if making absolute rejection to this thunderous sound. "From the void comes, the sharp howl." Imperial Artifact - [Pain-Loathing Remnant Beast] Swoosh! A deep purple rift suddenly appeared, countless sharp claws appeared out of thin air, accompanied by that purple light, forcefully tearing out a gate rolling with void. An ancient palace seemed to begin crumbling behind the gate, countless eyes staring at the sky outside, squeezing out sharp mockery. All bodies appeared from behind that gate, the ruined palace accompanied by low heartbeat rhythms, beginning to crumble again. Stone slabs carved with strange patterns floated out eyeballs, towering stone pillars began extending skin. Those pieces of flesh began reorganizing from behind those hovering giant hands, completely forming into a huge magical beast. Rolling purple gushed out all at once, surrounding runes beginning to flow. Streams of black seemed to completely block the huge gate, a giant eye appearing before everyone. But within that eyeball were distributed countless pupils, within the pupils seemed to echo fragmentary greedy tentacles, writhing in the endless darkness. Standing before that towering void monster, Viktor was like a descending evil god. He looked at Doragon''s already unsettled body and revealed a calm smile: "This is the gift I prepared for you." Chapter 182: About to Burst from the Tentacles Chapter 182: About to Burst from the Tentacles Whoosh! The enormously distended void rift trembled incessantly, its purple hue wavering unstably. A powerful aura gushed outward violently, accompanied by intense magical power. The fierce winds kicked up dust clouds reaching heights of over 120 feet. The originally gloomy sky now churned with dust storms, making the outside world seem even more oppressive. The adventurers waiting outside the rift clearly felt the tremendous power emanating from within that purple haze. They trembled, seemingly still unable to recover from the dragon''s overwhelming pressure. "A... dragon appeared above the Monster Rift?" "What kind of aura is this!?" "This is definitely not something humans can fight against! I can''t... I can''t stay here anymore!" Their faces were filled with terror as they clutched their cheeks with shaking hands. Even the blonde warrior who was nearly fourth-tier felt her legs go weak as her worldview nearly collapsed. She leaned against the rock wall, dragging her weakened body as she tried to leave. As the storm approached, news of the Monster Rift''s anomaly spread throughout Godinlima. While many adventurers were panic-stricken, they also eagerly prepared themselves. For these adventurers who lived their lives on the edge, the Rift''s unusual activity represented both opportunity and risk. At the Empire''s southern Second Battle Line. Steel walls towered into the clouds, the black metal forged into an enormous beast crouching on the dust-swept ground. Behind the beast-like walls, massive artillery pieces were mounted atop black, sharp towers. They swayed continuously, as if searching for potential threats. Huge crossbows also lined the walls in a circle, loaded with arrows ready to fire. Behind the battle line, a massive cannon reaching into the clouds was being loaded with a giant arrow tipped with a sharp head, slowly descending as it aimed forward. The soldiers inside the city stood at attention, their faces extremely serious. The Second Battle Line was a crucial component of the Empire''s southern defense. As the main battlefield, it was essential to ensure no monster-related disturbances occurred in the entire southern region. This was the strongest guarantee for the entire southern battle line. Crown Prince Albanie Saul stood atop the high tower, wearing golden armor with sharp gleams in his eyes. Several silver-armored officers surrounded him. He quietly gazed at the churning Monster Rift in the distance, his brows furrowed. The sky, covered by dark clouds, now pulsed with thick purple light, undulating like an ocean. Due to Doragon''s intrusion, the Monster Rift had grown enormously large, with intense waves from the abyss continuously spilling outward. The small garrison troops deployed there had already retreated before danger arrived, relaying all information to the battle lines behind them. Getting advance notice meant having more time to prepare and ensure security. However... The Crown Prince briefly closed his eyes. Under these terrifying phenomena, it wouldn''t be surprising if some world-devouring monster emerged from the Monster Rift. The Crown Prince descended from the tower, leading his officers to stand before the city gate. In front of him were tens of thousands of soldiers already deployed in various positions. They wore armor with long blades at their waists, their eyes showing no fear as they stared intently at the surging purple sky in the distance. On this yellow earth, those patches of black iron seemed inlaid into the ground, appearing incredibly resolute. Warrior Corps, Knight Corps, Mage Corps. Mages were the fewest in number - unless they were high-tier mages, they could only serve as cannon fodder in such battles. They were responsible for logistics preparation. Warriors slowly pushed massive artillery carts, moving batches of steel beasts into the ranks. Those powerful guns charged with various magical powers were mounted on wooden carts, slowly moving forward. The troops quickly assembled, and an officer behind the Crown Prince saluted him. "Report, Your Highness! The army has fully assembled, and all weapons are completely ready!" Hearing his report, the Crown Prince nodded slowly and said: "This is an anomalous situation, I''ve already heard about it." "That monster didn''t actually emerge from the Monster Rift." The Crown Prince had never entered the Monster Rift, but he had some understanding of the abyss. In the areas that had already been explored, it was impossible for such a powerful monster to exist.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Because the rift itself wasn''t worthy. A being that could ride the wind without wings, with an overwhelming presence that completely crushed fourth-tier monsters. Moreover, according to the intelligence the Crown Prince had received. That huge black dragon had appeared in the Far North, completely defeating the Second Prince''s army. That was an army led by a prince. Yet it couldn''t withstand a single strike from that terrifying monster. In just three days, it had traveled from the Empire''s Far North to the South. This speed of movement... combined with its enormous body. Unfathomable. This was the Crown Prince''s only thought about that black dragon. Then, squinting his eyes, he continued: "My Imperial Father has learned of that monster''s existence, and... its species has been classified as - Dragon." Dragon? It was hard to imagine that narrow, elongated creature being comparable to those mighty dragons. However, just from the terrifying strength described verbally, it certainly deserved the title ''Dragon''. The Crown Prince took a breath and issued orders to the officers behind him. "Keep the black dragon''s appearance above Godinlima hidden as much as possible, absolutely do not let Father Emperor know about this prematurely!" "Yes, Your Highness!" He slowly raised his head, looking toward the mysterious, quiet purple sky. "This will be my military achievement." ... Within the rift, the giant eye behind the void gate continued to writhe. Countless pupils on it trembled continuously. Like insect eggs, they squeezed out from those pupils, growing larger and larger. The initial red gradually became covered with purple blood vessels, about to burst. Those swollen eggs began to crack, black-purple essence seeping out. The eggshells instantly shattered, and several insects with five sharp legs fell into mid-air. Their narrow heads seemed to have human-like mouths, while their eyes were compound eyes flickering with countless yellow lights. They stood up shakily, instinctively letting out piercing shrieks at the black dragon before them. Soon, the giant eye behind the gate began to turn, seemingly revealing another side. Similarly, several horrifying insects burst out from behind the other side. When one eye completely closed, another eye appeared behind the gate, continuing to spit out small magical insects toward the outside. Purple creatures densely packed the entire arena, piling up, treading on void space, stepping on their companions'' bodies, beginning to climb endlessly in the huge space. Almost in the blink of an eye, they crawled all over Doragon''s body at an incomprehensible speed, patches of dull purple continuously biting at Doragon''s black scales. Accompanied by sharp tearing sounds, the insect eggs finally stopped breaking. But just when everyone thought these terrifying magical insects were the limit. That gate suddenly expanded even larger! More shocking wails rose from within the gate. The void seemed to fall into boundless silence. Only Viktor knew that the final horror had barely revealed the tip of the iceberg. A dark body suddenly darted out from the darkness, nearly half the size of the dragon''s body. It extended an upper body like a human''s, but without hands, only a weak head. On its forehead and face, dozens of holes like empty eye sockets protruded, with purple essence continuously gushing out. The weak yet gigantic skeletal body suddenly kept pulling itself from between the gates, its human-like giant mouth instantly opening, unleashing waves of terrifying and chaotic crying sounds. The skeletal body seemed to still be writhing behind the gate, and soon, the other half of its body was painfully pulled out. Its lower body was like an octopus, floating with eight dark tentacles, each tentacle completely covered with broken eyes, continuously dripping purple-red blood. On each eye, there were clearly insect eggs that had just burst! This incredibly horrifying scene was completely exposed before everyone. That decaying and terrifying aura instantly devoured everything. Making all the adventurers feel their sanity crumbling. It was as if space itself was trembling, continuously crying and begging for mercy. Even Doragon seemed to pause for a moment when seeing that horrifying creature that suddenly burst out. At this time, that monster that seemed to emerge from the void made a move. The countless broken giant eyes beneath its body, at this moment, all focused on Doragon''s body. Terrifying magical insects were still continuously devouring the dragon''s body. Whirlwinds spiraled around Doragon''s body in waves, the storms merely attached to its body grinding those scale-devouring magical insects into powder. But the next second, those purple powders began to recombine with each other, forming into insects again, fearlessly climbing back onto the dragon''s body. The dragon''s form turned, and an intense airflow suddenly burst up between its scales, black metal colliding with each other, erupting in heavy echoes. Those magical insects'' bodies froze, blown away by the airflow, violently smashing into the flesh-covered ground, twitching twice before showing no more response. Those ordinary monsters, no matter how strong. Before a Calamity, they were nothing more than cannon fodder. The adventurers watched the chaotic arena, their bodies forgetting to tremble, their eyes becoming completely dazed, as if taking in a horrifying war. Even though they were in the spectator seats, they could still feel that sense of terror as if they were there. Although that swarm of black insects couldn''t harm that monster. If they, as fourth-tier beings, were thrown into that insect tide. They would probably be devoured into messy meat paste in the blink of an eye. Under this level of battle, they... didn''t even have any chance to intervene. The gap... was too great. Similarly at fourth-tier, that man gave them a feeling of being too powerful to be human. If it weren''t for the obvious fourth-tier aura emanating from his body, no one would have considered Viktor a fourth-tier mage. Fourth-tier? How could that be possible. At this moment, Viktor slowly raised his staff, his other hand gradually lifting. Vega understood immediately, a golden light flashing within its single eye. Soon, that golden light completely covered every eyeball on the tentacles floating in the sky. And following Viktor''s movement, the magic array behind him suddenly rose. The heterochromatic light all over his body actually burst out along the staff, transmitting toward the eyeballs in the sky. A line connected to his body, transmitting along those airborne eyeballs. A subtle feeling arose in his heart. [Buff Share] This was an ability that could share any of his own buff effects with an allied unit. And at this moment, almost all those buffs he had previously applied were copied to that void creature in the sky. Colorful light gradually spread across the entire horrifying creature''s body. Countless attribute enhancements began to surge, quickly reaching a level that made people tremble. The golden light in Vega''s eye slowly emerged, bestowing itself onto the giant creature''s body. In an instant, powerful aura accompanied by sharp crying swept across the entire arena. Ability - [Level Up] "Are you ready?" "We''re about to get serious." Chapter 183: My Black Dragon Got Sprayed in the Face by the Tentacle Monster Chapter 183: My Black Dragon Got Sprayed in the Face by the Tentacle Monster The Wind Calamity, floating in mid-air, finally reacted, surging storms to completely blast away the remaining magical insects on its body. However, it was too late. As if magical power was continuously gathering, those horrifying giant eyes of the creature channeled countless golden essences into the smoke-spewing holes. Powerful magic began concentrating within its head, continuously swelling from that wailing mouth. Boom! Boom! Boom! The bell tolls rang intermittently. [Pain Shriek] In that instant, intense concentrated golden light beams accompanied by sharp waves suddenly tore through everything, bursting forth, making even the void torn in space become unstable. The huge golden light pillar seemed to pierce through the surrounding air, attacking toward Doragon''s enormous body. But then In this instant, Doragon''s entire body swelled, countless black scales began churning like waves. A cannon blast filled with white light suddenly erupted from its mouth, carrying powerful compressed storms as it burst forth. [Aerial Burst] Under that sky-reaching wind cannon blast, even the flesh-covered ground began shaking violently, as if unable to withstand the terrifying pressure. In an instant! The two horrifying forces instantly collided, the erupting magnificent aura and shining white light seemed to completely submerge everything. Sharp impacts continuously tore black blood from the flesh ground, the powerful pressure even punched a hole in the purple sky. But clearly, the Wind Calamity''s heavy artillery seemed to have the upper hand. That huge sky-covering white projectile firmly suppressed the golden light, power seemingly beginning to shift toward the Wind Calamity''s side. Viktor understood - after all, the Calamity before him had already reached level 60. Even though head-on attacks weren''t the Wind Calamity''s advantage, the level difference still made it clearly superior. However... Viktor raised his staff once again, a white magic array constructing in the air. The complex hexagram began rotating in mid-air, three curved patterns inlaid above. In the middle, a giant eagle-like deity extended an arm, slowly pointing toward that golden light. Viktor smiled faintly, appearing completely confident. "Don''t forget." "I never said I was a summoner." As his words fell, the entire space began to sway precariously under the intense offensive. That god-like giant hand pointed in the air, a thin stream of magic power crawled up along the creature''s tentacles, seeping into those hollow eye sockets. Under the powerful magic enhancement, that golden light beam seemed to grow wider by a circle, its powerful thrust appearing to force that white projectile back several inches. Viktor''s lips curled in contempt. "Not enough?" "Then let''s add a bit more." [Fourth-Tier Magic: Manifestation of Forest Folk''s Breath] As the magic array lit up, a verdant green appeared floating in the air. That streak of emerald green slowly descended toward the ground. An ocean seemed to float in the air, then crashed heavily onto the purple flesh ground below. A chaotic trembling green array began slowly being carved out from the ground, triangular outlines gradually appearing. From the ground, an astounding sky-reaching magical power suddenly burst forth. That green magic began slowly flowing, gradually merging into the horrifying creature''s body covered in golden light. The next second, the golden light suddenly surged, even completely engulfing the white storm projectile. The Wind Calamity still burst forth powerful winds from its mouth. But it could see its advantage was now gradually dissipating! It suddenly widened its eyes, and in the final moment, the white projectile completely exploded. The violent airwaves instantly swept through everything! The soaring golden giant light completely enveloped its sky-covering terrifying body. Those rotating storms around it were as fragile as paper under that golden light, completely pierced through.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [Magic Penetration] The light pierced through the pitch-black damaged scales, shooting straight into the dragon''s body. "Roar!" Doragon cried out in pain, feeling the tearing and sharp pain transmitted through its body, letting out a roaring screech. In just the blink of an eye, the Wind Calamity''s health dropped to around 20 percent. Viktor understood clearly. Being able to gain such an advantage was completely due to the surrounding terrain severely restricting the Wind Calamity''s movement paths. If the terrain was completely open, Doragon would have already fled by now, seeking opportunities to ambush again. In terms of guerrilla warfare, no being could compare to Doragon. As the incarnation of wind, it was traceless like a wild gale, its powerful mobility allowing it to rapidly traverse across the world. Gathering storms in the shadows, delivering terrifying strikes to enemies. But in this terrain Viktor had specially prepared for it, it was forced to confront head-on. As such, it played right into Viktor''s hands. Two against one, the advantage was mine. Those adventurers'' minds had completely blanked. The burly man carrying a giant axe mechanically turned his head to ask the mage beside him. "Walt, aren''t you also a fourth-tier mage? Can you do that?" "..." The old mage glanced at the burly man, snorted lightly, too lazy to explain. At this moment, Hela was also staring intently at the battle before her, her whole body trembling. That wasn''t from fear, nor from dread. But from excitement. She buried her head in her arms, her eyes huge in the darkness beneath her limbs. The patterns in her eyes even began to become uncoordinated, changing patterns frantically. From her throat, strange sounds seemed to emerge, tingling and numbing. "Amazing... amazing..." Sharp cries of near-insane fanatical worship rang from her mouth. "Viktor Kravina... he''s definitely the one I''ve been looking for." "Strong, handsome, mysterious... yes, it can only be him." She suddenly raised her head, body straightening, eyes fixed firmly on the sky. Arms completely embracing herself, she split open a huge mouth, laughing maniacally as if it almost reached her ears. Her complexion gradually became flushed, the patterns in her eyes seeming to even begin weaving into dark heart shapes. "No matter what, I must obtain" "His seed." However, Viktor didn''t hear this dangerous statement. He focused all his attention upward, coldly looking at Doragon. The dragon before him was covered in wounds, many scales had fallen off its body. But its eyes still revealed a sense of majesty and horror. Viktor stared at it intently, his indifferent voice slowly rang out: "You seem to still not realize where you lost." "But." Viktor raised his staff, a surge of intense magical power instantly gushed forth. His windbreaker flapped frantically, in mid-air, those even more intense patterns again released light. He expressionlessly looked at the dragon. "It''s time to return that girl to me." Doragon instantly widened its eyes, as if completely unable to accept this, suddenly raising its dragon head, letting out another huge roar toward the sky. A dragon''s cry passed through, mixed with sounds of hatred, humiliation, and pain. At this moment, completely intertwined together. The surrounding atmosphere began gradually cracking. That magnificent and profound wind and clouds, at this moment, completely submerged the surrounding space. Howling gales, those storms carrying black metal fragments began continuously rotating, like blades that could cut through all things began dancing. Viktor narrowed his eyes, seeming to have long anticipated the scene before him. Every Calamity possessed their own second form. Doragon was no exception. Its body was wrapped in astoundingly powerful airflow, seeming able to engulf all surrounding things. A new batch of scales regrew on its body, but after the erosion of storms and carving of fragment gales, those scales began showing an even more gorgeous and stunning cloud white. In the rotating violent winds, it was as if passing through a smooth flow, Doragon completely transformed riding the winds. The winds transformed into intertwining silver-white and golden ribbons, the fangs at its mouth corners obviously protruding, extending out, like a pair of guarding silver moons. The surrounding airflow obeyed the dragon''s scales and fur, becoming even more turbulent. The Wind Calamity''s second form. [Sky''s Tomb Guardian] Its pressure increased several fold, engulfing everything around. The white dragon under the winds looked more like the true incarnation of wind! The adventurers'' hearts chilled several degrees, but then, Viktor coldly smiled, raised his head, confidently looking at the transformed dragon in the sky. "Playing tricks? Think you''re the only one who can?" As his words fell, on his windbreaker, two streaks of red and green light instantly flashed, completely devouring the purple sky. [Magma Form] [Flourishing Complete Form] Two forces instantly erupted, flames and magma accompanied by shaded green forests rose from the ground, the purple flesh seemed to be stabbed with pain, beginning to slightly contract. Terrifying pressure began pressing on everyone''s shoulders, surging elements violently colliding, impacting their already dazed bodies. Waves of rising momentum made everyone''s hearts continuously tremble, extremely heavy. Finally, in these patches of anomalies, they saw a scene that would shock them for life. From the rolling magma, a giant beast covered in red magma patterns and flames, opened its fang-filled abyssal mouth slowly rising, stepping into the magma. From those newly risen groves, another green compound-eyed giant broke through the forest, struggling free of layers of vines, standing atop the dense forest. Their bodies were attached with layers of terrifying magic power, it was this ocean-like surging magic power that materialized their forms. Not just the adventurers, when seeing those two equally shocking giant beasts, its cloud-white scales and fur instantly bristled. As if seeing something it found somewhat unbelievable. At this moment, three completely different giant beasts stood behind Viktor. While he calmly stood at the front, holding his staff. A bright star gradually lit up, piercing through the purple sky, revealing continuously contracting void black holes. Accompanied by confident words, rising and falling. "Now, we should be done playing." Chapter 184: Everyone Else Is So Strong, Why Are You So Weak? In the sky, swirling distorted green leaves melted together, continuously raining down onto the fleshy ground until the entire space was completely covered. This place was the twenty-ninth floor of the Monster Rift. [Verdant Sky Path] Sharp, twisted dead trees rose densely from the green fleshy ground, their branches forking like the arms of dried corpses. A team of demi-humans wearing bone armor marched forward in formation. Each held a blade in hand, their eyes determined yet calm. They had traversed many floors and fought various ferocious monsters. Although the Beast Guild had cleared many monsters from the lower levels, strange new creatures continued to spawn endlessly within the rift. Despite their armor being stained with purple blood and strange liquids dripping from their blades, no one in the team showed signs of fatigue. Their eyes remained bright and full of energy. In less than a day, this demi-human team had explored up to the twenty-ninth floor of the Monster Rift. The deeper they ventured, the stronger the monsters became. The early floors only spawned low-level monsters that were like weeds before their well-equipped team. But as they approached the thirtieth floor, the monsters grew increasingly powerful, reaching third-tier strength. This place was like an endless monster-generating machine. Suddenly, over a dozen powerful monsters burst forth from the fleshy ground. They waved sharp claws and extended 6-10 feet long feeding tubes, staring at the demi-humans before them. Their massive bodies appeared particularly strange under the all-encompassing green light, making their original colors indiscernible. Dragging their slug-like lower bodies, they slowly approached the demi-humans. Seeing the approaching monsters, the demi-humans exchanged glances. Their long formation dispersed and reformed into two concentric circles. They held their blades at the ready, cold light flashing in their eyes. The monsters thrust their feeding tubes forward, attempting to pierce the demi-humans'' chests. At the moment of crisis, the inner circle of demi-humans swung their blades, instantly severing the elongated tubes. Dozens of monsters recoiled in pain, their eyes turning blood-red. They retracted their green-blood-dripping feeding tubes and raised their claws, quickly twisting their bodies around the dense dead trees to assault the formation. The outer circle of demi-humans flipped their bodies, maneuvering their blades to cut the tendons of the attacking monsters before stabbing them in the back of the neck. The remaining demi-humans seized their opportunity, intercepting the monsters'' attacks and swiftly bending down to thrust their blades into the monsters'' chests. With a violent downward tear from both front and back, a third-tier monster was instantly ripped in half! Green blood gushed forth, staining the already greenish ground nearly black. In the blink of an eye, all the monsters were dispatched. The team had experienced countless such encounters and had become extremely proficient in dealing with monsters, handling them with increasing ease compared to when they first arrived. Gwen and Elsa did not participate in the fight. For them, even third-tier monsters were too simple - they could handle a dozen such creatures with a single strike. If they were to fight, the team would face no challenging battles, which would be counterproductive for training purposes. Gwen stayed close to Aurelianne''s side. She would only intervene when absolutely necessary to ensure the princess''s safety. After dealing with the monsters, the team continued forward until they reached the stairs leading to the thirtieth floor. Beyond these stairs lay the thirtieth floor of the Monster Rift - the end of the Verdant Sky Path. [Green Prison] Before the entrance, the dead trees erupting from the ground became even more twisted and absurd. Faces contorted in agony were embedded in the wood, emanating an eerie glow. The demi-humans stood in place, awaiting Gwen''s orders. Beyond the thirtieth floor, entering the thirty-first floor would lead to the lower levels of the Abyss. The monsters there would be even stronger, with possible encounters with fourth-tier creatures. Despite their powerful equipment and abundant combat experience, dealing with terrifying fourth-tier monsters would still be extremely challenging. Therefore, their mission was to explore only to the end of the thirtieth floor. They would not proceed to the thirty-first floor. The team formed into a long formation, preparing to advance deeper. Suddenly, Cocotte, who had been sleeping on a cloud, sneezed and felt her hair stand on end. A chill ran from her feet throughout her entire body. Aurelianne noticed Cocotte''s discomfort and asked with concern: "Councilor Yade, are you feeling unwell?" Although Cocotte was no longer a member of the Mage Council, those who knew her identity still respectfully addressed her as ''Councilor Yade''. Cocotte sat up straight, blinking her eyes drowsily. "Something feels strange, like my father is fighting with my father - that kind of weird feeling." Aurelianne: "?" As everyone knew, elves had no parents. Therefore, Aurelianne couldn''t understand Cocotte''s abstract description. Fortunately, Cocotte had become more alert. Realizing the oddity of what she''d said while drowsy, she felt somewhat embarrassed. She scratched the back of her head, chuckling: "Oh my, don''t mind that. It''s just how we elves show respect to natural forces." Elves were born from nature and derived their power from nature. Wind, water, earth, wood, fire, and lightning - the six natural elements were nature''s gifts to the elves.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. And now she could clearly sense three elements in the Abyss violently surging. She could understand the turbulence of fire and wood elements, knowing Viktor was in the Abyss and having witnessed his fighting style. But that wind element... she couldn''t comprehend. Could there be some unprecedented battle of calamities raging in the skies above? Suddenly, Cocotte seemed to understand why Viktor had left early. The Calamity Slayer truly lived up to his name... But Aurelianne remained puzzled. Cocotte just smiled at the girl who was over a hundred years her junior and calmly said: "Your teacher is doing something momentous. We can''t fall too far behind." "Let''s continue forward." She had a strange premonition. Perhaps Viktor had known something in advance, which was why he had her accompany this young girl into the depths of the Abyss. The thirtieth floor underground. What did Viktor intend by specifically designating this special level? Perhaps only by entering would they know the answer. Hearing Cocotte''s words, Aurelianne''s eyes also grew more determined. Looking at the more terrifying scene beyond the gate, she showed no fear. Walking down the flights of stairs, everyone passed through a twisted green gate. The surrounding space became unstable, the green growing thicker, its churning colors becoming more agitated. The four colossal beasts clashed violently in the sky, causing the entire space to tremble continuously as the battle reached a stalemate. Sun-like flames ignited the dense branches, surging toward the gloomy storm. A spiraling fire tornado suddenly erupted upward. The powerful wind waves became scorching hot. The green leaves caught in the air seemed to transform into sparks and blades, carving shocking purple wounds across the flesh-covered ground. "What... what is this? The apocalypse...?" The adventurers sat far away in the spectator seats, staring blankly at the terrifying scene before them. They couldn''t control their bodies to leave, and no one dared to depart. Under this apocalyptic battle, anyone who left the protection of the spectator seats would be torn to ashes by the aftermath of this epic combat. However, Viktor, who had summoned all these giant beasts, stood motionless like a statue, quietly observing the battle. The white giant bird carrying him appeared incredibly small and fragile compared to the four indescribable behemoths. At this moment, Viktor resembled more of a summoner than a mage. He had personally summoned beings as terrifying as those from the depths of the Abyss, and casually called forth two more earth-shaking powerful monsters. The entire arena was completely overshadowed by these four awe-inspiring beasts. They tore at each other, attempting to obliterate the entire space. The Wood Avatar raised its gigantic body, reaching for the white dragon''s form. That hollow-eyed void creature twisted its tentacles toward the dragon''s head. Breaking through layers of storms, the Wood Avatar felt increasingly violent hurricanes. Its giant compound-eyed head looked skyward as a phosphorescent light burst from its body. In an instant! Green filled the space behind it like a rippling lake, revealing thousands upon thousands of sharp spears, poised to strike. With a wave of its massive hand, the dense rain of spears instantly obscured the purple sky, piercing through thick clouds toward the dragon. Doragon''s body twisted, its white scales rotating to deflect countless spears. The storm gradually expanded, black shards forcing back several reaching tentacles. Even the sharp wailing couldn''t penetrate the overwhelming wind. As the three behemoths attacked more fiercely, they gradually ascended skyward. The Fire Avatar stood alone on the flesh-covered ground, looking up at the sky. Its pupils contracted, filled with endless rage. It could only launch two lava fireballs for symbolic damage when Doragon''s surrounding hurricane slightly weakened and its body approached the ground. The purple sky became utterly chaotic, the ground trembling continuously, spurting purple-black blood. The Void Creation and Wood Avatar covered each other, constantly approaching the dragon, seizing opportunities to strike fiercely at its weak points. Gradually, Doragon seemed to realize its advantage was slowly dissipating and actually considered retreating. If it were just Viktor alone, Doragon could have fought him for much longer. But now, the surrounding terrain couldn''t be destroyed, and it had no numerical advantage. Before it stood its kindred of the same origin, and even in terms of attack power, it was relatively weak. Fortunately, their attacks landing on its body didn''t produce any significant effect. After all, Doragon''s level far exceeded Viktor and his magical creations. Even so, with each humiliating attack, it grew increasingly angry. It was supposed to be the freest embodiment within the storm, so why was it reduced to such a predicament? Finally... the surrounding storm seemed to gradually subside as it allowed the rain of arrows to strike its body. Completely disregarding the pain. The white scales gradually rose, absorbing all the storms into its body. A faint white light flickered across Doragon''s body, making the entire dragon form appear hazy. [Sky Upheaval] The next second, air currents suddenly erupted as a vortex appeared behind its body, stirring up flowing white mist. Doragon coiled its body, transforming into a daylight meteor, piercing through the void space and violently charging toward the tentacle-waving Void Creation. After all, it clearly remembered. It was this monster before it that had driven it into desperate straits. The Void Creation also sensed Doragon''s hostility, purple mist spewing from the holes in its face and coiling around its body. The tentacles with giant eyes stood uniformly before it, seemingly trying to block that terrifying impact. But the high-speed air arrow pierced through everything, instantly severing the tentacles'' ends, bursting black blood, and penetrating through that frail body''s chest. The air current began spreading throughout its body, as if threatening to burst it from within! The Void Creation, like a broken-winged fly, was instantly knocked away, crashing straight into the rising walls around them. BOOM! Dust violently erupted, and seeing this overwhelming scene made the fourth-tier adventurers break out in cold sweat. Fighting one against three and still maintaining such an advantage. Indeed, that terrifying flying dragon proved more powerful. But suddenly, their attention was drawn to a flash of red. Looking toward the Fire Avatar Guledon standing on the flesh-covered ground, they felt extremely puzzled. Why wasn''t this lava-covered giant monster flying up to fight? Everyone else was so fierce. Why are you so weak in comparison? Chapter 185: Bigger and Stronger! Creating New Glory! During the battle with the Calamity, Viktor stood motionless. He quietly watched the intense battle unfolding not far away, his heart seemingly unmoved. In truth, the two Calamities he summoned were not the original Guledon and Druja. They were merely manifestations of the Calamity magical power within him. They were there to draw aggro for Viktor. He stayed in the corner, silently watching as the three giant beasts engaged in battle with Doragon. Although the void creatures were heavily damaged, they would not disappear as long as Viktor remained unharmed. Therefore, Doragon had been targeting the wrong opponent from the very beginning. Viktor''s goal, from start to finish, had only been one thing To end this quickly. This was the most effective strategy against Doragon''s second phase. Within [Storm''s Choice], Doragon would continuously absorb the storms in the space to enhance its own speed. And this fierce battle had been going on for nearly a day. During this time, Doragon had absorbed an enormous amount of wind elements. Even the solid defense established by those terrifying tentacles could not withstand its powerful impacts at such incredible speeds. Moreover, the "terrain invincibility" mechanism of the surrounding walls would only last 24 hours. Soon, when the mechanism disappeared, Doragon would break free from this space and return to the world''s sky. At that point, Viktor would have no chance of victory. He had to defeat this world-class boss before the day was over. Therefore, he too needed time. At this moment, Doragon''s speed was becoming increasingly swift. Even though confined within this extremely narrow space, that white figure flickered like a beam of light at incredible speeds. Its form darted back and forth through the space incessantly, accompanied by continuous sonic booms. That high-speed flickering figure kept passing around Druja''s body, leaving white scars across that giant green form. Intense storms continuously formed vortexes, completely restraining Druja''s body. A blue light flickered in Viktor''s eyes, and in Vega''s eyes, the same strange color appeared. "However, I''m prepared as well." Vega, having regained some power after gathering many followers, was his only chance of victory against the Wind Calamity! Under everyone''s gaze, Viktor finally made his move. He slowly raised his staff, uttering obscure incantations: "[Those who love not Jehovah''s law, yet the World Tree planted by overflowing rivers in the sky]" "[The gods break free from mortal chains, as heaven''s hue descends upon endless turbidity]" As the complex and archaic words were chanted, a massive formation began to construct behind Viktor. Multiple circles began rotating, white phosphorescence spread along with countless runes, and a pure white figure slowly emerged from the ethereal, transparent lake. One hand supported a giant tree, while the other seemed to hold up rigid chains. The giant tree slowly tilted toward the chains, which instantly wrapped around the branches, appearing to support the half-fallen tree suspended in mid-air. Those flawless eyes slowly lifted their lids, as a hazy light gradually emerged. [War Magic: Mercy Bound by Mortals] Waves of overwhelming magical power continuously impacted the narrow space. White light gradually covered everything, and the earth seemed to begin trembling, twisting frantically as if stung by something incomparably pure. But before the magic could be released, Viktor raised his staff and began another round of chanting. "[Stardust suspended in the universe shall answer the call of tranquility]" "[Souls wandering in the void beseech whispers to redeem all things]" Silver dust like singing voices gradually descended from space, gathering around Viktor. It seemed to form a musical movement in the air, playing an incredibly ethereal prelude. [War Magic: Stellar Whispers] More and more spells began gathering in the narrow space, thick auras wrapping around Viktor layer after layer. Magic formations likewise gathered around Viktor, yet remained unreleased.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The adventurers watched Viktor, feeling the terrifyingly powerful magical feedback that covered the entire ground. "What... what is he doing!?" Then came the third, fourth, fifth... Countless war magic spells continued to stack up, but still hadn''t erupted. [Silver Dust Buried Beneath the World Tree] [Call of the Grieving Soul] [Weeping at the Backflow Stream] Waves of intense and prolonged magical power gradually gathered as the mighty presence grew frantically. The old mage sitting in the spectator stands suddenly began trembling, as if realizing something. "Could it be, he''s going to..." The surrounding adventurers remained puzzled, turning their gaze to the mage. They too sensed the terrifyingly rising presence, and suppressing their shock, asked the mage: "What do you know about this?" The mage stroked his long beard, his eyes flickering with amazement: "You should know that among magic, there exists a type that far exceeds ordinary magic in both range and power by several or even dozens of times. "This type of magic is called War Magic." War Magic inherently requires massive amounts of magical power as support to be cast. Generally speaking, War Magic needs to be used collectively by many mages. After all, it requires at least ten or more same-level spells working in harmony, achieving synchronized frequency, to form such powerful magic. The adventurers nodded somewhat comprehendingly as they listened to the explanation. The mage watched the formations continuously erupting around Viktor and continued: "However, even War Magic is divided into ranks." War Magic composed of fourth-rank magical power would be fourth-rank War Magic. Similarly, those led by third-rank mages'' power would be third-rank War Magic. But when mages use War Magic, they rarely emphasize the magic''s rank specifically. Because even at third rank, with enough time, enough mages, and strong enough magical power, Even fourth-rank War Magic might be difficult to resist. Because War Magic itself emphasizes the word "War." In warfare, the more wide-ranging and high-damage the magic, the more it can achieve battlefield reversal effects. But... "The man we''re seeing now." "Every spell he''s currently chanting has reached War Magic power levels." "And... he''s a fourth-rank mage." At these words, all the adventurers were stunned. Every hidden spell was War Magic? Where did he get such magical power reserves? And most importantly... What was he planning to do with so many War Magic spells? The mage slowly looked up at the mighty divine dragon in the sky above. His eyes carried a trace of sorrow. "Indeed..." "Ten same-rank spells can form powerful War Magic." "Then, what can ten same-rank War Magic spells combine to create?" No one could tell them the answer. But they could witness it firsthand. This shocking scene before them that could overturn the entire mage world. The space around Viktor gradually trembled as a massive wheel ring created by ten War Magic spells appeared behind him. HumHumHum The magical power in the space began expanding frantically, mysterious sounds ringing out. The air seemed thick enough to grasp the overflowing magical power. The space became somewhat void, intertwining as the magical power verged on uncontrollable. That terrifying pressure pressed down heavily on everything around. Doragon finally sensed the crisis, but before this, it had been continuously harassed by the three powerful monsters Viktor summoned, having no time to deal with Viktor himself. As a result, it had ultimately ignored the human who appeared to have the weakest and faintest presence. That power about to erupt. Like a divine god Doragon finally remembered to attack Viktor, its eyes flashing golden light as surrounding storms gathered, explosive speed suddenly bursting forth. But in the next second, giant trees suddenly grew from the flesh-covered ground, attempting to break through the barrier and intercept Doragon''s attack path. Massive forests grew up from the ground, completely shielding those omnipresent winds. [Forest of All Things] In the instant its attack was blocked, Doragon raised its head and roared in fury. Suddenly, flames arose from within those trees, gradually spreading outward. Intense pillars of fire frequently emerged from the ground, completely igniting all the trees. The fire pillars climbed high, making Doragon feel unbearably scorching pain. [Flame-Severing Wrath] The giant creature, already bursting with blood, hadn''t forgotten its mission. The holes on its face all converged toward the center, and broken tentacles also extended into the holes. Revealing a suddenly widened eyeball gathering golden light. Seemingly about to completely tear apart Doragon''s wind barrier in the next second. [Painful Wail] At this moment, the three giant beasts completely released all their power, buying the final time for Viktor. The Wind Calamity had nowhere to escape, fleeing in all directions but unable to escape the green encirclement. It could neither stop the flames from adhering nor resist that golden light beam that seemed capable of dissolving everything. Then, in the sky above, several rotating silver magic formations finally combined. At this moment, that huge pure white body was covered in stars and translucent souls. Rivers coiling upward wrapped around its body, both hands holding the chain-supported tree. Souls seemed to continuously leap from the rivers, wailing in circling white. Behind that silver humanoid form, a sky shining with white light seemed to appear, gradually covering the originally purple ground. The azure sky showered sacred light upon the earth, gentle aura gradually entwining everyone''s bodies. Soothing songs and continuous ethereal prayers rang out, as if guiding those struggling spirits in the river. The white sacred giant opened its eyes, its pupils seeming to contain countless rotating worlds. Intense light beams tore apart everything under this rift space. In Viktor''s final incantation. Like judgment''s decree, it clearly fell upon this mortal realm. Hum As if with mercy. Illuminating that entire brilliant yet utterly broken world. "[Supreme Magic Tears of the Silver World Heaven''s Light]" Chapter 186: So White, (Mana) Completely Drained Under the intense radiance, the white gradually crumbled. The deep purple sky seemed pierced by sharp light, creating a gaping hole. Countless silver dust particles formed two tornados, surging and rolling throughout the space, like countless meteors penetrating everything. Under tremendous pressure, sounds became increasingly faint until the white light bursting from both eyes completely covered everything. The boundless earth was forcibly draped with a cicada-shell of silence. Two beams of white light fiercely scorched the constantly healing ground. The speed of flesh regeneration couldn''t keep up with the bizarre high temperature generated by that terrifying pressure. At this point, everyone could only see the pure white colossus, supporting the pristine giant tree suspended in mid-air above its hands, as heavy chains slammed deep into the ground. Waves of dazzling spirits seemed completely liberated. They frantically escaped from the backflowing broken river, madly floating towards the shattered void in the sky. ... Adventurer''s Capital, Second Battle Line. Albanie Saul paced back and forth in his room, biting his lip and frowning deeply, anxiously awaiting some news. Soon, a military officer rushed into the room without even knocking, his legs trembling as he maintained his stance. With pale face and quivering lips, the officer swallowed hard before hurriedly reporting: "Y-Your Highness... urgent situation... you must... come see this..." The Crown Prince glanced at the terrified officer before quickly walking out of the room, standing atop the high tower to look into the distance. Soon, he understood the reason for the officer''s fear. The moment he looked towards the distance, he witnessed a scene that would be unforgettable in his lifetime. The purple Monster Rift became increasingly unstable, constantly distorting and expanding. A force seemed no longer containable, about to pour out from within. Seeing this, the Crown Prince''s expression became extremely grave, with sweat dripping from his forehead. Could it be that some terrifying monster was about to emerge from this Monster Rift? Perhaps that dragon that could fly without wings was about to appear? He waved his hand behind him and shouted sternly, issuing commands: "All troops, activate all firepower on the Second Battle Line, aim everything at the Monster Rift!" "Ensure all firepower is concentrated on the rift immediately!" Hearing the Crown Prince''s resolute words, the officer felt like he''d received a shot of adrenaline, his previously shaking body now standing firm. "Yes, sir!" He turned around, preparing to go report, but just as he turned his back. Suddenly, a towering white light exploded from behind, seeming to completely envelop the entire world. The officer whirled around. He witnessed the most unforgettable scene of his life. Scattered silver dust floated slowly in mid-air, high-speed stars filled the entire Second Battle Line.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The soaring white light seemed to cut through the Milky Way, countless spectral mists swirling above the entire city and across the land. Strong dust storms rose hundreds of feet high, the sky grew dark as if covered by more clouds, plunging into yellow chaos. The massive white mana completely transformed into misty waves shooting skyward, piercing through the dark clouds to create a hole letting through celestial light, as if trying to strike down the hidden sun. The intense airwaves at high altitude continued exploding outward, seemingly beginning to shatter everything. The dark clouds became fragmented and were soon completely dispersed. As the silver tree fell, the hundred-foot dust storms miraculously settled down steadily, piling up into towering dust hills. The world illuminated by light seemed completely covered by crystalline raindrops. Sunlight continuously refracted through the tear-like water droplets that appeared divine. Columns of colorful light gradually flickered, like salvation born of despair before the apocalypse. It was raining... The soldiers standing on the front lines, feeling the cool raindrops hitting their skin, were somewhat dazed. They widened their eyes and opened their mouths, but their throats couldn''t produce a single sound. Though shocked, they could only silently feel this power. They could only quietly experience this incredibly magnificent scene. The officer, watching the continuously falling raindrops, was naturally stunned as well, colors flickering in his eyes, unable to make even the slightest movement. This power... Like salvation descending from the divine. Standing atop the high tower, the Crown Prince felt the heavy impacts of raindrops hitting his golden armor, his eyes trembling uncontrollably. The rain completely soaked his silver-white hair, with crystalline water trails flowing down his chiseled features. He slowly raised his head, letting more raindrops strike his face. At this moment, his gaze became incredibly serene. No matter who witnessed this scene reminiscent of a nuclear explosion, or even more shocking than that. Their hearts would be left with only such serenity. The huge Monster Rift''s surroundings seemed completely smoothed out by the powerful impact. Even the originally rugged rock walls had completely dissipated. Only a purple rift remained, still continuously spewing forth undiminished white mana. This was... power beyond human comprehension. The Crown Prince fell silent. He let the rain wet his face and flow down, making it impossible to distinguish between sweat and raindrops. ... The massive arena had been completely consumed, with the terrain''s invincibility time perfectly timed to end just as the battle concluded. The rolling purple sky had also now completely vanished without a trace. The adventurers only felt a flash of intense white light before everything around them changed. If before, that surging landscape was like a canvas splattered with paint, then now... It was like being covered by a completely bleached curtain, that deep purple forcibly erased. As the white light gradually dispersed, blue sky appeared within the Monster Rift. As if forcibly transformed, pure white clouds drifted across the azure sky. Crystalline raindrops similarly fell slowly upon this land, and where they touched the ground, new life would quickly sprout. Seedlings broke through the earth, and with the falling rain, the saplings grew rapidly like bamboo shoots after spring rain. Soon, they would suddenly grow into massive towering trees. Sunlight penetrated through the cloud layer, illuminating this newly revived land, like rays of holy light slowly scattering in mercy. Seeing this scene that could no longer be explained by common sense, the adventurers uncontrollably collapsed to the ground. They each stretched out a hand, feeling the pouring rain. Feeling this world after endless mana had dissipated. Could it really rain... in the Abyss? The three giant beasts surrounding Viktor gradually dispersed under the sunlight, turning into fragments of mana that disappeared in the air. After most of their bodies vanished, the cores of the two Calamities returned to Viktor''s coat. That terrifying void creature seemed very afraid of this clear sunlight, hurriedly dragging its severely wounded body through the void portal before slamming the door shut. The entire world finally became incredibly quiet. Doragon''s massive body lay collapsed on the ground, the white scales on its body losing their sanctity and returning to deep darkness. Those black scales had now become completely broken, with many scales already cracked in half. The giant dragon lay on the earth, its body slowly rising and falling, barely alive. That final transcendent spell had emptied Doragon''s last health bar. Of course, it had also emptied Viktor''s mana bar. Viktor coldly stood before its dragon head, looking at the previously domineering Wind Calamity. [Viktor Kravina] lv43lv45 HP: 23000/23000 MP: 20/9999999 Defeating the Wind Calamity gave Viktor an enormous amount of experience, causing his experience to instantly surge up two levels. For players like Viktor who defeat bosses above their level, the game provides very substantial experience rewards. This time, Viktor had tried something different. Unlike his battles with the Fire and Wood Calamities, he barely used any special techniques. He only used some positioning and movement skills to dodge Doragon''s attacks. What truly defeated Doragon was the terrain surrounding it that trapped it. And the transcendent spell that was charged up over an entire day of preparation time. In the game, this specifically refers to those powerful skills that have already exceeded their tier. Its power was no longer limited to just the damage itself. It had even transcended the category of magic. No matter how powerful a mage might be, it would be impossible to cast such terrifying magic alone. Any powerful transcendent spell requires the combination of many powerful war magics. Moreover, it''s not just simple combination. Those nuclear bomb-like war magics must not be released prematurely, and the synchronization rate of the magic must be consistent. This was a very difficult thing. It required mana support, and at the same time, extreme operation. Fortunately, Viktor had both. With Vega''s power, plus his micro-control and unparalleled familiarity with skills. This was what allowed him to perfectly synchronize multiple war magics alone. Although by the end, even the mana provided by Vega was completely depleted. This incredibly powerful transcendent spell should be used as little as possible in the future. When fighting, it''s still better to normally cast a few war magics - though the power isn''t as great, it saves time and energy. Meanwhile, Doragon, having lost its last health bar, had its body gradually dissipate into wind. The white airflow suddenly burst open, stirring up one final gale. After its body completely dispersed, the storm gradually subsided. Calamities don''t die - even in this state, they merely exist in another form in the world. Given time, it would still revive in some place where storms are strong. As Doragon disappeared. A sphere of pure white energy gradually floated in the air. That was the source core of the Wind Calamity - Doragon. Viktor reached out his hand, and the Wind Calamity''s core seemed to float towards him consciously. Then, it attached itself to Viktor''s coat. At this point, he had obtained three Calamity source cores. With a whoosh, the previously pitch-black coat now turned white. That cloud-white color draped over Viktor made him look like a mysterious messenger from the high heavens. Looking at the coat on his body, Viktor''s expression remained natural as he muttered flatly: "Compared to white, I still prefer black." Soon, that cloud-white color gradually settled, covered again by ink-black. Viktor narrowed his eyes at where the Wind Calamity had disappeared. A girl with golden hair lay quietly on the ground. Her eyes tightly closed, very peaceful, like a noble princess from a fairy tale who had been sleeping, waiting for a prince to awaken her. Chapter 187: Brother, You Dont Need to Move [Minor revisions and polishing from initial draft, focusing on flow and consistency] Erica lay quietly on the ground, her breathing steady and even. The adventurers had regained sensation in their bodies, their eyes filled with astonishment. They hadn''t expected Viktor would actually manage to slay such a terrifyingly massive monster. The shock and amazement still resonated in their hearts. While they naturally had no knowledge of what a Calamity was, they had witnessed it firsthand. That terrifying and mysterious entity was the most powerful monster they had ever encountered. And Viktor, who had vanquished such a formidable beast, seemed even more frightening in their eyes. With the crisis now over, they no longer wished to dwell on these matters. Instead, their attention shifted to the young woman lying unconscious on the ground. Seeing this, their eyes widened in bewilderment. That huge monster should be... dead, shouldn''t it? But why had a strange young girl fallen from its massive body? Who was she? At this moment, Viktor reached into his black coat, making a show of searching before pulling out a blue potion from his backpack. In full view of everyone, he uncorked the luminescent blue potion and brought it to his lips, drinking it down. Soon, a faint blue light enveloped Viktor''s body. A cool current coursed through him, seemingly alleviating even his mental fatigue. After some sparkling effects, he could feel his magical power rapidly recovering. Witnessing this, the other adventurers remained confused, but the sole fourth-tier elderly mage was visibly unsettled. He stared wide-eyed at the distinctive potion bottle. "Is that... the mana potion exclusively sold in the Imperial Capital?" As a fourth-tier mage, Watt had naturally heard of these mana potions that were widely discussed among mages. He had even offered astronomical sums, hoping to purchase such a potion. Most mages weren''t short on wealth, especially fourth-tier mages - their fortunes beyond what some might achieve in a lifetime. Yet even so, those potions were simply unavailable in his region. After all, mages constituted a massive demographic within the Empire. The limited fifty bottles weren''t even sufficient for the mages in the Imperial Capital. Let alone distribution to other regions. Although he was a fourth-tier mage, he wasn''t the only one in the Empire. There were plenty of wealthy mages, so why would anyone relinquish such miraculous potions merely because he offered a high price? Watt had considered journeying to the Imperial Capital himself. But as a high-tier mage and member of the Adventurers'' Guild, He naturally couldn''t spend days traveling to the Capital just to purchase a single potion. At this moment, Watt recalled Viktor''s full name. Viktor Kravina! Those coveted mana potions were produced by the Kravina family. In his daze, Watt suddenly understood everything. No wonder Viktor''s magical power was so terrifying. After all, he had unlimited access to mana potions - a single sip could restore significant mental energy. That explained his vast magical power. The only thing he found difficult to accept was: How could this mage, single-handedly, cast such powerful war magics as easily as breathing? If he was already this powerful, how were other mages supposed to measure up? Both being fourth-tier, why was he alone so exceptional! It was simply humiliating! Meanwhile, Viktor paid no attention to what those behind him were thinking. He checked his status bar where some mana had been replenished, sufficient to support normal spellcasting.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He extended one hand. A white mist formed two streams of air, twirling around Viktor''s forearm before encircling Erica''s body. The unconscious Erica gradually levitated, drifting into Viktor''s arms. In a princess carry, Viktor steadily held the unconscious Erica. He cradled her, feeling her presence, her faint breath warming his skin. She was in no mortal danger, merely physically weakened. However, if not for her appearance, millions in the Northern Territory might have perished in endless storms from Doragon''s emergence. She alone had saved countless lives. And... Viktor''s eyes scanned her thoroughly, clearly sensing within Erica''s body an additional power of wind elements. That natural magical power had merged with her blood, making her breathing more stable. Erica, lv28 Half a year ago, when Erica first entered the academy, She was merely a newly advanced second-tier mage. But after just one holiday period, She was about to breakthrough to third-tier. Vega''s eyes flashed with wisdom. "It appears she has gained part of the Calamity''s power." Otherwise, there would be no explanation for her power increasing so rapidly. But Viktor didn''t respond to the crow, his expression remaining impassive. Without turning, he spoke coldly: "Do you understand why I prohibited any adventurers from entering the Abyss?" At these words, the adventurers behind him shuddered. Hearing Viktor''s emotionless voice, they knew he addressed them. Though his voice carried no trace of emotion, they trembled continuously from fear, their bodies growing cold. Given another chance, they would definitely not enter the Abyss at this time. After all, Viktor''s power transcended human limits. And now they fully comprehended how he had earned his impressive title of Councilor. At this moment, Hela gracefully stepped forth from the crowd. Her bearing was elegant, an aura of composure emanating from her. She covered her mouth with a fan, the patterns in her eyes rotating like slowly blooming flowers. "You were prepared to battle that monster here all along, weren''t you?" Viktor neither spoke nor nodded, but his response was equivalent to confirmation. "Is that so." Hela lowered her head, eyes slightly raised, those gradually blooming flowers now fully opened. A gentle voice emerged. "You are truly powerful, and kind." Viktor heard Hela''s praise, turned, and gave her a look. His gaze remained indifferent, seemingly unmoved by her compliments. "Kind? I''ve never considered myself that way." The incidents between him and the Reiser family had spread throughout the Empire, known to all. Judging by how Viktor had vented his fury on the Reiser family, few would consider him kind. But Hela laughed unusually, her eyes narrowing, the patterns settling. A mysterious aura burst from her eyes. "Please don''t misunderstand, Councilor Kravina. I''m praising your kindness, not... the useless mercy of the weak." Her flower-blooming eyes kept rotating, as if a beast emerged from those dark gray flowers, opening its maw. "You needn''t have notified them, yet you did." Hearing her words, Viktor spoke flatly. "It was merely done in passing." "But even such a casual act prevented them from losing their lives." "That is your kindness." Hela laughed softly, her laughter carrying an alluring quality. As she said, without Viktor''s advance warning, the adventurers in this rift might have been annihilated. Even as fourth-tier adventurers, they could only safely observe under Viktor''s special protection. And Viktor couldn''t protect everyone. At this point, Hela particularly eyed the blonde girl in Viktor''s arms. She looked young, carrying no threatening presence. Perhaps Viktor had sealed the rift to conceal her existence. After all, when such a terrifying and powerful monster was defeated, a human girl emerged from its body. Such news would be explosive anywhere, in any nation. Hearing this, Viktor slowly raised his head, glancing at Hela again, his voice growing cold. "Then, who sent you here?" Hearing his question, Hela lifted her massive skirt, curtseying slightly to Viktor, wearing a particularly mysterious smile, appearing exceptionally refined. "Councilor, we are the Adventurers'' Guild." "We are free, no one can command us." "Unless..." At this point, Hela licked her lips, looking at Viktor expectantly. "Someone proves stronger than us." At these words, Viktor reassessed Hela and the fourth-tier adventurers behind her. Although the power displayed by the adventurers except Hela seemed disappointing to Viktor. They were still fourth-tier adventurers, elite anywhere. Viktor understood the Beast Guild well. When the Crown Prince lived, the south was under his direct control. Due to military presence, guilds had little room to operate. Even the mighty Beast Guild was heavily regulated in the City of Adventurers. Consequently, resources available to adventurers were extremely scarce. Basically, they had no opportunities to rise in the south. So, Hela''s words carried clear implications. "Interesting ambition." He turned, holding Erica, to face Hela directly. "Then if I require your obedience, what price should I pay?" Hearing this, Hela''s body slightly tensed, as if in anticipation. Her eyes grew misty, her face flushing. The roaring beast in her eyes retreated, the patterns rotating rapidly as two dark ash-colored love hearts appeared. She gazed at Viktor as if beholding a perfect treasure. "You need pay no price, need not even move." "I merely hope that you would..." "Have a child with me." Chapter 188: Like a Model from Heaven, Truly an Exemplar Among Men! Hela. This woman possessed an absolute beast-like mindset. In the society of jungle beasts, the strong were naturally worshipped as objects of admiration. And Hela had twisted this psychology to the extreme. Only males stronger than her would catch Hela''s interest. The reason for Hela''s obsession with strength was quite simple - she wanted a child. From very early on, Hela had developed this idea: she must find an extremely powerful being and fully unite with his seed. In fact, as long as they were strong enough, her potential mate didn''t even need to be human. Because she herself wasn''t human. All kinds of powerful adventurers frequently appeared in the Adventurers'' Capital. The reason she established the Beast Guild here was to discover a male strong enough to surpass herself. This included her ventures into the Monster Rift and explorations of the Abyss - all were attempts to find male creatures potentially stronger than herself and capable of communication. This was why, when the Crown Prince informed her about particularly powerful monsters appearing in the Monster Rift, she immediately organized a team and rushed here without delay. Indeed, she had encountered powerful monsters, but she also saw a man even more exceptional than those creatures - Viktor Kravina. If she could obtain this man''s seed, it would surely produce the most outstanding offspring. However... "You''re not worthy." That merciless, cold voice echoed across the land. The surrounding adventurers all froze in place, their mouths agape as they stared at Viktor. Hela was among them. The dark gray hearts in her eyes began to crack, and a flower bud burst through the fractured heart, remaining in the depths of her eyes. She stared at Viktor with a blank expression, her voice trembling slightly. Perhaps it was because this first attempt at courtship had been instantly rejected, making it difficult for her to accept. "What... do you mean?" Viktor threw out just one sentence, shattering Hela''s final illusion. "Exactly what I said." Hela wasn''t human, and she constantly followed her beast-like behavioral patterns, her cognition no different from that of beasts. Powerful beasts would watch their offspring fight to the death, preserving only the strongest survivor, using this method of cultivation. To ensure the excellence of their bloodline, they continuously bred superior next generations through selection. She herself was born in such an environment. As a member of the "beasts," Hela had killed all her siblings from a young age, just to prove that her bloodline was the most superior. Under this constant ideological education, only one concept remained in her mind - no matter what, she must cultivate offspring that would surpass herself, and even surpass everyone else. Pursue the strong, worship the strong, and finally... surpass the strong. However, as Viktor had said, "You''re still not worthy." On one hand, Viktor would not allow his bloodline to survive in such an environment, and on the other hand, he spoke to Hela in an utterly casual tone: "Do you think you''re strong?" As his words fell, those newly sprouted seedlings were gradually covered by a green color starting from their roots. In the blink of an eye, they grew into several towering trees. That thick green color infused into the giant trees, and lush green leaves along with about-to-bloom flowers spread across the previously bare branches. The raindrops falling from the clear sky gradually became peaceful, sliding past the leaves before hitting the ground, forming transparent puddles that reflected the thick green color. Verdant grass sprouted across the earth, and as gentle breezes swept through the forest, waves of green rippled outward with rustling sounds. Hela stood stunned again at the suddenly transformed environment around her. Anyone witnessing this miracle-like scene would be overwhelmed with awe. Her mind went blank for a moment, but soon consciousness returned to her control. At this moment, Hela fell into self-doubt. Was she... really strong?This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Before meeting Viktor, she could indeed confidently declare that she was very, very strong. From growing up and continuously becoming stronger, until entering the Empire''s territory, Hela hadn''t met anyone more powerful than herself. Perhaps there were some who could match her in strength, but mere equals would never be candidates in Hela''s mind. Even when she heard about Viktor becoming a new member of the Mage Council, Hela''s heart hadn''t stirred in the slightest. Just a mere council member - how powerful could he be? Until she saw it with her own eyes. That magic powerful enough to transform heaven and earth, capable of defeating a monster strong enough to destroy vast lands. And the wielder of that magic was the man before her - Viktor. Elegant and powerful. He had only suffered a slight injury at the start of the battle. After that, despite fighting for nearly an entire day, he hadn''t been wounded even once. Viktor''s voice continued to sound, still calm and indifferent. "There''s quite a gap between you and me - you should understand this better than I do." "So what makes you think you''re worthy of me?" Hela listened to Viktor''s words in silence, each syllable like needles slowly piercing her heart. Viktor''s words plunged her into distress. She had countless followers, and even innumerable suitors. In her beast world, she preferred to call their behavior - courtship. The weak follow the strong, and they likewise sought to pursue her because of her strength. But Hela, just like Viktor now, had rejected them all. Using the same reason. "Are you worthy?" Hela valued only the stronger ones; the weak held no value in her eyes. Now, her own courtship attempt met the same rejection. Because here, she was the weak one. Viktor was the strong one. The strong need not pretend courtesy to the weak, so when Viktor rejected her with the same reasoning, Hela couldn''t say a word. Because she was a beast, so she had to follow beast logic. Survival of the fittest - the strong one''s words were always right. After speaking, Viktor turned away, never looking back. He faced the sky, a hint of white light flickering in his eyes. The white magic formation continuously rotating under his feet began to contract, and streams of wing-like magical stars started circling around the formation beneath Viktor''s feet. In the next second, that extremely vast white formation rose toward the sky, the gathered wings suddenly burst outward, and the formation completely dispersed. With a swirling of air currents, Viktor vanished from the spot. Only two lingering phrases echoed in the air: "It seems this cooperation discussion wasn''t very successful, but your ambition has earned my recognition." "I''ll continue waiting for your news. Until next time." All the adventurers gathered together, worriedly watching Hela who stood motionless with her head lowered, her expression hidden. "Boss..." Soon after hearing the call, Hela raised her head again, recovering her initial composed and elegant demeanor. Holding her fan to cover her mouth, she smiled faintly: "It''s fine, it''s just being rejected once." Being rejected on her first attempt at courtship had indeed hurt her feelings. But it also helped Hela understand certain principles. She stepped forward, treading on shallow puddles, splashing crystal-clear droplets. Hela felt the fresh air around her, her mood lightening. She walked forward leisurely, taking quiet steps through the deep forest. That lonely figure appeared even more solitary under the sunlight. She continued walking quietly, while the adventurers remained silent. Suddenly, Hela stopped, turned around, and solemnly looked at those fourth-tier adventurers, examining them up and down. Hela''s hand trembled slightly as she opened her fan, completely hiding her lightly smiling face. Her eyes carried a hint of fanaticism. "I think our Beast Guild should make some changes." As her words gradually fell, those adventurers seemed to feel something rising from the depths of their hearts, They appeared to understand something. Not only did Hela think this way, but anyone who joined the Beast Guild naturally tended toward beast-like behavioral patterns. These fourth-tier adventurers had all either been defeated by Hela in the past or were simply convinced by her strength, willingly becoming members of the guild. Viktor''s appearance had also shocked their hearts. "Beasts" worship the strong and should follow the strong. And now, Viktor was that strong one. "The recruitment from the Kravina family will be an opportunity for our Beast Guild." ... The thirtieth floor of the Monster Rift. [Verdant Sky Path] Passing through a huge gateway, they finally reached the end of the [Verdant Sky Path]. What appeared before everyone was an extremely vast open space. The demi-human team entered in an orderly fashion, but their expressions became extremely grave. Everywhere were decay-like green vines and dim lights. As if sensing something. A giant claw broke through the green earth from below, followed by an emaciated head. Its eyes were blank as it struggled, pulling half its body out. The entire team became alert - they could clearly feel the extremely powerful aura emanating from the monster about to appear. Even Gwen drew her blade, her eyes sharp with vigilance, ready for battle. However, Aurelianne watched the still-struggling blank-eyed monster, as if recognizing it, and slowly said: "We''ve found it - the end of the thirtieth floor." "The floor boss - Soul-Stealing Undead." Chapter 189: Positive Energy!!! All buildings around the Monster Rift had been reduced to ashes. As the rain fell, both sky and earth became incredibly clear. The rift, which had been stretched enormously, seemed to collapse like an exhausted being after expelling all its energy, shrinking significantly. The energy surging within also became much more scarce. As the crystalline raindrops gradually ceased, the surrounding land appeared to have been sufficiently irrigated. Green vegetation began sprouting from the yellow soil, growing skyward. No one could have imagined that this originally barren cliff-side southern border would now sprout such a vast, lush forest. Nobody knew exactly what had happened inside the rift. The abnormal situation in the empire''s southern region left many people deeply unsettled. Imperial troops remained on high alert, with massive weapons all aimed at the fluctuating Monster Rift. The swaying rift gradually triggered disturbances, with powerful air pressure once again gushing outward, as if something was about to emerge. As the metal cannons targeted the rift, it slowly rippled. Seeing this, an officer immediately issued orders, waving his arm and shouting loudly: "Fire!" Boom! Boom! Boom! Countless energy shells erupted from the gun barrels with brilliant flashes, piercing through the thick clouds toward the Monster Rift. In an instant, dust clouds dozens of feet high were kicked up, and the powerful impact created an extremely deep crater in the ground. As the smoke dispersed, an intense white airflow swirled frantically in front of the man, stirring up the surrounding air and turning what was originally thin and transparent into something thick and dark. The man hovered in mid-air, with what seemed to be invisible wind gathering beneath his feet to support him. Those energy shells were all blocked by the wind barrier, suspended in front of him without even grazing Viktor''s coat. He held Erica in one arm while extending his other hand in front of him. The colorless wind barrier continued to surge upward. Everyone stared blankly at Viktor emerging from the Monster Rift, unsure how to react. "What''s this?" "Is this how you welcome me?" ... "My sincerest apologies, Baron Viktor!" In a massive steel room, the Crown Prince Albanie bowed deeply to Viktor while repeatedly apologizing. "I deeply regret that my subordinates attacked you." "Please forgive us, this was not intentional." The Crown Prince showed great respect and sincerity. Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, watching the Crown Prince bow and apologize, his face expressionless. He glanced briefly at Erica beside him. The girl lay peacefully on the bed, breathing steadily in her sleep. Then, Viktor looked back at the Crown Prince and said calmly: "So, you mistook me for that monster that entered the rift?" He was referring to Doragon, the Wind Calamity. Following the army''s logic, they were guarding this southern Monster Rift to prevent more powerful monsters from emerging. If the person coming out hadn''t been Viktor, but rather Doragon rallying a horde of rift monsters... They would have needed to intercept immediately. Though the probability was low, it wasn''t impossible. So Viktor could understand. He looked down at the Crown Prince and said calmly: "Your Highness, I''m not one to hold such grudges." Hearing Viktor''s words, the Crown Prince finally showed some relief, though his face still carried traces of anxiety. "I still feel terribly guilty, Baron Viktor." "I will make amends for this." Viktor quietly observed him without responding. Regardless of what this person might be doing behind the scenes, at least on the surface, his behavior was always impeccable. A perfect hero. Is that possible? Then, the Crown Prince turned to look at the sleeping Erica, studying her sleeping face briefly before recognizing her. "This must be Duke Levi''s daughter. I heard she had fallen into the hands of that black dragon." "Which means that monster has been..." Viktor replied calmly: "Your Highness, some things are better left known but unspoken." "No need for widespread publicity." The Crown Prince''s mouth gaped open as he kept expressing his admiration: "You are truly both modest and powerful." "The Empire is incredibly fortunate to have someone like you." After saying this, he placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly to Viktor again, expressing his gratitude. "Since you''re new to the South and without lodging, please feel free to use this mansion."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "I need to attend to some matters regarding the Monster Rift, so I''ll take my leave now." Viktor didn''t stop him, merely nodding slightly as he watched the Crown Prince depart. The Crown Prince was very tactful, explaining the misunderstanding and leaving immediately afterward to avoid any potential awkwardness. Interacting with the Crown Prince indeed felt quite pleasant. At least, his displayed behavior truly matched his reputation. As a prince, he even personally led troops on the frontlines. He was tactful in conversations and showed great respect for others. Despite his noble status, he maintained an elegant and refined demeanor. The Perfect Hero - Albanie. No wonder he had so many supporters. Even Duke Levi stood with the Crown Prince''s faction in the game''s background. "But what a pity." Viktor shook his head. As long as Princess Aurelianne existed, neither prince would ever ascend to that position. No matter how much cunning they possessed or how perfect their reputation was. Viktor glanced at Erica once more before turning and leaving the room. ... The Crown Prince walked out of the mansion with a military officer following close behind, striding forward quickly. "Any news from the Beast Guild?" Hearing the Crown Prince''s question, the officer began reporting: "Your Highness, Guild Leader Hela has returned to headquarters with fourteen top adventurers." The Crown Prince nodded slightly and continued: "Make arrangements. I need to meet with Hela." Following the order, the officer stepped forward first to open the carriage door for the prince. The Crown Prince''s eyes remained perfectly calm, as if no news seemed particularly important to him. "Keep watch on the third battle line." "My sister and her group haven''t emerged yet." The officer bowed his head sharply. "Yes, sir." ... [Soul-Lurking Corpse] This was a high-level monster with strength around Rank Three. Its physical durability was extraordinary - normal blade attacks might even break against this monster''s body. This monster also had a unique attack pattern, merging its body with the ground to launch swift attacks from hidden positions. Its terrifying destructive power and frightening attack speed gave headaches even to experienced powerful adventurers from the guilds. However, it had one obvious weakness - it would die completely once its head was severed from its neck. Aurelianne watched the monster seriously, with the demi-human squad arranged in two rows around her. Behind the formation, she commanded the squad''s attacks while maintaining a steady battle rhythm, continuously casting spells to construct formations and enhance the demi-humans with beneficial effects. The demi-humans drew their blades and launched wave after wave of attacks against the monster. Their weapons weren''t ordinary - when cutting into the monster''s body, they left burning flame-marked wounds. The Soul-Lurking Corpse slowly twisted its body, surprisingly withdrawing part of its body that had emerged from the soil back underground. The ground bulged slightly, bypassing the attacking demi-humans and rushing at high speed toward Aurelianne. "Protect the Princess!" Seeing this, the other row of demi-humans thrust their blades into the ground. Dozens of blades pinned the bulging earth in place, leaving the monster unable to break free from the restraints no matter how it tried to writhe its body. The Soul-Lurking Corpse''s eyes grew frenzied with rage, suddenly letting out a fierce howl toward the sky. Aurelianne''s eyes widened as she watched the ground continuing to surge. She shouted to the demi-humans in formation: "Be careful! Get away from it!" Upon receiving the command, the demi-humans quickly distanced themselves from the monster. The moment they left, the Soul-Lurking Corpse began expanding extremely rapidly, even breaking apart the soil beneath it. It suddenly triggered a terrifying explosion. BOOM! A horrifying explosion erupted from its expansion, creating massive air waves that even damaged the surrounding terrain. As the dust settled, the demi-humans all sighed in relief. If not for the Princess''s early warning, they might have fallen victim to this trick. Finally, without even needing Aurelianne''s command. The monster, weakened after using its ultimate move, was no match for the group. Like hunters, the demi-humans collectively pounced forward once the smoke cleared, bringing their blades down hard on the monster''s neck! Slash! Slash! Slash! The monster''s neck was torn apart under the coordinated blade strikes, and its entire body began slowly dissolving afterward. The ground swallowed its corpse, leaving only a crystalline spherical object on the surface. The demi-humans quickly retrieved it before this strange terrain could swallow it as well. After collecting it, they handed the item to Aurelianne. The princess held it in her palm, examining it briefly. This was a drop item from the Soul-Lurking Corpse. [Soul-Lurking Corpse''s Eye] This was the most common material dropped after defeating a Soul-Lurking Corpse. Aurelianne remembered that Teacher Viktor often collected these things, so she planned to give this to him. After all, this was her battle trophy. The battle was over, and all the demi-humans relaxed. Aurelianne was also very happy that her training course was temporarily complete, and she could finally lead the team back. The training effect had been remarkable. Through exploring these thirty levels, both her commanding and combat abilities had improved tremendously. Thanks also to the Monster Encyclopedia that her teacher had given her, which even contained detailed records of the monsters existing in the Monster Rift. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have handled things so smoothly. Aurelianne held the material in her hand, just about to lead the team away. A sense of danger shot up her spine, straight to her brain. Gwen instantly reacted, immediately moving to shield Aurelianne. A white blur struck, sending Gwen flying. She drew an arc through the air before landing on the ground, barely stabilizing herself. "Your Highness! Danger!" "What..." Suddenly, the monster material in Aurelianne''s hand vanished into thin air. She widened her eyes, following her gaze forward. An extremely tall and pale figure now stood within the demi-humans'' encirclement. She had flowing white hair and snake-like eyes, long and vicious. More shockingly, on her back grew a pair of black and white wings that swayed gently. Human? No... This horrifying pressure that Aurelianne felt was like... As if countless monsters had been combined into one. Suddenly, the woman moved. Before everyone''s eyes, she raised the eyeball, opening her mouth as if to swallow it. Seeing this, Aurelianne''s eyes widened as she hurriedly shouted: "No... don''t!" "That''s for Teacher..." Bang! Suddenly, an emerald green magic arrow burst forth, striking the woman and sending her flying dozens of feet away. As the dust settled, the monster''s eyeball floated quietly in the air, wrapped in magic. "Hey, you know what?" While everyone was stunned, a lazy voice softly rang out. Cocotte yawned, sitting on a cloud with one hand propping up her face while the other raised limply. She squinted her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of danger. "Taking things from children without permission." "Did you," "Get my approval for that?" Chapter 190: Her Body Is... Strange? As a neutral force without national affiliation, the Mage City had relatively accessible entry requirements. A mage needed to be at least third-rank in power and possess decent moral character and sense of justice. Under these conditions, beings of any nationality or race could potentially become members of the Mage City. However Not every member who joined the Mage City had the opportunity to become a councilor. The title of councilor symbolized both the highest combat power and moral authority within the Mage Council. Those bearing this status must possess extraordinary integrity and extremely rare levels of power. The only exception was Viktor, who had just reached fourth-rank but won a councilor position through his unique charisma that conquered the Mage Council. Similarly, Cocotte, who voluntarily gave up her councilor status, didn''t leave due to any pressure from the Mage Council. She simply couldn''t be bothered with the arguments, as having councilor status meant nothing to her. So she simply abandoned the position that originally belonged to her. The fact that she became one of the few councilors before Viktor joined wasn''t due to her empty title as the Elven Queen. The Mage City never cared about such status. It was because... Cocotte Level 49 [Nature''s Blessing] She was one of the most senior and powerful councilors in the Mage City. A pure stream of magical power surged through space, and that monster''s round eyeball rolled into Cocotte''s hand. She weighed the eyeball in her hand in front of everyone, feeling somewhat puzzled. "I really don''t understand what''s so tasty about this thing." "Hey, you''re not human, are you?" As the dust gradually settled, a figure suddenly leaped out through the flying particles. No one clearly saw her movement - they only perceived a white shadow appearing and instantly vanishing. But Cocotte remained calm, slowly raising her finger again. A soft green light emanated from her fingertip, quickly constructing a double-layered magical formation. This spell was triggered instantly, before anyone could even notice it. The formation''s construction was nearly imperceptible. Thick vines suddenly burst from the ground, dancing wildly in the air like two giant snakes, colliding with each other. They directly caught the white figure and suspended it in mid-air. Like a fish on a chopping board, ready to be sliced. Everything happened so quickly that people only saw two green flashes. When they came to their senses, they found that humanoid monster already bound in the sky. Aurelianne stood beside Cocotte, looking up at the white figure struggling and tearing at the green vines, her eyes full of surprise. Such fast spellcasting speed - she had only seen it from her own teacher before. And now, Cocotte had demonstrated the same ability. The spell was released in less than a second, with even the fleeting magical traces swiftly erased. The magic was cast with natural mastery. So this was... the basic power level of a councilor... The cloud beneath Cocotte rose and fell as it carried her floating forward, examining Sapphirose''s body up and down. "Tsk tsk, you look quite similar to humans. Could you be a demi-human?" "But there''s no demi-human species like you..." Sapphirose''s snake-like green vertical pupils contracted slightly as she stared intently at Cocotte. "[Target Detection, Danger Level - High]" "[Switching - Combat Mode]" A mechanical voice emerged from her throat, causing Cocotte to pause briefly. Before she could react to what was happening, two flashes of blade light suddenly appeared. The thick and massive vines were quickly severed. After breaking free from the restraints, Sapphirose landed on the ground and gradually faded from view. Her body disappeared? Magic? Suddenly, a whistling sound pierced the air, buzzing into Cocotte''s ears. [Banshee Echo] The white figure appeared not far from Cocotte, opening its huge mouth to reveal rows of sharp teeth, unleashing a sharp explosive sound. The piercing sound made countless people cover their ears. Cocotte, sensing her attack, waved a stream of magical power to block the wind force in her ears.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Balancing the internal and external pressure in her ears, she easily defended against the monster''s attack. Sapphirose realized her attack was ineffective, quickly ducked down and leaped upward. Immediately after, two streams of leaf-composed air currents burst from the ground, continuously spiraling skyward. But she managed to dodge them perfectly. Cocotte frowned slightly seeing her magic being avoided. The creature before her had remarkably keen senses. Sapphirose, having dodged the attack in mid-air, flipped her body and landed steadily on the ground. She placed both hands before her chest, revealing two eyeballs in her palms. The eyeballs rolled backward, unexpectedly revealing mouths full of sharp teeth. They suddenly opened wide, and two streams of flame instantly shot forth. [Wall of Flames] The intense flames formed a thick barrier, continuously advancing toward Cocotte. The cloud beneath Cocotte seemed somewhat timid feeling the scorching temperature, retreating slightly. But she appeared quite displeased, quickly kicking the cloud''s tail, forcing it to float forward again. Her fingers gently pinched together, two streams of azure light emanated from her fingertips, and thick water columns burst forth. The high-pressure, massive water streams pierced through the wall of fire, shooting toward Sapphirose at high speed. Everyone watched this magnificent and intense battle, standing frozen in place. The demi-humans could only observe from afar, completely unable to provide support. The speed of both combatants was far beyond what these soldiers could interfere with. Meanwhile, Aurelianne''s eyes widened. As a diligent student, Aurelianne had thoroughly familiarized herself with the Monster Encyclopedia Viktor had given her, reading it over and over. And all the abilities used by the white monster before her could be found in that encyclopedia. "Banshee Echo... that''s clearly a powerful skill of the Dark Banshee." "That wall... it looks like the Fire Gorilla''s Wall of Flames?" Aurelianne couldn''t believe it, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her. But Sapphirose''s next ability confirmed her suspicions. Two water streams violently struck Sapphirose''s body, but she stood motionless, her body seemingly completely petrified. Her body was covered with a stone-like gray luster. "A Gargoyle''s [Petrification]!?" Just as Cocotte said, she definitely wasn''t a normal human! How could a human use monster abilities? Unless she was a mage, she couldn''t produce effects similar to these spells. But clearly, there wasn''t even any magical fluctuation from her body. As the water streams gradually subsided, Sapphirose''s petrification immediately dissolved. The next second, her body emanated a purple light, as if electricity was constantly flowing, with sparks beginning to flash across it. This time, Aurelianne blurted out: "That''s [Lightning Flow]! Don''t get close to her!" "Lightning Flow only lasts a few seconds, after which her speed will slow down!" Warned by this, Cocotte immediately became cautious. Indeed, as Aurelianne had said, her body seemed covered in purple electricity, suddenly charging toward Cocotte, drawing trails of flames through the air. The surrounding trees were all snapped in half by Sapphirose''s charge, wood fragments flying everywhere. At the critical moment, the cloud sensed the danger. Without even needing Cocotte''s urging, it cried pitifully and hurriedly flew upward. Dodging the lightning bomb that exploded instantly. As the thunder gradually subsided, Cocotte clenched her hand, and a yellow lightning spear arose from beneath her. Following the ground, it suddenly rushed under Sapphirose''s body and burst forth. [Fourth-Rank Magic: Piercing Thunder Flash] Swoosh! The yellow lightning spear violently pierced through Sapphirose, who had slowed down and become rigid in place, suspending her in mid-air. This strike severely wounded Sapphirose. But Cocotte, who could have pressed her advantage, now sat on her cloud, looking down at Sapphirose from above. "You can''t defeat me." "I''ll give you one chance - tell me who you are." Cocotte could sense that the woman before her was indeed very powerful. All her movements seemed born for battle. She was a pure fighting machine. Her strength was probably around fourth-rank, though this was just Cocotte''s estimate. Because she felt the opponent wasn''t using full power. Of course, neither was she. However, Sapphirose didn''t answer her question. Even when injured, she seemed completely unaffected by pain. Those snake-like pupils unconsciously glanced toward Aurelianne. She had heard it earlier. It was that human girl who had identified her skills. "[Switching Target, Danger Level - None]" "[Preemptive Treatment Required]" The moment Sapphirose shifted her gaze, Cocotte immediately understood her intention. She raised her hand at once, and a green spell instantly rose. A flourishing giant tree burst from the ground, its thick trunk trapping Sapphirose within. But the next second, Sapphirose pulled out a long blade from somewhere. Her body moved slightly, making a huge spin, violently cutting through the giant tree. Where did that blade come from? Cocotte couldn''t react in time. By the time she tried to stop it, it was already too late. As if instantly accelerating from nowhere, Sapphirose had already charged to Aurelianne''s side. [Iaido - Slash] That elongated cold light swept toward Aurelianne. Everyone''s hearts jumped to their throats, but the next second, another cold light instantly emerged, blocking Sapphirose''s attack. She looked up to see a female knight in armor. She had a cold expression as she held her blade against Sapphirose''s long sword. A cold voice resonated from Gwen''s mouth: "This time, I won''t let you succeed with a sneak attack." An astonishing flame suddenly coiled up from Gwen''s blade, the scorching temperature combined with the burning air made Sapphirose feel an unprecedented pressure. [Wrath] Two blade lights clashed against each other, and the originally fierce flames instantly exploded at this moment. Red runes slowly lit up on Gwen''s blade, releasing powerful magical energy. The long blade in Sapphirose''s hand became somewhat distorted due to the extraordinary high temperature. But she still refused to yield, firmly clashing against Gwen. Meanwhile, unnoticed by anyone. The black feather at Aurelianne''s waist swayed slightly. On an extremely flourishing giant tree, a black figure had somehow appeared standing on a branch. Its form was hidden behind the leaves, with only a single eye looking down below. "Interesting." "It seems Viktor was right - we really did encounter this one here." The crow muttered to itself, its gaze flowing with cunning light. """ Chapter 191: Hiding a Loli is a Serious Crime To attack Aurelianne, one must first deal with the female knight standing in her way. Sapphirose suddenly leapt back, raised her long blade, and stomped heavily on the ground. Using the momentum, she lunged toward Gwen once again. As her blade clashed with Gwen''s sword, she suddenly sensed a powerful surge of magic building behind her. [Fourth-Tier Magic: Words of Geb] Accompanied by Cocotte''s light chant, several sharp spikes of earth and gravel erupted from the ground behind Sapphirose, aiming directly at her waist. Sapphirose instinctively tried to dodge but immediately sensed another threat. Elsa had been lying in wait among the crowd for a long time, searching for the perfect opportunity. Now, she had finally found her chance to strike. An assassin hidden in the shadows or among the crowd waits for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal blow. She swung her massive blade and leaped forward with great force. A cold gleam flashed, appearing at a corner behind Sapphirose. At this moment, Sapphirose realized she had no way out. Two attacks came at her simultaneously, but she could only choose to evade one. However, there was not enough time for her to think of more options. In that instant, Elsa''s massive blade and Cocotte''s magic struck Sapphirose at the same time. A burst of white smoke erupted instantly. Everyone''s gaze turned toward the thick white mist. As the smoke gradually dissipated, everyone was shocked by the scene before them. The humanoid creature with long white hair now had her entire right side covered in dense, hard dragon scales. Her right arm ended in a massive dragon claw, and even one of her eyes had turned from green to crimson, resembling a dragon''s pupil. The black wing on her back had transformed into a dragon-like fleshy wing, slightly tattered as it hovered in the air. Her dragon claw firmly gripped Elsa''s massive blade, while her left hand held her long blade, continuing to face off against Gwen. Aurelianne, watching Sapphirose in this state, widened her eyes in shock. "A... dragonkin!?" "No, she''s not." Cocotte''s lazy voice floated over as she crossed her arms, staring at Sapphirose. "Dragonkin bloodlines aren''t this chaotic." She immediately recognized that the opponent wasn''t human. When the two attacks landed simultaneously, the opponent didn''t evade but instead transformed into a half-dragon form to take them head-on. Dragonkin are known for their unparalleled physical resilience. Their resistance to both physical and magical attacks is among the strongest of any race. Ordinary weapons are like wooden swords striking steel plates when faced with a dragon. Their sharp claws can tear through steel walls as easily as through soil, and their massive wings can stir up winds that span hundreds of feet. However, it was clear that this opponent wasn''t a true dragon. Cocotte felt a tinge of curiosity. This humanoid creature... Could even wield the powers of a dragon. But no matter how unique she was... "This ends here." Three against one, the advantage was ours. Cocotte straightened up, her lazy gaze sharpening with a hint of seriousness. She placed her hands on the ground, letting natural magic flow around her. "The will of Geb, born from the fragmented soil," "The natural spirits pray for your descent beneath the void of the night sky." [Fourth-Tier Magic: Natural Rupture] As Cocotte''s chant concluded, a surge of powerful magic began to rise around her. Numerous magical formations lit up beneath her feet, their patterns and runes intertwining. The earth trembled violently, and green vines bristling with thorns broke through the quaking ground, completely entangling Sapphirose. The countless thorns pierced her skin, even penetrating the tough hide of the dragon. A crack slowly opened in the ground. The vines hurled the bound creature into the fissure with great force, then dragged her back out and slammed her onto the surface. Boom! Countless trees were snapped, and a cloud of dust surged, enveloping the surroundings. The crowd shielded their faces with their arms, feeling the intense sand and dust battering their bodies. As the tremors underfoot subsided and the dust settled, they lowered their arms. The devastated terrain around them bore clear evidence of the fierce battle that had just taken place. However, the figure that had been restrained was nowhere to be seen. Aurelianne stood in place, stunned, while Gwen calmly sheathed her sword, her expression unchanged as if she had expected this outcome. Elsa also disappeared back into the demi-human ranks, blending into the shadows once more.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Cocotte floated over to Aurelianne on her cloud and spoke slowly: "She escaped." This was an intelligent creature, and her strength was not to be underestimated. Indeed, Cocotte could defeat her, but... Given the strength she displayed, if she wanted to escape, Cocotte would need to prepare a powerful spell in advance to stop her. Otherwise, she could slip away at will. After all, the limitations of being a mage were evident. Not every mage was like Viktor, who could casually cast war magic as if it were fireworks. Cocotte glanced ahead at the massive door at the end of the thirtieth floor of the Monster Rift. Beyond it lay the thirty-first floor. The bottom layer. Although the creature had escaped, she was gravely injured. Dragging her wounds, she slipped through the door ahead. Perhaps she was a monster from the deeper layers of the Abyss. The lower levels had increasingly complex structures. If she was familiar with the bottom layers, leading the demi-human team deeper would make it nearly impossible to encounter her again. Besides... The immediate threat had been neutralized. Thinking of this, Cocotte felt a wave of laziness wash over her body. She slumped back onto her cloud and waved dismissively. "Forget it, let her go." "It''s time for us to head back." Viktor''s mission was simply to reach the end of the thirtieth floor. There was no requirement to capture any special monster. Cocotte wasn''t about to work overtime for no benefit. It''s time to clock out. I, Cocotte, never work overtime! Aurelianne glanced at the door to the lower layers, then turned back and nodded lightly. "Understood." As Cocotte said, her mission was only to reach the thirtieth floor. Now that the task was complete, she could return. As the demi-human team prepared to leave, no one noticed Gwen lowering her head and opening her hand. Several white feathers were clutched tightly in her palm. These had been plucked from the creature''s body earlier. Gwen had attempted to stop the creature''s escape, but its speed was too great, leaving her only able to grab a few feathers from its white wings. These feathers seemed to carry a faint magical energy. After some thought, she chose not to discard them and instead tucked them into her armor. ... Erica slowly opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. Her vision was blurred, as if a thin mist obscured her sight. A dense and somewhat chaotic magic coursed through her body. But she had no time to dwell on that. "Hungry..." She felt weak all over. She didn''t know how long she had been asleep, nor how long it had been since she last ate. She was starving. Where was she? Wasn''t she captured by that monster? But she was so hungry... Her body refused to move, as if weighed down by lead, too heavy to lift. At this rate, she might starve to death. Faintly, she heard voices outside the room: "Professor, look at this!" "This is the drop item from the boss of the thirtieth floor!" The voice was familiar, but she couldn''t quite place it. Curiosity compelled her to drag her weak body off the bed. Forcing herself to her feet, Erica shuffled toward the door. Then, a more familiar voice replied. "Yes, that''s indeed the [Phantom Soul Corpse''s Eyeball]." "Class passed. You may rest now." The moment she heard that voice, Erica froze. That voice... She knew it better than anyone else. She quickened her pace, suppressing the excitement in her heart, and pushed open the door. Then, Erica saw him. The man she admired and revered. "Professor Viktor..." But suddenly, something felt off. When she opened the door, the entire room fell silent. Several familiar faces turned to look at her. She seemed to see Knight Commander Gwen, and even Princess Aurelianne... Viktor''s gaze also fell on her. And there was an unfamiliar figure, who looked like an elf, sitting on a floating cloud. "......" What was going on? In the prolonged silence, the unfamiliar elf was the first to break the awkward atmosphere: "Viktor, I thought it was just a rumor." "But it turns out you really do have a thing for minors, huh." ... Monster Rift. Thirty-seventh floor [Emerald Cage] The surroundings were an endless expanse of eerie green, with faint darkness barely outlining the contours of the land. Every ten floors, the scenery of the Abyss would completely change. Sapphirose dragged her heavily injured body to an empty spot and sat down. Her left side continued to bleed. But under the green light, the true color of the blood was indiscernible. Yet Sapphirose seemed unfazed by the pain, her expression stoic. She looked down at her wounds. A purple magical flame ignited over her body, cauterizing her wounds to stop the bleeding. Around her, monsters continued to emerge, clawing their way out of the ground and extending their horns toward Sapphirose. In this [Emerald Cage], the monsters had already reached fourth-tier strength. But as these fourth-tier monsters approached within a few meters of Sapphirose, a cold gleam flashed, and the monsters fell lifelessly to the ground, their heads severed. The corpses lay on the ground, and cracks began to form beneath them, reclaiming the bodies. But before the cracks could fully open, a thorny vine shot out, impaling the corpse and dragging it back to Sapphirose. Then, she tore the corpse apart and devoured the flesh piece by piece. After wiping her mouth, Sapphirose slumped back into a corner of the land, feeling her injuries gradually heal. Just as she closed her eyes, she suddenly became alert. Her serpentine eyes locked onto the sky. At some point, a black crow had perched elegantly on a branch. "Interesting." "I recall your name... Sapphirose, correct?" At this moment, Sapphirose''s eyes were fixated solely on the crow. For some reason, her instincts screamed at her to flee. [Danger Level of Target: Unable to Determine] She tried to stand and move her legs, seemingly wanting to escape. But suddenly, the green ground shimmered with a black, distorted formation. Countless writhing tentacles emerged, quickly binding Sapphirose and holding her firmly in place. At some point, a monocle appeared over Vega''s eye. The pitch-black creature donned an equally black suit, topped with a black bowler hat. He resembled an elegant old gentleman. "Hmm, if it were Viktor, he would certainly act this refined." "Allow me to introduce myself politely." In Sapphirose''s eyes, a massive shadow of a black eagle appeared behind the elegant crow. The shadow flickered and swayed, its eyes deep and vast as if containing entire worlds. The shadow seemed to expand endlessly, enveloping her in darkness. A deep, ancient voice echoed clearly in her ears. "I am the Evil God" "Habika." Chapter 192: Close Call, Almost Caught by the Main Wife The massive black shadow began to expand continuously, an endless abyss spreading out from the darkness, swallowing everything around it entirely. Under the once green sky, all colors were wiped clean. Falling into the blackness, even outlines could no longer be discerned. The surrounding monsters vanished as well, leaving a suffocating silence. Gradually, a crow descended from the branches, landing on the ground and adjusting its monocle. "Though, I must admit, I now prefer the name ''Vega.''" The monocle over its single eye gleamed with a silvery light, blending seamlessly into the darkness. Sapphirose felt the surrounding air grow colder, her feathers on both pairs of wings trembling slightly. She slowly propped herself up with her legs, instinctively wanting to flee from this place. But... Her body was restrained. It was as if some force had completely locked her muscles and limbs in place. "Well then, it seems I shouldn''t be discussing such matters with you." "You shouldn''t have much independent thought, after all." Vega stared directly at Sapphirose, his gaze calm and unwavering. Yet Sapphirose, despite being bound, continued to struggle, trying to break free from this strange restraint. Vega flapped his wings and flew to Sapphirose''s shoulder, perching there. "Hmm, don''t move." "Let me take a good look." His words carried a certain magical quality, infiltrating Sapphirose''s ears. Soon, Sapphirose''s white body gradually stopped moving. Her eyes became hollow and lifeless, her limbs drooping as she was forcibly suspended in mid-air. The blue light in Vega''s eyes flickered incessantly, and a stream of magic emanated from his body, slowly merging into the surrounding darkness. He scrutinized Sapphirose''s body carefully, as if seeing through her entirely. As he observed, he clicked his tongue in amazement and remarked: "To think that even dragon bloodlines could be fused into you. The one who designed you must be a genius." "I see... Yes, yes... I''ve learned it all." Vega nodded knowingly, as if he had fully understood. "As a token of my gratitude, let me give you a little gift." A sly glint flashed in his eyes, and Vega shook his small, black-feathered body. A single feather gently fell onto Sapphirose''s body, transforming into a beam of light as it touched her white form, merging into her. After completing this, Vega flapped his wings and took flight, casting one last glance at Sapphirose. "Don''t disappoint me." As his words fell, his small body turned into a streak of black light, shooting into the dark expanse of the sky. The boundless darkness around them began to shrink, retreating into the corners as faint shadows. Until the world was restored, Sapphirose''s eyes gradually regained clarity. The moment the restraints were lifted, she collapsed onto the ground, supporting herself with her hands as she gasped heavily for air. At that moment, the surrounding monsters began to emerge once more. They surfaced from the green earth, struggling to pull their bodies free and scanning the area for targets. Resembling giant wolves with lion-like heads, each finger bore sharp claws, while their hind legs ended in sturdy hooves. Upon spotting Sapphirose, their pupils contracted entirely, their limbs moving rapidly as they charged towards her. Tearing open their massive jaws filled with sharp fangs, they leaped into the air, pouncing towards Sapphirose. But as Sapphirose, who had just regained her senses, barely lifted her head, she didnt even spare them a glance.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. In an instant, a long blade materialized in her hand, slicing through the air with a flash of light, unleashing a circular arc of pitch-black flames. The monsters'' bodies were severed in mere seconds, split cleanly in two as they fell from the sky. Boom! The bisected corpses crashed heavily to the ground, spilling streams of green blood. The earth cracked open once again, swallowing the dismembered remains piece by piece. Sapphirose slumped on the ground, her snake-like pupils widening in disbelief as she stared at her trembling hands. She had grown stronger. In her mind, the image of the black crow lingered, refusing to dissipate. ... Erica sat at the table, taking small sips of porridge to regain her strength. Although she was glad to have seen Viktor upon waking up, there was still an uneasiness lingering in her heart. She cautiously raised her head, observing the situation before her. Princess Aurelianne sat in a chair, her head lowered, her expression somewhat dazed. Meanwhile, the usually composed Gwen Delin was pacing back and forth in the room, visibly anxious. The atmosphere was tense, to say the least. And the one responsible for all this, Erica had learned, was none other than the elf Cocotte Yade. Her identity was rather uniqueformer council member and queen of the elves. Yet, with her perpetually drowsy demeanor, it was hard to associate her with the image of a queen. After Viktor had left the room, seemingly to handle some mattersor perhaps simply to escape the awkward atmosphereErica focused on finishing her meal, gradually feeling her strength return. As she lifted her head again, her gaze met Gwens. "...Forgive me for being so direct, Lady Erica," Gwen began, her tone urgent, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor. "Why are you here?" Ericas pale face showed no sign of deceit as she shook her head weakly and replied in a feeble voice, "I dont know." After all, when she regained consciousness, she had already been here. Gwen stood still, scrutinizing Erica. She could sense the sincerity in Ericas tone and the authenticity of her frail stateit was impossible to fake such weakness. And yet... She found herself longing for the righteous power of discernment she once possessed, the ability to see through lies and truths. Why had it disappeared? Under Gwens intense gaze, Erica felt the pressure mounting. She bit her lip before speaking again. "Lady Gwen, you know... Before this, I had been training in the Northern Lands, never setting foot elsewhere." "But..." Erica began recounting the events leading up to her arrival. She described the appearance of the massive black dragon over the Northern Lands, towering over the Pale Mage Society. General Vladimir Lebedev had fought valiantly, sustaining grave injuries, nearly losing his life. Erica continued, "When that creature appeared above the Northern Lands, I distinctly felt its gaze on me." "And... I think I could hear its voice." Her voice trembled slightly as she recounted the memory: Erica had been among the Northern residents evacuating, yet an inexplicable force compelled her to stop and look up at the monstrous being. In the sky, the black dragons eyes remained fixed on her, and Erica could swear she heard its voice within her mind. "Come with me... Leave this place." "Thats what it said to me," Erica stated firmly. The rest of her story was familiarshe approached the dragon, calming its fury and saving countless lives in the Northern Lands. "So, I left with it. When I woke up again, I found myself here." Hearing this, even Aurelianne lifted her head to look at Erica, while Gwens expression softened slightly, tinged with admiration. If Ericas account was true, then this young woman had single-handedly saved tens of thousands of lives in the Northern Lands. Her sacrifice commanded respect. This wasnt something that could easily be fabricated. If Ericas story was accurate, the residents of the Northern Lands would have witnessed it firsthand, and news of such a significant event would surely spread. It wouldnt take much effort to verify her claims. "Hmm... Do you know the elemental attribute of that creature?" Cocotte suddenly spoke up, sitting lazily on her cloud with her arms crossed. All magical creatures possessed elemental attributes, determining the types of elemental skills they could wield. For instance, creatures dwelling near volcanoes were typically fire-aligned, while those in forests were aligned with wood. These attributes also dictated elemental weaknesses, a fundamental concept taught in the academy. Erica nodded firmly. "Wind." She began describing the scene in vivid detail: "The black dragons body emerged from the gloomy clouds, surrounded by a violent storm." "Spinning hurricanes rose from the ground, tearing through even the sturdiest ice, reducing it to shards." Cocotte listened intently, closing her eyes and nodding in understanding. "Ah, as I thought," she murmured. Aurelianne quickly turned to Cocotte. "Councilor Yade, do you... know something?" "Well, lets see..." Cocotte replied, her tone playful as she turned her gaze back to Erica. "But I am curiouswhy did that creature seek you out?" "By the way, didnt you fall seriously ill some time ago? Do you recall your body being covered in vibrant flowers and plants?" Erica nodded. "Yes, that was about one or two months ago." The memory of her previous illness was still fresh in her mind. Cocotte nodded thoughtfully before turning to Aurelianne. "Little Princess, do you remember when Viktor brought you to the Mage Council?" Aurelianne nodded eagerly, recalling the awe she had felt witnessing her teachers immense power. Cocotte, now resting her chin in her hand, observed Erica with a knowing look. "Well, I do understand some things now," she said, her gaze carrying a hint of surprise. Because... Just as the Wind Calamity sought out Erica, the revival of the Wood Calamity coincided with Ericas mysterious illness. The timing... matched perfectly. Chapter 193: Am I the Teachers Best Student? Cocotte sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought. Based on what Erica had said and the elemental turbulence she had sensed within the rift, it was easy to deduce that Viktor had gone to challenge another Calamity. Although the probability of the Wind Calamity actively targeting a human girl was extremely low, it wasnt zero. And more importantly, this wasnt the first time something like this had happened. Back in the Mage''s Capital, Viktor had similarly challenged the Wood Calamity. Before that, Erica had also exhibited strange symptomsher body covered in blooming flowers, not due to any illness but as a manifestation of dense wood elemental energy. Thinking this through, Cocotte couldnt help but find Viktors actions absurd. For the Wind Calamity to transport a girl all the way from the northern frontier to the southern regions of the empire, Viktor must have known something. Perhaps he had orchestrated it deliberately. Cocotte was now certain. This blonde girl must have some connection to the Calamities. She propped her chin on her hand, squinting at the frail Erica. At that moment, Aurelianne stood up gracefully. "I understand now," she said, looking at Erica. "Erica du Cloye, first of all, I must apologize for misunderstanding your relationship with the teacher. Secondly, I want to express my gratitude for your sacrifice. Your presence saved tens of thousands of residents in the northern frontier." Aurelianne slightly bowed to Erica. Erica was taken aback, feeling overwhelmed. After all, the person apologizing and thanking her was none other than the imperial princess. And she didnt even fully understand what had happened. She tried to stand and return the gesture, but her weak body and trembling legs failed her. However, it wasnt necessary, as Aurelianne straightened up again. This time, though, her gaze carried a subtle hostility, leaving Erica puzzled. "If the teacher went to save you, it means you hold an important place in his heart. But I wont lose to you," Aurelianne declared confidently, her voice resolute. "Soon, the Royal Academy of Magic will begin its new term, and the academy will be recruiting new students. I will enroll then and join the teachers class." Under Ericas stunned gaze, Aurelianne raised her head proudly. "I will prove to the teacher who his best student truly is." With that, she turned elegantly and walked away. "Cocotte, if the teacher returns, please relay my message. Ill go rest now." Cocotte, lying on her cloud, yawned and mumbled a lazy "Mm." Gwen also gave Erica a conflicted look before following Aurelianne to escort her. The Crown Prince had already prepared accommodations for Aurelianne. As her personal knight, Gwen had to stay by her side and protect her at all times. As the two left, Erica remained dazed. Having just woken up, she was utterly confused by the situation. In the now quiet room, only she and Cocotte remained. The former elven councilor still looked drowsy, her head sinking into the cloud. Watching Cocottes sleepy demeanor, Erica also began to feel her mind grow heavy. She wanted to lie down again. As she struggled to stand, Cocotte suddenly muttered in a half-asleep voice, "Hmm, that power inside youmake good use of it. Who knows, maybe soon Ill witness the youngest Tier 3 mage ever." Erica froze, stunned. The youngest Tier 3 mage? That title originally belonged to Viktor. Achieving Tier 3 at the age of twenty, his genius reputation had spread throughout the empire. Could she possibly break Professor Viktors record? Her heart pounded with excitement. If she could, wouldnt that bring her closer to Professor Viktor? "No, its not enough," Erica thought, recalling Viktors godlike strength in the illusionary realm. The sheer power he displayed, even compared to the black dragon in the northern frontier, was unmatched. After all, Viktor had saved her from that monstrous beast.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Clutching her chest, Erica felt her heart race even faster. She wasnt sure if it was Cocottes words that thrilled her or something else entirely. Suddenly, Cocotte seemed to remember something and jolted awake. She looked at Erica. "Wait, are you a student at the Royal Academy of Magic?" Erica, confused by Cocottes intense reaction, nodded slowly. "Yes thats correct." "The academy run by Rachel Azure?" "Yes, Rachel is our headmaster." Cocotte blinked, seemingly unable to process this, holding her head in despair. "Wait, so the academy reopening means Viktor will go back to teaching?" Erica tilted her head, puzzled. "Isnt that common sense?" "" Cocotte buried her face into the cloud, looking utterly defeated. She had promised Viktor to become his teaching assistant, thinking the job would only last until the academys break. But Viktor had never told her the academy would reopen. "Maybe I should just blow up your academy," she muttered. "Please dont," Erica replied earnestly. Viktor stood atop a high tower, gazing into the distance. The howling wind made his black coat, lined with white patterns, flutter noisily. This was the first line of defense against the Monster Rift, situated at the empires border. Viktor had bypassed the guards to reach the tower, hands in his pockets, surveying the desolation beyond. After a long while, the sound of wings flapping broke the silence. A black crow descended from the gloomy sky, circling twice before landing on Viktors shoulder. "That was exhausting," Vega complained as it perched. It had never imagined the distance from the Monster Rift to the frontlines would be so vast. As an inconspicuous crow, it had flown all the way back on its own. "But I did find something interesting," Vega added. "What is it?" Viktor asked, not looking at the crow. Vega grinned mischievously. "Want a pair of wings or maybe a tail? Trust me, my surgery is flawless. Ive never failednot once, because Ive never tried." A chill spread through the air, so intense that even the distant guards felt an inexplicable shiver. Clearly, Vegas joke wasnt funny, and even those who couldnt hear it felt the cold. Viktor didnt respond, turning instead and heading down the tower stairs, Vega still perched on his shoulder. "Sometimes, I think youre quite sentimental," Vega remarked, its tone oddly sincere. "Why do you say that?" Viktor asked, his pace steady. "Because you came all the way here to pick me up." His steps slowed slightly. "I was afraid some bird might get lost on its way back." "Youre right, but Im not just some crow," Vega retorted. A gust of wind swept across the high skies, stirring the dark clouds into waves. A few days later, news spread across the empire. A powerful creature, suspected to be of dragon lineage, had appeared in the northern frontier and flown south. It was slain by Viktor Kravina, a Tier 4 mage and current councilor of the Mage Council, with ease, thereby resolving a crisis in the southern regions of the empire. The only casualty was the Second Princes army, which was annihilated. The prince himself was severely injured and recovering. Meanwhile, in the southern empire, Viktor Kravina continued to dominate the headlines. Princess Aurelianne had led a demi-human squad into the Monster Rift, achieving extraordinary feats and even defeating the boss of the thirtieth layer of the Abyss. This sparked widespread discussion, as demi-humans were typically treated as slaves within the empire. The princesss success in cultivating such a strong squad caused a stir in public opinion. At the same time, the southern empires most powerful Beast Guild announced its allegiance to the Kravina family, thrusting them once again into the spotlight. In the north, within the Delin family estate. The Second Prince lay quietly on a wooden bed, his body wrapped in bandages. The crackling fireplace nearby provided some warmth. Propped up against the bed, he held a sheet of paper filled with black text. The battle with the monstrous creature had left him gravely injured, forcing him to recuperate within the Delin estatea situation that felt more like house arrest than recovery. As his eyes scanned the newspaper, his pupils contracted sharply upon reading about Viktors defeat of the black dragon. It was as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable. "Reading the news, are we?" a voice called out. The prince turned toward the door, where Kevla Delin leaned casually, her head tilted and a sly smile on her face. "Nothing surprising," she said. "After all, thats my brother-in-law." The prince chuckled weakly, setting the paper aside with a sigh. "Lady Delin, what will it take for you to let me return to the capital?" "Thats simple," Kevla replied, her tone laced with danger as she narrowed her eyes. "Tell me why you reek of demonic energy." """ Chapter 194: Imprisonment, the Sinful Pleasure The Second Prince lay on the bed, his expression calm as he listened to Kevla''s words. "Miss Kevla, I dont quite understand what you mean." "Are you suggesting that I, a prince of the empire, would collude with demons?" Kevla stood with one hand on her hip, looking at the Second Prince with a playful smirk. "Whether or not His Highness has dealings with demons, I cant say. But you certainly need a bath." "The demonic stench on you is so strong its making me nauseous." The Second Prince seemed to catch onto something, lowering his head and raising an arm to sniff himself. Since his injury, he had been bedridden, with no chance to bathe for days. Though his wounds had already healed, he hadnt yet tended to his hygiene. Even as Kevla confronted him so directly, the Second Prince remained composed, responding nonchalantly: "Do you demon hunters have some special way of distinguishing demons?" "I must admit, Im growing rather curious about your organization." Kevla wasnt surprised that the Second Prince had guessed her identity. After all, the ability to detect the scent of demons was unique to demon hunters. Anyone who became a demon hunter developed a heightened sensitivity to demonic auras, which was their primary method of tracking demons. Kevla didnt respond, simply staring at him in silence. Under her gaze, the Second Prince spoke again, his tone growing calmer, laced with a hint of arrogant confidence. "I know you cant confirm whether or not Ive truly colluded with demons." Kevlas voice carried a trace of disdain as she replied, "And so what? As long as youre recovering on my territory, Ill find a way to confirm it." As the Second Prince suspected, Kevla could only rely on the demonic aura she sensed from him. But she couldnt be certain. After all, he was a prince of the empireOwiser Sol. Without concrete evidence of his dealings with demons, accusing a prince of such a crime would be a grave offense. It would severely damage the empires reputation. A prince colluding with demons, regardless of the truth, would invite diplomatic pressure from other nations and erode public trust in the royal family. Thus, Kevla was at an impasse. She could only use the time while the Second Prince was recovering in the northern frontier to investigate further. But the Second Prince, of course, had prepared for this. He spoke slowly: "First of all, you should know that I led my army to the northern frontier precisely to investigate the demon incident." His meaning was clear: his presence in the northern frontier was publicly known. And now that some time had passed since his injury, he should have mostly recovered. The Delin family had no reason to keep him here any longer. As a prince of the empire, he was bound to return to the capital. Kevla understood this as well. At this moment, the Second Princes voice sounded again. "If Im not mistaken, you must also be searching for the demon that appeared in the far northern ice fields." "Perhaps we could cooperate." Kevla frowned slightly, feigning confusion. "Let me offer you a clue," the Second Prince said. "Viktor." Kevla narrowed her eyes at his words, her tone questioning. "What do you mean?" "Dont tell me youve never wondered why demons appeared in the far north right after Viktor arrived there?" Kevla crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "Go on," she said. The Second Prince smiled faintly. "I knew youd be interested." He picked up a glass of water from the bedside table, taking a sip to moisten his throat. Despite being essentially under house arrest under the guise of recovery, the Delin familys strong sense of justice ensured he was provided with food and water.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Its obvious that Viktor is incredibly strongso strong it defies logic." Kevla knew this well. She was familiar with her fathers strength, yet Viktor had defeated him even when caught off guard by a knights close-range attack. Though she didnt know the exact details, her father had spent decades honing his abilities as a Tier 4 mage. Viktor, on the other hand, had only been a Tier 3 mage two months ago. "Similarly, demons often form contracts with humans, granting them what they desire in exchange for something else." "For examplepower." As he spoke, the Second Prince clenched his fist. Kevla understood his implication but shook her head lightly. "I cant accept your theory. Demonic contracts have their limits. They cant simply elevate someone like Viktor to the position of councilor." The Second Prince chuckled, setting down his glass, and dropped a bombshell. "Thats because you dont know enough, Miss Kevla." "Have you heard of the Primordial Demons?" Kevla froze, listening as the Second Princes voice, tinged with mockery, continued: "Demons are born from human emotions. They craft their contracts based on the desires of those emotions." "When a gambler loses everything and falls into insurmountable debt." "When a husband watches his wife violated before his eyes, consumed by impotent rage." "When someone gazes upon mediocrity with arrogant disdain." "Because of this, demons can perfectly understand what a person truly desires through their emotions." Each of the Second Princes words seemed to conjure vivid images before Kevlas eyes. A gambler, broken and destitute, wandering the night in despair. A man, helpless as his family is destroyed before him, consumed by fury. A figure, standing atop a grand tower, looking down on the ordinary masses with disdainful pride. These scenes seemed to weave themselves into Kevlas mind, making her increasingly uncomfortable. She forced herself to focus on the Second Prince, her cold gaze attempting to steer the conversation away from these unsettling thoughts. "And what does this have to do with what youre saying?" The Second Prince smiled faintly, finally getting to the point. "From these emotions arise the purest of demonsthe Seven Primordial Demons." "They feed on human emotions, growing stronger with each passing moment. As long as emotions persist, they will only continue to grow." Kevla listened, her confusion growing. The Second Prince continued, "Have you ever wondered why Viktor has become so powerful?" "Are you suggesting Viktor has dealings with a Primordial Demon?" Kevla asked sharply. The Second Prince merely shrugged. "Thats your conclusion, Miss Kevla. Though I admit, I did guide you toward it." Kevla narrowed her eyes, her tone now carrying a dangerous edge. "And what do you gain from targeting Viktor like this?" "Nothing," the Second Prince replied, his smile fading as his expression turned serious. "The Kravina family is at the peak of their power. Everyone wants to ally with them. Everyone wants Viktors support." "If someone gains Viktors favoror that of the Kravina familythe throne would be within their grasp." He paused, his eyes glinting with cunning. "But Father wont allow Viktor to support either of us princes, which is why he made Viktor Aureliannes teacher." The Second Prince leaned back slightly, his tone calm yet persuasive. "Though our reasons differ, we share the same goal." "We both want to find that demon." "So why not work together?" His voice, tinged with a hint of allure, echoed softly in Kevlas ears. "Or is it because its Viktor? You cant bring yourself to act?" Kevla let out a cold snort, her gaze icy as she glanced at the Second Prince. "You dont need to provoke me. I despise demons more than anyone." "But" *Swish! Swish!* Two silver daggers sliced through the air, embedding themselves into the bed beside the Second Prince. Lying on the bed, the Second Prince felt the sharp wind pass by, yet he didnt move an inch. One of Kevlas eyes burned with a crimson flame, as if ready to devour the Second Prince whole. "Youre just as filthy," she said coldly. With that, Kevla turned to leave, her voice lingering in the room. "In a few days, your injuries will be fully ''healed.''" "Ill personally escort you back to the capital in one piece." As the sound of her footsteps faded, Kevlas presence disappeared entirely. Only then did the Second Princes tense body relax. Cold sweat broke out across his skin as he clenched his fists, trembling uncontrollably. It was the fear of narrowly escaping death. That aurathere was no doubt about it. A Tier 4 demon hunter. At some point, Kevla had advanced. The Second Prince realized he was no match for Kevla in his current state. He hadnt expected to fall into the hands of a demon hunter. Even Kevlas identity had been revealed to him by the greed demon residing within him. Fortunately, Kevlas curiosity about Viktor outweighed her suspicion of him. After a long while, the Second Prince finally calmed down. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his racing heart, his gaze regaining its clarity. "Now then, lets see how this all unfolds." """ Chapter 195: The Princesss Growth After ten days, Aurelianne''s southern expedition finally came to an end. Within the Monster Rift, she led her demi-human squad and slew countless monsters. The demi-human team shone brightly in what was originally an adventurer''s challenge, showcasing their strength to all. Compared to humans, their untamed wildness, which had not yet been erased, made them fearless in the hunt. Their natural social instincts also made them far superior in coordinated combat. The combat prowess of the demi-humans caused many southern nobles to question their assumptions. "Those demi-humans who usually toil as laborers and refuse to obey without a whip are they really this strong?" Among the adventurers, someone had even given the demi-human team a nickname, which quickly spread: **"The Beasts."** At this moment, on the bustling streets, the First Prince stood with his army lining both sides of the road, saluting the departing squad. Amidst the team, Aurelianne was like a star surrounded by the moonlight. She wore a radiant smile, waving to the adventurers, citizens, and soldiers who had come to see her off. This expedition introduced more people to Aurelianne, the imperial princess. At just fifteen years old, she had ventured into the depths of the Rift to battle monsters. Of course, some skeptics believed that Aurelianne had only relied on her powerful demi-human subordinates and the mysterious strength of her guards to reach the thirtieth floor of the Abyss. But criticism always arises from a public perspective. Fortunately, most people scoffed at such claims. After all, these critics had likely never even seen the princess in person. Many of them had never entered the Monster Rift or dared to face even the weakest of monsters. For ten days, the Beast Guild and the demi-human team, along with countless low-tier adventurers, formed a sweeping army that cleared the Rift. The princess''s efforts were witnessed by many. The demi-humans, clad in armor, mounted their horses. At the forefront of the team, Gwen rode a white horse, her hooves striking the yellow soil as she led the group away with the crisp sound of hooves echoing behind them. Once Aurelianne''s team had departed, the once lively streets returned to their usual calm. People loved a spectacle, but when the excitement ended, the crowd naturally dispersed. The First Prince stood by the roadside, watching them leave. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze and led his army back to the frontlines. ... Later, the First Prince slumped into his chair. He looked up at the bright chandelier on the ceiling, remaining silent. "......" Viktor''s arrival had completely undermined everything he had worked so hard to buildhis influence, his strength, even his reputation. Viktor had only spent two days in the south. On the second day, he left Godinlima with the duke''s daughter, returning to the capital. Yet in just those two days, Viktor had achieved a series of astounding feats. He slew the black dragon, rescued the duke''s daughter, and eliminated the crisis in advance. The demi-human team he brought with him dominated the spotlight during the ten-day expedition. Even the strongest adventurer guild in the souththe Beast Guildpublicly declared their allegiance. When the Beast Guild announced their decision to join the Kravina family as a vassal, there was a moment when Albanie felt as though the sky was collapsing. It was on that very day that he had arranged a meeting with Hela, the guild leader of the Beast Guild. When the First Prince asked her why she had chosen to align with the Kravina family, he vividly remembered her smiling as she arched her brows. Her gaze, adorned with swirling patterns, seemed to pierce his soul. "Your Highness, we were always just collaborators. You dont have the authority to dictate whom I choose to follow, do you?" "Im simply pursuing my own love. Is that wrong?" Her words left the First Prince speechless. Although there were other guilds in the adventurer''s capital, the Beast Guilds decision to side with the Kravina family would only cause the First Prince to lose more supporters. Viktor had taken everything from himall for the sake of elevating Aurelianne. Now, the only solace Albanie could find was that Aurelianne and her team had not uncovered the secret he had buried deep below. The one hidden in the depths of the AbyssSapphirose.Stolen novel; please report. ... Meanwhile, on the fiftieth floor of the Monster Rift. The surroundings grew darker, the red-purple earth rising into a monstrous fortress. Thick black mist swirled around the fortress, with flesh and blood protruding from its grotesque structure. On this twisted land, countless jagged trees and rocks jutted out in distorted shapes. Sapphirose stood still, holding a blade several times her height. Her body was covered in wounds, blood streaming down her skin, and one arm pierced through entirely. The black-and-white wings on her back drooped at her waist, their dual-colored feathers falling off one by one. Before her stood a massive monsterthe floor guardian of the fiftieth layer. **[Goliath Giant]** Its four massive arms rested weakly on the ground. One of its giant axes was embedded in the earth, while the other was lodged in the fortress behind it. Atop its enormous head, a single giant eye swiveled before locking onto Sapphirose. Its lower body, supported by two legs, was in shambles. One leg had been severed, black blood gushing from the wound, while the other appeared twisted, its foot bent unnaturally. The giant''s massive torso bore a deep cavity, with blood gushing out in streams. Countless scars crisscrossed its limbs. The towering figure began to sway, its head drooping lower and lower. With a resounding crash, it collapsed entirely. The crimson, flesh-like ground split open, forming a massive chasm resembling a gaping maw. The giants corpse was dragged into the abyss, leaving behind a single glowing object on the surface. At that moment, Sapphirose finally relaxed. The enormous blade in her hand disintegrated into the air. Dragging her heavily injured body, she bent down to pick up the item dropped by the monster, examining it closely. It was a hollowed-out orb, its surface glowing with a red-purple light that flowed within its shell. This time, however, she did not consume it. Instead, she placed it at her waist. She patted her side, as if proudly displaying her spoils of war. The various materials she had meticulously collected from countless slain monsters clinked against one another, producing a crisp sound. Sapphirose, dragging her wounded body, began her slow ascent toward the upper layers of the Monster Rift. ... At Gisis shop, an unusual customer arrived. When old Gisi opened the door, he saw a customer wrapped in a massive cloak. With the hood pulled low and the sunlight glaring, he couldnt make out the persons face. Once the customer entered, Gisi took a closer look at the peculiar visitor. Judging by the figure it seemed to be a woman. But the oversized cloak obscured her back, making it appear as though she was carrying something enormous. Gisi greeted her with the same words he had repeated countless times: "Buying or selling?" "...Selling." The voice was slightly off, the enunciation awkward and labored. But such people were common in the adventurers capital, so Gisi paid it no mind. Puffing on his pipe, he gestured with his chin. "Alright, lets see what youve got." With a series of clattering sounds, a heap of monster materials was unceremoniously dumped onto the table. At first, Gisi didnt think much of it. He puffed on his pipe, blowing out smoke rings. But as he examined the materials, his eyes widened, and the smoke he had inhaled got stuck in his throat, forcing it out through his nose. "Stop! Stop! Miss, please, dont throw any more!" He quickly set his pipe aside, donned a pair of gloves, and carefully gathered the monster materials as if they were treasures. His eyes sparkled as he inspected them with a magnifying glass. "Be careful with thesetheyre precious items." The more he examined, the more he gasped. "A horn from a Magnetic Beast? Impressive" "Is this the heart of Timok, the floor guardian of the twentieth layer? This is a rare find!" Before he could finish, the unnatural voice interrupted him: "How much in total?" Gisi looked at the veiled woman before him with newfound respect. Anyone capable of collecting such materials was undoubtedly a formidable adventurer. Not daring to offer a low price, he held up a hand, showing five fingers. "Although these are rare, the quantity is limited. Id say about this much." The woman nodded silently. "I want to leave this place. To go to a more prosperous city." "Is there a way?" Her voice was halting, but her enunciation had improved significantly. Gisi took another puff of his pipe, exhaling a smoke ring. "Ah, miss, if youre looking to move to a better place, youve come to the right person." He grinned. "If youre not part of a team, with your skills, youd be better off heading to the capital. Its far better than staying in this dump of a city." "Adventuring isnt a job for everyone." He handed her a pouch of coins. "Heres your paymentfifty thousand Geo. Take it." He continued, "You know about the magic train, right? With this money, you can buy a ticket at the counter. In just one day, youll reach the capital." The woman tucked the pouch into her cloak. Just then, a gust of wind blew the shop door open, lifting the womans hood and revealing her pale face. In the sunlight, her complexion looked even paler than malnutrition. Her snake-like green eyes narrowed sharply, the vertical pupils contracting into thin slits. The strange gaze seemed both mesmerizing and dangerous, leaving Gisi momentarily dazed. Yet beneath the allure, Gisi felt an overwhelming sense of danger. The woman, seemingly unfazed, pulled her hood back up and nodded lightly at Gisi. With a sudden burst of air beneath her feet, she vanished in a flash. In the blink of an eye, only a cloud of dust remained. Gisi blinked, staring blankly at the empty space before him. "Dammit, I mustve been seeing things." "A monster just walked into my shop to sell me materials." """ Chapter 196: The Noble Ladys First Attempt Chapter 196: The Noble Lady''s First Attempt The Delin Residence. A faint mist wafted out from the bathroom. Gwen soaked in the bathtub, her entire body submerged in the warm water. Hugging her knees with both arms, only the upper part of her faceher nose and abovewas visible. Her mouth was underwater, blowing bubbles continuously, her eyebrows drooping in a deeply troubled expression. Having just returned from the south a few days ago, Gwen''s mind was nearly consumed by the image of that golden-haired figure. Erica du Cloye. Gwen knew her, of course. They had met several times before. Gwen had never imagined that one day she would care so much about this matter. That incident, existing in everyone''s memory but almost forgotten, had recently resurfaced in her mind. Viktor had once confessed to the duke''s daughter. How annoying. Why had she suddenly started caring about this? Gwen took a deep breath, sank back into the bathtub, and resumed blowing bubbles. Viktor had said he would resolve the matter, though she had no idea how he planned to do so. But over time, that unpleasant incident had indeed faded from memory. Now, when the people of the Empirewhether commoners or noblesmentioned Viktor, all they thought of was the elegant count and the powerful councilman. It seemed no one remembered what Viktor had done back then. Even Gwen had gradually forgotten. But the last time she saw the golden-haired girl, she had walked out of Viktor''s room. As if beyond her control, Gwen found herself recalling that incident. Before this, even when the matter had just occurred, she hadn''t paid it much attention. Gwen couldn''t understand herself. She remained motionless in the bathtub, her mind racing with thoughts. "What kind of relationship do she and Viktor have, exactly?" Then, a knock on the door interrupted Gwen''s thoughts. It was a servant''s voice. "Miss Gwen." Hearing someone call her, Gwen finally snapped out of her thoughts. She lifted her head out of the bathtub, leaned back, and rested against the edge. Her fair skin, glistening with transparent droplets of water, appeared especially radiant in the hazy mist. "What is it?" She frowned slightly, asking absentmindedly. The servant''s voice followed. "Miss Kevla has returned." ... Wrapped in a thick, white towel, Gwen had her hair pinned up high, water droplets falling to the floor due to gravity. As soon as she opened the door and stepped out, she bumped straight into Kevla. Gwen was about to take two steps back when Kevla pulled her into a tight embrace. "So fragrant, so fragrant~ Where is my freshly bathed little Gwen planning to go?" Kevla''s teasing voice, filled with playful charm, gently reached Gwen''s ears. Gwen''s face instantly turned red. She broke free from Kevla''s embrace, clutching her bathrobe tightly, standing in front of her. "Sister, why are you back at this hour?" "Is everything fine back home?" Kevla confidently waved her hand. "Everything over there has been taken care of. It''s all settled for you." Using her own methods, she had reestablished rules and a new order for the Northern Knights. She had also fully opened the Steel Fortress, allowing free entry. As long as they followed the rules to arrange their schedules, it wouldn''t cause trouble for the Delin family. Seeing her sister suddenly return, Gwen was overjoyed. After all, the entire Delin family now consisted of only the two of them as direct relatives. "I came back this time because I have some business to attend to." Kevla''s smile slightly faded as she spoke slowly. "This matter has something to do with you as well." Gwen blinked, pointing to herself in confusion. "Me?" Kevla nodded. Soon, her expression darkened, and her face turned unusually serious as she spoke in a grave tone:This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Supposejust suppose" "If I were to ask Viktor out on a date, you wouldn''t mind, would you?" "...?" ... Viktor''s Mansion "Slowly, insert it here." "Don''t let it move too violently." A cold voice rang out, and Erica''s golden hair suddenly flushed red. Then, her tense body abruptly relaxed. "I did it!" Her face lit up with uncontainable joy as green and white runes shimmered on the magic circle before her. In front of Erica, a basic third-tier spell began to form a structure. Elements of wind and wood intertwined, flowing within the formation. Several patterns intertwined, crossing around the edges of the formation. [Third-Tier Spell: Gale Greenleaf] This was one of the most basic third-tier elemental attack spells, its difficulty comparable to fitting an elephant into a refrigerator. Unlike any spell Erica had learned before, its destructive power was enough to devastate an entire forest. The intricate formation continued to tremble, emitting waves of magical energy. With her father away, Erica had spent most of her days at Viktor''s mansion since returning to the capital. Her purpose was straightforward: to seek guidance on how to use third-tier spells. For a second-tier mage like her, casting a third-tier spell was as challenging as fitting an elephant into a refrigerator. Thus, this "guidance" had lasted nearly half a month. Today, she finally succeeded. Watching the excited Erica, Viktor nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. This is your first third-tier basic spell." Strictly speaking, being able to cast a third-tier spell meant that a mage had stepped into the ranks of third-tier mages. However, Erica hadn''t reached that level yet. Viktor glanced at the number hovering above Erica''s head, indicating her level. LV29. Her wind and wood elemental magic stemmed from calamity, making her incomparable to ordinary second-tier mages. These unique natural forces allowed Erica, who was nearing the third tier, to mimic the magical power of a third-tier mage to some extent. Of course, she was on the verge of becoming a third-tier mage herself. This rocket-like leveling speed was something Viktor had only seen before in Henie. Viktor wasn''t surprised. Even in the game''s lore, shortly after Viktor''s death-ending, the now-adult Erica became a third-tier mage, breaking Viktor''s record as the youngest third-tier mage. Now, she had merely advanced this timeline by nearly two years. Erica, thrilled with her first successful third-tier spell, couldn''t contain her excitement. She repeatedly bowed to Viktor to express her gratitude. "Professor! Thank you so much!" Her face beamed with pride and joy, radiating like sunshine. Viktor responded calmly, nodding slightly as he said: "This is the result of your own efforts. There''s no need to thank me." "Perhaps I should congratulate you in advance on becoming the youngest third-tier mage." Indeed, Erica was close to the required level. But she wasn''t a player. Many second-tier mages at the peak of their tier struggled for years without becoming third-tier mages. That one-level gap was enough to halt countless mages, preventing them from ever advancing to the third tier. For game players, it wasn''t difficultjust accumulating enough experience points would suffice. But real mages had to put in far more effort. Erica understood this well. Casting a third-tier spell didn''t mean she had become a third-tier mage. A true third-tier mage could cast third-tier spells effortlessly, as if it were second nature. Still, today''s success was enough to make Erica ecstatic. After expressing her thanks with one final bow, she left Viktor''s mansion. She wanted to return home and practice repeatedly while the sensation was still fresh. After Erica left, Lia, who had been secretly watching for an unknown amount of time, slowly emerged from the side of the training ground. Placing one hand on her hip, she looked back in the direction Erica had left, pouting slightly. With a hint of teasing in her tone, she said to Viktor: "Well, well, the little girl you confessed to back then has come again." "Our esteemed mage lord is as charming as ever. Are your dreams about to come true?" Viktor didn''t answer, merely casting a calm glance at Lia. This gesture only made Lia more convinced that Viktor was tacitly agreeing. She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression showing a hint of disdain as she said: "Don''t forget, you still have a fiance." Viktor turned away, intending to leave. A crow conveniently perched on his shoulder. "Where''s Henie? Where is she now?" "What, got all worked up by that little girl and now want to vent on someone else?" Lia shot Viktor a dissatisfied look and muttered: "Messy private life, you scoundrel mage." After a sarcastic remark, she left the training ground. Leaving Viktor alone, utterly puzzled. He couldn''t figure out what she was upset about. ... At that moment, Henie was at the academy. With the semester about to begin, as an assistant professor, she had to arrive early to prepare for various opening tasks. Including welcoming new students. The most dreaded task for freshmen was undoubtedly the pre-admission exam. Naturally, this responsibility also fell to Henie. She was currently sitting at the academy''s entrance, dressed in a large black robe. Under the summer sun, she squinted her eyes, struggling to keep them open. Sweat on her forehead plastered her bangs against her skin, and her entire body was soaked in sweat. Even though she had used magic to cool down, after a day''s work, her body was still exhausted and sweating profusely. Her shoulders ached, her spine creaked. Henie slumped in her chair, exhaling deeply. So tired, so tired. Only by sitting outside the academy could she escape the workload for a moment and relax. "Being an assistant professor doesn''t seem all that great." It felt like she was even more exhausted than before. She really wanted to go home and take a bath. It would be even better if she could share it with the professor. Ehehe... Henie''s face flushed as she indulged in her fantasy. She sat there with her eyes closed, nearly falling asleep. Until a shadow suddenly loomed over her. Sensitive as she was, she realized someone was approaching and quickly sat up straight. "Welcome, are you here to tour the academy...?" She blinked, looking at the cloaked figure before her. The person before her slowly lifted their head, revealing a pair of green, snake-like eyes staring at Henie. "May I ask..." """ Chapter 197: The Catgirl Modification Plan "Excuse me." "What... is an academy?" Henie was momentarily stunned. The person standing before her had exceptionally beautiful eyes, like two sparkling emeralds. What a pity, though. Someone with such stunning eyes... ...was speaking in a halting and awkward manner. And the question she asked was rather odd. It gave off the impression of beauty without intelligence. A trace of regret flickered in Henie''s eyes. Fortunately, she was a helpful person and began to explain: "An academy? It''s basically a place for teaching and learning." "This is a magic academy. If you have a talent for magic, you can apply for admission." The person standing before her fell silent after hearing Henie''s explanation. Henie stood quietly, observing her: "Are you from outside the city?" "Or is this your first time in the capital?" The hooded figure nodded blankly. A flame of helpfulness ignited in Henie''s heart. Looking at the person who struggled even to speak, Henie couldn''t help but ask kindly: "Why did you come to the capital?" "I want... to become stronger." In her fragmented memories, ever since the Monster Rift had been shrouded in that deep darkness, the image of a crow had been etched into her mind. It seemed to constantly remind her, flashing along with visions of a bustling city in her thoughts. Thus, she followed those fragmented and faint memories to this place. "I see, I understand now." Henie nodded, displaying a look of realization. "If you want to become a mage, I can give you a tour of the academy." "By the way, what''s your name?" The mysterious figure slowly raised her head, her translucent green snake-like pupils gradually expanding. A hoarse voice emerged: "I am..." "Sapphirose." ... Dragging her sore legs, Henie finally pushed open the grand doors of the Kravina estate. Although Viktor had already prepared a house near the academy for herso she wouldn''t have to walk too far to workHenie still preferred coming back here. If asked why... "Professor!" Henie pushed open the study door, her cheerful voice ringing out. She stepped through the doorway and saw Viktor sitting at his desk under the glow of a desk lamp. The warm yellow light pierced through the darkness, illuminating the pages of the book he was reading. Viktor slowly turned the pages of his book, the soft rustling of paper occasionally breaking the silence. Whenever Henie entered the study and saw Viktor, he was almost always engrossed in a thick book. This sight always filled Henie with a sense of admiration. No wonder the professor had become a Tier 4 mage at such a young age. Even after reaching Tier 4, he still read constantly. The knowledge in his mind must have reached an astounding level. Although she was surprised last time when she borrowed that obscene book from Professor Viktor, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. That novel was written in Elvish; perhaps Professor Viktor was reading it to learn the language. This further demonstrated his wide-ranging curiosity and deep study of Elvish. In any case, Henie had found plenty of reasons to justify it. Seeing Henie return, Viktor closed his book and placed it steadily on the desk. He turned off the desk lamp and snapped his fingers. A white light, brighter than the lamp, lit up the dim study. His gaze shifted calmly toward Henie. "It seems you''re in a good mood today." "Is there something you need?" "Well, not really..." Hearing Viktor''s question, Henie fidgeted a little before looking at him again.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "It''s so hot today, and I wanted to take a bath." "So... Professor, can we... take one together?" ... Bang! The door slammed shut, and in the blink of an eye, Henie found herself standing outside. As expected, she had been kicked out of the study. Such a request was bold in itself; being rejected was no surprise. But Henie didn''t feel discouraged or give up. Ever since she realized her race was that of a succubus, it had taken her several days to come to terms with it. This was thanks to Leighton. The little crocodile had counseled her, saying that demons were creatures driven by instinct. Deliberately following rules was less meaningful than following one''s nature. Thus, Henie had come to accept it. Since her feelings were a natural instinct... Why not embrace them? Besides, she really liked Professor Viktor. "......" Unconsciously, Henie thought back to the last time. It was also in Professor Viktor''s study. The professor had kissed her. She leaned against the study door, touching her lips. Soon, Henie shook off her thoughts, humming an offbeat tune as she left the hallway. ... In the study, Viktor rubbed his forehead, his brows furrowed in frustration. The crow perched nearby cackled mercilessly. "Look at you, all flustered." "If you ask me, you should just give in already." Viktor straightened his posture and replied calmly. "I''ve told you." "It''s not the right time yet." It wasn''t Henie or their relationship that troubled him, but rather the fact that after kicking her out, he remembered he had something to discuss with her. Her bold statement had completely thrown him off track. That succubus... truly... "Getting bolder by the day." With his train of thought derailed, he no longer felt like reading. Taking a deep breath, Viktor sat upright. "Forget it. I should deal with another matter first." Sitting in his chair, a deep black vortex began to swirl at his feet, gusts of wind erupting from within. Vega perched on his shoulder. His entire body fragmented into pieces, sinking into the vortex and gradually vanishing. ... In a room with wooden floors covered by thick carpets, a massive leather chair sat prominently. The air was filled with the aroma of tea. Unlike other maids, Vanilla, though dressed as a maid and often handling household chores, was not considered a servant in the Kravina estate. She was a retainer sent from the Kravina main family. Rumor had it that the adorable catgirl wore a maid outfit solely because of Viktor Kravina''s peculiar preferences. Additionally, there were whispers that Viktor had a fondness for minors, a rumor that had practically spread throughout the capital. These suspicions had almost solidified into truths. The household staff all knew about it, but none dared to discuss it. Thus, the rumors were tacitly accepted as fact. Except for Vanilla herself, who was completely unaware. She was currently seated in her room, holding a complex magical tome, earnestly studying and practicing her reading. She bit her finger, furrowed her brow, and her tail unconsciously stood upright, swaying slightly. Even her ears twitched rhythmically. As a magic apprentice, there were many things she didn''t understand. And now, as she pored over the magical text, she had hit a wall. It was just an ordinary "Magic Apprentice''s Beginner Selection." Could it be that beastfolk were inherently unsuited to becoming mages? A sense of anxiety and doubt crept into Vanilla''s heart. As she concentrated on her studies, a deep black vortex suddenly appeared on the floor behind her. A gust of wind blew toward the ceiling as Viktor emerged, standing behind her. Startled by the presence, Vanilla quickly set down her book. But when she turned and saw Viktor, her initial surprise turned to delight. "Master!" Viktor nodded lightly and responded: "How''s your studying coming along?" "Um... there are some complex parts I still don''t quite understand." Viktor leaned down, moving closer to her. Vega''s single eye also scanned the magical text. It was an exceptionally simple foundational magic question. The difficulty was akin to asking how much 10 times 8 equaled in basic arithmetic. Glancing at the text and receiving the answer from Vega, Viktor explained calmly: "Here, it''s because of the connection between the runes." "When two runes interact, they channel magic power through their linkage." Vanilla lowered her head, listening intently to Viktor''s explanation. She nodded in sudden realization. Ah, so that''s how it worked! She finally understood! Afterward, Viktor gently placed his hand on Vanilla''s head. As he touched her cat ears, a soft sensation spread through his fingers. Vanilla froze for a moment but quickly relaxed, enjoying the caress. She closed her eyes, purring contentedly. While stroking her, Viktor noticed the level indicator above Vanilla''s head. Lv7. Not bad. At the start, she had only been Level 5. Now, at this level, perhaps it was time to give it a try. Viktor''s voice sounded softly. "In a moment, don''t resist." Vanilla looked confused, not yet realizing what was about to happen. She obediently nodded. Suddenly, a black crow flew in front of her. Its single eye glowed with a bright blue light. The instant their eyes met, Vanilla felt a wave of intense dizziness. Her mind blanked, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious. With a flick of his hand, Viktor enveloped Vanilla in a white magical aura and placed her gently on the bed. At this moment, Vega flapped its wings, perched beside Vanilla, and examined her body with a nod of approval. "Even though she''s a beastfolk and not yet an adult, her physical condition far surpasses that of ordinary humans." Viktor used his finger to channel white magic into the air, summoning a magical artifact from his storage space. [Eyeball of the Hidden Magic Corpse] The eyeball, oozing greenish blood, floated midair, enveloped in a magical glow. Then, Vega''s voice rang out. With immense pride and confidence, it raised its head as if to announce something monumental. "Now, let meVega, the Great Doctor!" "Commence this extraordinary surgery!" """ Chapter 198: The Cats Gratitude As Vega prepared for the surgery, Viktor waved his hand, and several bottles of crimson potions appeared neatly on a nearby cabinet. Although this was Vega''s first attempt at a modification surgery, Viktor wasn''t worried. He had countless measures to ensure Vanilla''s safety. At this moment, the eyeball Viktor had just taken out floated gently in midair, guided by a stream of black magic. A silver blade materialized out of thin air and traced along the edge of the eyeball, slicing open a small fissure. From the crack, wisps of black mist slowly seeped out of the eyeball. This was the unprocessed magic within the [Hidden Demon Corpse''s Eyeball]. If this magic were to come into contact with a person, the consequences could range from losing consciousness to being consumed by the magic and transforming into a demonic entity. Soon, the crow flapped its wings gracefully, like a conductor leading an orchestra, and made an elegant gesture. The pitch-black formation beneath their feet began to construct itself gradually. Intricate patterns spread out of nowhere, climbing onto Vanilla''s body and converging at her heart. Numerous black runes started to pulsate, twisting and etching themselves onto the rings of the formation. The black mist from the eyeball began to coil around Vega''s wings. Eventually, the entire material shriveled as though all moisture had been drained from it, turning into dust that dissipated into the air. The black mist followed the patterns, seeped through Vanilla''s skin, merged into her bloodstream, and finally entered her heart. Vanilla''s body emitted waves of black smoke, which soon engulfed her entirely. At this point, Viktor glanced at Vanilla''s health bar and her level indicator beneath it. Due to the enhancement of magic, her level naturally increased. **LV9.** "It seems... it worked," Viktor remarked. He picked up a bottle of red potion and placed it near Vanilla''s lips, who had just emerged from the black fog. Now, all that was left was to wait for her to wake up. ... "Hmm?" Vanilla rubbed her temples and slowly sat up. Her body felt lighter, as if all the impurities had been purged. Even her vision seemed sharper. She could now lift her head and clearly see the patterns on the walls of the buildings outside the window. She clenched her fists experimentally, feeling the strength coursing through her limbs. A warm current and the pull of her muscles sent signals to her brain. Just then, a voice came from beside her. "Awake?" Vanilla snapped out of her daze and turned to see the man sitting in the chair next to her. Viktor had one leg crossed over the other, his hands clasped together, as if patiently waiting for her to regain consciousness. The black crow perched on Viktor''s shoulder was leisurely preening its feathers. Vanilla blinked, and in her post-coma haze, she suddenly became alert, covering her small mouth in surprise. She remembered that before she lost consciousness, her master had been by her side. Could it be... that her master had done something to her? At this moment, Viktor stood up, hands in his pockets, and scrutinized Vanilla from head to toe. Her pupils were no longer the simple cat eyes they used to be. Beneath the vertical slits, there was now a faint circular pattern that contracted and expanded continuously. Under Viktor''s unwavering gaze, Vanilla became a little bashful, lowering her head in embarrassment. "How do you feel?" Viktor finally asked. Vanilla responded, "Pretty good! My body feels so light!" Viktor nodded in approval. Although the procedure was akin to a demonic modification surgery, demons were essentially beings formed from concentrated magic. Strictly speaking, using materials from demons for such surgeries was more about absorbing and processing their magic.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The benefit was that the subject could gain some of the demon''s abilities, similar to how Sapphirose possessed an array of demonic skills. After all, this technique was derived from Sapphirose. The difference was that Sapphirose could assimilate demonic abilities simply by consuming them. Vanilla, on the other hand, required Vega''s stolen stitching technique from Sapphirose to achieve the same effect. Moreover, the compatibility of the demon materials was crucial for the successful assimilation of their abilities. Regarding this technique, Vega had expressed that it was not a researcher and that achieving this level was already commendable. It even requested an extra meal as a reward from Viktor. Since the modification was a success, it was time to test the results. Viktor snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a gust of wind swept past the window. Vanilla''s eyes widened as she felt the surge of magic rushing toward her. In the next moment, a massive blue formation appeared beneath Viktor''s feet. "Follow me," Viktor said. As his voice fell, beams of blue light enveloped the two of them and the crow, dissolving into ripples that vanished into the air. ... Several blue streaks pierced through the clouds and descended toward the earth. In a dense forest, the blue lines landed on a lush green meadow. Moonlight filtered through the gently swaying leaves, casting its glow on Vanilla. This was the "Azure Demon Forest," a grinding spot outside the royal capital. A cold breeze blew through, causing Vanilla''s fur to bristle slightly. She instinctively clung to Viktor, wrapping herself around him. Her ears stood upright, and her fur puffed up. She looked just like a frightened kitten, clinging tightly to Viktor for safety. "Don''t be afraid. Open your eyes," Viktor said in a soothing tone. Hearing his calm voice, Vanilla slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils, now glowing brightly in the darkness, reflected the starlight in her gaze, like tiny galaxies swirling in her eyes. She slowly released Viktor and took a cautious look around the forest, noting that no monsters seemed to be present. "Now, try out your new magic," Viktor said calmly. Vanilla tilted her head in confusion. New magic? When did she learn new magic? Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind, as if something was guiding her on what to do. Her body moved on its own. It was as if her eyes were driving her instincts. Vanilla crouched low, and her vision transformed completely. In her sight, the entire forest was shrouded in darkness, with only a few colorful spots hidden within. She immediately recognized those colorful spots. They were the monsters lurking in the woods. As soon as she crouched, her body began to swell slightly, radiating a powerful and overwhelming aura. A sharp, piercing roar erupted from her, accompanied by a storm-like force that snapped countless massive trees in half and drove them deep into the earth. Wood splinters and mud flew everywhere, filling the air with a strong scent of vegetation. As the trees toppled, several small monsters were exposed in the open. Feeling terrified, they didn''t dare to look at Vanilla. They immediately turned and fled, slipping and scrambling in their haste. Vanilla was stunned. The explosive destruction in front of her... was caused by her? At that moment, her mind was blank. The next second, her body felt completely drained. A strong sense of fatigue overwhelmed her, and she nearly collapsed. Fortunately, a white gust of magic descended. Viktor cast a wind spell, cushioning her body with a gentle breeze. Having expended too much magic at once, her body couldn''t adapt and she fainted. Viktor stepped forward and picked up the unconscious little catgirl in his arms. He was quite satisfied with Vanilla''s performance. The abilities she had just displayed were the [Detection] and [Roar] skills from the Hidden Demon Corpse. Strictly speaking, these weren''t magic spells. They were **skills**. The power of these skills was impressive. Even for a magic apprentice like Vanilla, the damage she caused was comparable to that of a first- or second-tier mage. The experiment concluded, Viktor carried Vanilla in his arms. A glow appeared beneath his feet, and the two of them vanished once again. After they left, the monsters in the forest, sensing that the overwhelming aura had disappeared, cautiously emerged. They stood atop the shattered trees, howling at the moon as if to bolster their courage. ... Viktor quietly exited Vanilla''s room and closed the door behind him. A cloud drifted past the moon, casting its pale light on his black coat. As he turned around, he saw Lia standing nearby. She crossed her arms and looked at Viktor with a calm yet chilling gaze. Even in the dark, the moonlight reflected in her eyes made them appear bright and piercing. "Viktor," Lia said, her voice eerily composed as she locked eyes with him. "Since when have humans no longer been enough for you?" ... "Oh, I see! That scared me for a second," Lia exclaimed in the study, one hand on her hip and the other patting her chest as if relieved. When the servants mentioned hearing loud noises from Vanilla''s room, Lia had been confused and concerned. Since she had something to discuss with Viktor, she decided to check it out. She happened to run into Viktor at Vanilla''s door. Seeing him leave a young girl''s room late at night could easily lead to misunderstandings. Especially since Lia had teased Viktor earlier in the day, she couldn''t help but jump to conclusions, thinking Viktor had done something inappropriate. Setting aside whether Vanilla was underage, even if the catgirl was stunningly beautiful... She was still a demi-human! Lia had been genuinely worried that Viktor might go down the wrong path. Fortunately, she remained calm enough to hear his explanation. He claimed he was teaching Vanilla magic. Relieved, Lia believed him. At least, teaching magic was a far better explanation than anything untoward. Still, Lia couldn''t help but add, "Viktor, if you''re having trouble holding back, just let me know. I''ll come up with a solution for you." "Just don''t do anything you shouldn''t with minors or demi-humans!" Chapter 199: Sister Caught in the Act, Sisters Betrayal Lia maintained an unusually serious expression as she spoke. Although her words seemed perfectly fine, Viktor couldn''t shake off a strange feeling. Sitting at his desk, he quietly observed Lia. "So, what''s the reason you''re looking for me?" It was already so late. If it wasnt something important, Lia wouldnt have come to him. Viktor was well aware of her habits and routines. "Ah, right, right," Lia said, as if suddenly recalling something. She reached behind her waist and fumbled for a moment. "Here, take this." She pulled out a small pendant. The pendant was shaped like a black blade, small and delicate, almost gem-like. Its interior was clear and crystalline, with bat-like wing decorations on each side. "This is from Gwen''s sister, Kevla. She asked me to give it to you as a token of her gratitude for what you did in the Northern Lands." Viktor lifted a finger, and a stream of white magic flowed from his fingertip. The magic wrapped around the pendant, lifting it into the air and floating it toward his hand. He gave it a cursory glance. Suddenly, as if noticing something unusual, he narrowed his eyes slightly and placed the pendant back on the desk. "And then?" he asked. "She gave me this, but I doubt it''s just to express her thanks." Lia looked at Viktor, seemingly a bit surprised. "How did you know? You''re right. She does have a request. She hopes youll accompany her for a day tomorrow." ... Early the next morning, Viktor watched Henie leave the mansion in a rush after breakfast. With the academy''s reopening around the corner, Henie had been assigned a mountain of tasks, leaving her feeling a little overwhelmed. But as a deputy professor, she understood it was her responsibility. Still, it was undeniably a busy period. Viktor had specifically reminded Henie that during these hectic days, she could stay at a house near the academy to save the time spent commuting and get more rest. However, Henie, stubborn as always, insisted on commuting daily, even refusing to take a carriage. "It''s for exercise," she would say. But Viktor knew better. Henie was simply caught up in her own little stubbornness, unwilling to trouble anyone else. Not long after Henie left, Kevla arrived. The moment she stepped in, she greeted Viktor with her usual enthusiasm. "Yo, yo~ Long time no see, Viktor!" Viktor raised a hand slightly, and behind Kevla, a flash of light appeared. A chair materialized out of thin air. But that wasnt all. On the table in front of her, a teacup and teapot seemed to be lifted by invisible hands, pouring her a cup of tea. Kevla watched the display, wide-eyed and amazed. "Sit," Viktor said, gesturing for Kevla to take a seat. Kevla, never one to stand on ceremony, sat across from Viktor, picked up the teacup, and took a sip. The power of magictruly extraordinary. As she drank, Kevla couldn''t help but marvel. As a demon hunter, she knew magic would forever remain beyond her reach. Setting down the teacup, she smiled at Viktor and said, "Viktor, were all family, so theres no need for pretense. You probably already know my profession." A demon huntera profession born to hunt demons. Viktor remained expressionless, casually picking up a piece of bird food and feeding it to the raven perched on his shoulder. "And then? You said you wanted me to accompany you for a day. What exactly do you have in mind?" Lia had already informed him that Kevla had obtained Gwens permission. That was why Viktor was curious about Kevlas request. Although... Viktor glanced down at the pendant now hanging around his neck, his thoughts becoming more focused.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Kevla, noticing the pendant on Viktors neck, seemed pleased. "Looks like you dont dislike the gift." "This is our demon hunters insignia, a symbol of identity. Every demon hunter possesses one, and only one." Kevla straightened her posture and smiled faintly. "If the owner of this insignia dies, their power wont dissipate. Instead, it will condense within the pendant, waiting for the next person to inherit it." "I am its second owner." Viktor picked up the pendant, examining it closely. The glossy black pendant seemed to shimmer faintly under the sunlight, with intricate, flowing patterns visible within its depths. "If thats the case, why didnt you give it to Gwen?" Viktor asked. He knew this item was considered the most precious treasure of a demon hunter. It was also the key to the survival and continuity of the demon hunter lineage. "This insignia can only be entrusted to someone truly worthy," Kevla said, her smile unwavering as she met Viktors gaze. "I trust you because youre Gwens fianc. Besides, compared to her, youre far more deserving of this insignia." Viktor listened quietly to Kevlas words before tucking the pendant under his clothing. Kevlas explanation was still too polite. Viktor recalled that, in the game, this item had a special name visible only to players: [Blood of the Demon Hunters Lifeblood]. It was a quest item, a necessary artifact for players to transition into the demon hunter class. Furthermore, throughout the entire questline, players could only ever obtain this one insignia. It represented a demon hunters complete trust and the authority over their life and death. When a demon hunter handed over their insignia, it meant they had entrusted their life and death to its new owner. As for why Viktor knew this... It was because, during the class transition quests, players were presented with two choices. The first choice was to kill the demon hunter mentor after obtaining the insignia, gaining the mentors residual power and becoming a demon hunter. The second choice was to keep the insignia... Viktor stopped dwelling on the games plot and focused on Kevlas expectant gaze, his expression becoming more serious. "If youve given me this, then..." "Ill accept your trust." ... When Henie arrived at the academy, Sapphirose was already waiting at the entrance, seemingly for quite some time. She was still dressed in her simple attire, a plain, oversized cloak draped over her shoulders. Her back seemed to carry something bulky, hidden beneath the fabric. Seeing Sapphirose, Henie appeared pleasantly surprised. "Youre here so early!" Hearing Henies voice, Sapphirose slowly turned her head to face her. Her words were mechanical, with deliberate pauses. "This... was... the arrangement." Indeed, Henie had made a small promise to Sapphirose the day before. Because it was already late when they first met, they didnt have enough time to fully tour the academy. So, they had agreed to meet again today for a proper tour. "Lets head inside," Henie said with a cheerful smile. Seeing Sapphirose hesitate, seemingly unsure of what to do, Henie reached out and grabbed her hand hidden beneath the cloak. "Come on, lets go together!" The two walked through the academy gates, where an overwhelming magical energy enveloped them. Henie explained, "The magic concentration inside the Royal Academy is three to five times higher than outside. Its incredibly suitable for mages to practice." Even though Sapphirose sometimes seemed completely lost, Henie remained patient, explaining everything with enthusiasm. "Its still early, so there arent many people around. Lets take a look at the places that are usually crowded." After the two left, a transparent [Natural Sparrow] had already observed their every move. At the same time, Rachel Azure stood at the top of the Mage Tower, gazing out the window and overseeing the entire academy. He took pride in the harmony and prosperity of the institution he managed. After all, the Royal Magic Academy was Rachel Azures lifelong masterpiece. Suddenly, the Natural Sparrow quivered, its magic rippling slightly. Rachel shivered as well. "Whats going on?" For a brief moment, he felt the presence of a powerful creature entering the academy gates. On his desk, a green, elongated watermelon opened its deep-set eyes. "Azure, you saw it too, didnt you?" the watermelon said in a deep voice. Through the Natural Sparrow, Rachel continued observing Henie and Sapphirose as they walked away. After a moment, he nodded solemnly. "Yes... Shes definitely not ordinary. I can sense a familiar aura." Rachels eyes gleamed with a faint light as he locked onto Sapphiroses cloaked figure, as if seeing straight through her. "That girl, with the aura of a beast..." "Could only be the work of that individual... the so-called [Traitor]." The elongated watermelon slowly propped itself up and spoke again. "If theres trouble, ask Viktor for help. As a member of the Council, hes also obligated to deal with the Councils [Traitors]." With that, the watermelon closed its eyes once more, returning to its seemingly harmless state. Rachel Azure continued to observe through the Natural Sparrow. A moment later, as if sensing another presence, he looked up. "The Empires Second Prince? Owiser Sol?" "Whats he doing here?" ... At that moment, the Second Prince had just entered the gates and immediately sensed Rachel Azures surveillance. Among the Empires upper echelons, Rachel Azures Natural Sparrow was no secret. Still, even if he was being watched, it didnt matter. He was here to confirm something. "Greed, are you certain? You felt our companion here?" "Of course, my friend," Yems voice slithered into his ears, like bubbling swamp gas. "I never lie when Im not hungry." """ Chapter 200: The Training of the Succubus It was early morning, and the academy was exceptionally quiet. In the vast academy grounds, only Henie was running around with Sapphirose. "This is the academy''s laboratory," Henie said, leading Sapphirose to the front of a classroom. Sapphirose slowly raised her head, gazing at the massive magical classroom. The air seemed to shimmer with faint magical glows, forming a thin veil over the grand doors. Pushing the door open, a spacious scene unfolded before them. Several glowing rings adorned the walls, and as they entered, a three-dimensional outline materialized in the center of the expansive room. Streams of magic gradually converged within it. Soon, a table laden with various rune-engraved items appeared before them. "This is where students at the Royal Academy of Magic learn to craft magical tools," Henie explained as she picked up a slightly uneven stone. Drawing upon her memory, she began engraving runes onto the stone. In just a few seconds, two distinct runes were etched onto the stone, glowing faintly red. "A throwing rune stone," she said. "By alternating two runes, it creates an effect where the stone accelerates automatically when thrown. It''s quite powerful and fast, making it an excellent emergency tool in combat." Henie turned to face a training dummy standing upright in front of them. She weighed the rune stone in her hand before tossing it. As the rune stone left her hand, the red runes flared brightly, shooting forward with explosive force and striking the dummy squarely. The impact caused significant damage to the dummy. "That''s the power of magical tools. They allow mages to handle emergencies more effectively," Henie said. Sapphirose seemed intrigued. She picked up a stone and examined it closely. "Ah, that one hasn''t been engraved yet. It''s just an ordi" Before Henie could finish her sentence, a gust of wind rushed past her. Her hair was blown back, and her loose robe clung tightly to her body. The stone Sapphirose had thrown tore through the air at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, slamming into the dummy. Boom! The next moment, the dummy exploded into fragments of cloth and wood. Henie turned around to see Sapphirose still holding the pose of having thrown the stone, blinking in disbelief. "Uh what?" The training dummies were designed to withstand most third-tier spells, as they were meant for magical training purposes. Yet Sapphirose had shattered one with a mere unengraved stone, using only her physical strength? Henie was at a loss for words. "What on earth have you been eating to grow that strong?" she muttered. The sheer physical force required to destroy a dummy like that would be equivalent to a third-tier warrior''s strength. "Sapphirose, you" Sapphirose tilted her head, looking at Henie curiously. "Never mind," Henie said, deciding against prying into someone else''s secrets. At the very least, this girl seemed simple-minded and in need of guidance. Henie was certain of that. "Come on, let''s check out some other places," she said, taking Sapphirose by the hand and leading her out of the laboratory. Under Henie''s guidance, they arrived at a towering structure. A blue barrier of magical energy seemed to block the entrance to the tower. "This is the Mage''s Tower," Henie explained. "Mages with the proper authorization can freely enter the Mage''s Tower and teleport to any location within the academy from here." Henie puffed out her chest proudlyan action that caused the ample curves hidden beneath her robe to bounce slightlyand walked confidently to the tower''s entrance.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [Identity verifiedHenie, Assistant Professor. Welcome back to the Mage''s Tower.] A mechanical voice devoid of emotion echoed as the blue barrier dissipated. The two stepped into the Mage''s Tower, and the surroundings transformed into an endless starry expanse. Purple and blue nebulae swirled beneath their feet, rotating rapidly, while the vibrant starry sky flowed around them. Soon, the fantastical scenery vanished, as though peeled away, revealing a new setting. They found themselves in a cozy office. A redwood desk stood in one corner, with a leather chair placed behind it. Small pots of flowers basked in sunlight on the desk, while bookshelves filled with heavy tomes lined the walls. Sapphirose looked around curiously before turning to Henie. "You seem happy," she remarked. Henie coughed lightly, trying to hide her satisfaction. "Next, we''ll head to the Arcane Hall," she said. "I''ll assess your magical aptitude there." This was Henie''s main objective. If Sapphirose had any magical talent, no matter how minimal, Henie could use her position as an assistant professor to secure her admission to the academy. Why was Henie so eager to help Sapphirose enroll? Because she believed in the importance of education. Although Sapphirose seemed powerful, she also appeared illiterate and barely articulate, which worried Henie. After all, Henie herself had been saved and guided by Professor Viktor Kravina. She felt a moral obligation to extend the same kindness to others. With a flick of her fingers, Henie conjured two blue lights, which began to swirl in the air. The office was soon enveloped in a blue magical array, wrapping around the two of them. ... Two beams of blue light descended from the sky, depositing them within the Arcane Hall. The vast hall was eerily empty, with no one else in sight. Henie led Sapphirose to a room within the hall, where a transparent crystal pillar stood silently in the center. [The Beginning of Magic] Henie couldn''t help but feel nostalgic as she looked at the pillar. This magical device, personally crafted by Archmage Rachel Azure, was designed to measure an individual''s magical aptitude. Years ago, Henie had been deemed to have no magical talent here. If not for Professor Viktor Kravina, she would never have become a mage. Shaking off the memories, Henie urged Sapphirose, "Place your hand on it." Sapphirose obediently placed her hand on the crystal. Threads of light, like flowing water, began to merge within the crystal. Soon, three bright beams of light emerged on the crystal''s surface. "Magical powerthird tier!" Henie exclaimed. The Beginning of Magic categorized magical aptitude into ten tiers. The number of light beams indicated the tier. Sapphirose''s aptitude was average, even slightly below average. But suddenly, the crystal became unstable. The three beams merged and then split apart again. This time, five beams of light appeared. However, this state didn''t last long. The beams reformed once more, and now eight beams of light shone brightly. Henie gasped in shock. Before she could fully process what she was seeing, the eight beams dissolved, leaving the crystal dark and lifeless. Henie placed her own hand on the crystal, but it remained inert. "Did it malfunction?" she muttered, bewildered. Not wanting Sapphirose to feel disheartened, Henie quickly reassured her. "Magical aptitude doesn''t mean everything. I was deemed talentless, yet here I am, a mage." Seeing that Sapphirose remained expressionless, Henie added, "If you can''t enroll, I''ll request permission from the dean to make you my assistant!" This way, Sapphirose would at least have a job in the capital and wouldn''t risk being exploited due to her naivety. Sapphirose turned to Henie. "Assistant what does that mean?" "Um, it means you''ll help me with some tasks. Of course, I won''t let you overwork yourself," Henie explained with a smile. Then, recalling Sapphirose''s immense strength, she joked, "I might even need you to protect me!" At this, Sapphirose''s body trembled slightly. [Command detected: ''Follow,'' ''Protect.''] [Target identifiedHenie.] [CommandExecute.] Sapphirose''s green serpentine eyes contracted as though confirming something. She stared at Henie blankly before nodding. "Understood." "Oh, that was so fluent! Not bad at all," Henie remarked, patting Sapphirose on the shoulder. "Come on, let''s explore some other places," she said, leading Sapphirose out of the Arcane Hall. The two eventually arrived at a massive pit surrounded by the academy grounds. This pit, a relic of the Demon War, had filled with rainwater over the months, transforming into a natural lake. Standing at the edge, Henie''s eyes glimmered with nostalgia. Professor Viktor Kravina had saved her here, in the face of a demon''s onslaught. Every time she visited this place, she felt a profound sense of gratitude. Turning to Sapphirose, she explained with a smile, "This is where Professor Viktor Kravina defeated the demon. It''s a place of great significance." Sapphirose stared at the pit, her snake-like pupils scanning the lake. [Preliminary analysisFourth-tier war magic.] [UserViktor Kravina.] "Recording complete." "Huh? What are you talking about?" Henie asked. Before Sapphirose could respond, a voice interrupted them. "A sacred site of victory over demons, is it?" Henie turned to see a silver-haired man in regal attire approaching them. Owiser Sol narrowed his eyes, meeting Henie''s gaze. "I''m quite interested in demons, dear lady," he said. "Would you care to enlighten me?" """ Chapter 201: Playing Something Different with the Sister～ Chapter 201: Playing Something Different with the Sister Henie saw Owiser approaching her slowly and instinctively wanted to bow. Of course, she knew who Owiser was. The second prince of the Empire. At Viktor''s lecture, countless nobles were present. And those two princes sat right in the center of the lecture hall, drawing a lot of attention. "Your... Your Highness." The second prince smiled at Henie, and before she could bow, he spoke first. "Stop." Henie froze for two seconds upon hearing the prince''s words, her body half-bent, awkwardly pausing in mid-air. "No need to bow, no one knows I''m here." The second prince said with a smile. "I just wanted to come and see this memorable place." Henie slowly straightened up, her hands tightly clenched together, forcing a stiff smile. A prince was such a noble person; it was something unimaginable for someone like her to be spoken to by him. But Henie only wanted to leave at this moment. Apart from Professor Viktor, she instinctively didn''t want to interact with any male. But since the prince hadn''t given her permission to leave, Henie naturally didn''t dare to leave on her own. She simply stood silently to the side. Suddenly, the prince asked her a question: "I heard you mentioned demons earlier." "How much do you know about demons?" Listening to the prince''s words, Henie lowered her head, responding weakly. "I haven''t learned much..." "I see." The prince watched Henie, squinting slightly. He could feel it. Yes, he could feel it very clearly. Inside this girl, there was a demon. That extremely furious aura was clearly emanating from the girl in front of him. The prince knew that upon meeting Henie, he had confirmed his suspicions. He certainly knew who Henie was. Viktor''s former assistant, with countless connections to Viktor. And the fury that should have appeared on Jace was originally a grand gift he had prepared for his royal brother. Why, inexplicably, did it appear on her? ''Greed, do you have any idea?'' That sticky, hoarse voice gradually echoed in his heart. ''Never seen this little girl, not familiar.'' Telling lies came effortlessly to demons. The prince didn''t take it seriously. After all, when he first met Greed, Greed was attached to that poor pighead, Devin Reiser. At this moment, the prince chuckled softly. He was very interested in the Henie before him. Viktor must know something, so he used the girl in front of him to forcibly take away the Wrath Demon. If he could discover her secret of attracting demons... As he thought, he reached out a hand to Henie and continued: "Perhaps we could find a place to talk, shall we?" An invitation from a prince. Ordinary people would not refuse. The prince also believed Henie would make the right choice. But what he didn''t expect was The girl in front of him bowed deeply to him and then said something that shocked him: "I''m very sorry, Your Highness!" "I cannot leave with you." As the words fell, the prince was stunned. Even the hand he had extended was frozen in place, forgotten to be withdrawn. He had been refused? As a prince of the Empire, it was the first time he had been rejected by a woman. The prince found it hard to understand, looking at Henie with a forced smile: "I say..." "May I ask why?" Henie took a few steps back because she sensed an inexplicable malice from the prince. It was as if a sharp emotion was gradually brewing in his heart. Henie was very sensitive to emotions, and she hurriedly bowed again, apologizing: "Sorry, Your Highness, because I really have something important to do."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Hearing this, the prince frowned slightly. "What could be so important that you would refuse a prince?" Could it be, just because of Viktor? The prince looked at Henie, taking a few steps back, he pressed on. Inside Henie''s body, a red crocodile slowly raised its head, frowning. "The rich scent of jealousy." "Bah, tastes awful." Henie kept retreating, while the prince kept advancing. The prince became somewhat impatient, He had to figure it out. Why was there a demon hidden inside this woman in front of him? But suddenly, he saw someone standing beside Henie. Threat to the protected target detected Initiating protective measures In the blink of an eye, the prince only felt a flash before his eyes. Boom! A massive impact hit his chest, the powerful pressure even breaking a few of his ribs. The next second, he flew out like a meteor, limbs spread wide. Unprepared, he fell into the deep lake. Splashing beautiful sprays of water. Henie widened her eyes, watching Sapphirose forming a bow stance with one leg, the other stretched straight, her arm suspended in the air. The whole person was stunned in place. "Threat eliminated." A voice sounded from beneath the cloak. Henie was dumbfounded, covering her face with one hand, as if she couldn''t believe what she had just seen. The prince had been beaten. "It''s over." "Now, trouble is brewing..." ....... The huge mountain range protruded with bizarre rock formations, a hint of green draping a thin layer of clothing on the mountain. This was the back mountain outside the capital, vast in scope, requiring a long journey to reach the summit. Kevla teased Viktor on the side: "Hey, hey, doesn''t it feel exciting?" "What?" Viktor asked casually. Kevla smiled sweetly: "Of course, it''s a date with your sister, don''t you find it thrilling?" "Little Gwen knows about this, you know." She extended a finger, poking Viktor''s chest, hooking the pendant on his chest. "You~" "You have to spend the whole day with your sister." Viktor, hands in pockets, looked down at Kevla''s charming eyes, his gaze moving downward, sneering disdainfully. "I''m not desperate enough to settle for this." "Old hag." "???" Kevla was caught off guard. Though she didn''t quite understand Viktor''s strange look, the last comment about being old was enough to break her defense. The bloodline of the demon hunter extended her lifespan, even her appearance barely changed. But her age was always a secret not to be mentioned. Kevla''s face twitched slightly, forcing a smile. "Viktor, you haven''t changed since you were a child, still just as unlikable." Viktor glanced at her, his gaze returning forward. "But I have a fiance." "......" Kevla silently withdrew her hand, walking forward without a word. The world finally quieted down, and Viktor continued to follow behind Kevla. Soon, they stood before a cave. Deep within the cave was an extremely large stone door. It seemed the height of the mountain was naturally formed to accommodate this massive stone door. Kevla stopped and entered the cave, looking up at the stone door. "We''re here." She placed her hand on the stone door, pressing down heavily. The massive stone door began to tremble, dust falling from the cracks. The two doors gradually opened, a gust of wind blowing fiercely from the dark tunnel. Bang! The door gradually stopped, standing on both sides of the cave. Kevla stepped forward, walking into it. Viktor followed behind her slowly. The dark tunnel was filled with a damp and moldy smell. Enduring the odor, Viktor continued walking forward. But soon, the tunnel suddenly widened. The surrounding lights instantly lit up, the rock walls polished smooth, the space so vast it felt like it protruded from the mountain. The rock walls were covered with various ordinary images, each annotated with notes. The surrounding rocks were polished into flat shapes, looking like they could be used for sitting and resting. The entire vast space seemed like some kind of cult base, used for speeches and gathering followers. Kevla slowly turned around and said to Viktor: "This is the demon hunter branch near the capital. Since it''s newly established, it''s somewhat simple." "I''m currently in charge here, serving as the branch''s minister." As her words fell, Kevla''s aura suddenly surged. A bar rose, and Viktor sensitively noticed that Kevla saw her health bar. And her level. Lv40. Kevla had leveled up. Previously, she was level 39. In the game, there are two occasions when health bars and levels appear. One is physical contact, and the other is entering combat mode. He hadn''t touched Kevla, So... The Kevla in front of him had already entered combat readiness. At this time, several figures slowly emerged from the darkness of the rock walls. They were draped in the emblem of demon hunters, wearing various animal masks. Beneath the masks, only a pair of eyes stared intently at the man in front of them. Viktor, hands in pockets, showed little change in expression, as if everything was within his expectations. "So, you brought me here to test." "Test whether I have any dealings with demons, right?" Kevla frowned, looking at Viktor with a conflicted gaze. "I really want to believe you, Viktor." So, she gave him that pendant, a token as precious as her life. "I know I can''t defeat you." "If I die, that pendant will expel the demon within you." "The power of the demon hunter will protect you, never again corrupted by demons." The blood of demon hunters is at odds with demons, so the power of demon hunters will forcibly cleanse the demon''s power. "I won''t allow a demon to come into contact with Gwen." "Consider it for Gwen, Viktor." Kevla slowly drew a silver-white dagger from her waist, and the surrounding demon hunters simultaneously drew the same style of silver blades. "Alright." "Since it''s a test, I have no problem." Viktor suddenly laughed, squinting his eyes. "But, to make the test less boring." "From now on, I won''t use any magic." Viktor took his left hand out of his coat pocket, a white wind blade forming a sword, attaching to his forearm. A turbulent wind swirled in the space, the papers on the walls torn down, dancing in the air. And Viktor''s coat was also blown, flapping loudly. He held the sword in one hand, speaking lightly: "For your trust in me." "Try to defeat me." """ Chapter 202: Fast and Strong Demon hunters are inherently adept at countering mages. As a niche choice within the assassin branch, demon hunters primarily target demons with high health and defense. To combat demons, their attacks naturally carry an additional armor-piercing attribute. Moreover, fighting against mages grants demon hunters an extra ten percent damage bonus. Therefore, for an average mage, engaging with a demon hunter is far from wise. However... Several demon hunters gripped their silver blades tightly, and with a light step, a gust of wind arose, making their figures disappear completely. Those red silhouettes crouched on the surrounding stone walls, their eyes under the masks fixed intently on Viktor. The silver blades in their hands began to spin, slicing through the air, creating fissures all around Viktor. It was like countless cages without restraints, unfolding around him. Two red cloaks turned into afterimages, passing through the air chains, squeezing into the narrow space, and crawling towards Viktor. One of them swung a kick aimed at Viktor''s ankle. The other, in coordination, leaped high, brandishing a cold gleaming blade towards Viktor''s head. Yet Viktor remained unperturbed. As the cold gleam neared his face, he waved his left hand, and the wind blade on his forearm effortlessly split the incoming silver blade in two. The sweeping kick from below seemed excruciatingly slow to Viktor. His pupils slightly contracted as the leg appeared beneath him, Viktor swiftly lifted his leg and stomped down hard. A hard sensation met his foot, followed by a light exertion, and the sound of shattering reached his ears. With a twist of his heel, the unfortunate demon hunter''s foot was flipped over. "Ah!" A piercing, wretched scream instantly filled the cave, echoing continuously. Kevla felt her heart skip a beat at the sound. A demon hunter suspended in mid-air watched his silver blade being split in two, his heart sinking. But when he looked forward again, a shadow rushed towards his face. Bang! The intense impact transmitted through his twisted muscles, his whole body slamming into the rock wall, his jaw losing all sensation and hanging limply. Of course, these injuries, for demon hunters with excellent recovery speed, were merely superficial wounds. In no time, they would recover. However, the instant downfall of two demon hunters made the others leaning against the rock wall swallow nervously. Their silver blades seemed to tremble, their expressions turning extremely grave. Simultaneously, the air that had been torn apart gradually returned to calm. "Is Viktor Kravina really a mage?" "I''ve never seen such a troublesome mage." "Have you ever seen a mage who fights in close combat?" Viktor''s gaze slowly fell upon them. Above the demon hunters perched on the rock wall, their respective levels gradually appeared. All above level thirty. Third-tier demon hunters. To find out if he was possessed by a demon, Kevla truly went to great lengths. Demon hunters are rare to begin with, and finding a few third-tier demon hunters within the capital is already difficult. And now, to test him, she actually brought so many people. Viktor''s gaze fell on the two demon hunters who were no longer able to fight. What a pity. Better to show some mercy. The remaining demon hunters exchanged glances, swinging several meteor hammers from their waists. The massive impact pierced the space, and even Viktor caught a whiff of danger. He turned his body, stepping on the demon hunter beneath him who was howling in pain, retreating backward. The rapidly advancing meteor hammers slammed into the surroundings, sending a shower of sand and stones. The demon hunter beneath his feet was also kicked up by him, swiftly thrown into the distance. "Such a nuisance."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Viktor''s gaze fixed ahead, his mind exceptionally clear. In the next second, perhaps those demon hunters would emerge from the dust. As if confirming his thoughts, several demon hunters swung their meteor hammers, leaning forward, breaking through the dust, and charging at Viktor. Seeing those demon hunters behaving like brutes, Viktor merely chuckled softly. Wind began to swirl around him, and the sand and stones gradually froze in time, everything around him seemingly slowed down. Or perhaps, it was Viktor''s movements that became too fast. In the blink of an eye, the black windbreaker swiftly passed through several demon hunters, the wind blade in his hand slowly slicing through the air. Whoosh! The high-speed wind swept up, the sand constantly striking the rock wall. The demon hunters were stunned. Their target had vanished before their eyes!? "Be...behind us!" A demon hunter cried out in shock, and everyone turned to see Viktor standing behind them. His windbreaker fluttering continuously. Viktor flicked his forearm, countless wind marks exploding in an instant. In a flash, the marks that had been grazing their clothes seemed to activate. With the wind marks, their cloaks were completely torn to shreds. Even the black chainmail beneath the cloaks was entirely severed. Yet, despite this, not a single wound was left on their bodies. At this moment, they stood there dumbfounded. What was that speed just now? Could it be magic? In the blink of an eye, the wind blade on Viktor''s forearm dissipated into invisible wind currents. He slowly turned back, his gaze on the demon hunters with their tattered clothing, his voice calmly resonating: "Have you not realized the gap between us yet?" Of course, he hadn''t used magic; everything he did was merely the passive enhancement of the Wind Calamity. Just like Guledon''s damage boost and Druja''s stamina and recovery enhancement. The Wind Calamitycorresponding to extreme speed. This speed may not be significantly noticeable for a mage, but if placed on any melee unit... Speed is unbeatable. Viktor had wanted to experience the new power the Wind Calamity granted him, which is why he agreed to play this little trial with Kevla. Seeing Viktor''s composed demeanor, effortlessly handling dozens of demon hunters. They couldn''t help but take a few steps back, Their armor was rendered useless, and the tower of confidence in their hearts naturally crumbled. After all, the man before them was clearly a mage. Yet he crushed them effortlessly with mere close combat and speed they couldn''t comprehend. Moreover... They truly couldn''t tell if Viktor was a demon! Demon hunters and demons are like water and fire, and when facing demons, their instincts make it hard to remain rational. Thus, when fighting demons, demon hunters inadvertently fall into a berserk state. Therefore, confirming whether someone is possessed by a demon is simple for demon hunters. The power of a demon cannot be hidden; once in battle, it will inevitably be sensed by demon hunters. However, during the fight with Viktor, they felt none of that. In conclusion, even if they wanted to fight... They lacked the motivation. Because demon hunters won''t attack anyone other than demons. So... they simply gave up. "No more, no more." "Fighting is one thing, but tearing clothes?" "Lord Kevla, be honest, he''s not a demon, is he..." Kevla stood aside, clutching two silver daggers tightly. Earlier, she hadn''t stepped forward, wanting to observe Viktor''s battle in advance. Kevla knew Viktor would win, but she didn''t expect him to win so easily. He was supposed to be a mage. Kevla shook her head, dismissing further thoughts. She raised one arm, the dagger aimed straight at Viktor. "Now, it''s my turn." With those words, Kevla''s back foot pressed against the ground. In almost an instant, her legs, like a cheetah, suddenly exerted force. Taut muscles released all their power in a moment. Like an arrow from a bowstring, she charged at Viktor with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, the silver gleam had already streaked through the air. However, in Viktor''s eyes, Kevla''s movements seemed only slightly swift. He slightly sidestepped, and the two gleams passed by him, not even grazing his cheek. Kevla''s steps halted abruptly, immediately changing direction, the cold gleam once again stabbing towards Viktor''s waist. Viktor, with his hands in his pockets, moved gracefully like the wind, the pale white glow flickering incessantly on his windbreaker. It was as if an invisible force controlled Viktor, allowing him to swiftly maneuver and evade Kevla''s attacks. His speed was astonishing, like a breathtaking storm. The demon hunters, whose armor was already completely broken, stood there in awe, watching Kevla''s fierce assault, exclaiming in admiration: "As expected of Lord Kevla!" "What incredible speed! Is this a fourth-tier demon hunter?" "To think she can fight that monster for so long!?" Though in their eyes, Viktor remained the more terrifying one. Kevla moved like lightning, leaping lightly, her two daggers in hand flying towards Viktor like bolts of lightning. Viktor sidestepped and deftly avoided the attack. Surprisingly, the two silver blades suddenly reversed in mid-air. Kevla seized the moment, a gust rising at her feet, like a stream of light, she charged at Viktor. But Viktor merely leaned back, dodging the returning daggers, quickly straightening up, and grabbing Kevla''s wrist that appeared before him. Kevla was momentarily stunned but somewhat delighted. A good opportunity! What she wanted most was to touch Viktor''s body, and now, he presented himself to her. Her other free hand grabbed the swiftly flying dagger, quickly stabbing towards Viktor''s chest. But at that moment, Viktor''s other hand also grabbed her other wrist. Kevla was dumbfounded; this position left both of them without means of attack. Moreover, at this rate, she was about to fall into Viktor''s embrace. But soon, Viktor demonstrated what wrestling was. He grasped Kevla''s wrists, turned around, and hoisted her body onto his back. Then, leaning forward, he exerted force with his arms. Boom!!! """ Chapter 203: Manipulation? Sisters Body and Mind Kevla''s seemingly frail body suddenly crashed into the ground with such force that even the ground trembled. The other demon hunters couldn''t help but avert their eyes, shrinking back, completely unwilling to look at Kevla again. Miserable. Truly too miserable. "Cough... cough." As the dust gradually settled, Kevla lay on the ground, coughing lightly twice. The injuries weren''t too severe; at least she could still move. It just felt a bit difficult to breathe. Kevla glanced at Viktor with a somewhat defiant look. "Don''t you know how to let a woman win?" Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, expressionless, looking at her. "I gave you a chance." "Unfortunately, you didn''t win." Kevla wobbled as she struggled to get up from the ground and sat cross-legged. Viktor''s throw just now made her feel like her lungs had shifted a bit. She gently rubbed her chest, trying to alleviate the discomfort. Fortunately, demon hunters have strong recovery abilities. Kevla propped herself up with her hands, leaning back slightly, showcasing her slender yet powerful figure. "Haha, that was a good fight." Her voice carried a hint of wildness and satisfaction, as if the battle just now was a long-awaited enjoyment for her. Although Kevla didn''t use her full strength, she knew her brother-in-law also didn''t use his "full strength." Besides, their definitions of "full strength" were quite different. After all, Viktor''s primary role was that of a mage. At this moment, Viktor suddenly bent down slowly and picked up her dagger. The silver-white dagger was tightly gripped in Viktor''s hand. Kevla stared at him blankly, then watched as Viktor took the dagger and cut a slit in his palm. Her eyes were fixed on him, not daring to miss a single detail. Dripdrip Bright red blood gradually dripped, pooling on the ground. Under the powerful recovery ability, the wound had already healed completely. Kevla murmured: "Truly amazing recovery ability." "Viktor, it''s such a waste for you to be a mage instead of a warrior..." She was about to say Viktor was wasting his talent, but on second thought, this guy was the youngest Tier 4 mage. She stopped herself. One can only say, geniuses are like this. Even though he is a mage. But his strength, no one would think he is just a mage. And Kevla, along with the other demon hunters, understood what Viktor was doing. Verification. The weapons of demon hunters are made from special materials. If Viktor really had a demon inside him, cutting open his flesh would reveal it. Demon blood would be absorbed by the dagger, while a normal person''s would not. This is also why the demon hunters went to great lengths to try to injure Viktor. And Viktor picked up the dagger and cut his own flesh to prove himself to her. There was no demon in him. This is a simple verification method. If Kevla wanted, she could even use a weapon to scratch the second prince in the North to verify if he had a demon in him. But she couldn''t. She couldn''t use it on the second prince. At least, not in the North, not on the Delin family''s territory. So she let Owiser return to the capital. "I''m very glad I don''t have to be your enemy, Viktor." Kevla said, looking at the black crystal pendant on Viktor''s chest. She squinted her eyes, revealing a curved and natural smile. Whether or not Viktor was colluding with demons, Kevla was prepared.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. If he really had a demon inside him, the pendant would take away his demonic power. If Kevla had wrongly accused Viktor, as it turned out, Viktor had proven himself. Then, the pendant would be her compensation. "After all, I''ve given you my life." Hearing this, Viktor glanced at Kevla. The recovery ability of demon hunters is incredibly strong, and in this short time, she had fully recovered. She stretched comfortably. After a fight with Viktor, Kevla felt refreshed. Even the two demon hunters who were brutally beaten by Viktor had fully recovered by now. They stood behind Kevla, ready. After taking a beating, Kevla felt a bit itchy again, beckoning to Viktor with her finger under his chin, smiling at him. "Hey, hey, Viktor, don''t go back later." "Do you want to play some fun games with your sister tonight?" Viktor ignored her, just took out the pendant from his pocket. "You demon hunters have an operation tonight, don''t you?" Kevla was stunned, the words ''how do you know'' almost slipped out, but she managed to close her mouth. However, her attitude already amounted to an admission. Viktor just held the pendant, speaking calmly. "This thing of the demon hunters can detect if there''s a demonic presence nearby." "I know, when you asked Lia to pass it to me, you were already suspicious of me." The black crystal pendant shimmered under the surrounding candlelight. Kevla looked at the pendant in Viktor''s hand, saying nothing. Why did Viktor guess this? Because Viktor''s family really kept a [Primal Demon]. "If nothing unexpected happens." Viktor said, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Kevla. "You demon hunters have already started your operation, and..." "The area around my home has already been marked by you." Hearing this, Kevla''s eyes flickered, seeming a bit complicated. "Viktor, I..." "If you wanted to give it to me, you could have just handed it to me this morning." Viktor held the pendant, shaking it a few times. "But you gave it to Lia, asking her to pass it to me." "An entire night is enough for it to detect demonic presence." Then, Viktor put the black crystal pendant back, pressing it against his chest. Kevla looked at Viktor, a bit surprised. She didn''t expect Viktor to be so knowledgeable. It felt to her... As if he had been a demon hunter before. But that''s impossible. Once a demon hunter, you can never become a mage. "You called me here not just to verify me." "But also to let your teammates find out." "Whether there''s a demon hiding near my home, right." In a few words, Viktor had already pierced through all her thoughts. Kevla couldn''t believe it. She stared blankly at Viktor, her mouth agape. "I... I didn''t want to harm you..." "I know, otherwise you wouldn''t have entrusted your life to me." His gaze was calm and indifferent, like a narrator of a story, unconcerned with everything around him. But just then, a mysterious power suddenly emerged, rocks were pierced by countless flowers, which then quickly grew. The flowers were of various colors, their blooming petals emitting bright light, completely surrounding Kevla. The demon hunters stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, sensing a dangerous aura, a sense of unease rising in their hearts. Soon, this unease gradually became reality. The flower buds suddenly bloomed, and the exotic pollen was blown by the breeze, emitting a charming fragrance. The demon hunters, unfortunately, touched the pollen and immediately felt a strong drowsiness wash over them. Unable to control their bodies, they fell to the ground, falling into a deep sleep. Only Kevla remained standing, still awake. She looked at Viktor in surprise, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "When you gave the pendant to Lia, I could have hidden the demon in advance." "But I didn''t." Kevla''s mind was shaken, as if she had heard something unbelievable. With these words, Viktor essentially laid his cards on the table. He exposed that he really had a connection with demons. "You... really..." Really colluding with demons? She stared blankly at Viktor, only to hear Viktor''s voice calmly respond to her. "Of course not, because you got one thing wrong." Viktor put his hands in his pockets, turning to face Kevla directly. "I indeed have not colluded with demons." "Because they''re not worthy." This arrogant and cold statement, like a demon carrying a terrifying aura, enveloped Viktor, quickly swallowing the entire space. A terrifying atmosphere spread, making one shiver. At this moment, Kevla stared blankly at Viktor, as if seeing the fierce shadow behind him, staring at her intently. "I never needed demons to enhance myself." Viktor slowly extended a hand, palm opening slowly. In his palm, three differently colored magatamas spun continuously, emitting a captivating glow. These three magatamas seemed to be enveloped in a dense magical power, forming three spheres, exuding an aura of calamity. Viktor clenched his fist tightly, squeezing with force. Like being crushed, it erupted with astonishing magical power, like a vast ocean. The terrifying power condensed into reality, lush green trees broke through the rock, rapidly growing in the vast cave. As the giant tree fully grew, its trunk gradually flowed with fiery red lava, the bright red flames completely igniting the branches and leaves, illuminating the surroundings. The wind surged, and the lava rolled continuously beneath the tree roots, the flames dancing with the storm. The terrifying pressure enveloped Kevla, her brain nearly stalled for a few seconds, struggling to resist the overwhelming shock, she took a few steps back with difficulty. But she still asked without forgetting her original intention. "Then... what about the demon you mentioned?" "Demon?" Viktor withdrew his hand, putting it back in his pocket. His expression was calm as water, yet exuded an unfathomable mystery. The terrifying apocalyptic scene seemed to be snuffed out, abruptly stopping, falling completely silent. Only a calm voice remained, carrying an incredibly arrogant tone. Leaving Kevla''s mind blank, feeling only emptiness. "A pet." "That''s all there is to it." """ Chapter 204: Please! Punish Me As You Wish! Henie had caused trouble. After returning to the mansion, Henie kept bowing and apologizing to Lia non-stop. Lia couldn''t help but hold her head in frustration. "Henie, you really surprised me this time." Lia truly hadn''t expected this. Henie, who always seemed soft and meek like a little lamb, had managed to punch the Second Prince into the air. According to the injury report, the Second Prince had several broken ribs and had passed out in the pool. She looked Henie up and down, her mind drawing a blank. Henie''s physique didn''t seem like it held any strength. How could she have injured the Second Prince so badly? If it hadn''t been for the natural sparrow of Dean Rachel noticing the incident in time and using magic to retrieve the unconscious Second Prince from the water... The Second Prince might have lost his life in that deep pit. Henie kept her head down, not daring to make a sound. Though it was Sapphirose who had struck the blow, Henie didn''t want to expose her. After all, she knew Sapphirose had only acted to help her. So, Henie took the blame on herself. Closing her eyes and bowing her head, she quickly said: "I will accept any punishment. I won''t bring trouble to the Kravina family!" "Even going to prison is fine!" "Sigh." Lia let out a helpless sigh, placing one hand on her hip and shaking her head. "The issue isn''t about prison." For now, the matter had been suppressed, and not many people knew about the Second Prince''s injury. But the fact that the Second Prince was still unconscious was the real problem. He had already been seriously injured before returning to the capital and had spent nearly half a month recovering at the Delin family''s residence. And now, shortly after his recovery, he had taken another hit from Henie. The fact that no arrest warrant had been issued yet could be seen as the Emperor showing mercy on Viktor''s behalf. After all, no matter how incompetent the Emperor''s son might be, he was still his son. "It mainly depends on whether the Second Prince decides to make an issue of this. Also..." "For the next few days, don''t leave the house. Wait for Viktor to return before making any decisions." With that, Lia turned and left the room, leaving Henie alone to calm down. After stepping out, Lia''s expression instantly returned to calm. She didn''t believe for a second that Henie had done it. How fragile would the Second Prince have to be to be sent flying by a punch from someone as delicate as Henie? It was clear someone else had injured the Second Prince, and Henie was just taking the fall for them. But no matter what, she had to handle this matter. After all, Henie was one of their own. Lia pulled out the crystal at her waist and held it in front of her. A faint glow swept across her face, and the white light deep within the crystal began to flicker.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Hello, Gwen?" "Here''s the thing, I need you to come over... yes, to protect someone." ... On another mountaintop, a group of men wearing various masks stood. They were draped in identical cloaks, overlooking the capital. It was the attire of demon hunters. Among them, a masked woman slowly stepped forward, crossing her arms and speaking in a faint tone: "The Karrencia Empire... It''s been a long time since I''ve been back here." "Lady Kevla has provided us with a lead. The Empire''s Second Prince is highly likely to be colluding with demons, possibly even a [Primordial Demon]." A nearby demon hunter relayed information to her. After listening, she nodded. "Additionally, a noble of the Empire, Viktor Kravina, is also suspected of involvement with demons." "But we need to consider the Mage Council, so... we''ll send a team to investigate first." Beneath her mask, her eyes burned with intense killing intent. "Then let''s begin." "Verify, and then..." "Exterminate it." ... The setting sun gradually sank behind the western mountains, and the pale blue of dusk, speckled with stars, climbed into the sky. The cloaked demon hunters moved swiftly through the capital, their agile bodies darting silently across rooftops. Before long, they arrived at the Kravina mansion. As the first reconnaissance team, their primary objective was to investigate whether the Kravina family harbored demons. Another team, tasked with combat, was infiltrating the capital to locate the Second Prince. "Any news from Lady Kevla?" "Still nothing." One of the demon hunters spoke as he lowered his head. "Forget it. We''ll proceed without her." "Viktor Kravina isn''t here, and the mansion''s defenses are weak. We can infiltrate." "Remember, our target is only the demons. Do not harm anyone else." Demon hunters never attacked ordinary people. The other hunters nodded silently. "Understood." They leapt into the Kravina mansion, and as soon as they approached, they felt an overwhelmingly strong demonic presence. Their hearts pounded, and their throats tightened. The demon hunters instantly became serious. This filthy demonic aura was unmistakable. "So, the Kravina family really does harbor demons." They exchanged glances and nodded, moving forward under the cover of darkness. They made no sound, not even the faintest rustle on the grass. Before long, they infiltrated the mansion. "This feels... too easy." One of the demon hunters muttered softly. Along the way, they hadn''t encountered a single guard. The vast mansion felt as though it had been intentionally left open for them. The leader''s expression grew grim. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Damn it, retreat" The rest of his words caught in his throat like a stone, unable to come out. A sharp, mocking voice echoed. "Since you''re here, don''t be in such a hurry to leave." A black shadow, like a raven''s silhouette, began spreading from the floor, engulfing the demon hunters completely. The hunters could only watch as their surroundings transformed. The walls seemed to twist and soften, and waves of darkness began to envelop everything. Even the moonlight had disappeared without them noticing. Then, the mocking voice rang out again: "Let''s play a game." "Since you''re here to find demons, then..." "Why not challenge one?" In the boundless darkness, a colossal figure began to expand in the distance. The sound of cawing ravens echoed once more: "Wrath." "Don''t kill them outright." As the words fell, a violent storm of crimson iron swirled in the darkness, dancing wildly. A massive red crocodile, towering like a giant, extended its long tongue, saliva dripping from its sharp teeth, its blood-red eyes glaring down at the demon hunters as if they were mere insects. A deep, resonant voice boomed: "Embracedestruction!" ... Meanwhile, the combat team was darting through the capital''s skyline, their shadowy figures gliding silently over rooftops and streets. As they hurried, they exchanged information. "Captain, we''ve lost contact with the team infiltrating the Kravina mansion." "It''s as if they vanished into thin air." Demon hunters had a unique tool for communication. It was called the [Soul of the Hunt], a small ornament crafted from black crystal, resembling an eye-shaped earring. These earrings were paired, allowing two teams to communicate during missions. "Captain, what should we do?" One of the hunters wearing the earring asked the woman leading the group. Upon hearing the news of the missing team, the entire group hesitated. Even their footsteps noticeably slowed. The woman in front also reduced her pace. She was deliberating whether to turn back to assist or continue with their original mission. The royal palace, under the cover of night, was at its most vulnerable. At this hour, the old Emperor would already be fast asleep. For a demon hunter with exceptional stealth abilities, infiltrating the palace would go unnoticed. The original plan was to confirm whether the Second Prince was indeed carrying a demon within him. If so, they would awaken the demon and lure it out. This way, even if a battle ensued, they could draw the demon away from the capital. The demon hunters awaited their leader''s command, all eyes on the masked woman at the front of the group. She stopped atop a rooftop, standing on a chimney, narrowing her eyes as she gazed at the distant palace. "You all return and support them." "I''ll infiltrate the palace alone." Upon receiving the order, the hunters all nodded firmly. None of them worried about her, as demon hunters never doubted this woman''s strength. After all, she was one of the seven strongest cadres among demon hunters. The team exchanged glances and dispersed into the shadows. Only the woman remained, staring in the direction of the palace. Her solo infiltration would actually be safer. Even if discovered, she could escape on her own. Aside from Aubrey, the old Emperor, no one could stop her. She took a deep breath and pulled her hood lower. The clouds drifted away with the breeze, revealing the moonlight that spilled gently, like a broken lake, over her. It illuminated her silver hair, shining like a tranquil river. "I''m back." "Aubrey." Chapter 205: Not Bad, I Want to Touch It Too The Hunters arrived just in time. As they crouched near the Kravina estate, all of them heightened their vigilance. The mansion was heavily guarded. Nearby stood a group of female guards clad in bone armor, each wielding sharp blades. Without exception, they all had furry animal ears perched atop their heads. Anyone unaware might assume the estate''s owner had some peculiar hobbies. However, the Hunters immediately recognized them. These were the Kravina family''s demi-human squad, known as [Exotic Beasts]. They had earned overwhelmingly positive reviews in the southern Adventurers'' City. Praised endlessly in the south, word of this squad had spread throughout the Empire''s nobility. Their performance had even caused the price of demi-human slaves to soar, as everyone aspired to train obedient demi-human guards like the Kravina family. Demi-humans were stronger than humans, cheaper, and more obedient. But now was not the time to discuss such matters. Around the estate, the Hunters exchanged uneasy glances. They couldn''t sense the presence of any other Hunters here. That didn''t make sense... The first team had clearly reported their arrival at the Kravina estate. Yet now, with the estate so heavily guarded, infiltrating it would be nearly impossible without the agility of a cadre-level member. This left the Hunters in a difficult position. For the sake of investigating the demon or finding their teammates, they "Must find a way to sneak in." Just as they began formulating a plan, they suddenly felt the moonlight dim. A shadow appeared beside them, accompanied by a cold, feminine voice. "You all..." "Want to go in?" The voice sent a shiver down their spines, cold sweat breaking out instantly. Someone was behind them. When had this person arrived there? They hadn''t even sensed her presence! Her stealth skills were so advanced that even these Hunters, experts in infiltration, hadn''t noticed her. Danger! Before they could rise, the cold voice sounded again: "Then... can you take me inside with you?" Huh? The Hunters turned, startled, to face the mysterious figure. Under the moonlight, they could only see the figure cloaked entirely in a hooded cape, except for a pair of gleaming green eyes that shone like dangerous snake pupils. ... In the Kravina estate''s living room, Gwen Delin was adorned in the armor Viktor had gifted her. Luminescent energy flowed through the armor''s seams, making her appear even more valiant. Gwen looked at Lia Kravina, sitting calmly on the sofa, and asked solemnly:This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Lia, what exactly happened?" Lia showed no signs of panic. She poured tea from a porcelain teapot and even served Gwen a cup. "Don''t get worked up. Sit down first, and well talk." Following Lia''s suggestion, Gwen slowly took a seat. Lia handed the tea to Gwen. "Have some tea to refresh yourself, then well discuss it in detail." Gwen glanced at the reflection of her face in the red tea. She raised the cup and drank it in one gulp. Despite the bitterness, she remained composed, placing the cup down and looking directly at Lia: "Can we talk now?" Lia blinked, slightly surprised at Gwen''s boldness. "Drinking tea so boldly... If I didnt know better, Id think you were a man." Lia chuckled softly, taking a graceful sip from her own cup. Then, she called out to someone behind her: "Henie, come out." From behind the wall emerged Henie, looking timid and hesitant. Gwen turned to look as well. Henie lowered her head, avoiding Gwen''s gaze, her eyes darting nervously. "Miss Gwen, h-hello." Gwen found this peculiar. The girl seemed afraid of her. Lia introduced her with a smile: "This is Henie, one of our family''s retainers. She used to be Viktor''s assistant and helped him a lot." Upon hearing this, Gwen''s impression of Henie improved significantly. She stood up, approached Henie, and extended a hand. "Hello, Miss Henie. Thank you for taking care of Viktor." Henie panicked, raising her hands in front of her chest and waving them frantically. "N-no, it''s Professor whos always taken care of me. I just helped him write speeches, substitute teach, clean the classroom and office daily, and prepare lessons. Thats about it." Lia shrugged at Gwen, her expression saying, "See? What did I tell you?" The more Gwen listened, the heavier her heart felt. Finally, she clasped Henie''s hands firmly, her gaze earnest. "Miss Henie, you are a good person!" Uh... what? Henie was at a loss, but as she felt Gwens grip, she grew dizzy. Ah, this righteous knight must be Viktor''s fiance. She was so radiant, noble, and passionate. The more Henie thought about it, the more she felt unworthy of Viktor. Only someone as exceptional as Gwen could match him. "I told you two would get along well," Lia teased, her face full of amusement. "After all, you share the same hobby." Same hobby? Gwen, ever straightforward, didnt understand Lia''s implication. But Henies face turned bright red, her head lowering further in embarrassment. Lia didnt elaborate, simply waving her hand dismissively. "Back to serious matters. Gwen, I called you here because of Henie." "Henie?" Gwen released Henie''s hands and turned back to Lia, who nodded. "Yes. You probably dont know this, but the second prince was attacked." "...What?" Seeing Gwen''s bewildered expression, Lia nodded and gestured to Henie beside her. "Five broken ribs, lung hemorrhaging, and submerged in water for several minutes. Hes still unconscious." "And yes, she did it." Gwen turned to Henie, her eyes filled with disbelief. Henie lowered her head even further. "Do you believe it?" Gwen shook her head vigorously. Naturally, she couldnt believe such a thing. When they shook hands earlier, Gwen had felt how frail Henie was. How could someone like her break the ribs of an adult man like the prince? As the emperors son, the prince surely had some skills of his own. Lia stood, hands on her hips, and sighed. "Regardless of whether she did it or not, until Viktor returns, I need you to stay here." "With your influence, even if the royal guards come, they wont be able to take Henie away." Lia walked over to Henie, wrapping an arm around her shoulders while her other hand began to roam. Henie grew flustered, her face red, as she tried to push Lias hand away. Ignoring Henie''s protests, Lia continued, "I dont want my delicate little assistant spending even a few days in prison." Finally, Lias hand reached Henies chest and gave a light squeeze. Henie let out an involuntary sound. "Ah..." Suddenly, Gwen tensed. Her legs shifted into a combat stance, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Her hand moved to the sword at her waist, sensing imminent danger. She swiftly drew her blade, turning toward the door. "Lia, Henie, step back." Surprised by Gwens sudden seriousness, Lia and Henie obediently retreated a few steps. Gwen gripped her sword tightly, her arm muscles trembling slightly. Runes began to glow along the blade, emitting a red light that grew brighter. Flames violently coiled around the blade, crackling loudly. She could feel itthe footsteps growing closer. The danger was approaching. Finally, as the presence reached the door, Gwen let out a fierce shout, unleashing her pent-up energy. Her eyes locked firmly ahead. [Wrath] Her arms surged with terrifying strength as she swung her blade. A red arc slashed toward the door. Boom! An intense heatwave erupted, spreading in all directions. The wooden door shattered into splinters, the debris embedding itself into the walls. The surrounding walls couldnt withstand the force and collapsed with a thunderous crash. The blinding flames illuminated the three womens faces as dust filled the air, enveloping them. Yet Gwen could still feel the danger lingering. She grew even more alert, lowering her stance and readying her sword once more. As the dust settled, a pair of black-and-white wings unfolded, shielding something within. The feathers on the wings burned with fierce flames, crackling audibly. Then, with a powerful sweep, the wings extinguished their flames. Under the moonlight, a pair of luminous green eyes shone brightly. They locked onto Gwen, as if marking her as prey. [Blacklist detectedUnnamed] [Whitelist detectedHenie] [Whitelist appears threatened. Immediate protection required.] In an instant, a long blade materialized in the womans hand, which she raised defensively. The blade pointed at Gwen, her legs shifting into a combat stance. Her gaze turned icy. Prepare for target elimination. Chapter 206: The Defeated Female Knight Gwen focused intently on the figure of Sapphirose before her, her gaze extremely grave. No wonder she had sensed the aura of a monster from the start. Initially, she thought it was a monster invading the Kravina estate. Indeed, Gwen recognized the person before her. The very creature that appeared in the Monster Rift. Why was she here? Gwen raised her blade seriously, the sword trembling slightly as light gradually enveloped it again. She warned Lia and Henie behind her: "Lia... prepare to escape. I''ll hold her off." "And try to find a way to notify Viktor to return." Seeing Gwen so tense, Lia nodded solemnly. "Alright." Since Gwen said so, it meant the woman before them was definitely not someone to be trifled with. At this moment, Lia glanced at the Mage''s Hand worn on her hand. She did have a way to call Viktor back directly, but... The magic Viktor stored for her was too terrifying, both in damage and range, it was among the top tier of third-level magic. If released here, the entire mansion might be destroyed. For now, she couldn''t do that. In the blink of an eye, Sapphirose had already attacked. Her figure moved swiftly across the floor, the long blade in her hand ready to strike. [Iai Slash] The same move as last time! Gwen''s eyes widened, staring hard at the cold blade coming at her. The white figure whipped up a gust of wind that grazed Gwen''s face. In an instant, Sapphirose suddenly appeared behind Gwen. That flash of cold light, the terrifying pressure and threat seemed to transform into a gust of wind, rushing at Gwen''s back. But... Gwen was unafraid. Last time, she managed to withstand it. And this time, she could too! Gwen gripped her long sword tightly with both hands, her aura continuously rising. Light surged between her palms, and her silver-white hair spread out, wildly dancing in the air like silver serpents. [Silver Knight''s Stance] The light in her palms quickly flowed to her limbs, a warmth seeping from her veins. She swiftly turned, positioning her long sword in front of her. In an instant, the red sword blade clashed with the long knife, exploding with a tremendous impact. The surrounding glass shattered completely, the clash of metal sending tremors through the air. Yet Gwen could clearly feel that her strength was slightly inferior. Feeling her power being gradually suppressed, she could only retreat slightly, flicking her long sword to deflect Sapphirose''s silver blade, stepping back a few paces. Gwen steadied her grip on the sword, resetting her stance, her gaze on Sapphirose growing even more serious. She had grown stronger since their encounter in the Monster Rift. Meanwhile, Lia, shielding Henie beside her, watched the battle with bated breath. She bit her lip. "What''s Cocotte doing? How could she let a monster waltz in without stopping it?" "Is she still asleep?" Meanwhile... In the garden of the Kravina estate. Cocotte lay atop a giant flower bud, sleeping soundly. Suddenly, she sneezed. "Achoo!" She blinked her eyes open, groggily rubbing them, about to drift back to sleep. But through her sleepy eyes, she suddenly saw a sneaky, cloaked figure passing by. The demon hunter stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Cocotte in surprise. Their eyes met, a moment of silence ensued. The demon hunter was the first to speak. "Uh... hello?" Cocotte smiled and nodded in response. "Yo, a demon hunter." The next second, the ground began to churn, the earth trembling slightly. The demon hunter looked down, feeling the soil beneath his feet shaking. Suddenly, a vine shot up, breaking through the ground, wrapping around the demon hunter''s ankles, suspending him high in the air. He flailed his body, struggling incessantly. "Useless, stop struggling."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Cocotte yawned, beckoning a cloud over. The white cloud floated lazily by, nearly veering off course into the garden wall. Cocotte flopped onto the cloud, drifting over to the demon hunter, watching him quietly. "Did you come here specifically to help me with my performance evaluation?" "Thank you." In a good mood, Cocotte hummed a little tune. Thinking about catching a demon hunter sneaking into the Kravina house, Viktor and his wicked sister would surely praise her. This way, next time something comes up, she could use this as a reason to take a justified leave. Cocotte lay on the cloud, burying her face in the white fluff, indulging in a peaceful fantasy. But suddenly... Boom!!! A loud explosion echoed from the mansion, Cocotte started, blinking, and turned to look at the bound demon hunter. "Have you demon hunters changed careers?" "Not catching demons anymore, but demolishing people''s homes?" ... Gwen and Sapphirose continued their high-speed battle, their speed so fast it was hard to see with the naked eye. The momentum kept rising, everything inside the house was being smashed to pieces. The fallen curtains caught fire, the flames roaring up. Yet, barely a minute had passed. Gwen''s red sword swung continuously, clashing with Sapphirose''s long knife. Sparks flew. Lia and Henie huddled in a corner, watching the relentless battle with trepidation. Watching the surrounding furniture break, their hearts ached. All of this, it was money! But the priority was to get Henie out first, then use the Mage''s Hand to call Viktor back. Lia thought so, turning to look at Henie behind her. "Henie, let''s..." But she froze. At this moment, Henie was staring blankly at the battle, muttering: "She... actually has wings..." Henie''s mind was blank. The moment Sapphirose appeared, she recognized those familiar eyes. But what shocked her more was Sapphirose had wings on her body! Henie was completely stunned. She knew, Sapphirose''s back, hidden under the cloak, clearly had a protrusion. At first, Henie thought Sapphirose was carrying something, like a backpack. Or perhaps... a physical ailment... She even considered the worst. But she never imagined. Sapphirose''s body, like hers, had a big secret! They were drooping wings! No wonder her strength was so great, her actions so swift, even the magic within her was so chaotic. Because Sapphirose was not human. Henie snapped back to reality, looking at the battle ahead. Gwen and Sapphirose were evenly matched. The two clashed repeatedly, their swords colliding. Gwen''s sword charged with energy, countering Sapphirose''s moves again and again. In the flash of cold light, Gwen''s flame-wreathed greatsword always managed to block the blade at the last second. Using the flames to create a gap between Sapphirose and herself. Yet the massive impact still left her hands trembling, her form retreating a few steps. Sapphirose''s long blade didn''t stop, instead, the frequency of her attacks increased. Henie could clearly see. Gwen was retreating under Sapphirose''s relentless assault, like a flood. Sapphirose was truly strong. Henie slowly raised her head, eyes filled with worry. She clenched her fists slightly. And Lia''s voice suddenly rang in her ear: "Henie, do you know that thing?" No one would mistake the current Sapphirose for a human. Every time Sapphirose swung her blade, the black and white wings behind her flapped in tandem. Like a completely cold-blooded monster, all remaining rationality was solely to kill the prey before her. Henie was startled by the question. Before she could respond to Lia, the battle not far away erupted with a loud crash. Bang! A burst of sound waves erupted, and Gwen was sent flying several yards. Her swaying body twisted mid-air, landing somewhat unsteadily on the ground. The gap in strength was too great. Before Gwen could reset her stance, Sapphirose attacked again. The wings flapped, the white figure carrying a cold gleam, tearing through space, appearing before Gwen. This time, Gwen didn''t even have time to assume a defensive posture. But just as Sapphirose''s attack was about to land. [Second-level Magic: Blue Crystal Veil] Instantly, a blue curtain rose from beneath Gwen''s feet, quickly expanding to encircle her. The mist-like veil churned, and Sapphirose felt her blade strike something soft, like a cloud. She withdrew slightly, flipping her body, stepping on the blue mist, using the rebound to push herself several yards away, distancing from Gwen. Her eyes flickered with a complex expression. A whitelist character was protecting a blacklist character. [Unable to comprehend] Henie, at this moment, raised a hand, bending over, panting heavily. The blue makeshift magic circle behind her lit up, then began to disintegrate, having shielded Gwen from a dangerous attack. "Good thing... made it in time..." She couldn''t perform magic as easily and quickly as Professor Viktor with no incantation. So this timely shield spell took a considerable toll on her magic reserves. She felt as if her body was drained of energy, utterly exhausted. Sapphirose held her long blade, her gaze puzzled, looking at Henie. The shield just now, if she wanted, she could have broken through it. But she didn''t. Because at that moment, Henie had met her gaze. With a voice, she slowly spoke: "Sapphirose..." "Stop." [Whitelist character request detected] [Whitelist character request takes precedence over blacklist elimination] [Command executed] Sapphirose''s eyes were complex, taking another look at Henie. "I... just want to..." [Protect you] Before the words could finish, Sapphirose had already sheathed her long blade. In the puzzled eyes of everyone, she flapped her massive wings, stirring up a gust. The next second, she shot into the sky like an arrow. In an instant, she vanished from sight. Everyone else, including Henie. Watched Sapphirose''s departure in silence. At this moment, a white cloud drifted over. Cocotte looked around at the mansion, now resembling a ruin, leaning against the wall, poking her head out. Seeing Lia and the others'' complex and serious expressions, she was utterly bewildered. "Huh? What happened?" Meanwhile. Gwen clutched her arm, looking up through the shattered glass. She gazed at the moon high in the sky, suddenly collapsing to the ground. Reaching into her armor, she took out two white feathers hidden within. As if unwilling, she gently clenched them. """ Chapter 207: Small Fry? Small Fry? In the endless pitch-black space, it seemed as though everything around had been turned upside down. The sky was beneath their feet, and the earth hung overhead. The demon hunters were all wounded, their bodies covered in scars, lying haphazardly on the ground. Severed limbs were scattered everywhere, and the bright red blood stained the darkness with color. White bones protruded from chests, seemingly turned inside out. They had completely lost the ability to fight. The remaining demon hunters struggled to lift their heads with their last breath, their eyes red as they looked up in shock at the enormous demon beneath the sky. It exuded a filthy stench of blood and rust, with red blood slowly dripping from its claws. Its body seemed to be clad in a layer of crystalline red armor, glowing in the darkness. Red iron flakes danced madly in the surrounding darkness, swirling like a merciless meat grinder. The demon hunters could feel it. Yes, a demon. The terrifying presence before them could only be a demon. Upon seeing this crocodile-like behemoth, they felt their hearts race, blood rushing to their heads. The bloodline of the demon hunters was fully awakened. Their consciousness gradually blurred, and their sanity slipped away like flowing water. But the final result was... In the blink of an eye, they were utterly defeated. The colossal demon before them was not something low-level demon hunters could handle. It was overwhelmingly powerful, to the point of despair. Many demon hunters, after enduring that terrifying strike, had their legs broken, their spines twisted, even forced back to their senses. But now, they wished they were still in a berserk state. That way, perhaps they could numb themselves in the face of such a terrifying monster. Instead of experiencing the demon''s horror firsthand, trembling and despairing. Demon hunters, afraid of demons. What an ironic thing. Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out from the darkness: "Enough playing, Wrath." "We have other matters to attend to." The enormous demon tilted its head, hearing this, as if sighing. The surrounding iron flakes gradually calmed down, returning to the demon''s crystalline red armor. The demon dragged its thirty-foot-tall body, turning to walk into the depths of the pitch-black space, its tail swaying. In the disbelieving eyes of the demon hunters, the demon gradually faded away. They could not imagine. After facing such a terrifying demon, they could still be alive. But even having survived, it left a mark of shame on their demon hunting careers. Facing an unbeatable demon, they felt fear. Not only did they fail to harm the demon, but they were also severely injured themselves. Finally. The moment the demon disappeared, the surrounding space began to distort. The inverted sky and earth started spinning rapidly with the contracting darkness, and the soft walls regained their contours, becoming solid again. When all the demon hunters came to their senses, they found themselves in the courtyard of the Kravina estate. They looked at each other, incredulous. Instinctively reaching out to touch their bodies, they realized that the injuries sustained in the darkness had healed, even severed limbs were reattached without a trace, and protruding bones were retracted. It was as if the battle earlier was a completely false scene. What exactly... happened? Hadn''t they just fought a demon?If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The demon hunters looked up and saw the grand estate brightly lit, with even some flames flickering. The scene before them was completely different from the gloomy house earlier. "...An illusion." Someone suddenly sighed, and the other demon hunters nodded in full agreement. Apart from an illusion, they had no other explanation. But... to silently drag them all into the same illusion. Could any human really do that? And that demon. Recalling the towering red figure and the deathly crystalline red armor, they couldn''t help but shudder. Was everything that happened just now real or fake... Just as the demon hunters were regaining their senses, they suddenly felt the sky being shrouded in shadow. Looking up, a cloud of white shadow slowly drifted down. "Hey, small fry, trespassing is not a good behavior." The voice echoed, and the demon hunters instantly became alert, drawing their silver-white short blades from their waists. But before they could react further, they were completely stunned. The soil began to roll and tremble. The next second, the ground beneath them broke open. A gigantic flower bud suddenly opened its mouth from the trembling ground, stretching its body toward the sky, placing the demon hunters right in the center of the flower. And they finally saw the source of the voice sitting on the cloud. It was an... elf. From her body, a vast ocean of magic power poured out, cascading down from the entire sky. As if in the next second, it could completely engulf them. And a mage with such magic power could only be ''A Councilor'' Cocotte sat on the cloud, arms crossed, looking up at the demon hunters. "I''m not in a good mood right now because someone wants me to compensate for the damage to her house." "I don''t have money, so..." She beckoned with her finger, and the giant petals began to close toward the center. The demon hunters knew very well that if this continued, they would surely be swallowed whole by the flower. But Cocotte chuckled lightly, intimidating them completely. "I''ll use you to pay the debt." ... Inside the palace, it was pitch black, with only a few flickering candles. The demon hunter hid in the darkness, quietly avoiding the guards'' sight, then swiftly traversed through the shadows when they weren''t looking. She entered the palace, walking casually, as if she were at home. Just as the woman thought, at night, there were very few guards in the palace. She knew it. Because she understood Aubrey better than anyone. The arrogant Aubrey didn''t need the protection of any guards, so there were rarely any soldiers on alert in the palace at night. But suddenly, as if sensing some magical fluctuation, she quickly turned her head. Gazing intently at the corner of the wall, she softly said: "You''re quite bold to hide in the palace." "Aren''t you afraid the Emperor will find you?" The darkness began to ripple, like stagnant water stirred by ripples. A man''s figure gradually emerged, his coat gently swaying. "Sharp observation, as expected of one of the strongest seven cadres of the demon hunters." Standing there was Viktor, who gracefully bowed to the demon hunter. "I am Viktor Kravina." The demon hunter cadre turned around, her gaze fixed on him, and slowly said: "I recognize you, Viktor." "The current Councilor of the Mage Council, much more renowned than your title as an imperial baron." Viktor straightened up, his expression calm, hands in pockets, and said indifferently: "Then I won''t hold you accountable for sending people to search my house." "I have only one question to ask." The demon hunter listened to Viktor''s words, her expression growing more serious. "Ask away." In the darkness, Viktor''s eyes seemed to glisten, looking at her intently: "I want to know..." "Will the descendants of demon hunters automatically become demon hunters?" "......" The demon hunter respected Viktor''s strength and status, treating him as an equal. So she could answer some of Viktor''s questions. But she never expected Viktor to ask such a thing. Though slightly speechless, she still answered. "No." "Demon hunters can only be made through acquired inheritance; no one is born a demon hunter." Viktor seemed relieved, suddenly showing a serene smile. "I see..." "Thank you for enlightening me, Your Majesty the Queen." The demon hunter was suddenly taken aback, her pupils widening beneath her mask. "You..." "Wondering how I knew?" As the words fell, Viktor raised his hand and snapped his fingers. With the sound, the palace walls, those dark lanterns, lit up one by one as if ignited by flames. The demon hunter cadre couldn''t help but raise her hand to shield her eyes from the light. A head of silver-white hair shimmered like a galaxy in the night. In the somewhat dazzling light, she saw Viktor facing the corridor of the palace, bowing slightly. As if realizing something, she suddenly froze. Suddenly, a terrifying aura began to descend. Like a low beast slowly emerging from its lair. The surrounding air seemed to grow more oppressive, making her chest feel constricted. Thud! Thud! Thud! One step, two steps, three steps... gradually approaching. As if locked onto by someone, her muscles were completely stiff, unable to move. Even though her mind was clear, knowing she shouldn''t linger, she inexplicably couldn''t move. Finally, Aubrey slowly emerged, standing on the steps. His cloudy eyes trembled slightly as he looked at the woman before him. With a deep and immensely authoritative voice, he thundered: "Claudia, you always say you understand me better than anyone." "Have you ever considered how much I know about you?" Chapter 208: Dont Drag This Out Here Claudia''s eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at Emperor Aubrey. Her body tilted back slightly, as if attempting to retreat. However... At the very moment she made the slightest movement, A force that tore through the air split the space apart. The sharp thrust caused the air to whistle loudly. Even though she wore a mask, she could still feel the fierce wind rushing toward her face. Claudia quickly turned her head. On the ground, an ordinary spear had already pierced deeply into the earth. Half of the spear''s shaft was embedded into the ground, with dozens of cracks spreading outward, gradually extending in all directions like a set of fangs biting into the earth. The massive fissures even burrowed several feet deep into the ground. The largest crack, jagged and uneven, stretched from the spear''s shaft all the way to Aubrey''s feet. How far was that distance? She hadn''t even seen it clearly. Did Aubrey... move? The emperor slowly stepped forward, walking to the palace wall. Once again, he picked up a spear. He casually held the spear behind his back, his cloudy eyes quietly fixed on Claudia. Yet, within those eyes, like a predator locking onto its prey, exploded a powerful pressure that made Claudia feel an even more terrifying oppression. She was one of the top hunters in the organization, yet under the emperor''s gaze, her hair stood on end, and cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck. "Don''t move." It was as if she were pinned under the claws of a giant beast, utterly powerless. Her limbs began to tremble slightly, and the fear in her eyes gradually magnified. "I don''t want to see the filthy blood of a hunter staining the ground." "So, don''t move." Claudia''s face turned pale as she stared at Aubrey, utterly silent. Finally, as though realizing some harsh reality, she suddenly laughed. "Heh... hahaha." The oppressive aura that had been weighing on her seemed to be pushed away by her laughter. With an air of indifference, she spoke to Aubrey: "Aubrey, if my blood is filthy, then... what are you?" "Do you think yourself noble?" As she spoke, Claudia gently placed her hand on the mask covering her face and tore it off, revealing a young and beautiful visage. But on the other half of her exquisite features was a mysterious black-and-red mark that extended all the way behind her ear. One of her eyes turned blood-red, as if a stream of blood flowed within it, with the veins around her eye converging toward the center. Claudia laughed and pointed to the marked side of her face: "Don''t forget this." "Courtesy of you." She put the mask back on and turned her head, speaking in a calm and gentle voice to Viktor: "Sorry if I scared you." "No problem," Viktor shrugged, hands in his pockets. Leaning against the wall, he appeared indifferent. Claudia Stock. In the background lore, she was the last surviving female of the Stock family in the empire. After Claudia became empress, her family should have risen to prominence. However, the family was unexpectedly wiped out entirely. Only Claudia remained as the sole survivor of the bloodline. The reason? It was because of the empress herself. After becoming empress, Claudia spent over a decade gathering evidence and ultimately betrayed her family. Colluding with external forces, amassing wealth within the empirethese were the charges laid against them. In the end, with Empress Claudia''s assistance, Aubrey completely swallowed the Stock family. Many players speculated that Claudia did this out of a deep love for Aubrey, to the extent of betraying her own family. But in truth, the game never depicted any emotional interaction between the nominal empress and Aubrey. Because, even when Aubrey died, this empress never appeared. Players encountered her only at the headquarters of the hunters. She was one of the seven key leaders of the hunter organization. If not for later storylines revealing Claudia''s identity as the imperial empress, no one would have known this fact. And at this moment, Viktor happened to witness this scene, a royal secret of sorts.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Naturally, he savored the drama. He even felt grateful to Kevla for providing him with such a clue. Allowing him to witness such a spectacle. After putting her mask back on, Claudia''s emotions seemed to calm slightly. "Alright, Aubrey, what will you choose next?" "Will you kill me directly? Or, as before, keep me imprisoned?" The ferocious aura around Aubrey gradually faded into cold indifference, like an abyss stretching endlessly. Yet the oppressive feeling remained, carrying a biting chill that seemed capable of freezing one''s soul. His voice was chillingly cold: "Claudia, you should know why." "Of course I know. It''s because of that woman." Claudia shrugged, as if resigned to her fate, showing no trace of fear under the icy air. "How laughable that you loved so deeply, only to end up with nothing, Aubrey." Whoosh! The spear turned into a streak of white light, piercing through the space once again. The sharp impact rushed forward, embedding heavily into the surrounding ground. The terrifying force caused even more severe cracks. The surrounding earth sank significantly, and the massive palace trembled along with it. What horrifying power. And this was merely a casual strike from Aubrey. Claudia gave it such an evaluation. But... "Futile rage." "If you tilted it just slightly, you could''ve pierced through my body." "But I don''t believe it''s because you''ve gone soft." Claudia looked at the cold-faced Aubrey in front of her and chuckled faintly: "You never loved me. Never." As her words fell, Claudia struggled to pull the spear embedded in the ground out. Gripping it tightly, she looked back at Aubrey with a defiant gaze. Then, she reversed the spear in her hands and pointed it at her own body. Squelch The silver spear of cold iron pierced through Claudia''s flesh and blood. Bright red blood gushed out violently, spreading across the ground. Among the blood, there seemed to be traces of black patterns, eerie and mysterious. But neither Viktor nor Aubrey moved to stop her. They simply stood still, watching Claudia''s self-destructive act. Silently, they watched as Claudia took her own life. In the end, Claudia''s body lay upon the ground. Her body and blood began to merge, intertwining as if becoming one. The crimson blood gradually solidified, seeping into the cracks in the ground and disappearing. "She''s gone." Aubrey gazed at the bloodstains that had vanished before him and spoke calmly. Yet his voice sounded far older than before. "It seems you''re not in a good mood, Your Majesty." "Care to talk about it?" Aubrey glanced at Viktor, then turned and walked toward the royal passage. Viktor followed closely behind, quietly listening as Aubrey''s voice echoed once more: "Claudia Stock, my first wife, back when I had yet to ascend the throne..." It was a politically necessary marriage. At the time, the Stock family had not yet fallen and was considered a prestigious and noble lineage. The former emperor arranged a marriage for Aubrey, pairing him with Claudia. Only through this union could he inherit the throne. After Aubrey ascended the throne, Claudia bore him two sons. The eldest prince, Albanie, and the second prince, Owiser. Initially, Aubrey''s life as emperor was quite comfortable. Eating, sleeping, training, and confiscating estates. But this peaceful life lasted only until the Kingdom of Kant came forward to offer goodwill. The Duke of Kant sought an audience with Aubrey and proposed marrying his daughter to the emperor. And at the moment Aubrey saw her, he froze. Because... "She was my true love." Although Aubrey was powerful enough to slay dragons single-handedly at seventeen, He wasn''t yet strong enough to dominate the world. During a war, he encountered that girl from a neighboring country. They fell in love. He had never felt such affection for anyone. But as the heir to the empire, he couldn''t choose his own marriage. Let alone with someone from another nation. So he missed out on that youthful love. Fifteen years later. Now in his thirties, Aubrey met her again, this time in his own country. She was the Duke of Kant''s daughter, who had remained unmarried, waiting for him all these years. And this time, as emperor, Aubrey had the power to make his own decisions. That year, Aubrey truly experienced the taste of love. Until... "I saw it with my own eyesClaudia killed her." "When I reached out to hold her, I could only cradle the child bathed in blood from her lifeless body." At this moment, Viktor heard it. Aubrey''s voice was filled with a sorrow long buried. "Aurelianne was born amidst her mother''s corpse, absurd and tragic." ... Claudia had left the palace, escaping beyond the capital. Her body trembled, and blood flowed from her chest. In her final moments, she used the hunters'' blood magic, escaping at the cost of self-inflicted harm. Aubrey had grown stronger. But Claudia wasn''t surprised. From the moment she met Aubrey, he seemed to have no limits, always growing stronger. She collapsed onto the grass, pulling out a small bottle of faint red potion from her waist and drinking it slowly. Discarding the bottle, she breathed weakly, feeling the warmth spread through her body. Life was slowly returning. However, the recovery was far too slow. In her daze, she heard a flapping sound in the air. Claudia quickly became alert, propping herself up with her hands, trying to stand. When the sound of wings stopped, she finally saw the figure in the darkness. She sighed in relief: "Just a crow." The black figure stood on the grass, carefully preening its feathers, showing no fear of humans. Claudia paid it no mind, leaning weakly against a rock and gazing at the starry sky. Wait, a crow? Zzz Suddenly, a static-like noise began to echo in her ears, sharp and piercing. The starlight vanished instantly, and the surroundings plunged into darkness. Claudia''s body froze. What... was happening? Before she could react, a playful voice emerged from the darkness, filled with endless mockery, dragging her into the abyss: "Don''t be in such a hurry to leave." "Someone asked me to catch you. Why don''t you cooperate a little?" Chapter 209: Become My Servant, Queen Claudia surveyed the surrounding darkness, her expression hidden beneath the mask was one of utmost seriousness. What... just happened? Without a sound, she had been dragged into this strange and eerie space. Who could have done this? Could it be... that crow? Claudia''s gaze fixed once again on the jet-black crow. Its behavior sent shivers down her spine. Because it was quietly watching her with its single eye. "A... one-eyed crow?" An inexplicable sense of familiarity arose in Claudia''s heart. As if realizing something, she froze in shock. Wasn''t there always a jet-black one-eyed crow perched on Viktor''s shoulder? Anyone who knew Viktor even slightly was aware of this. This crow seemed to always accompany Viktor, to the point it had become his signature symbol. But she had just seen Viktor in the palace. At that time, the crow didn''t seem to be by his side. Initially, Claudia hadn''t paid much attention, assuming it was merely a pet. But now, her expression grew increasingly grave. "A talking crow... So, you''re the one who made Viktor strong, aren''t you?" Vega, like a gentleman, placed one wing over its chest and gave a slight bow to Claudia. "While I would love to let you think that, I''m afraid you''ve misunderstood, madam." "He is my most proud partner. Even without me, he would still rise as a dazzling black star." Claudia struggled to stand, her limbs weak. Even such a simple action nearly exhausted all her strength. The potion''s restorative effects were ultimately too limited. For someone like Claudia, who was nearly at the pinnacle of human strength, the recovery ability of that light red potion could barely allow her to move a little. And now she was facing a mysterious talking crow, uncertain whether it was friend or foe. Its presence indeed brought an overwhelming sense of crisis to Claudia. As she worried, the crow flapped its wings. A black feather gently floated down, landing in front of Claudia. Then, in the darkness, the nearly invisible feather began to transform. A red light flashed, and a glass bottle filled with bright red liquid appeared quietly on the ground. The potion''s color was so vivid, it seemed to verge on black. It resembled fresh blood. Claudia stared at the red potion by her feet, her mind blank. A restorative potion? But this color... "Drink it." The crow''s voice, like a command, suddenly rang out. Claudia''s gaze slowly lifted toward the sound. In the crow''s single eye, there seemed to be a playful mockery that controlled everything. "You have no choice." As the words fell, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly. A sense of urgency surged in Claudia''s chest, making her feel unable to resist. She could only bend down, pick up the potion, and uncork it. Removing her mask, she brought it to her lips and tilted her head back. The bright red potion trickled down her cheeks, sliding along her slender neck. Soon, something miraculous happened. Claudia''s body began to emit a faint green glow, and she felt her strength returning. The physical toll from using blood magic was completely erased. She felt an unprecedented sense of relief and ease. It was as if even the hidden injuries left on her body had been completely healed. What is this... A miracle? "Now, let''s make a deal." The sharp and sinister voice came from the crow once more: "I''m very interested in you demon hunters, so defeat it." Before Claudia could recover from her earlier shock, a towering demon emerged from the depths of the darkness.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Its crimson body stepped out of the shadows, its crystalline red armor cracked and shattered. Countless shards of metallic debris hovered around the demon, spinning incessantly. One of the spinning fragments grazed Claudia''s cheek, slicing her skin and drawing blood with just a light touch. Claudia slowly raised her head. Her half-bloodied face, with her crimson eyes seemingly enlarged, glowed with a deep red light. Her body entered a state of exhilaration, rising and falling with heavy breaths. Like a beast awakening from slumber, thunderous roars erupted from within her body. As one of the strongest seven demon hunters, how would she fare against a primeval demon? Vega was deeply intrigued. Its voice rang out again: "If you win, I will allow you and your subordinates to leave the empire safely." "But if you lose..." A suffocating aura radiated from the crow, climbing into the sky and devouring the darkness. Endless darkness was soon engulfed by rolling clouds, and the gray-black layers churned violently. A massive single eye broke through the clouds, its vertical pupil opening wide as it gazed down upon the earth, exuding an air of absolute dominance. "Your entire life" "Will become my servitude, at my beck and call." ... Beyond the capital, the boundless plains swayed gently with the breeze. The moonlight draped over the grasslands like a silken veil, while the starry sky above twinkled endlessly. The arrival of a lone figure shattered the tranquility of the scene. Blue streaks of light descended from the sky, converging on the ground. The figure, clad in a jet-black coat, stood motionless as the wind tugged at the fabric. Viktor stood quietly, as if waiting for something. Above him, Vega flapped its wings and descended, perching steadily on Viktor''s shoulder. Its sharp, grating voice echoed in Viktor''s ear. "Who would have thought, the empress of the empire turns out to be a high-ranking demon hunter." "Viktor, did you already know about this?" Strolling leisurely across the serene plains, Viktor replied: "The bloodline of demon hunters needs to be passed down. It only transfers to the next when the previous one dies." "The one who passed it to Claudia was her father, the head of the Stock family." There was a deep and complex story behind it. Through his conversations with the old emperor, Viktor had pieced the puzzle together. With his hands in his pockets, he gazed at the starry sky: "Her father was accused by Empress Claudia herself and personally sent to the execution platform." The Stock family was annihilated, leaving Claudia as the sole inheritor of her demon hunter father''s bloodline, carrying her sorrow as she departed the empire. Viktor squinted his eyes and added: "But of course, the truth is far more complicated than Ive just explained." "Well, I don''t really care about that," Vega chuckled mischievously before continuing: "But as you planned, Viktor, I do need these strong and capable demon hunters." Indeed, it was all part of Viktor''s scheme. He had never worried about Kevla suspecting whether his household harbored demons. On the contrary, the actions of these demon hunters provided Viktor with an even better reason to keep them. If Lia was smart enough, those demon hunters who had infiltrated the household were probably already bound by a contract of servitude, ready to work for the Kravina family for life. ... Lia stood amidst the ruins of the living room, her face showing no trace of regret. In fact, she was calmly calculating the household''s financial losses. Around her, a group of demon hunters was bound tightly by vines, standing with their heads lowered. Cocotte floated lazily on a cloud nearby, observing them with a supervisory air. Lia quickly finished her calculations, then held up the bill with a bright smile as she addressed the demon hunters: "The damage to the house is minor, but those gold-threaded wooden furniture pieces, antiques, collectibles, and paintings are all ruined. Their total value..." Lia deliberately dragged out her words, teasing the demon hunters'' nerves: "You owe us twenty million Geo." "And thats already rounding down." The demon hunters shuddered upon hearing the number. Several of them immediately began protesting: "Those damages werent entirely our fault..." "But if it werent for you, our home wouldnt have been destroyed. Oh, and by the way," Lia said, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms, her tone dangerously sharp: "If you hadnt reminded me, I almost forgot." "Breaking into my home and drugging my demi-human guards, leaving our defenses vulnerablewasnt that your doing?" "Lets add another million as compensation for them. No objections, right?" Her voice, like the whisper of a devil, lingered in their ears. ... No, it was even more terrifying than a devil. At least, compared to Lia, they would rather face a demon. "But we dont have that much money..." one of them stammered. "Thats simple," Lia replied, as if she had anticipated this. She suddenly grinned and pulled out a stack of prepared contracts, handing them out one by one. The demon hunters took the contracts, their faces bewildered as they read the terms. "There are twenty of you here. If each of you works for my family for ten years, the debt will be fully repaid." "Oh, and during your service, none of you will have any free time. Understood?" The demon hunters began trembling, shouting in protest: "You... you devil! This is illegal detention!" "Illegal detention? Did you consider the consequences when you illegally crossed the border?" Lias ever-smiling face remained unchanged as she looked up and down at the protesting demon hunters. They grew even more terrified. After all, most of them werent even citizens of the empire. The empire was so powerful that it needed no external forces or fanatical religions. Thus, the demon hunter organization could barely establish a foothold within the empire. The empires laws were extremely strict; illegal entry was already a serious crime, with deportation being the lightest punishment. Not to mention that they hadnt just entered illegallythey had also broken into the home of an imperial count. If caught by the empire, they would likely be imprisoned for life. They had no choice but to submit. At that moment, a wooden plank on the ceiling began to wobble. Creak The large, unsteady plank fell from above, landing squarely on an intact, valuable vase in the corner of the living room. Crash! The vase shattered into countless pieces, fragments even striking the faces of the demon hunters. The demon hunters: "..." Hearing the crash, Lia didnt even turn her head. She simply continued smiling and said in a calm tone: "Add another year." """ Chapter 210: The Forbidden Mother Dong! The palace gates slowly opened, and a crowd of nobles and ministers poured in. Aubrey, supported by his attendants, slowly approached the throne and sat down steadily. The moment the nobles and officials entered, they began their daily quarrels. It seemed as if they had an endless list of matters to report to the emperor every day. Among these, the most attention-grabbing issue was undoubtedly the incident of the Second Prince being assaulted. Such an event concerning a prince could hardly be concealed. Several ribs were broken... This could almost be considered an assassination attempt. The nobles set aside their own affairs and fervently discussed the prince''s injuries. "This matter must be thoroughly investigated!" "The prince''s dignity is tied to the honor of the entire royal family!" The old emperor rested one elbow on the armrest, supporting his face with his fist. He silently watched the ministers below, who were incessantly debating. He seemed somewhat uninterested. But soon, a report caught Aubrey''s attention. "Your Majesty! The residence of Count Viktor has been demolished..." This news had nearly become the talk of the entire capital. The renowned Count Viktor, a member of the council, known for his formidable strength and resolute actions, had his home destroyedthis was beyond anyone''s expectations. The last time such news of a residence being destroyed spread, it was Viktor who had demolished Jace Reiser''s mansion. That incident forced the Reiser family to publicly yield to the Kravina family and offer compensation. Jace himself had fled the capital, never daring to return. But that was not the main point. The ministers continued their report. "After his residence was destroyed, Count Viktor and his family are preparing to return to Bryston." BrystonViktor''s domain. Hearing this news, many nobles visibly breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, they didn''t even know why. It was just that hearing Viktor''s name brought an oppressive feeling. After all, in just a few months, Viktor had transformed from a reviled figure to one admired by all. His presence alone dimmed the brilliance of all the talents in the capital. Now, hearing that Viktor was leaving the capital, many people felt relieved. Upon hearing this news, the emperor merely nodded indifferently, saying nothing more. The emperor''s prolonged silence cast a heavy atmosphere over the palace. Even the ministers fell silent. It was only then that they noticed something seemed different about the emperor today. Finally, Aubrey spoke. His first question was directed at the ministers below. "Where is Owiser? Has he awakened?" A minister, hearing the question, quickly stepped forward to report to the emperor: "Your Majesty, the Second Prince has regained consciousness, and his injuries are under control, though he still needs rest." Aubrey nodded and straightened his posture. "Bring Owiser here and tell him." "Someone wishes to see him." "Yes, Your Majesty." A guard received the order and hurriedly left. The other nobles and ministers exchanged puzzled glances, unable to understand what the emperor intended. Why would His Majesty summon the gravely injured Owiser? After a while, the guard returned, pushing a wheelchair with Owiser seated in it. The Second Prince, heavily injured, had his chest wrapped in bandages, presenting a pitiful sight. "Father..." As he entered, he attempted to stand and salute the emperor, but the pain in his body made it impossible. He could only offer a bitter smile. Seeing the Second Prince in such a state, Aubrey waved dismissively. "Dispense with the formalities." "Give him a seat." Servants brought over a chair, and the guards carefully moved the Second Prince onto it. Owiser sat heavily in the chair before turning to face the emperor again. "Thank you, Father."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The emperor turned to look at Owiser and asked: "Owiser, how many years has it been since your mother left the palace?" The Second Prince was puzzled but still replied. "Father, it has been sixteen years." Aubrey leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh. "Sixteen years, is it?" "Have you thought about her?" The Second Prince was stunned. His mother had been gone for sixteen years, and to be honest, he could barely remember her face. Let alone hold any feelings for her. However, given that his father was asking this in front of all the nobles and ministers, he adjusted his expression. His face took on a sorrowful look, his furrowed brows seemingly conveying the pain of longing. "Mother has been gone for sixteen years. During this time, I have always missed her." "I constantly hope that life could return to how it was back then." Hearing this, Aubrey laughed, though it was unclear whether it was out of amusement or mockery. "Is that so?" He straightened his posture once more and, in the bewildered gazes of the ministers, said unhurriedly: "Claudia, come meet your child." At the mention of this name, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone froze, especially the Second Prince, whose facial muscles stiffened completely, his eyes widening in disbelief. Under everyone''s gaze, a woman slowly emerged from the passage beside the throne. She wore luxurious garments adorned with golden threads, the hem embedded with thin, shimmering emeralds. Her golden earrings and bracelets sparkled as well. Following behind her were several maids, all respectfully bowing their heads. An aura of grace and nobility radiated from her, and the crown on her head gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight. She stood beside the emperor, her head slightly lowered, a gentle smile on her face as she looked at the Second Prince, speaking softly: "It has been a long time." "My child." ... The nobles, upon seeing Claudia, were filled with shock. The majesty in Claudia''s eyes enveloped everyone present, silencing the ministers entirely. There was no mistaking it. After fifteen years, the Empress had returned! The ministers stood frozen, staring at Claudia with mouths agape, unable to utter a word. By her age, Claudia, like Aubrey, was nearing sixty. Yet she still looked youthful, appearing more like a woman in her thirties. The most shocked of all was the Second Prince. Sitting in his chair, he stared dumbfounded at the regal woman before him. That was his mother, Claudia. He still remembered. Years ago, when his parents had fallen out, his mother had resolutely left the capital, leaving the empire behind. At that time, he was only fourteen. And now, she had returned. Still as dignified and elegant as she had been fifteen years ago. "Mother... Mother?" The Second Prince''s voice trembled as he uttered in disbelief. No one knew why Claudia had chosen to return now. But even after her departure, the title of Empress had always remained hers, as Aubrey had never appointed a successor. Claudia approached the Second Prince, circling him as if inspecting something. The Second Prince didnt understand her actions. Truthfully, he felt no emotional attachment to this long-absent woman. His feelings were calm to the point of indifference. Yet being scrutinized by Claudia brought him an inexplicable sense of unease. It was as if needles were piercing his skin, a mix of pain and emptiness. Finally, Claudia stopped in front of the Second Prince, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Recover well, my child." "We will have more time together in the future." With that, Claudia clasped her hands in front of her skirt, lowered her gaze slightly, and exuded an air of composure and grace. She then bowed gently to Aubrey before turning and leaving. The Second Prince sat in his chair, his gaze fixed on Claudia''s departing figure, watching her leave. ... The news of Claudias appearance in the palace caused an uproar in the capital. The streets and alleys buzzed with discussions, and every newspaper headline was about "The Return of the Imperial Empress." In mere moments, the news had spread throughout the noble circles. After all, the Empresss iron-fisted methods had left a deep impression on everyone. She was the one who had personally sent her own family to the execution platform. The true culprit behind the extinction of the Stork family. After purging the Stork family, Claudia had left the empire, vanishing for fifteen years. No one knew why she had chosen to leave after committing "righteous patricide." But at the time of her departure, another piece of news had surfaced. The emperors other wife, the daughter of the Grand Duke of the Kant Kingdom, had died in childbirth after giving birth to Aurelianne. For a time, all blame was directed at Aubrey. Likewise, no one understood why, in a single night, both of the emperors wives had departed from his life... ... That morning, Aurelianne was strolling in the garden. She made it a habit to adjust her mood in the palace gardens, and during these moments, she was often alone. But today was different. While picking flowers, Aurelianne sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching from behind. She turned around to find a woman dressed in luxurious attire, crowned with a radiant tiara, smiling warmly at her. The tiara... Aurelianne took special note of it. But she did not recognize the woman. Before she could ask, Claudia spoke first: "You must be Aurelianne, correct?" Hearing the womans gentle voice, Aurelianne felt a strange sense of comfort and nodded blankly. "And you are...?" "You probably have never seen me before." Claudia walked closer, looking at Aurelianne with a soft expression, reaching out to touch her face. There was a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "You are so beautiful... even more so than your mother." Aurelianne blinked. Mother? The word felt distant to her. She had always been told that her mother had died in childbirth. She had never known maternal love and had no concept of what a mother was. But the woman before her was overwhelmingly gentle. Bathed in sunlight, she seemed to radiate a maternal glow. Aurelianne found herself momentarily lost in thought. If she had a mother... What would she be like? So she asked: "Did you know my mother?" Claudia merely smiled and replied: "I didnt just know your mother. I knew your father, your two brothers." "And your teacherViktor Kravina." """