Chapter 2264 - 877 - 885

Chapter 877 Reaction

"The moon has fallen?" Both Arnold and Douglas were greatly surprised by the Liege of Death's sigh. They both raised their heads and looked at the dark sky. Their eyes glittered in different colors with magic, which allowed them to see through the clouds and catch the chilly, hazy moon!

The moon hadn't really fallen!

The sorcerers were greatly relieved and canceled the vision effect provided by magic. If Demigod Alterna, who allegedly would never die as long as the moon was high, was killed by God's Arrival, they would not stand a chance at all!

However, according to what the Liege of Death said just now, even the Silver Moon failed to block God's Arrival?

Even a demigod could not resist an attack of God's Arrival?

After feeling lucky briefly, they were grasped by intense disappointment and confusion. Priscilla, Nielson, Congus, and the other sorcerers were very frustrated. Was the pope so powerful? Was it possible at all to defeat him? Did the Liege of Death feel frustrated too? In his prime years, the pope never bothered to perform "God's Arrival" on him, not to mention right now!

"Let's go back now and discuss other things after the Church's counterattack is over." A hazy mist rose before the Liege of Death. After the mist faded, he vanished.

Arnold calmed down and resumed his smile. "Whatever the pope does, we have to do what we have to do. Maybe he has to pay a high price to use God's Arrival… Doesn't he? We must lie low and do not take any action for a while. However, we must pay attention to the relationship changes between the nobles and the Church."

"We aren't that stupid although we have indeed been fooled once," Priscilla snorted. "You said that the grand nobles such as the Blue Demon would be inclined to help us. I hope that we can see something soon!"

She was bewildered by the beautiful prospect before!

Looking at the other people who obviously wanted to beat him up, Arnold smiled dryly. "Rest assured. There won't be a problem. We will observe and contact Sharp closely."

"We will be on our way." Priscilla held herself back from throwing a giant fireball at the man. She raised her head and looked at the sky while sighing gloomily. "I don't know when we can see the dawn…"

"After the dawn, there will be a surging tide…" Nielson's ruby eyes carried vague depression and sadness. His tone was different from Priscilla's, as he was concerned about the Church's retaliation.

Arnold chuckled. "Even Mr. Tannanois is not anxious. Why should we be? He will be the primary target for the Church after all this."

The Liege of Death's attitude just now made him feel that things might change, and the Church's counterattack might not be too strong.

"I hope you are not lying this time," Priscilla said casually and flew back into the Tower of Destroyers that had already turned transparent.

After the other sorcerers left, Douglas finally opened his mouth. "Could League have revealed the place where Allyn is buried?"

"No!" Arnold replied without any hesitation, as if he had been following League and knew everything.

Sensing his confidence, Fernando was greatly enlightened. "Brain Scourge and Memory Meddling… Since a long time ago, League has… Old fox, you lied to me again!"

He was too young and inexperienced, and his smartness could not make up for his personality flaws yet. So, he could not help but feel he was too naive to believe the old fox's explanation!

"If you still get tricked by me more often now, few people will be able to trick you in the future." Arnold looked at him gently. "Look at Douglas. He sensed something earlier, but he pretended that he did not know it because it did not affect him at all. Instead of unveiling me, he asked questions when he needed to."

After Fernando's teacher passed away, he had been learning on his own, but he also received a lot of guidance from his teacher's good friend, President Arnold. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a seventh-circle sorcerer at such a young age at all!

Of course, he was only young compared to other senior-rank sorcerers.

"The day will come when I listen to your lies and enjoy them as jokes," Fernando admitted that the old fox had a point, but he was reluctant to openly acknowledge it.

Douglas smiled warmly. "I'm relieved after confirming that. Mr. President, I will stay in Allyn for the time being. If you have magic questions or any experience in plan-making that you would like to teach me, please come to Allyn. Of course, if I have questions, I will also write to you."

He had basically figured out Arnold's personalities. Not as restrained as before, he made fun of the guy.

"The youngsters nowadays have fewer and fewer manners. I have to come to Allyn in person?" Arnold intentionally sighed. Although Douglas was rather old, he was still a young man compared to Arnold who had lived almost a thousand years. "Fine. Just don't tear Allyn down. I'm planning to study it when I have time."

Then, he turned around and looked at Fernando. "You keep in touch with Old Green and watch over Sharp. Whether the Church kills him or not, the situation will still be in our favor. Hehe, Fernando, if there's a chance, you should turn into a girl with that belt and work as Hathaway's governess."

"Get lost!" Fernando roared angrily. He vaguely understood why Kritonia was let go of. However, he couldn't have gotten out of this so easily, could he?

…

In the forest where the fog was lingering, the Liege of Death roamed with the black scythe floating above his head. He had returned to the place.

"How is the Silver Moon?" He suddenly spoke to the dark, rotten forest where nobody was around with his usual voice that sounded like from a grave.

"Based on the blood ties, I sense that the wounds are not fatal, but the recovery will take a long time." The empty darkness suddenly rolled and gathered into a person. He wore a red shirt and a black jacket with a collar that reached his head. His silver hair dangled to his shoulder. His eyes were as attractive as the moon in the sky. His face was flawless and even more beautiful than the ladies'. One might even say that it was eccentric.

He looked at the Liege of Death with a smile and said regretfully, "Why does every legendary sorcerer of the school of necromancy make themselves so creepy and hideous? What a pure and innocent young man you were when I just met you…"

"How is the pope?" The Liege of Death had long learned to ignore the guy's meaningless topic.

"After Tria was occupied, he returned to Lance. Maybe we can look forward to certain situations." The silver-haired man shook his head. "Abel is dead, and I am very sad, but I am even sadder about your current look. What a shame…"

"Abel is dead? Dracula must be very happy…" The Liege of Death was briefly stunned.

…

In the Radiance Church in Rentato…

"The Liege of Death joined hands with the Witch of Iceland and the Eye of Curse? He has recovered to level three?" Same as all the other men of the Gusta Empire, 'Graceful Angel' Francois had a thick beard. His face had been worn out by time, but his green eyes did not age at all and remained profound and sacred.

He seized the key of Kritonia's report very quickly.

Kritonia coughed. "Yes. Without him, neither the Witch of Iceland nor the Eye of Curse would've caused any trouble. Most of my current wounds were made by him."

His body had been cut from the waist, with only half left. The flesh was wriggling and growing, trying to recuperate, but it only decayed into stinky, yellowish pus nonstop.

Francois performed 'God's Healing' while he asked about the details of the battle. In the end, he nodded his head. "You were the only one who could've escaped by bursting out the power of space and time. If it were me, I must've died already."

The red robes who were summoned were astounded first and then infuriated. The sorcerers, who were being chased after like stray dogs, were bold enough to set up Alfonsol and attack the Heart of Time?

They were outraged now that their sense of superiority was broken. They shouted, "Lord Francois, we must let the sorcerers know that the world belongs to the Lord now!"

"My lord, order the legendary knights in all countries to take action! All the sorcerers involved in this must be judged!"

"Let's restore the previous rules. Nobles or not, all the suspects should be captured and burnt!"

"Sharp must be sentenced for betraying the Lord and conspiring with the sorcerers to kill Alfonsol!"

"Lord Francois, please send me to capture Sharp!"

They urged, trying to vent their fury and judge the blasphemous nobles and sorcerers.

Looking at them calmly, Francois did not open his mouth until they all calmed down. "It was only Sharp's random contract. He hoped that the sorcerers would leave after realizing the gap between them and us. There's no evidence that he was directly involved in the operation to assassinate Alfonsol."

"But in any case, it was blasphemy and betrayal that he did not kill the sorcerers on the spot! He deserves to be burnt!" A giant of the Inquisition shouted.

"He's a noble and one of the Sword of Truth's most trusted subordinates," Francois said at ease.

Another red robe said regretfully, "So what? Without us, they would've been the sorcerers' dogs. It is the Lord who gives them a new life and their current position, and this is how they are repaying the Lord? We must let the nobles know that the Lord is supreme and that they have no privileges before the Lord! Lord Francois, ask for the help of His Holiness. Since some of the nobles are untrustworthy, we should purge them at the same time."

He also knew that they were short of hands to accomplish the mission, so he encouraged Francois to ask for the reinforcement of saints from the pope.

"I can absolutely understand your fury. I want to judge the Liege of Death and Sharp as much as you do," Francois said peacefully before he suddenly changed the topic. "However, there is something that I have to tell you. Last night, Abel and Dracula, two top legendary vampires, attacked the pope together, and the Silver Moon took action, too…"

Huh?

Everybody was shocked. They looked at Francois in confusion. Had His Holiness died?

His face unchanged, Francois said, "Having no choice, His Holiness used God's Arrival twice in a row. He killed Abel and heavily wounded the Silver Moon. However, due to his poor conditions, he has returned to Lance, and the war westwards has been stuck in Tria."

Then, he sighed. "It's possible that we will have a new pope very soon."

Chapter 878 The Change of the Nobles" Attitude

Rentato's night was no different from any other cities'. Except for the cathedrals and the district of nobles that were illuminated by the everlasting light, the other places only had the light of the moon or the stars. Therefore, at such a pitch-dark night, Rentato was particularly cold and gloomy. The only thing that could be seen was the occasional lanterns.

"Blue Grace" Sharp stood next to the window in his bedroom and looked at the darkness outside attentively, as if the darkness that had nothing worth appreciating was the greatest significance of his life.

He raised his right hand and touched the lump on his nose. His vigorous blue eyes carried slight uneasiness. Other people might not know that Alfonsol, a giant of the Inquisition, had already left to hunt the sorcerers of the Tower of Destroyers. However, as the deputy captain of the Sword of Truth's Knights and one of the king's most trusted subordinates, he had enough sources for him to learn the fact. Therefore, he was waiting for an outcome.

Dum, dum, dum.

Somebody rushed close fast, with the thudding noises of iron boots and the clinking noises of his armor.

"Captain…" The knight who came to deliver the message breathed heavily. It took him only one minute to reach Lord Sharp's villa. "The Heart of Time is back, heavily wounded. Alfonsol and all the clerics and night watchers he brought were killed!"

"The Heart of Time?" Unusually, Sharp failed to control his face. He was puzzled why Kritonia was involved in all this.

"The message is from the Radiance Church, but the details are unknown." The knight said in a hurry, "Captain, Kritonia accuses you of conspiring with the sorcerers to kill Alfonsol. He said that he came late and could only save his own life. He apparently wants you dead!"

The royal family had bribed a lot of bishops of the Holm parish, who were not strong or prominent but could deliver intelligence at the critical moments.

"Alfonsol saw through it. Or maybe somebody sold the operation plan to Kritonia. However, if he was involved, why is Alfonsol still dead, and why was he heavily wounded…" Sharp was in such confusion that he forgot he was in danger himself. He could not figure out the reason at all.

The knight suddenly fell on his knees; his armor bashing into the floor heavily. He cried, "Captain, you should run! The Church won't let go of you! They need a scapegoat for their failure! They will set you on fire! As long as you hide until His Majesty is back, you will be innocent again!"

After a brief silence, Sharp held back his confusion and worries and said to his subordinate with his usual leadership, "If I run, it will mean that I admit my crimes. I don't believe that the Church will sentence a duke to death with no evidence except for the jibber-jabber of the sorcerers, which would chill and terrify all the nobles."

It was one of the scenarios he had in mind in case the operation failed and a sorcerer confessed after being captured. He had been prepared for that and believed nothing would happen to him under the king's protection. The only thing that bothered him was that the accusation was from Kritonia, another duke and a legendary knight. It was much more powerful than he imagined!

Clang!

The window quivered, and a cluster of fire penetrated through, turning into a brawny, tough-looking man in short hair.

"Captain, run now! Some red robe proposed to capture you!" He was "Demon Igniter" Gourcuff.

Sharp clenched his right fist, but he was still calm. "Don't worry. It's just regular capture and interrogation. They have no evidence. I'll be fine. If I run now, I will never be able to explain myself."

"My lord, you cannot trust the Church. In the past, they judged many nobles that they were only suspicious of and sentenced them to death!" While Gourcuff admired the deputy captain for being so calm and steady in such a dangerous moment, he was still quite anxious because Francois might be on his way!

Sharp shook his head and grabbed the hilt of his longsword. "They are all nobles below the rank of an earl, and I am a duke accoladed by His Majesty in person."

"My lord…" Gourcuff almost decided to drag the deputy captain to flee, but Sharp's determined attitude made him hesitate. "Why don't you hide in the Nekso Palace for now? I don't think the Church dares to break in. You can wait until His Majesty returns."

"About that…" Sharp was tempted.

At this moment, a bolt of lightning struck in the sky, and a young man who had few strands of hair, which were all standing, appeared in his bedroom. He was surrounded by silver electric arcs, and his pupils and his skin were in the unusual silver colors. "My lord, the Radiance Church has decided not to capture you. Instead, a red robe is sent to appease you."

He was another one of Sharp's deputies, "Argent Punishment" Cesc.

"What?" It was Gourcuff and the knight who came earliest who exclaimed in shock.

"Did something happen?" Sharp, as their leader, was equally astonished, but he still pretended to be cool on the surface.

Cesc shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't received any updates yet. Maybe they just decided to respect the nobles…"

His words were full of intense sarcasm.

Very soon, a red robe indeed came and forwarded Francois' comfort to Sharp. He was told that the Liege of Death set up a trap, heavily wounding Kritonia and killing the clerics including Alfonsol, and that the evil sorcerer intentionally disseminated that the two of them were in cooperation. It was an attempt to sabotage the relationship between the Church and the nobles, but the Graceful Angel was a saint favored by the Lord. Smart and righteous, he was not affected by the rumors at all. Sharp was asked to trust the justice of the Lord.

After seeing the red robe off with a smile, Sharp went into the bedroom, his face graver than ever. He said to his subordinates, "Something else must've happened! Find out what it is!"

He had basically understood that the operation was the sorcerers' trap and that their target was not Alfonsol at all but the Heart of Time. Even the Liege of Death, a top legend in the past, was involved. It was dozens of times more serious than he anticipated! So, he couldn't have passed it so easily without the other factors. There must have been something great that was much more important than what happened here last night.

After the three subordinates left, Sharp paced back and forth, not even in the mood to appreciate the dark night anymore. His vague anxiety spread out beyond his control.

The sky suddenly flashed with a flash of lightning, and Cesc appeared in the bedroom.

Holding back his agitation, Sharp tried to maintain his image as a leader. "What have you got?"

"A great battle took place in Tria. His Holiness used God's Arrival twice in a row. 'Silver Moon' Alterna was beaten back and heavily wounded, and Abel was killed…" Cesc said in shock.

"What?" Sharp exclaimed aloud, unable to retain his image. The Silver Moon took action and got defeated?

Having no time to repeat himself, Cesc went on, "However, the pope returned to Lance due to poor conditions. Legendary sorcerers, vampire princes, and primordial dragons flew past Tria and directly launched an attack at Lance. The battle was quite intense."

It was more detailed than what Francois said because new intelligence had come from Lance.

"That explains a lot…" Sharp said in a low voice. He then comforted Cesc who was in a panic. "Unless a demigod takes action, it is not so easy to break into Lance. After the Excellencies in Tria return, the situation will be steady again, except that it remains to be seen how badly hurt His Holiness is…"

Very soon, Gourcuff also returned. "Captain, The Angel King arrived in the Holy City and resisted the attacks of Danisos, Dracula, the elven queen, the Sun King, and the other legendary experts with… with God's Guard."

This "Sun King" was only a level-three legendary expert and wasn't Thanos.

"Captain, His Majesty, Saint Griffith, Saint Ivan, the Shield of Truth, Rudolf and other people have returned from Tria and beat the sorcerers' attack." The first knight came last with the latest news.

"His Holiness did not take action. It seems that he is really in bad condition…" Sharp analyzed in a low voice. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "No wonder they let go of me so easily. At this moment, this side of the strait is in desperate need of the aid of nobles, and so is the war in the west!"

"Yes, congratulations, captain," the first knight said in delight.

In a great mood, Sharp looked at his trusted subordinates and said, "Not having to be judged is not the happiest thing for me. Do you know what I'm happiest about?"

"The dilemma in the war of the west?" Gourcuff replied in uncertainty.

"The Silver Moon is heavily wounded?" The first knight still admired the Church, the pope, and God's Arrival.

After a brief silence, Cesc said, "Captain, are you happy because the two incidents demonstrated the power of nobles that even the grand cardinals have to be wary of and treat carefully?"

"Yes." Sharp turned back and looked out of the window. Too many secrets were hidden in the darkness. "It is not until today that I know how strong we are. Even though I am really to blame for Alfonsol's death, there is nothing they can do about me."

Now that their deputy captain had openly stated his attitude and confessed his crime, the three knights looked at each other and all fell on one of their knees. "Nobles are supreme!"

…

"Abel and Dracula set up a trap and attacked the pope. Then, she used herself as the bait to consume the pope's 'God's Arrival'. In the end, she asked Abel and Dracula to kill the pope who had been weakened. It was a sound plan. However, the Silver Moon's heart is much softer than I thought. Was she not scared that she would be erased by 'God's Arrival'? Or maybe, was she so confident about the demigods' immortality? Also, why was she so certain that the pope could not perform God's Arrival twice in a row?" After hearing the simple but effective plan from the Silver-Eyed Count, the Liege of Death asked tentatively with mixed feelings.

The gorgeous vampire known as the Silver-Eyed Count replied with a smile, "Because she knows a thing or two about the power and the sequela of God's Arrival. The Primordial Ancestor observed the battle of Antiffler the whole time even though she was not involved, and she spent a lot of time there afterward. It's a pity that she still misjudged a bit."

Chapter 879 Arnold"s Arrangemen

In the underwater relic in the Land of Thousand Lakes…

After he returned from the forest, Douglas did not immediately go to where Allyn was buried but stayed with Arnold and Fernando for news from Rentato. Only after he learned the intensity of the Church's counterattack and the ending of Sharp could he study the City in the Sky in peace, knowing that none of the sorcerers who were in the meeting was captured and revealed the location of Allyn. Since the city had crashed, it was barely possible to move it away without causing great noises.

"Mr. President, the Heart of Time has left the Radiance Church and returned to his villa in the city. The Church did not arrest the Blue Demon." A sorcerer reported to Arnold about the situation in Rentato. They had no spies in the Church and among the big nobles, so they could only learn the surface.

Scratching his beard, Arnold nodded. "Kritonia learned everything from League. He must've told it to Francois. However, it is quite weird that the Church did not arrest and interrogate Sharp, or even execute him directly. Something must've happened. Perhaps it's a ramification of the battle between the pope and the Silver Moon…"

He tried to figure out the reason, but this place was too far away from Aalto, Tria, and Lance. Unlike the Church, which had deployed divine power circles that could transmit voices among the important cities, the sorcerers had limited intelligence. So, they could only propose speculations.

"Whatever the reason is, the Church at least made a compromise to the nobles this time. It is important to help their ambitions grow," Douglas said peacefully and delightedly.

"That's why I said that we would be benefited whether or not the Church kills Sharp," Arnold said with a smile. Then, he turned to Fernando. "You should stop going to Old Green's for now. Sharp must've known that we took advantage of him. It's better to leave him alone while he is angry."

Then, he grimaced and said, "Fernando, Earl Paphos happens to be in Rentato. You can go ask him if he has figured out where the nobles' position comes from and how strong they are. Also, you can ask him about the situation in Aalto and figure out the outcome of the battle between the pope and the Silver Moon."

At such moments, the nobles had much more abundant sources of intelligence. Who could have provided more information than them?

"Earl Paphos?" After a brief stun, Fernando frowned. "Do I need to put on that belt again?"

Arnold laughed. "Why? You don't like it? I think you were quite interested in it before. You were even studying how to improve the belt."

Fernando cackled dryly. "Life is so short compared to death. So, why not try different experiences in the finite life?"

"However, even the most interesting experiences will become boring in the end. Only the mysteries of the world and magic are always attractive." Douglas did not know anything about the gender-transitioning belt and therefore simply offered his view.

Arnold laughed aloud and did not say anything else.

...

It was the middle of a night, but Earl Paphos' villa was as lively as during the day.

Many knights came and left, taking advantage of the darkness of the night. They exchanged their intelligence and confirmed each other's attitude, not resting at all. It was only because what happened tonight was too appalling for them to take any break. Who could've thought that Duke Sharp would assassinate Alfonsol with sorcerers? Who could've known that Kritonia learned it in advance and attempted to kill all the sorcerers? And who could've foreseen that the formidable "Heart of Time" would be caught in a trap and suffered the most brutal failure since he distinguished himself?

A tornado would definitely be raised after such an incident, and the common nobles like them risked losing everything. So, how could they not be panicked and ask for the attitudes of their lieges and higher nobles?

That was the reason why Earl Paphos' house was so lively.

Fatigue appeared on Earl Paphos' face as he watched a few subordinate nobles leave. For a radiant knight like him, it was nothing to deal with a few sleepless nights. What exhausted him was his mind. He had to adjust his stance according to the latest intelligence, the Church's attitude, and the other grand nobles' response, in case things went bad in the emergency.

"My lord, since the Church sent a red robe to appease Lord Sharp, I don't think anything bad will happen. This is the grace of the Lord. The scheme of the evils won't work out." The last noble in the living room bowed and was ready to leave. He was Earl Paphos' trusted subordinate.

Earl Paphos did not hide his exhaustion before his subordinate. "The outcome would've been different if it weren't for the battles in Tria and Lance. We are strong, but we are also weak."

The noble, who felt exactly the same, sighed. "Yes, my lord. The Church's compromise makes us feel strong, but the real reason for their compromise only makes us feel weak. If… If His Majesty and the rest of them indeed crush the army of sorcerers, vampires, dragons, and elves, we…"

He stopped, fearing that night watchers might be hiding around, and bid his farewell.

Looking at the slowly closed gate, Earl Paphos had a lot of mixed feelings. Without the enemies such as sorcerers and vampires, was it necessary for the Church to respect or keep the nobles? The changed attitude of the clerics in the past hundred years had proved everything! It was just like what the hot beautiful sorceress said. Sorcerers were the nobles' enemy, but the nobles' status also boiled down to sorcerers!

Suddenly, he turned around and looked at the darkness out of the window. "Come in now that you are here."

"I can't without the host's permission." A magnetic female voice echoed, and the glass on the window protruded inward, as if someone invisible were crawling out of the bubble.

But very soon, a petite girl in a red magic robe walked out, and the glass was back to normal.

Earl Paphos was not in a great mood, but the girl was as bright as fire. He said solemnly, "Why are you here?"

"Hey, do you not know why I am here? I don't remember that you are such an idiot, are you?" Fernando felt that his sarcasm had turned milder after he transformed into a female. "We talked before. Now, I would like to know if you have figured out the source of the nobles' status and how strong you are."

Earl Paphos' eyes had the unique gold vertical pupils resembling those of dragons. He looked at Fernando and said slowly, "My answer is not important. What matters is that you are too weak. Even though the Liege of Death recovers, you will still be weak. I will not go after anything that will inevitably fail."

What happened today completely showed him the position and power of the nobles. However, although he had realized it, he was unwilling to share his answer with the sorcerers, and he pointed out the central issue straightforwardly.

Fernando was quite satisfied with his attitude. It at least showed the Earl Paphos was willing to communicate with him, which was a good sign for cooperation. He smiled. "We are weak, but the coalition army of sorcerers, vampires, dragons, and elves is not. If the nobles drift away, the Church will only be able to preserve itself. Of course, we do not need you to risk working with us for now. We only hope to get a bit of help so that we will have time to grow until you realize that we are not too weak to cooperate with you."

"It takes much more time for sorcerers to grow than it does for clerics," Earl Paphos said without giving an answer.

Sensing Earl Paphos' concerns, Fernando did not pursue the topic further but asked, "I'm told that battles took place in Tria and Lance?"

"Yes, the Silver Moon, Abel, and Dracula attacked the pope together…" After considering briefly, Earl Paphos told him everything he knew.

Fernando was surprised and excited while he mocked in silence. Providing intelligence was exactly what he meant by "a bit of help". Although the earl did not agree to the cooperation openly, his action showed that he already did.

...

"The pope did not take action, but the coalition army was still unable to break into Lance. Only one grand cardinal and one legendary knight were killed before they were completely suppressed. The Church is truly appallingly powerful…" Arnold received some intelligence through other sources and confirmed what Fernando had learned. Even so, he was still very shocked, finding it hard to believe that the Church was already so strong!

Except for clerics and nobles, most of the legends in the world had been gathered, but they still could not defeat the Church that had lost the pope, even though the Church had left plenty of grand cardinals and legendary knights in Holm, the Boundless Ocean, and other places in case the remaining sorcerers and ocean legends stir trouble.

It was truly a devastating fact!

"If the pope recovers, or if the new pope is crowned, the coalition army will probably collapse when God's Arrival is available again," Douglas said in concern. The Church was insurmountable right now, and the situation would only be worse when the pope was involved.

Arnold nodded. "We can only hope that the Silver Moon recovers before the pope does or the new pope becomes a demigod. Then, a balance will be forged again."

"It's not something we can control," Douglas said with a self-mocking smile. "It seems that the counterattack this time won't be too strong. Only the remaining legendary knights and grand cardinals will be gathered at most. Mr. President, I'll go to Allyn now."

"Alright. Don't be lazy. Try to figure out something!" Arnold told him as if they had known each other for a long time. Then, he looked at Fernando. "I hope that you can go to Aalto and Tria to figure out the situation and who between Griffith and Ivan is more likely to be the new pope. Also, I would like you to find some talented young sorcerers and convince them to join us. After all, they are not qualified to participate in a war of legends."

Chapter 880 Different People

The half mountain full of cracks was squeezed by rocks and mud, and almost none of the circuits and symbols on it were complete. The buildings were also broken except for those that were constructed later on.

A dozen sorcerers lived inside the city that seemed to have completely been destroyed. They were so few that they did not bring any liveliness to the place, which was still as quiet and grim as a graveyard.

"Allyn…" Floating in the middle of the mountain, Douglas called it using the Sylvanasian tongue. Even though he had seen it once, he still felt the insuppressible shock, excitement, and eagerness.

He flew to the ground of Allyn. Under the direction of a few respectful sorcerers, he walked to the central magic tower, where only one third of the building still stood now. Through the long pathway, he went deep into the City in the Sky, where the cores of all mysteries and the power source of the flight lay. Of course, they were all too seriously destroyed to show what they looked like at the beginning.

"My research has begun."

Douglas said to himself when he went to the underground world. One of the important reasons why he came to Holm instead of Aalto was the floating city that he always dreamed about.

The questions that haunted him for years both when he was awake and in his dreams would be best answered here.

Stepping on the gray stone stairs, he went down slowly, and his back disappeared into the darkness at the entrance. Everything fell silent again.

...

The night before the dawn was particularly dark. There did not seem to be any light.

Kritonia sat in the hall of his villa with the longsword flashing on his legs.

After being treated by Francois, he had already got rid of the lingering curse and recovered his body. However, his blood power was so weak that even the common knights could see it. It would take some time before he returned to his peak state.

"Kritonia, isn't the Liege of Death old?" A wind passed by, and a mocking voice echoed.

The invisible wind landed and gathered into a tall, slim man. His hair, his skin, and every line on his body gave the feeling of the blowing wind. Both his hair and his pupils were in weird transparency.

"Raymond, he is old, but do you dare to fight him again?" Kritonia replied casually.

The legendary knight was "Ceaseless Wind" Raymond, the grand duke of the Duchy of Calais, which used to be part of the Asso Empire. Therefore, he had the deepest reverence for the Liege of Death. When he was told that the Heart of Time, who hadn't been close to him, was heavily wounded by the sorcerer, he mocked him on purpose.

"Hehe." Raymond sat on the couch. "Francois asked us to take action and teach the hiding rats a lesson that they will never forget."

He came under the instruction of the Graceful Angel. The other few legendary knights were on their way over too.

"He did not ask you to take action; he asked you to work for me." Kritonia raised his head proudly while a vague disdain appeared on his young face. "I am the one most favored by the Lord and the strongest knight on this side of the straight other than the king. That's why the Lord adores me and the Church trusts and lets me command you."

"Are we not favored by the Lord?" Raymond said back. He knew that Kritonia was arrogant, but he never knew that the guy could be so unfriendly.

"This is the Graceful Angel's order. You have no choice except to obey!" Kritonia was completely on the Church's side, treating the other legendary knights as his subordinates.

Raymond always considered himself a knight of manners, but he still said angrily, "Who do you think we are? Puppies under your command?"

"Not puppies, but lambs of the Lord. We, the servants, will rein you however we see fit," Kritonia responded as arrogantly as before.

"Good, very good! Don't forget that you are a noble knight too!" Enraged, Raymond almost wanted to kill the jackass.

Kritonia scorned at him. "I can become a divine knight at any moment."

"You!" Raymond decided to defend his dignity and honor with battle.

At this moment, the gate was opened again, and a cluster of darkness that seemed to contain infinite disasters surged in.

"Hehe." Raymond held back the urge to fight again.

...

Inside the Radiance Church where the transmission circle was deployed…

Francois had been staying in the place to get the messages from Lance as soon as possible. He was also ready to return to the Holy City.

"They will definitely hide after they kill Alfonsol and heavily wound Kritonia. Therefore, as long as we don't mess up, the situation will be steady for the time being," Francois said to Kanunell, the red robe who took over the Inquisition recently.

Kanunell lowered his head and said respectfully, "Yes, your prediction is very accurate. I just received the intelligence from someone important. The order from the Liege of Death to the Union of Sorcerers, the Tower of Destroyers, the Supreme Soul, and the other magic organizations is to lie low until the counterattack of the Church is over."

"Very good." Francois nodded his head and kept looking at the transmission circle where holy light was surging out.

...

Amid a tall magic tower was the black fog where transparent, hideous faces were emerging. The magic tower was pitch black like a tombstone. There was only shimmering light on the top floor.

The light came from a silver candlestick. Tannanois, the Liege of Death who was covered in a cloak, looked at the unopened book before him quietly. The words on the cover suggested that it might be from the Meshkate Empire.

"The Secret Research of Previous Sorcerers on the Original Body".

...

After a long journey, Fernando finally landed. He was close to Tria in the northwest of the Holy City. It was the area with the most legendary experts. Therefore, he dared not fly in the sky carelessly.

This was a narrow, long territory. The Holy City lay in the southeast, the North Province of the Holy Heilz Empire lay in the northeast, Aalto—the last camp of the Magic Empire—lay in the southwest, the battlefield of Tria lay in the northwest, and the heresies who worshiped the Mother God of the Earth lay in the north. Further north, it was the Schachran Empire that was completely controlled by the Saint Truth.

"The Angel King, Griffith, Ivan, and Rudolf are four top legends. Plus the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Truth that are as good as top legends, as well as five seraphs and more than eight level-three saints, the Church is terrifyingly powerful to resist all the other forces combined, not to mention that they have the aid of the allies…" Fernando traveled in the area in the form of a mouse and recalled the intelligence he obtained recently, both frustrated and somewhat angry.

He didn't even count the saints, the grand cardinals, and the legendary knights that did not participate in the war!

"Is it impossible to defeat the Church without letting in the devils from hell and the demons from the abyss?" Fernando thought. His heart was in a mess.

Suddenly, he discovered that the tallest building in the city up ahead was trembling violently. In the places governed by the Church, the tallest building could only be the cathedral!

"What's going on? Have the legends launched another attack?" The coalition army had been driven back to Tria by the forces of the Church after they were gathered. That was why Fernando speculated as such.

...

"You have the intelligence on the headquarters of Red Eye?" Kritonia looked at the night watcher before him solemnly.

The night watcher lowered his head. "Yes. It's from reliable sources."

He knew that the legendary knight before him had just been trapped. So, he introduced his sources and the specific content carefully.

Kritonia picked up his longsword and said in a hurry, "They must be evacuating. I'll go and block them now. Inform Raymond to come with me."

"Yes, Your Excellency," the night watcher replied, not surprised at all.

The hazy light moved among the clouds and soon reached a plain-looking city.

Kritonia shouted, "Evil sorcerers, die now!"

He turned into an overwhelming river of time and fell at the center of the city.

Nielson, who had yet to evacuate, thought that he was doomed when he saw the light.

However, after the time washed him like water, he was still living in this world, and so were the senior-rank sorcerers next to him. Only an eighth-circle sorcerer was killed. Of course, the Red Eye sorcerers further away from him had all collapsed to the ground. They seemed to have been dead for years!

"Has the Heart of Time been weakened into a non-legend now?" It was Nielson's first thought, but very soon, he saw that Kritonia turned around and shouted at the outside of the city, "You can never run away!"

What? Nielson suddenly realized what was going on. He dragged the senior-rank sorcerers next to him to escape in a different direction. That was the Plan B of their evacuation.

Soon after they left, Raymond and the other legendary knights arrived. Kritonia said to them expressionlessly, "We're late. The leaders have run away. Only the dozens or so low-rank sorcerers failed to escape."

...

The Liege of Death put down the thick book in his hands and took out a mirror that was covered in deep darkness from his magic pouch.

He touched the mirror, and it gradually became clear. The scene on it was a room that had a cross.

In the Radiance Church, where Kritonia was treated, the shadow in the corner was suddenly enlivened. It was dark and twisted, just like the curse on Kritonia's wounds back then.

The Liege of Death extended his right hand and pressed the mirror. His body blurred and melted into it.

The shadow wriggled and stood up. It became the Liege of Death that was fully covered in the cloak.

Red lights flashed on his fuzzy face, and he locked onto Francois who was near the transmission circle.

...

After the end of a session of research, Douglas returned to the ground and sat on a rock while watching the sky turn dark.

"The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but why?" Douglas was still murmuring. He was too fascinated by everything.

In the west, the setting sun dyed the horizon red.

Chapter 881 Hades" Right Hand

Inside the Radiance Church…

The Liege of Death, having turned into a shadow, did not attack immediately. After finding out Francois' location, he backed off to a dark corner outside of the room while waiting for the shift of night to day and the moment when the gate of the cathedral was opened. That would be the moment when Francois was most relaxed and careless.

If he were to cast a spell right now, Francois could possibly sense danger and defense in time.

Since they were going to fight in a cathedral, he was not confident that he could defeat Francois when he hadn't recovered to his peak status yet.

Even though the cathedral was protected by the God of Truth, and lights were on all night, there was still darkness where the lights could not reach. The Liege of Death stood in it as if it had been melted into the darkness.

In the hall where the transmission circle was deployed, Francois stood up and waited for the message impatiently. Other people might be unaware of it, but he knew very clearly that a result concerning his future, if not the situation of the world, would take place tonight!

Holy light suddenly surged and glowed in the circle, illuminating the whole room and making it as bright as day. The air of divine power covered everything.

"Is there a result?" Francois immediately stared at the circle.

At this moment, two red spots suddenly emerged in the darkness. The Liege of Death had sensed the best opportunity to attack. The waves created by the transmission circle could cover all the traces before a spell was cast, particularly when Francois' attention was fixed on the message.

He raised his right hand, and the black long sleeve of his magic robe moved backward naturally, revealing a pale hand that was completely dry. Every inch of skin and every streak on the hand was different and brimming with death. As they gathered into the runes of immortality, vague black air popped up, and intense desolation was manifested. It seemed that the realm of the dead had been recreated by the palm.

Tannanois curled four fingers and left only the index finger. The withered fingernail glittered in the mysterious black and gray.

As he let out the rough sounds that other people could not hear, spiritual faces appeared around him, writhing and raging, but they were all thrown into the desolate darkness at the tip of the index finger, dying it pale.

The Liege of Death's body gradually turned transparent and was no different from the spiritual faces. Then, he was absorbed by his own index finger, leaving nothing but a pale and gray finger on the spot.

"Ahh!!!"

A miserable cry suddenly burst out, and a fuzzy face flew out of the tip of the finger with its mouth wide open. It covered the distance instantly and lunged at Francois' back!

"Assassination?" Francois looked at the transmission circle in confusion. He did not understand why he would suffer an assassination in the heavily-guarded Radiance Church.

Brilliant light burst out of his body. Extraordinary items were triggered and tried to stop the face from leaking in.

However, the finger, which had already turned black, white, and gray, suddenly emerged before Francois. Passing through the defense that was almost broken, it tapped his forehead softly.

The initial attack was the Liege of Death's most powerful and unique spell that he had named "Death Resonance". The other sorcerers had given it a nickname—God of Death's Call. His "finger" in the second wave of attack was the only legendary item the Liege of Death had—"Hades' Right Hand"—which could only be used once!

Francois' confused and shocked face was frozen, and his body quickly turned black and gray.

…

Fernando quietly flew to midair, only to discover that the cathedral in the city trembled violently as if it had an earthquake. After only one moment, the earth cracked, and a gap where red magma was flowing consumed the cathedral like the mouth of a monster.

The air of a legendary divine power burst out in the cathedral, and a holy light rose to the sky. However, it was enshrouded in a black ball and pulled downward. Flying more and more slowly, it began to descend instead of rising after only three seconds, falling right into the boiling magma.

Then, the crack of the earth closed, and there was no sign of an earthquake except for the missing cathedral as well as the clerics inside.

"The earth control of such an extent…" Fernando felt that it was the most unbelievable superpower of the earth class he had seen. Of course, the best he had seen was only the similar spells of the ninth-circle sorcerers. "Also, the attack is directed at the Church…"

From that, he concluded that it was done by a friend instead of an enemy. So, he slowly landed and waited for dawn so that he could sneak into the city and find out what happened.

…

In the Bright Hall in Lance, the Holy City…

The old pope's beard and hair were entirely white, and his wrinkles seemed to be falling from his face. He was too old to be a living human being. Wearing a sacred crown and holding the platinum staff, he looked at the grand cardinals and the divine knights down below with eyes that were as clear as before. "Except for the members who are obliged to watch over the fortresses, all the grand cardinals are here."

His voice was solemn but benevolent. After a pause, he raised the platinum staff and announced seriously, "The Lord has appointed a new pope in an oracle. As for me, I will return to the Lord's arms in Mountain Paradise tonight."

All the grand cardinals lowered their head and said respectfully, "That is the Lord's grace. Your contributions to the Church are as vast as the Boundless Ocean."

The old pope nodded softly. "Our contributions are exactly our gains. I hereby announce the Lord's oracle. The new pope will be…"

His eyes passed on the faces of a few grand cardinals. Satisfied with their tranquility and devotion, he raised his voice and said, "Griffith!"

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." A middle-aged man in a clean robe walked out and fell on his knees piously. His skin was dark, and his face was plain. The only thing that differed him from peasants was that he did not have as many wrinkles, and his every movement was full of charm.

"Only Truth lives forever!" All the other grand cardinals fell on their knees and drew crosses on their chests.

Then, everybody stood up and watched Griffith walk on the seven stairs.

As Griffith took each step, the holy and everlasting songs, the ivory and sacred light, and the sand-like angels appeared one after another, making Griffith seem to be walking in the realm of the God of Truth.

Lance was covered in overwhelming holy light. All the clerics and believers knelt and prayed.

The projection of Mountain Paradise appeared in midair, casting a streak of holy light on Griffith, which looked like a halo.

Griffith walked up to the last stair and took over the platinum staff from the old pope solemnly and respectfully. Then, he turned around to the grand cardinals and raised the staff high.

At this moment, a sacred and intimidating voice descended from the infinite heights.

"Your holy name will be 'Gregory'!"

The old pope smiled. His body suddenly turned transparent, as if he were the purest holy spirit. Then, he crumbled into countless holy spots of light that flew into the projection of Mountain Paradise.

Griffith drew a cross on his chest and declared with a voice that echoed throughout Lance as all popes did when they were crowned, "From today on, I will be Gregory!"

All the grand cardinals fell on their knees again. "Only Truth lives forever!"

At the front of the grand cardinals was a golden-haired man in a white robe. His face was chiseled, and he was tall and handsome, except that his rising nose was a bit intimidating.

At this moment, he was more focused and devoted than any other grand cardinals on the spot.

Behind him, some of the grand cardinals further lowered their heads, preventing other people from seeing their faces.

…

"What? This place has been taken over by the Mother God of the Earth?" Fernando had pictured a new scenario where he might run into some powerful sorcerers, or someone had summoned a Devil Duke, or the primordial gold dragon attacked unexpectedly. Little did he expect that the place would become the territory of the Church of the Mother God of the Earth!

He did not need to investigate at all. After he snuck into the city, many priests of the Mother God of the Earth were delivering the fact to the believers.

"It was the Mother God of the Earth who killed the grand cardinal last time? That makes sense. Only the top legend who is best at spells of the earth class could've killed a grand cardinal who was under the protection of the cathedral so easily…" Fernando was greatly enlightened.

As a matter of fact, Douglas, Arnold, and he had all speculated that the heretic religion, which rose against the Magic Empire with the Saint Truth since the War of Dawn began, would eventually turn against them after the Saint Truth grew too powerful. The previous cases had proved that, like the Sun God who was killed by God's Arrival. However, he did not expect the Mother God of the Earth to revolt so suddenly!

"The outcome might've been different if the Mother God of the Earth betrayed during the attack of Lance…" Fernando soon accepted the fact that the Mother God of the Earth had betrayed the Saint Truth, but he did feel sorry that it happened too late. He thought to himself, Maybe because of the suppression of the Saint Truth without the pope, the coalition army finally decided to make significant compromises to the Mother God of the Earth.

Standing outside of the church of the Mother God of the Earth that had just been established, Fernando hesitated for a moment but decided not to come in. After all, there were many sorcerers among the night watchers, and the priests of the Mother God of the Earth must be too sensitive right now to trust him. He might as well go to Aalto as soon as possible and look for friends he was familiar with.

"Antec always told me that his classmate Stanis had remarkable talents and was about to become a legendary sorcerer. Hehe. I'd better meet him in person." Fernando tried to get out of the city when he remembered his correspondences with his friend.

When he passed by two priests, he suddenly heard one of them speaking to the other in a low voice.

"Griffith has succeeded as the pope. His holy name is Gregory."

"The new pope has been born?" Fernando was briefly stunned. "What does Ivan think?"

He had to go to Aalto immediately to find out!

Chapter 882 Mean Good Friends

It was the middle of the day. The ancient and magnificent Aalto City stood next to the Bellen River, looking down at the villages around it.

The wall of the city was not in black, which was what most sorcerers would have liked. It was in dark yellow because it was as old as the everlasting sky.

Although Fernando dared not to fly, he still reached the central city of the empire a couple of days later since he did not rest at night.

He cleaned his clothes and walked to the city gate, which was defended by a dozen sorcerers. Their leader revealed the unmistakable air that he was an archmage!

It was the scorching noon, but peasants, dealers, and citizens going in and out of the city were not reduced at all. One could not help but sense the liveliness and exuberance of Aalto.

"Stop!" A middle-rank sorcerer stopped Fernando in wariness. In such an eventful period, nobody wanted to be killed by the night watchers.

Because Fernando was wearing a red magic robe, all the sorcerers shifted their attention to him. All of them looked grave except the archmage, as if they would attack him relentlessly if anything went wrong.

Fernando said loudly, "I am from Holm. I'm here to look for my good friend Antec. He's a student of the King of Nightmare."

Antec was merely a senior-rank who just made it to the sixth circle. He couldn't have been known by a lot of people. So, in case of an accident, Fernando simply brought up the name of his teacher, the legendary sorcerer "King of Nightmare".

The destination of their class was exactly "King of Nightmare", like Maskelyne who used to rule the city in the past. His "Book of Astrology and Elements" had only two legendary classes, "Prophet" and "Lord of Elements".

To obtain more legendary classes, one would have to make enough contributions to the empire to enter the "Tower of Gods", the library of the empire in Antiffler, to study them. In the heyday of the Sylvanas Magic Empire, the sorcerers were so confident that they believed that legendary experts were mortal gods and that different classes were the gods of different realms. So, the library of the empire was named "Tower of Gods". However, the rise of the Saint Truth made the "gods" fall into dust.

"The King of Nightmare?" Now that the name of a legendary sorcerer was mentioned, the archmage at the gate was much more serious and friendly.

Fernando nodded. "Yes, but I do not know him. I'm only familiar with his student Antec."

He was too proud to fake connections with a legendary sorcerer.

An oddly honest fellow… The sorcerers could not understand Fernando's pride and only presumed that he was silly because he had been too devoted to his research.

The archmage at the gate smiled. "I know Stanis, another student of the King of Nightmare. I heard the name Antec from him before. So, you may come in."

Huh? Fernando was surprised at his privilege. He was let in so easily? They did not even ask his name!

The archmage mistook Fernando's stun for not remembering Stanis or believing what he said. So, he said in a low voice, "Stanis is the King of Nightmare's best student. Antec must've mentioned him before, right? His cognitive world has half-solidified since half a year ago, and he is considered a half legend. Hehe. Perhaps we'll see two Kings of Nightmare in one city someday."

"His cognitive world has half-solidified?" Fernando had thought that he, who almost reached the eighth circle, was the best of the "young" sorcerers in his generation. He did not know Stanis, who was not much older than him, had already reached such a level.

"Yes. He might try to make a breakthrough before long. He's a real genius at illusions and dreams." The archmage's envy was obvious. The boundary between the ninth circle and legendary was slim, but the differences were too huge.

Instead of nodding, Fernando said eagerly, "I know a thing or two about illusions too."

He was implying that he could communicate with Stanis and see if this "real genius" deserved his name. He would never praise, envy, or look up to anyone!

The archmage, however, thought that a sorcerer who was good at illusions had come to ask for the guidance of Stanis and the King of Nightmare. That was not rare, particularly when he was familiar with the King of Nightmare's student.

"How should I call you?" After Fernando mentioned the King of Nightmare, he felt that it was necessary to make acquaintance with this senior-rank sorcerer. "I am Reece Brown. You can call me Reece."

That's the right protocol! Fernando thought. "I am Fernando Brastar. I prefer to be called Fernando."

Reece paused and asked in hesitation, "Your last name suggests that you are from the Asso Empire, aren't you?"

Fernando nodded. "Yes, but my teacher is a sorcerer of the empire."

Reece did not further confirm his identity, as if he were certain about Fernando's truthfulness. He said with a smile, "Fernando, come on in. Antec is already waiting for you. We should talk about magic knowledge sometimes."

"What? Antec is waiting for me? I'm already allowed to go in? You don't need to examine my identity? Are you not afraid that I have surrendered to the Church and become a night watcher?" Fernando felt that he had more and more questions after he knew Douglas.

With a weird smile, Reece said, "Rest assured. There are no night watchers in Aalto. Look, isn't Antec over there?"

Following his finger, Fernando saw a young man in a monocle. He was slim and pale, with messy hair, rising cheekbones, and an untrimmed beard. The disgusting smell from him suggested that he hadn't been out of the meditation room or the laboratory for a long time.

"You look as terrible as before," Fernando mocked Antec straightforwardly. "And you don't know how to sort yourself out at all."

With a bitter expression, Antec said, "Whether or not I sort myself out, no beautiful sorceresses will ever like me. Only someone as handsome as you is worth sorting out."

There were hints of envy and jealousy in his tone.

"Have you considered modifying your face?" Fernando did not consider Antec's feelings at all.

Antec, however, thought about it carefully and said, "Few people in our magic tower are good at physical modification, and I don't trust other people, fearing that I will become even uglier."

"Hehe. You are still a coward who doesn't dare to try and trust! You shouldn't have studied after the King of Nightmare, and you should've gone to the Tower of Misfortunes!" Fernando was particularly mean today.

The Tower of Misfortunes was the demiplane of "Lord of Misfortunes", a legendary sorcerer who had already perished in Antiffler.

Antec was not so cowardly in front of his friend whom he had known for years. He said proudly, "My teacher said that I am very gifted at dreams, and I'm most suitable to hide in someplace safe and manipulate dreams."

"Yes. It's indeed suitable for cowards," Fernando said.

Antec suddenly smiled. "Fernando, let me tell you a story."

"Huh? A story?" Fernando failed to follow Antec. He suddenly felt that his friend had something he could not understand since they last met ten years before.

Antec led Fernando through the gate into the crowded market area. The vampires under their parasols, the elves who embraced the sunlight, the dragons who stopped on the roofs, and the human beings who were coming and going made the place diverse and charming.

"The Lord of Abyss, my teacher's good friend, is one of the best experts in bloodline melting and body modification. When he was young, he was often mocked by his good friend for being too hideous. However, he has plenty of mistresses right now," Antec said in a calm tone.

Fernando was not envious at all. "He's a legendary. Nobody can refuse him."

In the Magic Empire, legendary sorcerers had great privileges. As long as they did not kill anyone too important, they would only be fined for murder.

Then, he chuckled. "So, that's what you used to encourage yourself? How inspiring!"

"That's not important. The important thing is that when the Lord of Abyss was only in the seventh circle and not as strong as his friend, he ambushed and killed his friend after having enough mockery, before turning his friend into a demon dog." Antec suddenly sounded delighted.

Fernando was stunned for the first time during his interaction with Antec. He said with his face frozen, "Do you want me to thank you for not killing me?"

"Yes, but I dare not do so," Antec replied with a smile. He was already satisfied to see the look on Fernando's face.

Fernando was about to roar when he saw a vampire fighting an elf in the avenue up ahead. The blast of the senior-rank supernatural powers had demolished a lot of buildings.

"Nobody is going to stop them?" Was Aalto so unregulated? Then, perhaps the Church did not need to attack them at all; they would kill each other after a while!

Antec suddenly sounded extremely weird. He asked, both in amusement and confusion, "Fernando, have you pretended to be a girl?"

"How did you know?" Fernando was rather shocked. How could such a thing have been spread to Aalto?

Antec pointed at his side. "She's right here."

Shocked, Fernando looked at his right side, only to discover a petite red-eyed beauty was standing next to him shoulder to shoulder, except that she looked rather fuzzy.

He was lost at first, before he said in great enlightenment, "Is this Aalto City my dream?"

"No, it's OUR dream," Antec replied with a smile. He was much bolder when they talked about that.

"Our dream, as well as theirs?" Frowning, Fernando pointed at the human beings, elves, dragons, vampires, and dwarfs around them.

Antec nodded his head. "This place is based on the dreams of all the living creatures in the real Aalto. Now that you have come to this place, you've naturally joined the dream. It's barely possible for traitors to hide in such dreams."

"This is… too remarkable for your teacher to accomplish! Has he reached level three of legendary? It's impossible for even the level-three legends!" Fernando had a profound understanding of illusions and read a lot of books on the battles of legends.

Antec chuckled. "Have you forgotten that Prince Dracula is in Aalto?"

883 A Date

"Him? No wonder…" Fernando said in a low voice.

Although "Real Dream" was a naturally-endowed spell of vampires, Prince Dracula, who was a top legendary vampire, was the only one who could connect the dreams of so many people without depriving them of their thinking abilities. Abel, who had perished, was stronger than Dracula in overall, but he was not as good as Dracula in terms of Real Dream.

It was said that other than connecting everyone's dream, Dracula could also substantiate his dream with his talents. The creatures in it looked real and could think and communicate, but they did not know that they were fake and part of a dream.

Antec continued to explain for Fernando, "Dream Aalto covers the real Aalto in case of the Church's sudden attacks. Also, there are a lot of contradictions among vampires, elves, dragons, dwarfs, and human beings. Greater conflicts may burst out if they are suppressed all the time. It's better this way. Since it's only a dream, they are free to unleash their hate however they want, and they'll be resurrected after they are dead."

Then, he smiled proudly. "Most of the power of Dream Aalto came from Prince Dracula, but my teacher, Stanis, my other classmates, and I are making our contributions. That's why I sensed your entrance and came to pick you up so quickly."

Fernando stared at his timid friend and discovered that he finally emanated his confidence. He sniffed and said, "I don't think your contributions are greater than a fingernail."

"That's right. I haven't advanced into the senior rank for long." Antec was actually quite proud of that. To become a senior-rank sorcerer was his childhood dream. As for the higher ranks, he did not even dare to dream about it back then.

Fernando clicked his tongue and focused his attention on the battle. The more he watched, the more shocked he was. He could not tell that the talents, abilities, and weapons of the vampire and the elf were fake at all. Even the aftermath of their battle was so real.

"This 'Real Dream' is not half as bad as I imagine," he admitted unwillingly.

Antec knew his friend's personality very well. He simply opened his mouth and chuckled.

Fernando was not angry about that. He suddenly remembered something else. "Dracula is in Aalto? Shouldn't he be in Tria or somewhere near Lance right now?"

Had the coalition army's counterattack been completely suppressed?

"A couple of days ago, Griffith became the new pope and was renamed Gregory. The same day, the five top legends, namely Prince Dracula, the primordial dragon of time, the elven queen, the Mother God of Earth, and the Master of the Boundless Ocean, as well as the Sun King, the Stellar Mentor, the Lord of Elements, the Tower scholars, the Master of Summoning, the Master of Transformation, the King of Devils, the Demigod-lich, the primordial red dragon, and Prince Sate and more than ten level-three experts, attacked Lance again. They were the greatest forces in the main plane except for the 'Mastermind' in the Dark Mountain Range." Antec was gloomy all of a sudden as he introduced the situation of the coalition army to his friend.

Same as the Sun King, the "Stellar Mentor" was no longer the legend who created the school of astrology.

"Was the Master of the Boundless Ocean involved too? And it still failed?" Fernando asked solemnly.

Antec nodded. "The master of the Boundless Ocean had to take part in the battle. If the Church won, the ocean would never be in peace. So, the nine sea generals as well as other sea forces attacked the Church's coast cities at the same time, stalling the saints, grand cardinals, and legendary knights. As for himself, he came to Lance in secret for the battle."

After a pause, he said rather sadly, "The Church was prepared for that. Also, Gregory showed the capabilities of a real demigod. Together with the help of the Angel King, Ivan, Rudolf, Felix, Hoffenberg, and Orvarit, they defeated us without any loss. If we had not retreated in time, many of us would've perished."

"As strong as a demigod immediately after the succession… It seems that the new pope is a demigod whether or not the old pope died in advance because of God's Arrival," Fernando mumbled. It was certainly a harrowing fact. Then, he asked earnestly, "Did any top legend perish? Was 'God's Arrival' used?"

Antec was in a better mood. "Well, the new pope did not perform God's Arrival."

"It seems that he has to get used to it before he can grasp God's Arrival. Otherwise, he could've crushed the confidence of the coalition army by killing a top legend with God's Arrival." Fernando had always despised all the clerics, including the pope, believing that they could lose their strength as easily as they got it.

"Not necessarily," Antec argued subconsciously. "If the pope kills another top legend with God's Arrival, the rest of them will definitely be scared and work even harder to wipe out the threat. How many more times of God's Arrival could the pope perform?"

"If they were all sorcerers of the empire, that's a possibility, but Dracula, Danisos, the elven queen, the Mother God of the Earth, and the Master of the Boundless Ocean had their own conflicts. Some of them were even mortal enemies. Who would've sacrificed themselves to take the pope's second 'God's Arrival' so that other people could kill the pope when he was weakened?" Fernando pointed out Antec's illusion quickly.

Antec stuck to his opinion. "It's not up to them who was to be sacrificed, but the pope. If they were to back off, they would only be killed by the pope one after another in the future. They could only take their chances."

"Hehe. How naive. The pope is still a demigod without God's Arrival," Fernando mocked before he looked at the sky. "Unless the Silver Moon recovers before the pope can use God's Arrival again."

"Yes. That's the best scenario," Antec said hopefully. "If there's no choice, we'll just…"

Then, he suddenly paused and looked ahead, as if he were attracted to the battle that was about to end.

"You'll just what?" Fernando pursued in confusion. He realized that the sorcerers must've had their own plans too.

Antec chuckled. "We will retreat into the Dark Mountain Range. The environment is complicated there, and we won't fear the Church anymore."

"Hehe. A lying coward," Fernando remarked briefly.

"Really. That's really what I think," Antec said sincerely.

Fernando revealed the fact mercilessly. "I don't think other people think the same as you do. However complicated the Dark Mountain Range is, the Church will leave no place for you to hide in after it presses forward bit by bit."

"Hehe. You will know it by then." Antec kept it confidential. "Alright, I'll lead you into the real Aalto, although it would be great to live in such dreams."

"Don't be addicted. The illusionists captivated by their own dreams will lose their minds sooner or later," Fernando reminded him.

Antec nodded and did not say anything. He put his hand on Fernando's shoulder as waves spread out of his body.

The scene before Fernando's eyes suddenly shivered and blurred before it fell apart.

Darkness faded away, and Fernando saw sunlight again. The ancient Aalto City was right before his eyes. As it turned out, he hadn't entered the gate yet.

Next to him, Antec surfaced, talking to him and leading him through the heavily-guarded gate, which was meant to prevent the special night watchers who were immune to dreams from entering the real Aalto.

The real Aalto was empty, without a single soul or any noise. It looked like a pale land of ghosts.

"Most people are sleeping." Antec pointed at his head. "The food they eat in their dreams is from Prince Dracula's power. It can directly fill their energy."

"I don't think ordinary people can live in such dreams for long," Fernando said solemnly.

Antec nodded his head. "Three years at most. They are woken up on a regular basis to help their recovery. Well, Fernando, I want to ask you a favor…"

He suddenly stammered and blushed, unable to say anything after a long time.

"A coward who cannot even ask for a favor." Fernando looked at him in despise.

As if he had been stimulated by that, Antec suddenly spoke fast, "Your transformation belt seems to be very effective. I cannot notice anything wrong at all. I'm hoping that you can pretend to be my date at a dinner. Those guys always laugh at me for not bringing a date."

He said without any pause, almost unable to catch his breath.

"Poor lad." Fernando eyed him up and down and finally observed with mixed feelings.

Antec was much more at ease after he proposed his request. He said with what he learned just now, "Aren't you trying to attract a bunch of talented sorcerers? It will be easier if you appear as a beautiful lady."

"Do you think all the talented sorcerers are male? I think a lot of female sorcerers will be into my current look. Of course, what matters more are our capabilities and our prospects," Fernando said with contempt.

Antec pursed his lips. "However, the talented sorcerers in the dinner tonight are all males. Well, there are a dozen ladies with reasonable magic knowledge, but their leader likes girls. If you convince her, the other ladies will certainly follow you."

"Fair enough." Fernando nodded his head, feeling that he had been convinced. After all, he did not reject the transformation belt.

Seeing that Fernando was about to say yes, Antec suddenly became unconfident. "Would your transformation be seen through? Their eyes are all attached with certain magic effects."

"It wouldn't. I've modified this belt. After I use it, I will become a complete female in every body part. Even a legendary sorcerer could only tell that my body has been magically modified at most, but they can never tell what the transformation is from. However, there are still flaws. I cannot get pregnant…" Fernando introduced the belt and spoke of the matters related to it.

Antec was relieved. "That's great."

He had the common sense that taking off the transformation belt would not mean the loss of the magic effect. The way to use a magic item was through the pivot of spiritual power, not by putting it on, although it would accelerate the activation.

When he was proud that he finally had a date, Fernando suddenly said, "Wouldn't it be very humiliating if your date flirts with other people right in your face?"

Antec was stunned. "Fair enough…"

Then, he hurried to say, "I think we'd better drop it."

"No, I'm already interested in the party." Fernando stared at the front.

884 Be

The sun was glowing like fire in the west, making the real Aalto even more like a graveyard. Except for the sorcerers who were watching the walls of the city in different areas, few people could be found on the street.

On the empty road, a wagon rode fast without raising any noises of hooves or wheels, as if it were an envoy from the Silent Hell.

The wagon was so quiet because it did not have any wheels. The four horses running ahead were all as hazy as if they were made of pale mist. However, an intense fire was burning on each of their heads, and two red spots were bouncing in their eyes.

"Is this the famous 'nightmare'?" Inside the carriage where the window was half open, a magnetic and enthralling female voice echoed.

Antec's magic robe had turned into a formal suit with a collar that reached the back of his head. It was quite fashionable, but he was very unused to it. He kept pulling different parts of the clothes, as if he had trouble catching his breath. "Yes, these are special horses that my teacher created. They can directly enter dreams. They are made by melting the ghost horse and 'Dream Controllers', a type of demon with special abilities."

There were so many kinds of demons that even the most knowledgeable legendary sorcerer could not declare confidently that they could recognize all. Also, knowledge sharing was not a trend in the Magic Empire. Nobody would give away their knowledge without getting something important in return. Therefore, even though some kinds of demons had been discovered, it was possible that only a few people knew them. For example, Fernando had never heard of "Dream Controllers" before.

"Since 'nightmare' is dragging our wagon, is the party in a dream?" Fernando, who appeared as a gorgeous girl, was greatly enlightened.

Antec smiled dryly. "Not exactly. I borrowed it on purpose. Now that I have a date, I'd better be serious."

"It seems that you are not entirely hopeless," Fernando praised him in a unique manner. The red and bright eyes on his delicate and pretty face were as attractive as the flashes of lightning in a dark night.

Antec held his head high for a moment, but his back was soon hunched again. He sighed in grief. "It will only be more miserable when I am mocked later. 'Look, the date that the idiot found through all the trouble and brought here with a nightmare has been stolen so easily. A loser is always a loser'."

The latter half of his sentence was so vivid that he was obviously mimicking a companion who always laughed at him.

"It's better than when you don't have anyone to be stolen." There was no telling whether Fernando was comforting him or mocking him.

Antec thought for a moment. "Fair enough… It's good to make progress every time. After all, I have never dreamed to find a real date. After I become an archmage, I will have as many dates as I want in my dream."

"Don't mistake illusions for reality," Fernando reminded his friend solemnly. After so many years, he realized that Antec seemed more and more addicted to dreams.

"Why can't illusions be the reality? Why can't dreams become a real world?" Antec was rather excited after suppressing himself for a long time. "It's the wish of all the sorcerers of the school of illusions."

"So, your highest achievement is to deceive yourself?" Fernando was much meaner than Antec.

Antec shook his head. "No, it's not deception, but dreams really become reality…"

Before he finished, the "nightmare" already stopped. It was a gloomily-decorated villa ahead of him.

"We're here. Hold that thought on illusions." Antec pulled his collar again and walked out of the wagon. Then, he turned around, extended his hand, and helped "her" to get off according to the etiquette that Fernando taught him. Fernando was much more experienced than him in that aspect.

"There's still hope in you." Fernando nodded and took Antec's hand with the professionalism of an actor. Since he was rather short, he was a good match for Antec who was slim and tall.

Antec immediately blushed, and his left hand moved unnaturally, as if he sensed certain firm and elastic parts below Fernando's neck.

"Are… Are… Are they real?" he stammered. His body was so tightened it appeared as if he had been attacked by a serpent.

Fernando said proudly, "Don't question my magic expertise. Even a legendary sorcerer couldn't have actualized such a perfect effect without my belt."

"But I still feel it is weird…" Antec led Fernando to the gate rigidly.

"Hehe. You don't even get to enjoy 'weird' on other occasions. Seize the opportunity," Fernando said with a brilliant smile.

Antec realized that Fernando's meanness was something that he could only look up to. So, he could only shut his mouth and climb the stairs.

"Do you think the demigod capabilities that Pope Gregory showed in Lance were real, or did he count on the divine power facilities in Lance?" Fernando suddenly asked something else.

"Huh, what?" Antec was not on the same "frequency" with Fernando at first. He wasn't back to himself until a while later. "I'm not clear, but according to my teacher, he was undoubtedly beyond the peak of legendary back then. However, he hasn't left Lance since the battle."

Fernando nodded his head before asking another question that Antec could barely follow. "Will Stanis be at the party tonight?"

It was a small party. Most of the participants were students of legends.

"Huh, what?" Antec expressed his confusion in the same way. He then said, "He's not in Aalto recently. He's out searching for materials."

Many sorcerers had been gathered in the cities like Aalto, but materials would not follow them without a reason. So, sorcerers had been taking turns to leave the cities for forests and the Dark Mountain Range to collect resources. Some of them even went further into the north where gems were more abundant.

That gave the night watchers and the clerics an opportunity. Assassinations and sieges happened many times. The sorcerers, unwilling to swallow it, also set up traps and killed the personnel of the Church instead. So, although the cities were in peace, the areas around them had already become hot spots.

Some of them were traps trying to attract the legends to attack, but neither party secured great achievements.

Therefore, Stanis' journey might be really meant for material collection, or it might just be a trap.

Fernando had learned a lot about the situation. He nodded. "I'll talk about illusions and dreams with him after he's back."

"Alright. You can spend a few more days in Aalto so that you can look for the sorcerers who are talented and willing to go to Holm," Antec said delightedly as Fernando was one of the only three real friends in his life.

Fernando grimaced. "Then, my nickname will become 'Antec's Humiliation'?"

"On second thought, I think you should go back as soon as possible… You've known the general situation after all." Antec looked at his right hand sadly.

"Hehe. I need to know more about the details and collect the files of grand cardinals and legendary knights for future battles. So, I'm afraid that you have to be humiliated for a while," Fernando said unconcernedly.

At this moment, the villa door was opened automatically, and a shrieking male voice echoed, "Hey, Antec, where did you find a date? Did you hire her from the 'Pink Mill'?"

Sorcerers, dark knights, dwarfs, and ordinary people all have biophysical needs, so there was still room for prostitutes to survive, and "Pink Mill" was one of the places in the trade. Of course, they mostly provided their service in dreams.

"This is my good friend that I met in Rentato, Nando," Antec introduced anxiously, fearing that other people realized that Fernando was a male.

Fernando said with a brilliant smile, "So, Antec does not have a girlfriend in Aalto."

He sounded so pleased that Antec was almost stunned.

"Hehe. First of all, somebody needs to appreciate him…" The shrieking voice went away.

Antec secretly raised his thumb at Fernando, complimenting his performance. "He's Beto. He likes to mock me most. His teacher is the Lord of Elements."

…

In the villa, dozens of sorcerers, holding strange beverages, roamed in the hall. They were vaguely around four men and a woman.

Before the four men and the woman, a water curtain was floating and displaying the scene before the gate.

"Hehe. Antec turns out to have a female friend that he knows since childhood." The shrieking voice was made by a man who had a mustache. He seemed angry at being embarrassed.

"Well, isn't she pretty?" The woman, who was holding a strange drink, clicked her tongue. "Red eyes and red dress, bright and passionate, how appealing!"

She was tall and looked like a proper lady, but her words were unbelievably rude. However, those around her seemed to have already been used to it.

Beto sniffed. "Furan, it's just a cheesy woman from the countryside, rude and stupid."

He tried to speak evil of Fernando.

For the sorcerers of Antiffler, Holm was exactly a barbaric, underdeveloped village.

"However, you cannot deny that the countryside girls who are not corrupted by the luxuries of Antiffler and Tria are innocent and shy." Furan, the beautiful girl, chuckled.

A gloomy, golden-haired man next to her snorted. "Are you planning to embarrass Antec? He's also a legend's student, and he is close to Stanis."

"It's all about our feelings toward one another. Why is it an embarrassment? Hey, just because you like me doesn't mean you get to interfere with my life." Furan scorned. She was just saying it randomly just now, but now that she was stopped, she was tempted to try in her anger.

The gloomy man closed his mouth, hoping that he could forget the pervert as quickly as possible.

Sensing something, Beto intentionally said, "That countryside girl has known Antec since childhood. Their bond must be strong. Furan, you wouldn't succeed even if you try."

"Is that so?" Furan knew that Beto was deliberately provoking her, but after seeing Fernando's face on the water curtain, she still said, "Should we have a bet?"

885 Who"s the Prey?

"What do you want to bet on?" Beto was very talented in magic and had always been his teacher's favorite. However, he was also snarky and competitive for the same reason, and his social skills were no better than those of Antec, who only liked to hide in dark corners and manipulate dreams. So, he asked Furan, showing no lack of confidence.

Furan touched the sapphire brooch on her chest, and her white dress was dyed in dreamy colors by the hazy brightness. "Don't you always like my 'Mermaid's Tear'? If I lose the bet, it will be yours."

It was a level-eight senior-rank item. Even though Beto was a legend's student, he couldn't help but swallow hard. "Really?"

His teacher, the Lord of Elements, was good at alchemy, but he certainly did not create items for the students often.

Beto indeed had several senior-rank items, but none of them could compare to the brooch, Mermaid's Tear. Not only did it boast powerful spells, but it could also significantly improve the effects of meditation and the performance of water element users. Beto had been yearning for the brooch for a long time!

However, Furan's teacher was the famous "Stellar Mentor". It was barely possible for him to steal it.

"Have I ever not fulfilled my words?" Furan was peaceful and beautiful, but she talked like a man.

"What if I lose?" Although he was delighted, as a sorcerer, Beto still asked cautiously.

Furan snorted. "You're like a chick. So petty."

"You!" Because of an accident in body modification, Beto's voice was high and did not sound like a regular male. There was no way to heal it for now. So, he hated it most when other people mocked him for not being a man.

Furan combed her hair. She couldn't have been more beautiful and charming when her ice fingers brushed on her soft black hair. She looked at the front and said, "If you lose, you will announce in the next meeting of our teachers that you love me."

The legendary sorcerers who were close to each other had been meeting often to discuss the situation and exchange magic knowledge. Sometimes, they also brought their favorite students, both to show off and to broaden the students' horizons.

Beto gasped hard. It would be very humiliating to announce that he loved Furan in front of so many legends. All of them were aware of Furan's sexual orientation, but they did not really care about it.

"Then, I will decline you brutally." Furan smiled brilliantly. "How about it? Do you want a bet? You should be better than the coward Antec, shouldn't you?"

Stimulated by Furan, Beto snorted. "My humiliation in exchange for a level-eight item. The bet seems in my favor. Furan, are you so confident in yourself?"

"It's just a countryside chick who hasn't seen anything. She's easy to be captured." Furan sipped the strange beverage. She was glowing now that she found a target.

Dewey, a student of the Lord of Abyss, who had a crush on Furan, turned around and talked to a pair of twins, turning a blind eye to his two self-willed companions.

At this moment, the gate was opened, and Fernando walked in holding Antec's arm.

Antec's face was red, and his back was straight, perhaps due to his excitement, or maybe because it had been rigidified. In Beto's eyes, he was just being cocky.

For the first time, Antec enjoyed the introduction part. "This is Beto, you've already met him. This is Furan. She's the Stellar Mentor's student, and she's good at divinity."

He was hinting Fernando to not cross the line in case Furan noticed anything.

"This is Dewey, the Lord of Abyss' student. His body has been completely modified into an amalgamation of demons. Johnny and Kavins are twins. They are both the Demigod-lich's students." Antec introduced the central persons in the group.

Johnny and Kavins looked very familiar. They seemed to be only teenagers. Black-haired and black-eyed, they couldn't have looked more innocent.

Fernando secretly crossed the names that Antec just introduced in his heart. They were all legends' students. It was unlikely that they would leave their teachers for Holm at such a moment. Therefore, he might as well pay attention to the sorcerers around who were talented but did not have a great background.

As the student of a legend, Antec only introduced the people who deserved his introduction. In the end, he pointed at Fernando and said, "This is Nando from Holm. She's a senior-rank sorcerer good at elemental spells."

"Is this your date or fiancée-to-be?" Furan suddenly interjected. Her voice was crisp and sweet, but her tone was not exactly expected of a lady.

Antec choked on his own saliva. Coughing for a moment, he said, "We grew up together…"

The indirect answer fitted his usual image very well, so nobody was suspicious. Johnny chuckled. "What a beautiful lady."

He appeared to be a boy, but his voice was old and coarse. A rotten soul seemed to be residing inside the elven body.

"Thank you." Fernando bowed with a brilliant smile intentionally, and as he expected, he caught Furan's glittering eyes.

After some chit chat, Fernando brought up a new topic. "I'm told that your teachers were all involved in the two battles of legends. I wonder, how is 'God's Guard' like exactly?"

As unworldly as I thought… Beto mocked in his heart and said, "God's Guard should be a space-time defensive spell. By twisting space and time, the target to be protected is placed in an intangible place. If the attacker does not understand the mystery of space and time, they cannot hit the target however powerful the attack is. At that time, my teacher…"

The intelligence of such an extent was not anything confidential in their circle. So, Beto, Johnny, and Furan added the things they learned from their respective teachers.

Fernando, on the other hand, listened so attentively that his red eyes glittered.

"Look, it's just a countryside chick. Innocent, naive, enthusiastic, and simple," Furan said to Beto in the telepathic bond with a smile.

Beto snorted. "However, it also means that she is conservative and not easy to seduce. Don't play tough."

"I always know how to deal with such inexperienced countryside chicks. All I need to do is to let her feel the strange happiness before she realizes it." Furan moved her fingers, as if she were in a great appetite.

"Don't lose your reputation," Beto said and thought that he could mock Antec even if he lost the bet.

Under Fernando's intentional direction, the details of the two legendary battles were extracted and saved in his head. Suddenly, Furan rose and stretched her arms gracefully and charmingly. "It's not fun to discuss those things at all. This is a party. We need to dance."

The moment she said that, the other female sorcerers who had been watching her immediately created warm melodies with magic.

She walked to Fernando with a smile, and with her eyes glittering, she said, "Nando, don't hang around those boring men. Let's go dance, shall we?"

Huh? Fernando did not expect Furan to be so active. He looked at Antec next to him subconsciously, which further convinced Furan, Beto, and the rest of them that he was a countryside chick who had never experienced anything before.

"I would like to invite your date to dance. I'm sure you are okay with that, aren't you?" Furan looked at Antec with a faint smile.

Antec seemed scared of her. He nodded. "Of course."

"Then, beautiful lady, let's dance." Furan took Fernando's hand and ran to the center, bold and straightforwardly, not asking for Fernando's permission at all.

Then, she grabbed Fernando's waist, forcing him to dance right next to her.

"Are you not scared that Furan will steal your date?" Beto asked, grimacing.

Antec smiled in embarrassment. "Nando is not that kind of girl."

The song was hot, and the two bodies that were next to each other were even hotter. Fernando had never experienced a female body in such a way before. His clumsiness made Furan giggle nonstop. Then, her mouth stopped next to Fernando's ear, and she said in a low voice, "You are really beautiful!"

"So are you…" Fernando replied sincerely.

Then, he sensed a shivering ecstasy from his ear, as if he had been electrified. After that, his mouth was sealed by the pink lips.

Hehe. Very fresh, pure, and easy to provoke! Furan kissed and thought gloatingly.

Then, she sensed that Nando's hands were holding her tightly and responded passionately.

I won!

She thought delightedly at first, but her libido was immediately ignited by the passionate beauty in her arms. She tried very hard to calm down and say, "Let's go to my room."

"Look at that!" Beto almost whistled. "Nando is not that kind of girl."

He quoted Antec's words to mock the guy.

Blushing, Antec was more than angry. "Furan is also a girl. What's to be scared of?"

It remained to be seen who would suffer losses in this one!

"Haha." Beto laughed and thought that Antec had found the most terrible excuse. When was Furan a girl in their eyes?

"You'd better stay in your dreams as you usually do. You can always find a date there!" Beto scorned blatantly.

…

In the room, the dresses were all over the ground, and a weird smell occupied every inch of space.

On the bed, two naked bodies were entangled. One session was just over.

Furan touched Fernando's back and giggled. "I can sense your lack of experience. Is the euphoria unique and strange like you never had before?"

She was referring to Fernando's pureness.

"Yes, I did not expect it to feel like this," Fernando admitted honestly. That was what a girl's body felt like! It was truly different from a guy's!

Furan smiled in satisfaction. The ecstasy of victory filled her with desires again. "Nando, did you mention that you came to Aalto to look for talented sorcerers?"

"Yes." Fernando's hands began to move subconsciously too.

"Haha. It's useless. If we fail here, Holm will not end well either. Why bother taking risks there?" Furan said ambiguously. "Let's continue our happiness!"

...

On their way back, Antec looked at Fernando angrily. "Didn't you score a bit too easily?"

It was a great humiliation for him!

"The feeling was great and fresh. I couldn't stop." Fernando had no intention to apologize. "She'll come again tomorrow. She said that she would introduce to me a few sorcerers whose lives here haven't been very good."

"Furan is only into girls. If she learns of your real identity…" Antec tried to scare him.

Before he finished his sentence, he suddenly raised his head, sensing that Furan was approaching quickly. "Are you serious?! I was only talking!"

Furan stopped by the window. There was no lust on her innocent face anymore. She looked at Fernando very solemnly. "Has the Liege of Death recovered his capabilities?"

"Huh?" Fernando did not understand what she meant at all.