"So, it wasn't until near the Starlight Calendar year 2000, when the dimensional barriers were nearly restored, that the wizards finally began to return."
After reading through the ancient records, Sunan finally understood why the Starlight Continent had enjoyed a thousand years of peace, with no wizards entering.
It wasn't that they didn't want to—it was that they couldn't.
"This means I'm also now unable to leave the Starlight Continent for other planes, except for the Elemental Plane."
Sunan shook his head. He wasn't particularly bothered by this fact, considering he didn't yet have the capability for inter-planar travel. Even if he wanted to leave, he wouldn't be able to.
In a way, the current condition of the Starlight Continent might actually be beneficial for him.
While cultivation here was challenging, at least it provided him with a stable environment in which to develop.
For the next seven hundred years, he wouldn't have to worry about other wizards or high-level beings intruding and disturbing his progress.
As for what would happen seven hundred years later—if all went well, he would have the strength to protect himself by then.
"No matter what, I should focus on steady growth for now."
With that thought, Sunan set the book down.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened to reveal Carolina, who handed him a report.
"Master, this is a battle report from Flash City."
Sunan took the report, opened it, and raised his brow in surprise.
The Azure Gold Empire had surrendered?
After his initial surprise, Sunan quickly understood—no doubt, the Scepter had played a significant role behind the scenes.
The report also mentioned that the Azure Gold Empire's terms for surrender included a guarantee from the Star Alliance to spare the royal family, a condition that Kai had accepted.
"The academy's establishment must be expedited." Sunan pondered.
Now that the war had ended, the Starshine Duchy would likely conduct a new round of aptitude screenings, meaning more apprentices would soon arrive at the base. He needed to ensure the academy was ready in time.
Starlight Calendar Year 1269, Harvest Month (September)
The Azure Gold Empire formally announced its surrender.
Thus, the once-dominant empire that had ruled the southeastern region of the continent for over four hundred years came to an end.
The Star Alliance quickly accepted their surrender, moving in to take control of the empire's entire territory.
In this war, the Starshine Duchy emerged as the biggest victor, annexing approximately two-thirds of the Azure Gold Empire's lands.
The remaining third was divided among eight other nations.
That same month, the Starshine Duchy declared its new name: the Starshine Empire.
With the Azure Gold Empire's demise, the Starshine Empire ascended as the new dominant power in the southeastern continent.
Yet, peace did not follow the end of the war. Instead, a tense atmosphere settled over the region.
All eyes turned toward the Starshine Empire.
No one could say for sure whether this new empire would follow in the Azure Gold Empire's footsteps, seeking to evolve from the ruler of the southeastern region to the sole sovereign.
A Quiet Room Under the Moonlight
In the stillness, moonlight filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow over the long table, like a thin veil of silk.
Rose opened her eyes and instinctively looked toward where Sunan was seated. The sight of his familiar figure stirred mixed emotions deep within her.
When she felt the activation of the trading house's key, she knew Sunan was calling, and after some hesitation, she decided to attend the gathering.
She was curious as to why Sunan had summoned them.
Before long, the Traveler and the Scepter entered as well.
Upon seeing Sunan, both wore expressions of complex emotion.
Watching someone who had once been their equal as a third-level wizard apprentice reach a level they had only dreamed of stirred emotions that were hard to describe.
As a wizard apprentice from a royal family, the Scepter quickly composed himself and spoke to Sunan with respectful deference.
"My lord, may I ask why you've summoned us?"
Now that Sunan had become a full-fledged wizard, the Scepter adjusted his tone accordingly, offering Sunan the respect he was due.
Sunan's gaze swept over Rose and the Traveler, noting that both were waiting attentively. Without any preamble, he spoke directly.
"I intend to establish a wizard academy. Would you be interested in joining as instructors?"
A wizard academy? Instructors?
The three of them were stunned, their eyes wide with shock.
They had anticipated that Sunan might try to recruit them, but they had not expected him to ask them to serve as instructors.
Before they could respond, Sunan continued.
"As instructors, your primary responsibilities will be teaching and maintaining order within the academy. You may also be called upon to assist in certain Star Alliance missions."
"All these duties will earn you contribution points, which can be exchanged for resources."
"These include materials, potions, golems, twilight-grade magical items, talent crystal models, and structuring elixirs."
Of everything Sunan had said, it was that last line that captured their interest.
All three pairs of eyes lit up.
Rose was the first to respond.
"My lord, I accept the invitation!"
She had once considered joining the Star Alliance under Carolina's persuasion in Shadow Lake City. With the additional allure of structuring elixirs and talent crystal models, she now had no reason to hesitate.
The Scepter accepted soon after.
The Traveler, however, looked conflicted.
His true desire was to explore every corner of the Starlight Continent.
Once he joined the academy, though he wouldn't entirely lose his freedom, he would face certain restrictions, unable to come and go as he pleased.
The choice between freedom and growth was a difficult one.
But in the end, Sunan's soft words shattered his hesitation completely.
"A wizard's lifespan is at least seven to eight hundred years. Once you advance, you'll have all the time you need to explore, perhaps even seeing the vistas of other planes one day."
"I'll join."
Seeing all three accept his offer, Sunan allowed a slight smile.
Each was an exceptional third-level wizard apprentice, the youngest among them over a hundred years old, with vast knowledge and rich experiences—more than enough to teach a group of first- and second-level apprentices.
While three instructors might be few, it would suffice for the academy's early stages.
Later on, he could search for more suitable candidates.
"Then, I look forward to welcoming you at the Flash City base."
The Spider City
The quiet of the night enveloped the city.
The rules among dark elves were exceedingly strict. No non-elf was allowed on the streets at night without permission, and even male dark elves often faced restrictions.
On the dimly lit streets, a lizard ran swiftly on all fours.
The patrolling dark elf guards turned their heads at the sound, hands resting on the hilts of their curved swords, their eyes cold with caution.
Once they saw the graceful figure on the lizard's back, they relaxed, giving a distant nod of respect before resuming their patrol.
Tagana ignored the guards, silently riding her lizard through the streets until she reached a massive estate.
She patted her lizard mount, and the eight-legged beast stopped. Then, with a graceful leap, she dismounted.
The grand gate, forged of pure mithril, was tightly shut, flanked by two massive spider statues whose eyes turned in silent recognition of her identity. They remained coiled in stillness.
Tagana approached, murmuring a word of enchantment that activated the platinum brooch on her robe. A faint light emanated from it, taking the form of a slender, beautiful dark elf, then shifting into the shape of a spider.
"Tagana Felir."
As she uttered her name, the gate swung open in silence.
"Welcome home."
A raspy voice drifted out from the darkness beyond.
Tagana gazed into the shadows, pressed her lips together, and stepped inside.
The "Gatekeeper" slowly materialized from the darkness.
It was a ghost, or more precisely, a fusion of several spirits.
In the Spider City, each of the twelve families had such a Gatekeeper.
This powerful being was created through ancient dark elf magic, meant to protect the family, serving as the final resting place for the souls of the family's female warriors.
The older the family, the stronger the Gatekeeper.
Any enemy daring to assault the family would have to face it first.
The Gatekeeper before Tagana represented the spirits of two hundred seventy-two warriors from the Felir family's long history.
It looked like a proud and battle-hardened drow woman, her slender frame clad in black leather armor, with dark red eyes glimmering like garnet.
Tagana waited as the Gatekeeper's form became fully defined before she offered a slight bow. Then she walked forward, passing straight through the ghostly figure and into the estate.
This seemingly impolite and almost childish action didn't harm her; as long as she wore the family brooch, she was immune to the Gatekeeper's negative energy.
And likewise, the Gatekeeper would be unharmed by her.
As she passed through, the Gatekeeper vanished into the shadows, and the doors closed again.
The air within the estate was cool.
The ghostly fires on the walls provided little light and no warmth.
Tagana pulled her cloak tighter around her and walked along the web-like pathways among the stalactites and stone pillars until she reached the main building of the Felir family.
It was a round temple with a sinister purple-black glow at its peak. The outer walls were covered in exquisite carvings, most depicting spiders as the central motif.
The enormous structure loomed in the darkness like a monstrous creature, with the entrance resembling the open jaws of a beast.
Anyone stepping into this temple appeared as though they were willingly entering the maw of a predator.
Inside, it was pitch black, but Tagana didn't mind. Dark elves' innate night vision allowed her to see every detail with ease.
Moving through a winding corridor, she expertly navigated each turn until she arrived at the temple's center.
This was a vast hall.
At its core stood a black marble altar.
Around its edges, eight large braziers blazed with black flames, their flickering shapes forming various spiders.
On the altar itself was a ten-foot-tall statue.
The figure was that of a mature, strikingly beautiful elven woman riding on the back of a monstrous spider, gazing down upon the dark elves below as if she were a goddess.
Dark elven women filled the hall, surrounding the altar, and all eyes were fixed on the statue in reverence.
Most wore finely crafted black cloaks over their fitted chainmail, with platinum brooches identical to Tagana's, indicating their shared lineage.
In the farthest corners of the hall stood eight figures cloaked from head to toe, their features concealed.
Tagana glanced around, quietly moving to the edge of the gathering.
Nearly everyone's attention remained on the statue, and few noticed her arrival—save for a tall dark elven woman standing nearby.
"You're late," Vinya murmured.
"Couldn't be helped," Tagana replied softly. "The siege took longer than expected, and I had to abandon the slave convoy to return in time."
"Thankfully, you didn't miss the ceremony."
Vinya looked up at the statue on the altar, her eyes glinting with fervor and excitement.
"After over twelve hundred years, we're finally receiving an oracle. The Great Misha hasn't abandoned us!"
Tagana's gaze flickered, but she remained silent.
Although she had witnessed Misha's divine wonders herself, a faint doubt lingered in her heart.
After all, Misha had not appeared in over twelve hundred years, and now that she had, her first demand was for Spider City to initiate a campaign to unify the underworld. Whether this was truly beneficial for the dark elves remained uncertain.
Many younger dark elves shared her concerns, though their voices were suppressed by the fervent elders in power.
"Silence!"
A commanding yet melodious voice cut through the hall, quieting the murmurs.
The hall fell into an abrupt silence as all eyes turned to the speaker.
She was a slender, graceful dark elf with delicate features.
Her light blue eyes sparkled like crystal, and her silvery hair flowed with a luster that defied her years—by appearance alone, she seemed a mere maiden.
But this was the Felir Matriarch, who had celebrated her one hundred and forty-eighth birthday last year and was the mother of over a dozen daughters.
After a sweeping glance around the hall, the Felir Matriarch spoke in a low voice.
"Let the ritual begin."
As her words fell, a strange, rustling sound echoed from all sides of the darkness.
From every shadow, spiders of all sizes emerged, scuttling toward the altar.
Their eight legs tapped against the stone floor, forming a rhythm and cadence all their own.
Within moments, the altar was covered in a writhing mass of spiders.
They glared at each other, seemingly eager to kill their kin but refraining from striking.
At that moment, the eight dark elven women in the corners of the hall removed their cloaks, revealing their faces and flawless, bare figures.
With delicate steps, they waded through the spider swarm, leaping lightly up the steps to the altar, each taking a position at one of the eight points. Then, they knelt and began to chant hymns of praise in unison.
And so, the spiders began their violent struggle.
They lashed out with their long legs, cracking exoskeletons, sinking fangs into flesh, injecting venom, and devouring one another.
The blood and souls of the fallen made the victors stronger, and every time an eighth of the spiders died, one of the dark elven women on the altar would dissolve, like butter melting in heat, vanishing into mist.
The fear of death was palpable, yet none of them fled.
The spiders' numbers dwindled rapidly, and soon only a single survivor remained.
The victorious spider, a massive and terrifying creature, moved heavily toward the last dark elven woman on the altar, its blood-red eyes fixed upon her coldly.
Unfazed, she stretched her arms wide and smiled—a grotesque, dangerous grin.
The spider's jaws opened, and its fangs plunged into her flesh, piercing through to her very soul. Burning pain and numbing cold flooded her body.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, the last dark elf and the spider melted together like wax, merging swiftly to form a creature with the lower body of a black spider and the upper body of a dark elf.
A Spiderborne Elf!
A creature said to be blessed by a deity, with fearsome, formidable strength!
Seeing the newly transformed Spiderborne Elf on the altar, the surrounding dark elves erupted in excitement and reverence.
Some couldn't help but softly chant hymns of praise.
The Felir Matriarch's beautiful face broke into a smile of pure joy.
It was a success!
With this ritual, they could now create Spiderborne Elves without end.
This would be the foundation upon which the dark elves would unite the underworld.
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