934-939

Chapter 934: This isn't War

Although autumn had been peaceful, it was suddenly disrupted by news that caused an uproar throughout the continent.

The Country of Light and Void Territory have gotten into an official dispute!

In fact, all the foreign organizations were mentally prepared for this because anyone who had investigated Rhode's history knew what kind of attitude he had toward the Country of Light. Moreover, due to the ownership issue of Highland City, the Country of Light and Void Territory were already in conflict. The Country of Light insisted on retaining ownership of Highland City by the rules of the 'Joint Agreement of Light'. On the other hand, the Void Territory disdained them and declared ownership of Highland City by the creation rule. The Void Territory urged the Light Parliament to shut their mouths and return to where they came from.

The large organizations watching the fires burning across the river knew that the Light Parliament had no chance of winning because the 'Joint Agreement of Light' was a formulated agreement by all territories under the Light Dragon soul protection for the sake of negotiating their territories. The 'Joint Agreement of Light' stood no chance against the creation rule which was approved by the five creator dragons. As long as the Void Territory reported this matter to the Country of Law for the twin dragons to give their judgment, the Void Territory would immediately gain ownership of Highland City. Therefore, it just didn't make sense for the Country of Light to hold onto Highland City now. Probably their actions were just to show the Void Territory that they were no pushovers. However, they were also aware that the series of violence happening during the election period had plummeted the Light Parliament's reputation. If the Country of Light were to hand over Highland City that easily, it would hurt the credibility of the Light Parliament. But come to think of it, did the Light Parliament have any credibility left?

It was due to this that the various organizations were curious to see how miserably the Light Parliament would end up. As the Light Parliament had always despised non-humans, there basically weren't many countries that were in a great relationship with them. It was naturally an enjoyable show to see how the Light Parliament would suffer.

All of this was within reason.

But unexpectedly, they didn't think that the Void Territory dared to take it so far to eliminate the 5000-soldiers border army!

An attack on the military meant the start of a war!

The various organizations were restless, especially the countries surrounding the Country of Light. They finally caught a break from the hectic war against the Country of Darkness and in less than a year, the Country of Light was about to start a war with the Void Territory? Are you kidding me right now?!

The Country of Light and Void Territory had provided sufficient reasons of their own for this conflict.

The Light Parliament expressed that Highland City was a city within the control of Country of Light, so their army had the authority to be stationed in the city. Yet, the Void Territory occupied Highland City and had even launched merciless attacks on the Country of Light's border army!

On the other hand, the Void Territory asserted that the Country of Light's border army trespassed their territory, which was under the Void Dragon soul protection, without permission and this action was the same as declaring a war. The reason for their attacks on the border army was simply an act of self-defense. Of course, if the Light Parliament were willing to admit their fault, apologize, and make up for their mistakes, the Void Territory would be willing to sit down for peaceful negotiations...

Rhode had always spared no efforts in his hatred toward the Country of Light.

The infuriated Light Parliament gave a series of commands such as severing all business deals with the Void Territory, prohibiting trade associations in the Country of Light from entering the Void Territory for business, and forbid the Void Territory from engaging in commercial trades in the Country of Light. Not only that, but they also requested the Void Territory to surrender the culprit who attacked the border army and dispatched two to three armies to the border for live exercises to apply pressure on the Void Territory.

Void Territory didn't feel pressured at all since they had no intention of maintaining a diplomatic relationship with the Light Parliament. Have as much fun as you want as long as you don't mess with my territory. If not, I'll kill whatever number of troops you send over. Since you're capable, why don't you gather all the people in your country and send them to my Void Territory? I don't mind slaughtering them all...

Although this wasn't what was written in the official letter, the meaning was about the same. The dense murderous intent startled the surrounding organizations. They had never seen a territory that was so smug to challenge the Country of Light. Although the Void Territory wasn't under the Light Dragon soul protection, they were still a new territory without a huge population after all. On the contrary, the Country of Light had existed for thousands of years and had a massive population. As the saying went, 'a centipede dies but never falls down'. Even though the Country of Light was in a terrible state after the war with the Country of Darkness, they were still a great nation that shouldn't be belittled. If not, the surrounding nations would have already teamed up and shredded them into bits. On the contrary, the Void Territory confidently expressed that they would slaughter all enemies who arrived in their land. Did they really have this capability? Or were they just deliberately mystifying their strength?

Shortly after, the Void Territory answered their doubts. The instant the Light Parliament dispatched an army of almost 15,000 soldiers into the Void Territory in the name of live exercise, roaring thunder and holy radiance instantly burned them to ashes. It took less than five minutes before the 15,000 soldiers vanished from the surface of the world.

Three people stood in the center of attention after this battle.

Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum.

Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had been reputable since a long time ago. After all, one was a Mage and the other was a Cleric. The latter had even influenced the churches greatly with her skills and broken the invisible rule of 'Clerics aren't supposed to be on the front lines'. Mini Bubble Gum had taken a lot of credit for the evolution of the churches' combat system, which was why most people knew about her. However, this was all that the public learned about her, as well as Canary. Although they were powerful, the only time they truly revealed their strength was during their fight with the Duke Fiend, a certain annoying Sword Saint from the Country of Light, and against the Moon Princess Erin. Even though they performed amazingly against formidable foes, ordinary humans couldn't sense their mighty powers after all, unlike Erin or Lydia who had broken through the limits of the Legendary Stage. Ordinary humans only knew that they were powerful but didn't know to what extent... Until now.

An army of 15,000 soldiers was completely wiped out with the swing of an arm. In other words, they were burned to ashes before they had the chance to retaliate.

If it were only Canary who attacked, the people could still accept the truth. After all, Mages were natural experts in AOE attacks. Any Mage who entered above the Middle Circle could more or less cast an impressive AOE spell. It wasn't tough for the spell to be seen as a world-ending attack as long as the effects were there. But Mini Bubble Gum surprised them. Although there were several attacking spells among the wide range of spiritual spells, humans held high resistance against spiritual spells and there was a limit to the harm that spiritual spells could bring. However, not only did Mini Bubble Gum trounce the border army with 5000 soldiers using her bare hands, but she also annihilated a huge part of the 15,000 soldiers. This went to show that she shouldn't be judged by the general concepts as a Cleric.

As for Gillian, even though she had been around Rhode from almost the beginning, most people actually weren't aware of her true identity. Apart from knowing that she was a half-beast, they knew nothing more about this fox-eared young lady. But now, they finally learned that she was the fire elemental lord.

As one of the four elemental lords, Gillian, with the mastery of fire, could be considered to have supreme strength—enough to take on the four legendary generals and three archangels. Although everyone already knew that the Void Territory was powerful, they were still stunned to know that such a formidable person existed.

However, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum were only forces on the surface for Rhode.

One of the biggest reasons why Rhode was so arrogant was because he wanted to display his strength as a form of 'nuclear deterrence'. Why were the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, and Country of Law able to maintain a balance with one another? The answer was that 'nuclear deterrence' played a huge role in it. Other than Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian, Rhode still had Marlene and Christie. As for Alice, even though he hoped that she could lend him a hand, this young lady who was a spirit of the library often vanished without a trace. Rhode tried asking the other Christie about this, but her answer was baffling. All in all, according to the other Christie, Alice would show up when he needed her assistance.

Although it didn't sound reliable, that was all that he could do for now.

As for whether the Country of Light dared to get the three archangels involved, Rhode didn't even need to consider. Lydia surely wouldn't listen to the Light Parliament's commands. If it were in the past, he would be rather worried if the other two came knocking on his door. But now with two Deity Wardens, he didn't need to regard them as highly. If the Country of Light were so foolish to attack him using the human wave attack, he wouldn't mind showing them why flowers were so red.

This wasn't a war.

That's right. In his mind, this wasn't considered a war at all.

Instead, it was more like a bloody slaughter.

The Void Dragon soul protection would plummet the level of any enemies who entered the Void Territory by 10 instantly. In other words, even if there were 10,000 level 40 human warriors, they would be forcefully downgraded to level 30. At level 30, they were no different from fish in the pond in Canary's and Mini Bubble Gum's eyes. Moreover, Void Territory had a buff to speed up the recovery rate of spiritual powers which was disgustingly beneficial for them as spell casters.

Not only that, but Rhode also hoped that the Country of Light would send more enemies because right now, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him were in the 'party mode'. According to party rules, the max-leveled characters wouldn't receive EXP so all the EXP would be taken by Rhode, who wasn't at the max level. In other words, while Mini Bubble Gum and Canary eradicated the enemies, Rhode could shake his leg, sip his tea, listen to music, and take in all the EXP...

He got to show off his strength while gaining EXP at the same time—welcome to the new age.

Although this amount of EXP was nothing much for him as the EXP from defeating 10 level 40 soldiers was half the EXP gained from killing one monster of his current level, no matter how small the mosquito was, it was still meat to him, after all. It beat working for EXP himself, wasn't it?

Under Clive's management, Highland City was slowly getting back on track. Most of the rioters died to the undead army and some were killed by the Bow Knights. The remaining people were captured, tried, and executed. Thereafter, Rhode also began cleaning up the city and everything was peaceful. As for why the Void Territory appeared at such a coincidental time, Clive had gotten his subordinates to explain to the people of Highland City.

Rhode gazed at the horizon in the distance. The Country of Light couldn't really be considered an ensemble of idiots because they did have some powerful beings among them. Even though they couldn't be compared to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, they more or less possessed some strength. Besides, they had been in the Country of Light for a long time and the country itself possessed considerable deterrence. If not, the Country of Light would have crumbled a long time ago. Although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were indeed strong, their popularity was still lacking. It was truly a pity. If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't leave the Void Territory...

"Phew... It felt awesome!"

Mini Bubble Gum laid down on the soft grassland and admired the mesmerizing stars in the night sky. She let out a satisfied yawn and reached for the cup of warm tea and delicious biscuits. On the other side, Canary was reading a hardcover book like a girl from a wealthy family. They seemed like a couple of sisters on an outing... If one were to neglect the nearby charred ground that had as though been bombarded by massive explosions.

The view from above was much more baffling, as there was a clear line dividing the grassland that they were on from the blackened ground. The line was as though a transparent barrier separating both worlds; one side was a leisure tea party while the other was a battlefield enveloped in the aura of death and blazing with billows of black smoke (though it didn't sound right to mention the 'aura of death' since all spirits were instantly purified by Mini Bubble Gum).

"Heh heh, how was it, Big Sister? I was right this time, eh? I knew that Leader would surely agree to our conditions with our 'unlucky looting aura'."

Mini Bubble Gum grinned proudly while picking up a biscuit.

"Hahaha. Leader may be smart but my 135 IQ isn't there for show either! Heh heh, although we're only projections in this world, we're considered humans too. I'd go bonkers if I was restricted by the system all day. Big Sister, you can tolerate it, but I can't. Heh heh. We're in for more fun now; not sure what's the next bunch of worthless trash the Country of Light will send. The more the merrier though, 'cause what we faced today was nothing!"

"We just have to wait patiently, since Rhode said that they won't give up so easily. Besides, the Country of Light is known for courting disasters in the game, so don't worry, you'll have your fun."

Canary smiled and shook her head at Mini Bubble Gum who was rolling about boringly. In fact, the situation was fairly simple. Mini Bubble Gum knew that Rhode had intention of attacking Highland City, but she was somewhat resentful that he took the benefits of all the good stuff. Therefore, after her discussion with Canary, she confirmed her plan. She knew that Rhode was always ruthless in his missions and not even her acting cute would help at all.

This was why she came up with this 'unlucky looting aura' scheme.

Canary and her used their 'unlucky looting aura' to force Rhode into stopping their actions and negotiating conditions. As a result, everything worked out as planned. Mini Bubble Gum couldn't feel better after slaughtering so many Country of Light NPCs, especially after she witnessed the soldiers crying for help and the look of despair when they discovered the holy barrier stopping their retreat.

But...

"Sigh... How I wish that I can break free from this fate..."

Canary sighed while gazing at her hands. After all, not everyone was willing to resign themselves to fate, especially in such a situation. Canary smiled, thinking of how envious her other self in the real world would be. Although in the past, she did wish to be in a game forever, she didn't expect her wish to be fulfilled in this manner. From a certain extent, although she was a projection, she was much more fortunate than her real self.

Canary shifted her gaze to Mini Bubble Gum.

"Bubble, what do you think?"

"Huh, think about what? Big Sister?"

"What do you think of this world? If you can, do you want to return to where we came from?"

"Ah... Not really."

Mini Bubble Gum showed a bitter look and waved her tiny hand as though she had eaten something bad.

"Although I can't visit the forum and make posts like I did in the game, it's much more fun here. Besides, my house is always empty. My mom died early while my dad brings home different step-moms every time. Heh... I think that perhaps my real self would be the murdered victim of a love triangle. I would have been pushed down the stairs by my step-mom for trying to obtain my father's assets. Ah... It's still best to be here. I have my powers and can do whatever I want. With Leader and you around, this is an awesome paradise! Wait till we conquer the Dragon Soul Continent—the Stars Ocean will be next! Then, this world will all be ours! Wahahaha!"

Well... Considering her age... I suppose this is all I can expect.

"It's good to have ideas, but now..."

Canary drank the remaining tea, stood up, and gazed at the sky.

"We should do what we need to."

As she spoke, a glimmering magical radiance flashed in the pitch-black sky like a meteor streaking across the sky. Then suddenly, it crashed on the ground in front of them and a dozen people wielding staffs and clad in magical robes appeared before them.

Chapter 935: Royal Magic Association

Standing before Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were a dozen spell casters clad in magical robes and holding staffs. Most of them were middle-aged men. There was a symbol of three keys embedded on their black robes with red floral edges, representing the three doors of wisdom. They held identical brass staffs with a ruby on the tips. They also wore sharp black magic hats and seemed powerful.

If Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were others, they would have frozen to the spot because in the entire Light Mainland, only the Mage Guards of the Royal Magic Association had this symbol. The Mage Guards were in charge of dealing with spell casters who violated the creed and commandment. Unlike Mages who stayed home and researched about magic spells, Mage Guards were true experts. Besides, they were cruel and ruthless. In the entire Light Mainland, almost no spell casters would remain indifferent when facing them.

Yes, almost... Because Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were the exceptions.

Royal Magic Association, huh...

Canary held down Mini Bubble Gum's shoulder (which was the main reason why Mini Bubble Gum didn't launch her attack immediately), at the same time knitting her brows and scanned the spell casters from head to toe. Rhode, as a Spirit Swordsman, didn't understand a whole lot about the Mage factions. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum was focused on the churches, so it was Canary's responsibility to interact with the various spell caster organizations. Frankly speaking, Canary was astonished to meet the spell casters from the Royal Magic Association here. Even though there was a 'Royal' in their name, they had nothing to do with the Light Parliament and Light Dragon. According to the rumors, it seemed like it was because the founder of the association was a certain royal of a perished country and in order to commemorate his country, he added the word 'Royal' to the association's name. Of course, the Royal Magic Association couldn't be compared to the Mage Tower, but they were still a great force in the Country of Light. However, Canary recalled that they shouldn't have any relations with the Light Parliament, so why would they come here and intervene with the conflict between the Void Territory and Country of Light?

"Mage Guards from the Royal Magic Association? May I know why you are here?"

Canary asked. Although the uninvited visitors were only level 60 on average, they were considered incredibly powerful among humans. However, in the eyes of the level 85 Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, they weren't even worthy of a mention. Moreover, in the Void Territory, their levels were forcefully downgraded by 10. They might not feel the difference now, but they would understand how much their strengths were suppressed when they got into battle.

Judging from a certain aspect, the dragon soul protection was as scheming as its owner.

"Are you two the spell casters who fought the Country of Light's army?"

The leader didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his chin and scanned them proudly from head to toe. Although he had heard rumors about them, he realized that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren't as powerful as they seemed after meeting them. Even though he witnessed the magical aura surrounding them, he judged that they had only stepped into the Inner Circle.

Hmm... It is indeed impressive for two young ladies to possess such powerful strength. But even so, they went too far. As spell casters, how dare they brazenly cast their powers. That was too dangerous!

"That's right. You got a problem with that?"

Mini Bubble Gum twitched her brow and swept a look of disdain at them. However, no one realized that she was trying her best to keep the corners of her lips down and stifle a chuckle. Although she had a troublesome personality, she sharply sensed that they didn't regard her highly at all. She would have blown her top if this were to happen any other day. But now, she uncharacteristically kept her cool and displayed rare, unprecedented obedience.

Although this was only from her perspective.

"Hmph."

The leader disregarded her entirely. He scoffed and looked at Canary.

"As a spell caster, don't you know anything about the 'Forbidden Rules of Spell Casting'? You recklessly cast your spells before ordinary humans and violated the laws of spell casting! Do you know how much panic you've caused? You have no pride as a spell caster!"

"Forbidden Rules of Spell Casting? What kind of rubbish is that?"

Although the leader sounded righteous in every word, Mini Bubble Gum was totally disinterested. She curled her lips and shifted her gaze to Canary. Canary showed a bitter smile and explained.

"It's simple. Spell casters often cast some AOE spells and this will frighten the people if the spells are overly powerful. In order to prevent public concerns, formidable spell casters are normally forbidden from casting AOE spells, just like the ban on the use of nuclear weapons in our world."

"Hahaha. In other words, Big Sister and I are Leader's nuclear weapons? That sounds awesome. I like it!"

"But..."

Canary turned around and gazed at the group in silence.

"If I recall correctly, the forbidden rules only apply to spell casters in the Country of Light and neither did Mages like me or the ones in the Mage Tower accepted nor signed the agreement. Besides, please understand that you're standing in a place and under a sky that doesn't belong to the Light Mainland or Light Dragon."

Although Canary sounded calm, her attitude was determined. They were in the Void Territory and not the Light Mainland, so all attempts to interfere with matters in the Void Territory were useless. As a matter of fact, the so-called 'Forbidden Rules of Spell Casting' wasn't too effective among all spell casters. For instance, the most powerful Mage Association disdained this matter. They believed that the strength of spell casters should be revered and not used to please mortals. Come to think of it, perhaps such rules only existed in a country like the Country of Light, where they hated non-humans. In the eyes of the people in the Country of Light, powerful spell casters were no different from monsters.

"I'm not a Mage associated with any organization, so my apologies; your forbidden rules are meaningless to me. If you're only here to remind me of that, this is the end of our conversation."

Canary loosened her grip on Mini Bubble Gum's shoulder and said with a smile. However, the group of spell casters didn't seem to notice the excited glint in Mini Bubble Gum's eyes.

"Hmph. If you didn't release your spells recklessly and destroy the Country of Light's army, we wouldn't have to come here. For our honor and in order to prove to our people that we aren't dangerous murderers, in the name of the Royal Mage Guards, I declare..."

"Who cares about whatever bullsh*t you want to declare!"

Boom!

Mini Bubble Gum yelled. In the blink of an eye, a dazzling light beam streaked across the sky and crashed into the ground in a loud, rumbling explosion, striking and blasting the arrogant, middle-aged man away. He flew into the sky in a beautiful and elegant trajectory before smashing into the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

The other spell casters stepped back hurriedly, at the same time pointing their staff at the young girl. Not only that, but they also discovered that the two dazzling magical radiances emanating from the two young ladies became as glaring as the sun. This was a sign that they had exceeded the limits of the Inner Circle and reached the peak that all spell casters sought after!

That was the highest realm that belonged only to players—Supreme Privilege!

"I'm annoyed by your crap. Since your idiotic people are so afraid of powerful spell casters, just let them be! And it's best if they're scared to death! Useless, brainless trash should accept being dominated like obedient dogs. I'll kill anyone who stirs trouble and show you the true definition of fear!"

In an instant, countless golden runes appeared, centered around Mini Bubble Gum, forming an enormous, rectangular enchanted field. Canary stood on the spot and watched the group of panicky spell casters at their wits' end. In fact, the most terrifying part of Mini Bubble Gum wasn't her powerful strength. Instead, it was the special skills that she could cast any time. Of course, her mean and nasty personality had made her countless enemies. In the past, even though she had been ganged up and clobbered by her enemies, her tenacity made her stand on her feet and survive the tortures. There was even once when she was surrounded by hundreds of players who sought revenge on her for an entire day, but she didn't give up. The instant she 'respawned', she gnashed her teeth and unleashed her powers to kill as many enemies as possible. She continued her massacre and the enemies gradually became frightened by her stubbornness and insanity.

From a certain perspective, it was scarier to offend Mini Bubble Gum than a BOSS.

"Heyahhh! Come on! Let's have a good one!"

She flitted across the field and in the blink of an eye, she arrived by the side of one of the spell casters. He didn't expect a delicate young girl like her to be this explosive in her movements. He stepped back hurriedly, at the same time casting magic runes in a fluster. Shortly after, magic runes glowed and formed a solid magical barrier around him. If he were an ordinary Mage, he would've been at his wits' end in close-combat battle. But he had much more experience than most Mages.

But... It was useless against Mini Bubble Gum.

"Idiotic fool!"

Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of stopping at the sight of the magical barrier. She clenched her right hand and three vibrant colors burst from her fist. Then, she hurled her punch forward.

Boom!

The magical barrier that was strong enough to resist a magic cannon shattered instantly like fragile glass. Mini Bubble Gum's punch landed on the brass staff and exploded a white, dazzling light. Before the unfortunate man retaliated, he was blasted into bits immediately.

Mini Bubble Gum seldom saw blood in battles because it was too violent for her. So... Wouldn't it resolve all problems if she blasted the enemy into bits instead?

"Tsk. Is this all you've got? You're afraid that others will fear you? What's there to be afraid about from a bunch of noobs like you?!"

Mini Bubble Gum narrowed her eyes and gazed at the group of spell casters who had flown into the air using their flying spells. But this wasn't an obstacle for her at all. She swung her arm quickly and a dark radiance flashed in the sky when suddenly, the spell casters lost control of their speed and crashed into one another clumsily. If it weren't for their flying skills, they would have crashed to the ground already.

But they weren't in a better state now.

"Heyahh!"

Mini Bubble Gum sprung into the air like a rocket and landed a punch on one of the unlucky fellas, crushing him into half. At the next moment, a bright light beam burst into the sky and burned the corpse into ashes.

"Monster!!"

The spell casters were absolutely terrified. Apart from Mini Bubble Gum's powerful strength, that was stronger than magic cannons, what frightened them was her strange and peculiar personality. She was obviously slaughtering and yet she was so thrilled like she was playing a game. Most importantly, they couldn't escape at all!

But they soon realized that there wasn't only one enemy.

"Come on, Bubble. Leave some for me."

Canary grumbled like a young lady in a tea party whose cake was snatched away. Then, a whirlwind blazing in scorching flames rose from the ground and instantly engulfed the entire night sky. The dazzling, scarlet whirlwind expanded like an enormous, scary monster stretching its arms and tearing the tiny bugs into bits.

Canary stood silently on the spot. She narrowed her eyes, revealed a gentle smile, and extended her index finger, where a combination of green and red magical radiances coalesced and spiraled on her fingertips. As one with the highest authority of wind and fire, almost no spell caster could stand firmly before her. If they were to release wind or fire spells on her, the spells would be manipulated by her—just like what was happening right now.

"———!"

The fire and wind enveloping the night sky merged and transformed into a waterfall of flames that crashed to the ground. Along with this final hit, the powerless, desperate bugs flying in midair disappeared entirely.

"Ah! Big Sister, you're kill stealing!"

Mini Bubble Gum swung her tiny fist in resentment. Although she was powerful, in terms of AOE attacks, she still couldn't be compared to Canary, who was a Mage and an expert in the wind and fire attributes. However, Canary wasn't mindful of her grumbles.

"Alright, remove your enchanted field, Bubble. We have some visitors."

"Hmph... I rarely get the chance to show my powers. That bunch of old farts isn't willing to leave yet?"

Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips, but removed her enchanted field swiftly. Then, she gazed resentfully at the hill in the distance.

"Come out, you peeping toms!"

"Hahaha..."

A kind, gentle, and old laughter sounded. Then, the air vibrated and an old man clad in a white, long robe walked out of the darkness.

"I didn't expect to be discovered by you. It seems like I've miscalculated..."

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Unlike earlier on, Canary sounded much gentler now.

"So, what brings you here to the Void Territory, Sir Bireno, Chairman of the Mage Tower?"

Chapter 936: The Meaning of Fate is...

Among all the spell caster organizations on the Dragon Soul Continent, the Mage Tower was undoubtedly the strongest. The structure of their organization was rather similar to the churches. The Mage Tower's branches were set up in every corner of the continent, including the Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and Country of Light. They recruited candidates with talent and potential in magic, taught them magic, and gathered Mages to explore and master the essence of magic. The Mage Tower was the only place one could see liches and elves peacefully studying magic together. But what caught one between laughter and tears was that the slogan of this massive and powerful spell caster organization was only two words—'Safety First'.

It was due to this that the Mage Tower was widely known among players as an organization that was afraid of death. The Mage Tower's aim was to not be involved with any trouble and to never engage in battles unless absolutely necessary. Although it sounded extremely cowardly, there were in fact plenty of formidable spell casters in their organization. Most of them possessed powerful strength and as a result, they were often misidentified and hunted down. Although they could easily take down the attackers, most of them were loners who rarely joined groups. This was also the reason why they gladly joined this organization who was willing to accept them. As of today, the Mage Tower became the most popular academic institution in the Dragon Soul Continent and also the most powerful spell caster organization.

In the game, the Mage Tower was the second organization after the Country of Law that didn't borrow players' strength to open a new territory. This went to show that their slogan of 'Safety First' wasn't for fun...

In the past, Rhode received an invitation from them, hoping that they could establish a branch in the Void Territory. However he didn't respond immediately because there were too few spell casters in his territory and he would have none of them for himself if they were all recruited by the Mage Tower.

As a self-taught Mage, although Canary wasn't interested in the so-called Royal Magic Association, she was somewhat respectful toward the Mage Tower. After all, the Mage Tower was the only organization that was willing to teach players intermediate spells for free. Of course, players would need to spend time working to gain reputation before they could learn some of the forbidden spells...

But now, Canary wasn't kind toward the old man standing before her. The reason was simple. Rhode promised her that all spell casters in the Void Territory would eventually belong to her... It wasn't surprising that she held hostility toward her 'industry competitor'.

"Can't I kill him?"

Although Mini Bubble Gum recognized him, it was apparent from her excited manner that she was ready to compete with this rumored Mage who reached the 'pinnacle of human spells'. The old man revealed a bitter smile. In fact, he was surprised as he had sensed the strong, reckless murderous intent exuding from Mini Bubble Gum from the beginning. If that were all, it wouldn't have been enough to make an experienced Mage like him who had lived for a century afraid. Instead, what astonished him was Mini Bubble Gum's pure, crystal-clear murderous intent. She wanted to kill him and there was no hatred or insanity. Her intention was just that simple. This was the first time in his life that he faced someone like this.

No... He clearly saw that he wasn't a human in her eyes. Instead, he was just a luxurious treasure chest and she was innocently and naively guessing what was inside it like a child.

Well, this wasn't surprising to Mini Bubble Gum, since NPCs were meant to be killed for their treasures.

"No, Bubble."

"Tsk."

Mini Bubble Gum spit in disdain before heading to the blackened battlefield, and the dazzling aura around her instantly became calm and indistinct. The old man didn't reveal any change in his expression but was in fact bewildered. She has such a strong control over her aura!

As a bystander earlier on, there was no doubt that he watched the battle from start until the end. Frankly speaking, when Canary and Mini Bubble Gum showed their true strength, he was utterly baffled. Although he received intelligence of their strength, he was in disbelief after witnessing it personally. That was the source of the Inner Circle that all spell casters were chasing after for their whole lives and yet, those two young ladies had already achieved it. More importantly, he discovered that they weren't like the undead, elves, or angels with longevity, but were genuine humans! Just how did they reach that level?!

The old man couldn't understand and it seemed like he made the right choice with this trip.

"May I know is anything the matter for you to visit the Void Territory, Sir Bireno?"

Canary twitched her brow and asked once more. But this time, her expression seemed slightly more annoyed. After all, he peeped at their battle and even entered the Void Territory unannounced. If he weren't the chairman of the Mage Tower, she would have teamed up with Mini Bubble Gum to annihilate him and loot his equipment.

"Cough, cough. It's nothing much actually. In fact, this was what happened, young ladies. We heard about how powerful both of you are and would like to know if you're interested in researching magic with us at the Mage Tower?"

The old man smiled while retrieving two envelopes from his wide sleeve and handed them over. Canary didn't accept the envelopes immediately. Instead, she pondered for a while before shaking her head.

"My apologies, Sir Bireno. I'm only a self-taught Mage. I will gladly oblige if this is purely a battle of magic, but I'm not an expert in the field of magic studies. As for Bubble... She isn't interested in anything that doesn't involve violence. So please pardon our rudeness for refusing your invitation to the Mage Tower. Let's get to the serious matters now."

Although Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were formidable, it wasn't to the grand extent where it required a visit from the chairman of the Mage Tower himself. It would be more understandable if they were creator gods. Mini Bubble Gum might not understand this logic but Canary clearly knew about it.

"Haha..."

The old man graciously laughed. He flipped his wrist and the two envelopes vanished instantly, only to be replaced by an old, ancient sheepskin scroll.

"Since that's the case, I won't continue to pester you about it. Honestly speaking, even though my trip here does entail probing your strengths, after witnessing the battle earlier on... Cough, cough. I know that a sack of old, fragile bones like me can't stand against you two in a fight." The old man shifted his gaze to Mini Bubble Gum who had bent over and was searching for something on the ground with her protruded butt. Although she looked like a child who was boringly watching an army of ants, the murderous intent from before stayed fresh in his mind. "I know that His Majesty the Void Dragon is here, so I represent the Mage Tower and came here personally. I hope to have a deal with the Void Territory."

The old man turned to Canary with a sincere look and told his request.

"The Mage Tower wants to build a Dimension Gate in the Void Territory?"

Rhode put away the sheepskin scroll and gazed with knitted brows at Canary, who stood in front of him.

"They must be sick in the head. No wonder that old fella came here himself. If it were someone else, I would've thought that he was just making a fool out of me."

The Dimension Gate was similar to a teleportation door to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. The only difference was that the Dimension Gate was used to connect to the gate of the outside world.

The outside world wasn't neither referring to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, four elemental planes of existence, hell, nor abysses. Instead, it was truly the 'outside' world. In the game, Rhode once led Starlight and found a working Dimension Gate in the ancient ruin. In the end...

His men only had swords, shields, and staffs when they faced an army of radish-looking robots with laser guns! Laser guns! Not only that, but all the monsters were also robots that self-destructed once destroyed! The explosions also released nuclear radiation! It was totally insane and absurd!

"Nope, I'm not interested in turning my territory into a nuclear experimental ground. No, it'll still be fine if it turned into a nuclear experimental ground. What's worse is when some unknown and disgustingly-shaped monsters show up and terrorize my people."

Although he didn't know why the Mage Tower would raise this request, he definitely wouldn't agree. He tossed the scroll to the table and turned to the enormous metal egg. After dealing with the group of idiots from the Country of Light, he had been researching this metal egg. But no matter how hard he tried, he didn't yield any results. He didn't remember ever seeing this thing. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were also clueless about it. Even though Stefania said that she found it in this world, who knew what it was with the Dragon Soul Continent being so huge?

Rhode tried his spiritual summons and made Canary and Mini Bubble Gum cast their magical and spiritual spells, but this thing had no reaction at all. Although Angelina also used her blood spells, nothing changed either. What exactly was this thing?

Rhode had even summoned Shira to slash it open but it was tougher than he imagined. His all-out attack didn't even scratch its shell either. The fact that this mysterious metal survived the attack of a creator dragon soul piqued his curiosity. It seems like I've bought something worthy despite offering a nail-sized Illusion Crystal in exchange.

Suddenly, an array of vibrant colors flashed in midair and a teleportation door appeared before him. Marlene walked out of it.

"Rhode, the territorial matters are almost done. As for Highland City... I heard Sir Bireno from the Mage Tower asking for help?"

"Yes, they want to build a Dimension Gate in my territory, but I don't agree."

Rhode continued to scan the metal egg in front of him and answered without turning around. It was also due to this reason that he didn't notice the glint in Marlene's eyes as soon as she heard 'Dimension Gate'. However, Canary witnessed everything.

"Is anything the matter, Miss Marlene?"

"Ah, Miss Canary, I..."

Marlene appeared flustered. Although she could easily defeat Canary now after awakening the powers and wisdom of the Deity Warden, for some unknown reasons, she felt instinctively uncomfortable. According to Mini Bubble Gum...

It looked as though Marlene was a concubine who felt inferior to Canary, the primary wife.

Fortunately Marlene couldn't understand what she meant.

"... Rhode, I think that you should agree to build the Dimension Gate. After all, it has an irreplaceable role against Chaos."

"Oh?"

Rhode turned around curiously. Although players were mostly familiar with the Dimension Gate, this was the first time that he heard that it was useful against Chaos. Could it be that he could summon an army of radish-looking robots and make them self-destruct at the Chaos Creatures?

"If I recall correctly, the Dimension Gate is a channel to the outside world but we won't know which outside world it will be connected to. Don't you think that there are too many strange creatures in our territory? It won't be good news if the Dimension Gate summons some troublesome monsters."

The effect that alien species had on the erosion of native food chains could be seen from the rabbits in Australia.

Marlene gave a surprising answer.

"That's not the case, Rhode. The Dimension Gate isn't used to teleport alien species to our world. Instead, it is used to send ourselves to the outside world."

"Why must we do that though?"

Not only Rhode was astonished, but Canary also looked at Marlene curiously. The purpose of the Dimension Gate was still too strange for him. Marlene smiled and cleared his doubt.

"The Dimension Gate is a one-way channel that won't crumple to the attacks by Chaos. It is due to this reason that a long, long time ago, it served as an escape route that was only used as a last resort because Chaos would disrupt the entire world's Order as soon it descends. All teleportation spells would become unstable due to the influence and erosion of Chaos. So when one finds oneself trapped by Chaos and can't escape, one can open the Dimension Gate and flee to the new world with one's remaining family members. As the Dimension Gate uses a unique strength of Order that is unlike ours, the Chaos Creatures can't give chase and in turn, the ones who escape can't return to our world..."

I see. I didn't know that the Dimension Gate has such a purpose.

But... Why does the Mage Tower want to build it? Do they have the intention to use it for that purpose?

"Alright, I'll speak to that old fella and see what he plans to do exactly. I will need your strength if we are to build the Dimension Gate, Marlene."

"No problem, Rhode."

Marlene revealed a confident smile before shifting her gaze dubiously to the metal egg beside him.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you about that rescue cabin, Rhode. Where did you get it from?"

"Rescue cabin?"

Rhode and Canary widened their eyes in shock at this advanced technological term. Marlene explained, albeit with some doubts.

"Yes, if I recall correctly, this is a life-saving device created by the first nobles. Whenever they faced a disaster, they jumped into it and sealed themselves inside until the disaster was over. As this rescue cabin uses a high density star-iron and is enhanced with the protection of an Order barrier, it won't be damaged by anything."

"In other words, there are residents from the first age in this rescue cabin now?"

Rhode's and Canary's eyes glinted with curiosity. The official website of the game merely walked through the background of this game without too much detail. If there were residents from that era inside that thing, it would be a huge discovery! At this moment, they felt like archaeologists who unintentionally discovered a hibernating dinosaur from the Cretaceous period!

"Can you open it?"

"Erm... I can..."

Marlene was slightly startled by Rhode's anxiousness.

"But..."

"But?"

"... It gets its source of power from the core of the tinder but it seems to have been removed from the core a few centuries ago... In other words, it is already spoiled and even if there are people inside, they would have been..."

"..."

Rhode and Canary went into silence. Then, Canary gazed at his hands.

"Leader, please stay away from equipment with your 'unlucky looting hand'... I'm pretty sure I've told you this more than once."

Chapter 937: The Original Four

Did the chicken or the egg come first? That was the question.

Was it due to the damage from Rhode's 'unlucky looting aura' or was it already damaged when it met him? This was also the question. This went to show that the 'unlucky looting aura' was a mysterious and magical philosophical issue. But now, all philosophical issues were meaningless because the consequence was more serious than the cause and this wasn't what he hoped for.

"Open it, Marlene."

Rhode sighed. No matter if it was the cause of his 'unlucky looting aura', this metal egg was already spoiled. The truth wouldn't change even if he figured out the cause...

"Yes, Rhode."

Marlene gaped at the listless Rhode who had as though been enveloped by depressing black smoke. But after she looked at Canary's expression, which warned her not to ask about it, she closed her mouth and placed her hand on the metal egg.

"Tare Mis Con."

"———!"

The outer shell of the metal egg emanated dozens of magical radiances. Then, it slowly opened like a blossoming flower and spurted white steam from within. Rhode and Canary watched curiously as it unveiled its secret.

After the four heavy segments of the shell fell off, the group witnessed a crystal coffin...

"It's completely done for."

Although the appearance of the metal egg and the crystal coffin seemed to be in perfect condition, the human inside had already turned to dust, and there was nothing else apart from some clothes and broken sword. It was apparent that the rescue cabin had lost its source of energy and capability. All that was left now was the perfect structure of a coffin.

Kacha.

Rhode and Canary gazed with complicated emotions at the remains. After a few moments, Canary nodded proudly. "Rhode, your 'unlucky looting aura' has indeed broken through the horizon. There's really nothing worthy left from the inside-out."

"Alright, stop criticizing. You're nowhere better than me."

Rhode shot a glare at her. In fact, even though he was mentally prepared for this result, he felt resentful that this thing was destroyed to this extent, especially after losing a nail-sized Illusion Crystal. But... He extended his hand and touched the sword hilt.

If that plane merchant didn't trick me, this thing must be linked to my fate in order for it to be here.

Although there were no signs of life, Rhode had some ideas at the sight of the sword hilt...

"Does anyone recognize this?"

Rhode spiritually communicated with his card spirits and projected the image of the short, mysterious sword hilt to them. The card spirits pondered for a few moments when suddenly, Celestina yelled.

"Woah! It's Fourth Big Sister! Master, hurry up and summon her! Hurry!"

Why do I feel like I'm a savior to some impoverished people who have been oppressed by a demon lord?

"Do you know her? Is she one of you?"

The card spirits pondered and Celia was the first to answer.

"Yes, Master. Fourth Big Sister is the smartest saint among us. In fact, our weapons were designed and created by her. But... If I recall correctly, Fourth Big Sister took refuge in a rescue cabin, so why..."

Forget it if this was related to someone's 'unlucky looting aura'.

Gracier and Madaras remained silent as usual, but Rhode sensed through their spiritual connection that they were thrilled. It was apparent that they were also excited to meet the so-called Fourth Big Sister. On the other hand, Shira had no reaction. She always behaved like a dead person unless she was summoned into battle, though she wasn't a living being, to begin with.

It seems like this isn't too bad, after all.

Although Rhode had gotten a 'damaged' rescue cabin and the fella inside was already dead, he didn't expect her to be one of the holy sword spirits. However, what surprised him was that the death of this holy sword spirit was somewhat strange. He wasn't too sure about the individual history of holy sword spirits, but he was sure that they had basically died in the battlefield. But this particular spirit took refuge in a rescue cabin and died in the failed system? How should he put it... It somehow felt as though she was an army deserter.

"Is she like all of you? But why did she hide in the rescue cabin?"

Although he could also ask personally after summoning her, such a question wasn't easy to raise either. Celia thought for a few moments and said.

"Erm... Master, Fourth Big Sister is actually... a human. Although she was experienced in battles, her constitution and longevity can't be compared to ours. Besides..."

"Cough... Cough Cough!!"

At this moment, Celestina interrupted and Celia was as though a chick with its throat strangled. Then, Celestina continued on her behalf.

"All in all, you've found a gold mine, Master. Fourth Big Sister is the smartest among us. Heh heh. It'll be your wisest choice if you can summon her! The reason we can remain in spiritual form inside weapons is all thanks to..."

"Big Sister!"

"Ah... Sh*t... Master, please forget what you just heard! Anyway, all you have to do is summon Fourth Big Sister, understand?!"

This time it was Celia's turn to interrupt Celestina, and the latter jumped in surprise. Although Rhode couldn't see Celestina's expression, he heard from her tone that she was rather regretful as though she had said something that she shouldn't. But he disregarded her words and pondered in silence.

... They are related in this way, huh... According to Celestina, it seems it was all planned out that they would fuse with their weapons after death and be re-summoned. Besides, this 'Fourth Big Sister' also seems to have played a leading role among them?

Apart from that, what made him most mindful was Celia's introduction of this 'Fourth Big Sister' as a human. Rhode had never expected that there was a human among these insanely powerful holy sword spirits. Besides, since she was ranked fourth, she would be stronger than Shira.

"Alright then, let's begin."

After confirming that she was a holy sword spirit, Rhode was anxious to summon her. He held onto the sword hilt and reached for the Illusion Crystal with his other hand in his pocket. Shortly after, the system prompt emerged.

[Detected a resonance reaction. Confirm to awaken?]

Awaken.

[Awaken soul core, detected holy sword———Heart Piercer. Awakening begins]

"%&*... #*... #...!"

All of a sudden the crystal coffin glowed and some electronic noises sounded. The sword hilt instantly emanated an unprecedented brilliance while several golden runes appeared in midair to form circles of various sizes. Canary and Marlene took a step back as rune circles floated from top to bottom and vice-versa. Then, a slender figure appeared before their eyes.

It was a young lady who was about the same height as Marlene and Canary. She had clean, neat, white-golden short hair leveled with her shoulders. Unlike Celia's battle suit or Celestina's and Shira's inappropriate western-style dresses, she wore a set of white cloak and miniskirt. Although she wasn't as stunning as Celestina, she had the unique presence of an intellectual. She wore frameless oval glasses over her gorgeous azure eyes. No matter from which angle, Rhode didn't spot any tail, fluffy ears, or wings and she looked just like a human.

A somewhat ordinary-looking human.

Rhode gazed at the card that appeared in his hand. Unlike the other cards, this card had a silver-whitish base and was embedded with golden edges. In its picture was a young lady sitting on a throne constructed by countless swords. Above the picture was the symbol 'IV' while there were the values of 5 and 8 at the bottom of the card.

[Received Eternal Holy Sword 4th Position. Heart Piercer. Silver Sage———Karin: The power of wisdom is the attribution of everything. Superposition LV3 (Can be superimposed and cast simultaneously). Skill Analysis LV3 (When equipped with weapons, there is a certain probability to analyze the skill activation rate). Rune Enhancement LV3 (Drop cooldown time by half when using runes in battles). The brain is the strongest weapon.]

This is truly...

Rhode was speechless. He thought that since she was in the 4th position, she would be more or less a formidable being. But her offense and defense stats were only 5 and 8. Although these stats were decent for most people, it was terrible considering all his other holy sword cards were double digits in stats. Moreover, he didn't know why he felt out of sorts looking at her as a human. Not only that, but the worst Spirit Bird card also held higher stats than her.

But when he flipped the card around and saw her skills, he instantly realized why she was worthy of her 4th position.

Superposition [Continuous summons will receive superposition. The stats are based on the increase in superposition. Can be superimposed up to five times (Every superposition increases cooldown time by 3)]

Triple Realm [After continuously summoning three spirit cards, holder can activate three shadow clones with same stats]

Calculation [Instantly analyze and calculate strength in battle]

[Superposition] left him speechless. If it was as he thought, whenever he summoned Karin, returned her into the card and summoned her again, her basic stats would be stacked from her previous summons. In other words, for instance, her stats would grow from 4 and 6 to 8 and 12, and to 12 and 18. If he were to summon her five times, her stats would go over 20! This was even more insane than Gillian.

On the other hand, [Triple Realm] could create three shadow clones of this insanely powerful young lady!

No wonder she's in the 4th position.

Come to think of it, if she had truly reached this level as a human, Rhode would prostrate himself in admiration because it was impossible for players to have her stats without relying on top-rated talents and equipment. But she actually possessed such strength as a pure human. This went to show how powerful she was.

What comforted him was [Calculation]—oh my goodness. I finally have a subject who will use her brain in battle rather than pouncing on the enemy immediately. He felt tremendous stress commanding everyone by himself.

If he were to mention any flaws, it would be the cooldown time +3 hours, which would start after the end of his battle. If he wanted Karin's stats to be superimposed for five times and reach insane stats, the cool-down time would be 15 hours. In other words, if he were to superimpose her stats in one go for five times, he would need to wait for 15 hours before he could summon her again. Compared to the other card spirits who required spiritual energy to be summoned, this was indeed a problem. But a trump card would always be for the finale.

"..."

After he finished scanning the card details, Karin returned to her senses. She pushed up her glasses and gazed at him expressionlessly.

"Are you my master?"

Her voice was so calm and elegant. Rhode snapped his fingers softly and the card vanished before his eyes. He faced the young lady and nodded.

"That's right. I'm your master. Is there anything that you would like to ask?"

Karin shook her head to his surprise.

"Not now."

She looked at the surroundings and shifted her gaze to the empty crystal coffin. After taking a closer look, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Everything is as per normal."

She said softly and turned to give Rhode a solemn bow.

"Please pardon my leave."

In an instant, circular golden runes appeared around her. Then, she gradually vanished into thin air.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone didn't know how to respond to that. After a few moments, Canary shrugged and let out a subtle sigh.

"Rhode, why do all your card spirits behave so strangely..."

Chapter 938: An Unsettling Heart

"In other words, the Pale Blue Army lost?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Although Lilian's childish voice sounded stern, she couldn't hide the joy inside her. She sat on the throne and although her expression didn't reveal her thoughts, it was apparent from the slightly rolled-up corners of her mouth that she was delighted. She was totally fine with the loss of her army while Sonia stood beside her and showed a bitter smile.

Sonia was bewildered when she heard that Rhode became the Void Dragon. Even though she had submitted to him entirely, she didn't expect him to have such a powerful background. What made her rather concerned was whether Lilian would change her attitude toward him after hearing this news. Of course, Sonia wasn't a dragon soul heir so she couldn't consider the matter from Lilian's perspective. But come to think of it, if the ruler of one country realized that her close friend became the ruler of another country, would she think that the friend got close to her only to make use of her? If it were Sonia, she definitely wouldn't let this matter off.

But what surprised her was that Lilian didn't express any anger or resentment at all. Instead, she seemed relatively excited that Rhode became a dragon soul heir. If it weren't for Sonia spending a lot of time and knowing that Lilian was an innocent child, Sonia would have believed that Lilian might actually be a scheming person...

Moreover, Lilian also seemed pretty interested in the development and reports of the Void Territory. She requested for intelligence from the Light Parliament almost everyday and had even abandoned that little bit of power which she finally won over from them some time ago. Not only that, but she also constantly discussed with Sonia over how the Void Territory should develop. Sonia suspected that Lilian might even defect to the Void Territory if she were to lead her. One might even believe that Lilian was the ruler of the Void Territory judging from all that enthusiasm from her.

Sonia found herself at her wits' end. She realized that there was a world of difference between the thoughts of dragon soul heirs and ordinary humans. She also discovered that Lilian had a small sense of belonging in the Country of Light. In the past, it could be argued that Lilian had a child's mentality, but the fact that she was unconcerned with the casualty reports proved everything. Unlike the past, these reports were clearly written with the number of casualties now, but she just didn't seem to mind at all.

It also wasn't right to say that she didn't seem to mind because in fact, she responded.

"It's their fault. A bunch of idiots. Who asked them to anger Big Brother Rhode."

If the Light Parliament were to hear these rebellious words from her, they would probably faint on the spot.

"Did the bunch of idiots from the parliament stop finding trouble with Big Brother Rhode?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The Light Parliament has temporarily stopped their attacks on the Void Territory. After the previous battles, there were some issues with the military configurations in the border army and they needed more time to regroup and set up. I suppose they will need around four months for that."

Sonia was right because Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had slaughtered almost 30,000 soldiers and crippled the border army. The Light Parliament didn't expect the two young ladies to possess such incredible strength that cripple their army in less than five minutes. After the loss, they used the excuse of 'force majeure' to 'temporarily' stop their attacks to 'snatch' Highland City. Of course, perhaps the Country of Light's border army would have a tough time in the future.

"Hmph. I knew those idiots weren't capable. They clearly witnessed how powerful Big Brother Rhode was during the Dragon Soul Ceremony and still stirred trouble with him? So foolish!"

"..."

For some unknown reason, Sonia suddenly realized that Lilian seemed more like a spy than her.

"Ah... When will I meet Big Brother Rhode. I want to see him..."

"Erm, please pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty. The Country of Light and Void Territory are in a tense situation now. Perhaps you can't..."

"I know, Sonia. Those annoying fellas! Hmph! How irritating!"

Lilian curled her lips and smacked the seat handle. Then, she revealed a grin.

"Heh heh. But maybe I will get to meet Big Brother Rhode in a short while. Yes, it's about time for that. As long as I receive the invitation, those idiots of the parliament won't be able to stop me. Heh heh. I shall let them die from their anger!"

"?"

Sonia looked curiously. Even though she thought that she knew Lilian, sometimes she just couldn't understand what she meant. It was during such moments when she realized that dragon soul heirs and ordinary humans were indeed different. But... Sonia sharply detected the meaning behind the word 'invitation'.

This left her dubious because she understood Lilian's interpersonal relationships after spending half a year with her. It could also be said that Sonia was her only friend in the Country of Light and she couldn't possibly invite her for something. Although it was possible that Rhode and Lydia would invite her, she didn't think that the Light Parliament couldn't say no to them. After all, no one knew what exactly Lilian was up to all day, so as long as the Light Parliament announced that she was sick and couldn't head out, it would solve the problem, right? But Lilian seemed so confident that the parliament would accept the invitation... It was so strange.

Lilian, who was under the control of the Light Parliament, should understand their capability more than anyone. But why was she so confident and who exactly would be sending her the invitation?

At this moment, Rhode ended his 'break' in Highland City. After obtaining another holy sword card, he returned to Grandia and couldn't care less if the Country of Light sent another army. Since he had the system to notify him of any intruders, he could simply send Canary and Mini Bubble Gum over to teach them another harsh lesson. Although he could choose to wander for a longer period of time, he received great news that made him return to his city.

The Sphere of Mystery 'Wind Enchanted Field' had been repaired.

"So this is the Wind Enchanted Field."

Rhode exclaimed at the exquisite and adorable sphere. He couldn't help but recall the first time he received the Sphere of Mystery 'Mirage'. Back then he couldn't even move it and had to get Anne to handle the troublesome issues. But now, he easily lifted this extremely heavy Sphere of Mystery like a plastic ball, which made him feel that it was rather unrealistic.

At this moment, he realized how much he had grown. No, perhaps he should say that he realized how much strength he had restored.

Compared to the 'Mirage', the 'Wind Enchanted Field' more or less had some value to him. Its most important function was to manipulate wind to form an indestructible storm barrier around the city but it was completely useless with the absolute space barrier in place. Apart from that, the two remaining features of the 'Wind Enchanted Field' was the ability to control weather (Rhode, as the Void Dragon, also had this authority, so this ability was pointless), and fill the sky with powerful wind element, which was the only feature that he was interested in. With this feature, he could create winds within his territory for the floating boats to sail on.

This was hugely beneficial news. Although he could also rely on Marlene and Lapis to create magic warships that didn't need to rely on winds, that would be a major project that couldn't be completed quickly after all. At this moment, his territory was still in the construction and developmental phase, so he needed convenient vehicles like the floating boats. Moreover, Marlene's Senia Family had also agreed to dedicate their own floating boat technology and ships for transportation, which made it essential for him to generate winds in his territory.

But compared to the 'Wind Enchanted Field', Rhode was more fascinated by something else.

The Modified Zero Refining Equipment that Lapis created for him.

After his alchemy equipment shattered in the battle against the Duke Fiend, he had never equipped a similar one, mainly because of the harm he received. Although he relied on the alchemy equipment and survived several crises, the damage he received was huge. But now, after obtaining the Illusion Crystal, he reignited the idea of having the alchemy equipment. As he had reached the Legendary Stage and attained the 'Indestructible' property, this meant that the items on him wouldn't be destroyed even if they were blasted by magic cannons. Even if it were a tattered piece of cloth, it would be protected by the 'Indestructible' property as soon as he wore or held it. From a certain perspective, it could be considered invincible.

With the endless source of energy from the Illusion Crystal, he had unlimited spiritual powers which was massive for him to maintain card spirits in battle. But he didn't expect that Lapis would do better than expected.

"Lapis, are you ready?"

Rhode returned the Sphere of Mystery to its original position because it wasn't time for it yet. Lapis, who was gazing at him anxiously, returned to her senses and picked up an item from the table.

It was a silver, metal bracer. Unlike ordinary ones, the edges of this bracer had three small, silver chains that were connected to rings of various sizes.

"All ready, Sir Rhode. I have polished the Illusion Crystal and hidden it within the silver chains connecting the rings and bracer. It can provide unlimited spiritual powers to you and of course, to allow for a smoother flow of spiritual powers, I etched several magic rituals to ensure maximum output in the shortest time... Also, I've fused fine gold and magic crystals to create a backup storage for spiritual powers for emergencies..."

Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He took over the Modified Zero Refining Equipment and equipped it on his left wrist. Shortly after, he instantly felt a powerful surge of energy flowing from his wrist to every part of his body. The energy slowly merged with him as one. If his spiritual powers were a pond, the Zero Refining Equipment would be the spiritual powers connecting the inland pond with the ocean, flowing smoothly and endlessly into his body. It seemed like Lapis's skills indeed lived up to the name of an Alchemist Master. The Illusion Crystal was considered one of the highest-grade alchemy materials. If he didn't have someone like Lapis, he would rather hold onto the Illusion Crystal everywhere he went and definitely wouldn't come up with this idea.

"E-Erm... Sir Rhode."

Lapis hesitated and said with uncertainty.

"It isn't safe to allow spiritual powers from the surroundings to flow into your body. I think you should be careful about it. Even though the source of energy from the Illusion Crystal comes from the surroundings, it doesn't belong to humans after all... Sir Rhode, if you feel like something is wrong with your body, please let me know."

"Don't worry. You'll be the first person I notify if there's any problem."

Rhode patted her head and Lapis revealed a blush on her pale complexion. She lowered her head shyly, twisting and turning the long robe before her. Rhode didn't seem to notice her reaction and he retracted his hand.

"You did well and the repairment of the Wind Enchanted Field is also successful. Thank you."

"Y-You're welcome, Sir Rhode. This is my job."

"I know, but you must also take care of yourself. Even though you're not the only one doing the research now, you're still our important companion. Don't shoulder every responsibility by yourself. Look for me or Marlene if you face any difficulties. As long as we can resolve it, we will do our best for you."

Rhode patted her shoulder, turned around, and headed out. Lapis lifted her head, gnashed her teeth, and took in a deep breath. Then, as though she had made a decision, she suddenly yelled.

"... Sir Rhode!"

"Is anything the matter?"

Rhode turned around and his gaze made her head turn empty. The courage that she mustered vanished into thin air and she lowered her head helplessly.

"No, it's nothing much, Sir Rhode. I just want to know if... I can take a break?"

"Of course."

Rhode didn't feel astonished by her request. Come to think of it, she had basically been working everyday ever since joining Starlight. Although he rarely forced her for anything, the pressure on her shoulders were indeed huge for a young lady like her.

"It's about time for you to take a good rest. If you have the time, head out to Grandia together with Christie and Bell. If I recall correctly, you haven't had the chance to explore the city yet, right? Taking occasional breaks is essential too."

"Yes... Sir Rhode."

"Good."

Rhode said and left the room. Lapis lifted her head helplessly, let out a long sigh, and sat on the chair weakly like a puppet without strings.

"It looks like I still can't do it. I feel so nervous whenever I see Sir Rhode..."

Lapis shifted her gaze to a booklet on the table with all sorts of potion formulas written inside. She revealed hesitation in her eyes.

"It seems like... I may just have to give it a shot."

Chapter 939: Each of Their Own Magical Power

Power was the start of corruption.

And this applied to Rhode.

After dealing with the trouble in Highland City, Rhode instantly felt a weight off his shoulders and became much more idle. Marlene and the others were responsible for internal and diplomatic affairs while Orchid Heart was in charge of training. Apart from occasional barks from the losers of the Country of Light, everything was peaceful. There was also nothing serious enough that required his attention within the territory. Although he was looking out for movements from the Country of Darkness, he predicted that the Dark Dragon would need more than a year before launching an attack. Besides, the attack might even be delayed because just like in the game, the Dark Dragon lost more than he gained. Moreover, the Holy Maiden Statues were positioned by the border of Munn Kingdom and unless the Dark Dragon came up with a way to deal with them, he wouldn't act recklessly. Of course, this wouldn't remove the possibility of him targeting the Void Territory over Munn Kingdom. After all, the Dark Dragon had no choice but to attack the Munn Kingdom in the past. But now that Rhode had the Void Territory, the Dark Dragon didn't need to risk the dangers to attack the Munn Kingdom. As long as he occupied the Void Territory, his undead armies could swiftly take over the entire Light Mainland.

Fortunately, Rhode had taken security measures. Back then, he had purposely left out an area of land of Chaos around the junction of the Country of Darkness when he expanded his dragon soul protection. This way, even if the Country of Darkness tried to attack the Void Territory, they could only start by attacking the Land of Atonement or opening up the land of Chaos. No matter which choice they chose, Rhode had his ways to resist their attacks, especially after awakening the other Christie and Marlene. The four legendary generals who gave him the most headache in this situation suddenly looked less threatening now.

Come to think of it, he couldn't find the other Deity Warden hidden in the library. Ever since Grandia was built, he stopped seeing her and had no idea where she hid herself.

Under such a circumstance, Rhode realized that he was bored and idle. Even though he could learn from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and lead others to ruins and dungeons, the thought of his 'unlucky looting aura' made him give up on this idea. On the other hand, their luckiest charm, Marlene, was busy working all day, so it was impossible for her to accompany him to loot corpses. At least for now.

Initially, Rhode thought that he could use this time to accompany Christie but times had changed. She had to grasp the powers of the Deity Warden under the guidance of her other self. According to the other Christie, if Christie could master the use of the Deity Warden's power, she could strengthen her body and get rid of her weak constitution. After hearing this news, Christie immediately focused her attention on mastering her skills and so, Rhode naturally couldn't spend time with her.

As a result, Rhode found himself slowly 'rotting' away...

"Hmm..."

He puckered his brows to the glaring sunlight. Then, he turned around and opened his eyes to find the naked, golden-haired young lady with her arms wrapped around his. She gave a satisfied smile in her sleep. Rhode shook his head helplessly, withdrew his arm from her embrace, and stood up to tidy his clothes.

There was only one thing he could do now. Yes, everyone knew what that was.

But even as the dragon soul heir, he didn't pick his partner openly as this would easily cause chaos in his harem. He would find a particular partner sometimes while at times someone else would look for him and Anne was the most eager one. Perhaps as a Shield Warrior, she didn't need to train and apart from helping Orchid Heart with training the soldiers, she was basically always around his side. Besides, as a half-beast, she lacked shamelessness of a pure human. As long as she was in the mood, she would seek his affections even in an empty alley. Fortunately, she knew her limits and had never behaved that way in public.

As for Marlene and Lize, Rhode would sometimes do it with them alone or together. Lize was slightly less busy so she came knocking on his door more often. On the contrary, Marlene was too busy and seldom took the initiative, which was why Rhode went looking for her more. Of course, he didn't find her just for his enjoyment. He knew that she had been busy with work and also hoped to use this chance for her to relax. But he wouldn't force her if she wasn't interested. He would simply accompany her throughout the peaceful night.

In fact, Rhode didn't mind spending the night together with multiple women. He might not have the energy to sustain them in the past, but after awakening the dragon soul heir's power, his energy was a few hundred times more than a human's, where he wouldn't feel exhausted even after 'battling it out' with 10 women. The best evidence for this was when he needed the entire night for Anne to be satisfied. But now, he needed only half the night and she would be drifting off into her sweet dreams. In fact, he was curious to see how it would feel like to bring Canary, Anne, Lize, Marlene, Celestina, Nell, and the others to bed. But it was a pity that they weren't interested or didn't have such intentions.

However, Anne wasn't mindful and was oddly welcoming of that idea instead. On the other hand, Lize and Marlene expressed that unless there were the two of them with him, it was extremely humiliating to reveal themselves to others on the same bed. Canary mentioned that she didn't mind since she wouldn't die no matter how violent the night was and it would be fine trying out a new experience. Rhode was even considering changing her thinking. As for Celestina, although she might reveal her uncharacteristically shy side in private, she would rather die than to embarrass herself before others. As for Nell, she recognized herself as a tool and slave which gave her the lack of rights to be on the same bed as others. As for Shira... Although it was thrilling for him, not anyone could survive her fatal plays. Perhaps she wouldn't reject the idea, but considering the possibilities of her destroying the other women, Rhode gave up on the idea.

As a result, Rhode's plan to spend the night with multiple women basically had no chance of happening... At least for now.

I should go check on Christie's training.

Rhode looked for a final time at Anne who was curled up and drooling in her deep sleep before leaving the room. If it were in the past, Angelina would be waiting outside his room now. He had to admit that even though vampires held a strong desire for authority, she indeed had the talents of a secretary or perhaps a mistress. As long as he wanted something, she would arrange the schedule and also knew how to weigh up one's words and observe one's facial expression. Frankly speaking, even though Rhode disliked such a person, he knew that someone like Angelina was essential as his subject. He had no intention of building a tranquil and beautiful dreamland. Although the management system built on Starlight was fairly complete with him as the leader, this was still the standard like a child playing house. If it weren't for the fact that he possessed powerful strength and a dragon soul protection, sooner or later a naive system like this would eventually fail. Therefore apart from the bright and fresh appearance, it was also necessary to have some hidden pillars.

Perhaps in the future, he might really consider giving her some authority.

But it was a pity that Angelina wasn't with him at the moment. After they returned to Grandia, Mini Bubble Gum snatched her away and for some reasons, Angelina seemed to him like a prisoner on death row, filled with unprecedented despair... Or maybe he was mistaken?

If Angelina could read his mind, she would surely tell him that it definitely wasn't a mistake!

At this moment, this pitiful royal vampire was kneeling on the ground and lowering her head on the soft, red carpet as though she was on the guillotine, waiting for the blade to slice through her neck. Mini Bubble Gum leaned back on the chair gloomily. She rested her chin on her hand while her other hand tapped impatiently on the seat handle as though she were a demon lord who was about to punish her incapable subject.

"I remember telling you to lure Leader to bed... Why didn't you complete your mission?! I spared your life because you look rather adorable and yet you failed my mission?! Hmph! I thought vampires love doing that, so I got you to do it. Look at how useless you are!"

"I'm truly sorry, Madam Bubble!"

Angelina lowered her head without hesitation. Theoretically speaking, Rhode was her direct superior, but Angelina clearly knew that this young lady was her ultimate predator. Not only that, but she also gave an impression of a time bomb that would explode at any second.

"Useless trash. It seems like it was a mistake to pin my hopes on you..."

Indeed, just as Angelina expected, Mini Bubble Gum raised her right arm. Angelina instantly turned ashen as she knew the difference in strength between them. She couldn't escape the attack even if she used all her might!

"P-Please wait! Madam Bubble!"

"What are your last words?"

Even though Mini Bubble Gum said so, she didn't put her arm down. Instead, the white, dazzling, sacred radiance on her hand shone increasingly brighter. Angelina knew that it was now or never. Perhaps she shouldn't say it but at least it might secure her a lifeline!

"... I have a way to satisfy your desire, Madam Bubble!"

"... Hmm?"

Mini Bubble Gum tilted her head while holding up her right arm. The coalesced sacred energy slowly dissipated. Angelina wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Erm... Please pardon my rudeness. If His Majesty were any other man, he couldn't possibly resist my charms. Although I'm not as alluring as the Lustful Demons, not everyone is immune to the charm of vampires."

"Of course, how can those oestrus dogs compare with Leader?"

Mini Bubble Gum nodded in satisfaction. Then, she recalled something and let out a snort.

"Hmph. How can a bunch of useless idiots who were killed by me and forced to delete their accounts be compared to Leader? Indeed. If Leader was one of those weaklings, he would have knelt and licked your shoes already."

I don't even want those useless trash to dirty my shoes...

Angelina cursed inwardly before speaking anxiously.

"Just as you've said, Madam Bubble. Although I have some advantages, there are lots of women who were more attractive to His Majesty. My charm is ineffective to His Majesty and no matter what, I'm also a captive and His Majesty is constantly wary of me. So, even if I want to do anything to..."

"Hmm... That makes sense. Leader isn't an idiot who will drop his pants at the sight of a woman. Since that's the case, it's indeed my lack of consideration."

Mini Bubble Gum nodded and put her hand down. Angelina heaved a long sigh of relief, sensing the blade above her head slowly retracting. But... This was only the first step to the 're-investigation' and any misstep would bring her back to hell.

"So... It will not be possible to complete the mission by myself. Also, in such a short period of time, His Majesty won't possibly treat me as an intimate partner. I'm just something with manipulative value to His Majesty..."

If it were others who heard such words, one would definitely feel pitiful for an adorable young lady like her. After all, cuteness was justice and since such a cute vampire loli had joined their camp, the protagonist should trust her unconditionally, warm up her ice-cold heart of a vampire, and do anything for her. Wasn't this supposed to be how the story went? It was completely cruel of Rhode to not trust her unconditionally and even use her!

However, Mini Bubble Gum apparently didn't have such thoughts. She simply nodded and waited for Angelina to finish her sentence.

"So... I... What I meant was... If Madam Bubble has any thoughts, you can speak to His Majesty directly. I learned that His Majesty is one who values relationships. Besides, if it was you who showed your concern and love and took the initiative, I'm sure His Majesty will not reject..."

Boom!

Mini Bubble Gum smacked the seat handle which immediately shut Angelina's mouth up. The latter lifted her head with trembling fear, only to find the former blushing.

"Take the initiative... How can I possibly ask Leader about it! Do you think that I'm some shameless vampire?!"

"No..."

Angelina curled up instinctively to the overwhelming pressure. Even though Angelina was smart, she totally couldn't figure out what Mini Bubble Gum was thinking. After all, there wasn't a law or regulation that forbade a young lady at the age of 14 from doing anything. Moreover, age was just a number in the Country of Darkness, where there were plenty of vampires like Angelina who maintained their youthful form. Therefore, it didn't matter if they were following the standard of the Country of Light or Country of Darkness because Mini Bubble Gum's age was enough to engage in love-making... Angelina just couldn't understand what was so difficult.

"Forget it, you just won't understand."

Mini Bubble Gum gnashed her teeth and glared at Angelina. In fact, she didn't mind; if not, she wouldn't have chatted with him nakedly back then. But the problem was that it was over the webcam after all and different from reality. Besides, according to Mini Bubble Gum's observation, Rhode didn't seem to lust for girls her age. In fact, this was the norm in modern society. Perhaps Rhode might be interested in a high school student like Canary, but he would be thrown into jail if he were to make his moves on a junior high school or elementary school student.

Mini Bubble Gum had secretly observed Rhode in the past, but it was a pity that he saw her as a younger sister like Christie. This left her at a loss. If she confessed, only to be treated as a younger sister, she would be out of luck. It was due to this reason that she thought of using Angelina for an experiment. If Rhode was interested in her, she might stand a chance, wasn't it?

The pitiful Angelina got implicated while just being present...

Mini Bubble Gum had no other solution after hearing Angelina's explanation. Indeed, Angelina was different. She was just a captive and Rhode wasn't one who would throw himself to any women. This inspiration was simply too naive.

But... Am I really out of solutions?

Mini Bubble Gum's eyes glinted. Then, she pointed her finger at Angelina.

"By the way, Leader should be free tomorrow night, right? Good. I want you to meet Leader with me and you don't get to refuse, do you hear me! Yes, and put on something slutty; wear your vampires' most shameless clothes!"

"... Yes, Madam Bubble."

Angelina gave some serious thoughts. Am I better off dying?

The boiling water vapor emerged from the bottle and spread out its aroma in the room. Lapis narrowed her eyes and scanned the potion in her hand. She shook the bottle slightly and the potion color slowly transformed from green to pink. She nodded in satisfaction and showed a smile. Then, she picked up a black feather.

"Next... The Lustful Demon's feather. Yes. This is the last ingredient..."

Lapis muttered under her breath and suddenly, she felt uncertain. Is this the right choice?

Then, she shook his head hard.

I can't wait anymore. I don't have any advantages over others in the first place. If this continues, I will not have any hopes left!

Lapis showed a determined gaze. She inserted the feather into the bottle before squeezing in a cork. Shortly after, the potion instantly had some strange chemical reactions. The black feather dissolved, formed a white mist, and vanished entirely, while the pink potion returned to its clear, original state. Lapis lifted the bottle sternly and after confirming that the potion had stabilized, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"Miss Agatha?"

"Yes, Madam Lapis. Is anything the matter?"

The door opened and Agatha entered the room silently.

"E-Erm... I would like to ask if Sir Rhode has any plans for tomorrow?"

"As of now, there are no plans. Would you like to invite His Majesty? If so, do you need me to inform..."

"Ah! No, no!"

Lapis waved her arms in a fluster.

"It's nothing. I just want to know what he is up to tomorrow night... By the way, Agatha, please don't tell Sir Rhode about this."

Agatha looked at Lapis silently and nodded.

"Okay, Madam Lapis."