Chapter 620: A Blue-Skinned Intruder

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Celine instinctively closed her eyes when the darkness surged towards her. At that moment, Link did exactly three things.

He ended the light distortion spell and erected a spiritual defensive barrier that he had recently acquired around Celine. He then cast a magical brand on the Red Dragon Magician known as Piceno.

The magical brand was almost undetectable and difficult to dispel. It ensured that its caster would be able to track down his or her target anywhere in the world.

When he was done, Link rushed to Celine’s side immediately. “How are you feeling?”

Celine shook her head, with one hand held against her forehead. “I’m alright. The darkness disappeared as soon as I closed my eyes. I probably didn’t close them fast enough, as my head’s throbbing now.”

Link looked at Celine’s face. Once he was sure that everything was alright and that she was not trying to put on a brave face, he turned around and strode towards the door. “I’ll go see who this person is!”

“Be careful. I think there’s much more to him than meets the eye!” Celine shouted after Link.

Link nodded. With one hand gripping on the handle of the Ode of a Full Moon sword, he exited the room. Sensing where the magical brand was, he made a dash towards it.

Back in the room, after putting on her clothes, Celine took out her rifle and came out on the veranda. She then propped up her rifle, ready to back Link up in his confrontation.

Seconds later, Link caught sight of the Red Dragon Magician Piceno outside the room. Strangely enough, he seemed to be heading towards the heart of the crack rather than trying to escape into the outside world.

Piceno was fast. He had also chosen to walk on an isolated path. However, it was daytime. Despite his efforts to avoid attention, he still managed to draw it to himself. Everyone was perplexed by the sight of Link and Piceno, the latter seemingly in a hurry to be somewhere.

“Stop him! Stop him this instant!” shouted Link while pointing at Piceno. He still did not have a clue as to who the man was or when he had infiltrated the realm crack, but his presence here troubled Link greatly.

The discovery of his presence had been made by accident. This had caught Piceno by surprise.

Link always hated situations like this, where neither side had come prepared, and there was no telling what would happen at any moment.

It was due to this uncertainty that Link kept some distance between himself and his quarry. He then psychically gave an order to a couple of Magicians nearby. “Keep back, don’t try to stop him. Let him pass through, but don’t let him get too close to the heart of the crack.”

Piceno was running straight towards the center of the crack. Maybe he already had a plan in mind, or maybe there was nowhere else he could run off to. In any case, Link decided to open an escape route for him so that he would not be driven into a corner and be forced to do something he would later regret.

The people up ahead stepped aside for Piceno to pass as soon as they heard Link’s voice, while Magicians and Warriors moved in on him from all directions. A Sunlight Warrior stood 60 feet away from the Red Dragon Magician, with his back facing the realm crack. If Piceno wanted to reach the center of the crack, he would have to deal with the Warrior in front of him first.

The Sunlight Warrior rushed at Piceno and roared, “Stop, in the name of the lord of Ferde!”

Piceno did not stop. Instead, he quickened his pace.

“Take him down!” shouted Link. One would only be put at a disadvantage by showing mercy to someone as dangerous as Piceno.

At that moment, everyone realized that Piceno was trouble. Hearing Link’s order, the Sunlight Warrior roared again, “Die!”

Boom! He slammed one foot into the ground and launched himself forward by activating Charge. His entire body emanated a dazzling golden light as he flew through the air like a golden arrow towards Piceno.

The ones Link had brought with him into the crack were all Elites. The Sunlight Warrior was in the early stages of Level-9. He would probably be able to charge into the wall of a small city in Norton Kingdom and leave a huge hole on it if he felt like it.

What happened next stunned everyone. The Warrior staggered all of a sudden in his trajectory, missing Piceno by inches.

What was even stranger was the fact that the Warrior showed no sign of stopping. He shouted, “You’re mine!”

He was now roaring and swinging his fists at empty air.

“He’s under an illusion spell!” shouted one of the Magicians.

Other Warriors came at Piceno. However, all of them grazed past him as well and was now thrashing against the air, completely ignoring Piceno.

“Magicians, take aim! All Warriors back away now!” Link pulled out his Ode of a Full Moon sword. He then began channeling Mana into it, ready to launch his attack.

The other Magicians followed his suit.

Piceno was now 500 feet away from the crack. As the heart of the crack was also the core of the magic seal keeping the realm crack closed, there would most certainly be trouble if he were to come any closer to it.

At that moment, Piceno cocked his head back and let out a roar.

The roar was deafening. It spread out in all directions like a tidal wave. The Magicians closest to him took a few steps when the sound hit them. Though they were able to activate their defensive amulets in time, all of them clutched at their chests, panting slightly, as if they had been hit by something heavy in the chest and were now sustaining severe internal injuries as a result.

A moment later, Link realized that there was something off about the sonic attack.

This was no mere roar. It seemed to bring with it a powerful spiritual impact. When the roar hit him, Link could feel a violent pain surge through him from his chest, as if he had been struck by a sledgehammer.

At first, Link also took an instinctive step back. However, he realized what the roar really was. It’s a soul spell!

Fortunately, he had first-hand experience with the soul spell of the guardian who had protected the Book of Creation’s fragment in the far north. Thanks to this, he was able to easily come to this conclusion.

Though Piceno’s soul spell was impressive, it was still a few levels below the guardian’s. Link was able to sense where the spell’s flaw was without even feeling the need to compose himself.

Once the flaw was discovered, the soul spell was immediately rendered ineffective, and Link was able to use his magic once more.

Realizing what had happened, Piceno turned around and glanced at Link.

With just a glance, Link realized that the person in front of him was not a Red Dragon Magician by the name of Piceno. Even the illusion spell he had cast on himself had been dispelled along with his soul spell.

Link was able to see that the man’s skin was blue. His pupil-less eyes glowed white. His nose was sharp, and he had a wide forehead, on which mysterious runes swirled.

Though his eyes were devoid of pupils, making it almost impossible to tell what he was feeling through his eyes, Link was able to tell from his face that surprise was what Piceno was feeling at the moment.

Nana had reached the scene just then.

Piceno glared at her as if trying to cast the same spell on her, but Nana’s spiritual constitution was different from that of any other human being. As a result, the spell did not have any effect on her.

Link’s spell had already taken form in his sword. However, he did not release it at the intruder. For some reason, he felt that the situation was not as bad as he had initially thought.

This might all have been one big misunderstanding.

Letting his spell fizzle out, Link shouted to Nana, “Subdue him!”

When she heard Link’s order, Nana, who was about to draw her sword out of her scabbard, strode towards the blue-skinned man and swung her scabbard at him, with her sword still in it.

Thud! The intruder apparently had no experience in the martial arts, as he could not even react to Nana’s attack in time and took the full brunt of her scabbard.

Nana’s power was originally at the pinnacle of Level-13. After receiving Link’s miracle concoction, her power has risen up to Level-14. She now had near perfect mastery of the martial arts and flawless control of her own power. At that moment, her attack was strong enough to send the blue-skinned man flying until he landed a good ten feet in front of Link.

With a dull thud, the blue-skinned man crashed to the ground. Nana caught up to him. She placed a foot on his chest and pressed him down to the ground in order to prevent him from escaping.

Suddenly the unexpected happened. The man struggled for a while, but could not free himself from under Nana’s foot. In the end, he raised both his hands up and shouted, “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! I mean you no harm, no harm at all! This is all a misunderstanding!”

Chapter 621: Visitor from the Void

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“I really don’t mean harm! Really!” The blue-skinned person lay on the ground without. He stared up at Link and batted his lashes. The white light flashed on and off in his eyes, and his lips quivered. He looked really pitiful.

He knew that his life was in the hands of this young black-haired man. He could die with a single world.

By now, the nearby Magicians and Warriors had come over. Everyone stared at the captive with caution, pointing their swords or wands at him. If he had made a single move, countless spells and battle techniques would fall upon him, pulverizing him.

Link raised his hand, gesturing for everyone to relax. He walked up and studied the person. Getting closer, Link saw that there were many magic veins on his blue skin that melded perfectly with the color. They didn’t look man-made; rather, he seemed to be have been born with them.

Link hadn’t ever seen this race in the game. “Your race doesn’t exist in Firuman,” he said. “Where are you from?”

The blue-skinned man moved his mouth towards the crack. “I’m from the Sea of Void.”

Hearing this, everyone was shocked. Their fear towards the man thickened too. Past experience told them that Void creatures were all dangerous creatures that had ominous desires about Firuman.

For example, the God of Destruction, the Void Tyrant, and the Abyss demons were all frightening things that didn’t care about people’s lives. This guy was from the Void too. He probably wasn’t anything good either.

Link didn’t think like this though. The Sea of Void was huge and filled with all sorts of things. Each organism had their own wishes. There were cruel things like the God of Destruction, but there were also trustworthy people like Aisenis.

There were no unfriendly expressions on Link’s face. “What’s your name?” he continued asking. “When did you arrive? How did you break through the defense barrier?”

The blue-skinned man quickly replied, “I am Piasce Ariado. I came to Firuman a year ago. The defense barrier hadn’t been completed yet, so I just snuck in…I don’t mean any harm. I just came here for survival!”

“Survival?” Link studied the other. He had two arms and two legs and breathed to live. Other than some details, he wasn’t that different from the races of Firuman. He indeed couldn’t survive in the Sea of Void with this body.

It was believable.

Now, a Red Dragon Elder walked up. “Where is Piceno? Killed by you? If you’re here for survival, why do you stay somewhere so dangerous? Why don’t you go somewhere safer?”

Link also stared at the blue-skinned man, waiting for him to explain these points.

Piasce chuckled bitterly. “You’re all wrong. I’m Piceno. There is no Red Dragon Magician called Piceno in the world. None of you found it strange when Piceno arrived because I used some Soul spells.”

“You’re lying! I remember clearly that Piceno grew up with me. I remember the pranks we pulled together!” a young dragon cried.

“Yeah, you’re speaking nonsense!” A middle-aged dragon walked out from the crowd. “Three years ago, I accepted Piceno as my student. I taught him for three years. I remember everything that happened in those three years. You said that you came one year ago. That doesn’t make any sense!”

The other Magicians who’d had interacted with Piceno all spoke up to prove that Piasce was lying!

Link looked at Piasce, wondering how he would explain.

Piasce sighed and looked at Link. “Ferde lord, I heard that your eyes could see through all lies. Do you believe my words?”

Link was expressionless, and no one could figure out his thoughts. After Piasce asked, he said, “Any magic theory needs evidence to support it. If there isn’t enough proof, I won’t make any judgment. Since you said you’re not lying, prove it.”

Piasce glanced at the foot on his chest and then at Nana. “Miss, can you step more lightly?” he begged. “I can’t breathe.”

Nana glanced at him in disdain and decided to remove her foot. However, her hand was still on her sword’s hilt. She hadn’t unsheathed her sword, but if Piasce did anything abnormal, she would halve him immediately.

Piasce coughed lightly and patted the dust off his clothes. He sat up and first looked to the young Magician from before. “The prank you did with Piasce, was it putting a snake into the washbasin of your prettiest aunt, resulting in her running out without clothes on?”

“You…how do you know?” The Magician’s face reddened.

Piasce shrugged. “Because I put it in your mind secretly when you were sleeping. Oh, your memory… Piceno caught the snake. It was a black snake, poisonous, but you two got rid of the fangs, right?”

The young dragon was instantly in a mess because everything Piasce had said was right. But the memory was so fresh as if it had happened yesterday. How could it be fake?

Then Piasce looked to Piceno’s tutor. “I’m sorry, Elder. I used a similar tactic on you. In order to not be suspected, a tutor’s recognition is very important. Thus, I added very detailed memories into your mind. This took me a lot of effort. The result didn’t disappoint me. You still think I’m your student.”

Seeing the suspicion on the dragon’s face, Piasce continued, “You think I’m lying now, but let me ask you. One day last year, you slept for two days straight, right? After you woke up, even you found it strange. You saw Piceno as soon as you opened your eyes, right?”

The middle-aged Magician was shocked. Clearly, Piasce was right again.

Piasce looked to all the dragons that had spoken and filled in the details. He was always correct.

Finally, the dragons couldn’t say anything else. Now, they weren’t suspecting that Piasce was lying. Instead, they feared his Soul magic.

Without realizing, he made everyone think that there was an extra Magician in the world. No one had suspected it. This was terrifying. If the Ferde lord hadn’t revealed him, he might hide within the dragons for his entire life. If he had any evil intentions, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Seeing the dragons’ expressions, Piasce smiled wryly and looked to Link. “See, Piceno is an imaginary figure. I haven’t done anything against the barrier this entire year.”

“If you’re here for survival, why do you stay near the dangerous crack?” Link asked.

“I’m very curious about the magic here. More accurately, I’m curious about any foreign magic. Clearly, this barrier represents the best magic in this realm, so I stayed. I wanted to wait until the crack was mended and then quietly sneak away, but…”

Here, Piasce shrugged. He looked helplessly at Link. He hadn’t thought he would be exposed; this was a pure accident.

Link still didn’t rush to a decision. He looked at Piasce sitting on the ground and thought back to what he did after being exposed. Suddenly, he asked, “Why did you run towards the crack after being exposed?”

“I was responsible for creating the core,” Piasce explained. “I left a one-time spatial door in a certain location. It leads directly to my Void Ferry. I was going to hide into it for a while. I think that’s my only chance for escape, right?”

Indeed, with the power he’d displayed, escaping into the crack was his only chance at escape. But now, it was easy. If they could find the Void Ferry in question, it would prove if he was telling the truth.

Link nodded. “Take me to your Void Ferry.”

Piasce shook his head quickly. “I’m afraid I can’t. I hung it on the outer surface of Firuman. A bit further and it’s the Sea of Void. It’s very dangerous.”

“Give me the spatial coordinates,” Link said. There would be no problems with the coordinates.

“Alright, it’s yours…” Piasce took out a portal runestone for Link. It contained the specific coordinates.

Link studied it. This thing recorded things a bit differently from Firuman’s method. However, it wasn’t that complex. Link figured out the specific location of the Void Ferry.

This wasn’t all. A Magician who randomly received spatial coordinates and went to check without any preparation would die very easily.

Link put away the runestone and glanced at Piasce. “You said that you put a secret door in the center of the crack. Take me there and point it out. If the door’s location is different from the spatial coordinates, I’ll have to apologize.”

Piasce gulped. He was very clear what “apologize” meant. Composing himself, he said, “Lord, I’m really not lying. The spatial coordinates are real.”

Link waved his hand and urged, “Lead the way. I’ll see for myself.” At the same time, he said to Nana, “Watch him. If he tries to escape, kill him!”

Piasce had no choice other than to lead the way with a pained expression. As he walked, he said, “Lord, I must say something beforehand.”

“What?”

“Please don’t activate the Void Ferry after you see it. It might attract my enemies, which are dangerous.”

Chapter 622: A Completely New Magical System!

There was indeed a secret portal in the healing magic seal of the crack, tucked away from prying eyes in a corner.

After looking at the spatial portal for ten minutes, Link finally figured out Piasce’s trick behind it.

The principles underlying the magic portal seemed to differ from those of Firuman. It was operating under a magical system Link had never seen before. However, upon closer inspection, Link was able to appreciate its ingenuity.

It was then that Link was struck by inspiration. By bringing this new magical system into Firuman, Piasce had opened up new pathways for Link to arrive at solutions for previously unsolvable magical problems.

“Incredible!” exclaimed Link.

He looked at it again and realized that the portal’s coordinates were the same as those given to him by Piasce.

“Looks like you were telling the truth,” said Link, glancing at Piasce.

The blue-skinned man rubbed his hands, an awkward smile on his face. “I would never dare lie to you, not when my life’s at stake here.”

Link nodded. He then turned to all the Magicians on the scene and said, “Alright, we’re done here for today. It would seem that Piasce really doesn’t mean us any harm. This was all just a huge misunderstanding. Please continue working on the magic seal when you return to your posts. We still have three days to complete it!”

Everyone nodded. They all turned around and resumed their work on the healing magic seal.

“Nana, please stay. I want you to keep an eye on Piasce,” Link shouted after Nana when he saw that she was about to leave with the rest of the crowd. He still could not completely trust Piasce. Also, Nana was the only one in the barrier other than himself who was completely immune to the blue-skinned man’s soul magic.

Nana nodded and did as she was told.

At that point, Link had fully understood how the spatial portal functioned. Before teleporting himself over to the other side of the portal, he psychically said to Celine, “Celine, hold the fort, would you?”

“Alright. What will you be doing?” replied Celine almost immediately.

“I’ll take a look at our guest’s Void Ferry, but I don’t really trust him enough to bring him along. You and Nana keep an eye on him. If he tries anything funny with the Void Ferry or does anything out of the ordinary here, you have my permission to shoot him down.”

“No worries, I’ve got him in my sights,” said Celine with a chuckle.

With all the necessary precautions in place, Link was finally at ease and ready to leave the place. He then turned to Piasce and said, “I can tell that you harbor no ill will towards us. Your magic is indeed potent, and truth be told, I’ve never seen anything like it. I would not want to hurt you over some misunderstanding. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Piasce immediately replied, “I won’t try anything when you’re on the other side. You have my word. I only ask that you do not under any circumstances activate the Void Ferry. I’m a hunted man. My pursuers are powerful as they are numerous…”

“I understand,” said Link nodding. There was a white light around him. Seconds later, he was gone from the Firuman realm.

According to the coordinates, Piasce’s Void Ferry was anchored at the outermost and incidentally deepest layer of the Firuman realm.

At first, all Link could see around him in his descent were warped images from the surface of the Firuman realm. Everything looked surreal. However, as he sank deeper, his surroundings darkened until the rest of his body vanished beneath him. Not a sound could be heard.

The only sound he could hear was the thumping of his heart. As the place was devoid of air, Link had to draw on his Realm Essence Power to keep himself alive.

The entire experience gave him the impression of journeying through a dark tunnel with no end in sight. The distorted images of the Firuman surface had also vanished behind him. As there was nothing around him that he could use as a reference point, Link could not even tell if he was moving at all in the sea of darkness.

Any ordinary human being would have been driven mad by the overwhelming silence and darkness. Link could also feel the suffocating pressure around him. However, as this was not his first plunge into the depths of space, he was still able to endure it.

An hour later, Link saw a gentle blue glow in front of him. It was different from the Sea of Void’s deathly white sheen. Also, the blue glow seemed to be concentrated at one point. From afar, it looked like a lone blue star in a dark night sky.

Must be Piasce’s Void Ferry. Link drew closer towards the blue point of light. This took about ten minutes.

As he got closer, the scene before him became clearer. The point of blue light was gradually shaping into a streamlined object. It was around 15 feet long, tapering to a pointed tip on one end and a rounded tip on the other. It was shaped almost like a teardrop. Its surface was filled with countless magical runes which resembled the runic circuits that were etched on Piasce’s skin. These runes were also the source of the blue light that Link saw.

The object matched the description that Piasce had given Link. When he was a few feet away from the teardrop, a voice suddenly sounded in his head. Intruder, this is as far as you can go. Please don’t come any closer. Otherwise, immediate action will be taken against you!

This was the Void Ferry’s defense system that Piasce was talking about. Any living being entering its vicinity would receive a psychic warning from it. If the intruder continued moving towards the vessel, it would unleash a Level-10 energy beam on him or her in retaliation.

After casting a Level-13 magical shield on himself, he continued drifting towards the Ferry.

A blue energy beam streaked out from the Void Ferry and struck Link’s shield. Tiny ripples spread out across its surface upon impact before subsiding completely.

Link continued moving forward. Though the Ferry’s attacks did not let up, its level was just too low, and it posed no real threat to Link.

When he reached the Void Ferry, Link began observing its external structure while withstanding its barrage. After ten minutes, Link finally had an inkling of how it worked.

Like the secret portal from before, the Ferry’s structure seemed to have been conceived in accordance with the new magical system that Piasce had brought with him. The Ferry was also much more advanced in its application of the magical system in question.

As soon as he figured this out, Link began his observation of the vessel in order to gain an even more profound understanding of it.

After studying it for half an hour, Link realized that though the runic circuits on the Ferry looked foreign, they seemed to adhere to the same basic principles that governed Firuman. So far, there was nothing in them that surpassed his comprehension.

Link was already a grandmaster in the world of magic. With his current mastery of the mystic arts, he was able to understand most of the runes inscribed on the Void Ferry with ease.

Link was soon lost in his observations. After god knew how long, he finally had a complete grasp of the Void Ferry’s design.

He then took out his Ode of a Full Moon sword and gently ran it along one of the runic circuits on the Ferry. All of a sudden, the Ferry’s attacks stopped. Then, a voice sounded in Link’s head again. Warning! Warning! External breach detected. Commence self-destruct protocol. Beginning countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7…

The whole vessel had turned red. It was now flashing dangerously.

Without a hint of panic, Link continued tracing the magical circuits with the tip of his sword. Finally, he plunged into a triangular rune on the rounded end of the Ferry and began infusing his Realm Essence Power into it.

Two seconds later, the red light stopped flashing. Then, Link heard a soft click. He then saw a hole opening up on the surface of the vessel’s rounded end.

Link entered the vessel through the hole. Once inside, he discovered that its interior was also filled with countless magical runes. However, due to his meddling, some of the runes had been damaged.

The inside of the Ferry was cramped. There were no seats. However, there was a bed-like platform strung to the ceiling with a couple of wires. On it were runes that seemed to control the vessel’s various functions.

Link was able to understand most of these runes. However, there were a few he could not make any sense of. Since the vessel had broken down, he now had no way of experimenting on them.

Piasce said not to activate the Ferry. I guess he won’t mind me breaking it. On the other hand, some of its parts could still be of some use!

Link began looking around the place and soon was able to scrounge up at least ten types of rare magical materials, as well as a few other he had never seen before. There were also a few Astral Meteorites lying around.

Link estimated that the value of these materials could easily surpass Ferde’s wealth.

I’ve definitely hit the motherlode. Leaving all these here would be such a waste. Exiting the vessel, Link began making his way towards the inner region of the Firuman realm while dragging his loot behind him with the Magician’s Hand.

Floating back up from the deepest recesses of space was much faster than going down. Half an hour later, there was a hum, and Link reappeared in the realm crack barrier. The Void Ferry he had dragged behind him fell on the ground with a clatter.

Piasce was frozen in horror when he saw the state of his Void Ferry. “My lord, why did you break it? It took me 13 years to build it!”

“Well, you can fix it back up, can’t you?” said Link, not at all sorry for what he had done.

He was now looking at Piasce greedily the same way one would look at a recently unearthed treasure.

Despite the man’s sketchy background, his current power would benefit Link greatly, especially his soul magic mastery. Though he was not as strong as the Soul Dominator, Piasce was undoubtedly far more powerful than Link or Celine in this respect.

With his help, Link and Celine would be able to proceed with their training in soul magic without a hitch.

This person is the real prize! Link’s eyes lit up at the blue-skinned man.

Piasce felt a shiver down his spine under Link’s gaze. He then said, “My lord, why are you looking at me like that?”

Link laughed out loud and beckoned at Nana. “Bring him back to my house.”

He then said to Piasce, “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just curious about you. Extremely curious.”

Chapter 623: Deceiver

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Bringing Piasce back to his residence, Celine walked up as soon as he opened the door. Along the way, Link had already used Telepathy to explain everything, so she’d put away her big fire gun and changed into an indoors dress. She even placed some fruits and drinks for guests on the round table in the living room.

“Welcome, Mr. Piasce,” she said, inviting him in with a smile.

Piasce knew Celine’s identity and knew she wasn’t as simple as she looked. The strong sense of danger earlier was probably because of him.

Smiling tightly, Piasce followed Link into the living room.

Link’s home was a vast house. Red Dragon Magicians had designed this duke residency just for him. The living room was open and bright with a vintage circular table in the center.

Link sat down and gestured. “Sit.”

After Piasce sat down, Nana casually sat beside him. She looked relaxed, but her hand rested lightly on her sword’s hilt. Celine sat to Link’s sad, gazing at the blue-skinned creature curiously.

Link didn’t waste time. He reached out, and a glass of steaming mango juice slid soundlessly towards Piasce. “Let’s talk about your background.”

Piasce accepted the drink and took a sip. Then, he composed himself and started thinking back.

Half a minute later, he said, “I come from the Omir Realm. It actually isn’t that far from Firuman. There are only some barren realms in between. Because of certain reasons, my race saw me as a traitor and wanted to execute me. At the last moment, one of my students infiltrated the prison and freed me. I got into my secretly created Void Ferry and escaped from Omir. Right before I escaped, I saw my student get captured with my own eyes. I can still hear his cries of despair…Oh…”

Sighing, Piasce gulped down the juice like it was alcohol. He emptied the cup and Link gave him another one.

Piasce continued. “Fleeing from Omir, I was like a homeless stray dog. I hid and ran through the boundless Void. My people never gave up and still pursued me. I was forced to wander about. Time doesn’t flow in the boundless Void, so I don’t know how long has passed until I accidentally came to Firuman one year ago.”

Here, he looked at Link and chuckled bitterly. “I just wanted to stay a bit to recharge my Void Ferry before continuing, but I was attracted by this world. It’s too similar to Omir. The first time I saw this place, I thought I’d returned home. The mountains, trees, grass, and water are all so strangely familiar, so I stayed. I’d planned to stay a few years before leaving.”

He drank some more mango juice. This time, he tasted it carefully. After another sip, he smiled at Link. “There’s a drink similar to this from my home. It’s called O’ Flower Wine. I used to hate wine like this. I would only sip it at formal social events, but now… Hehe, I find it delicious.”

After another sip, he said to Link, “Lord, my story isn’t that interesting. I just hid and ran like a mouse. Ask whatever questions you have. I’ll do my best to reply.”

Piasce’s story was simple. He was just an escaped criminal running from his pursuers. But things weren’t that simple.

Link knocked on the table. “How many realms did you experience?”

“Not that many, only three. They were all barren realms. One was marginally habitable, so I stayed there for about half a year before leaving.”

“You said that your people keep pursuing you, so you’re forced to wander,” Link continued. “But you’ve been running for quite some time and distance. Isn’t the cost too high to keep chasing you in the Sea of Void?”

The cost of chasing someone would never be more than the rewards after killing him. If the people of Omir kept chasing, it meant that Piasce’s identity was complex. In the Omir Realm, he must be in the upper tier.

Hearing this question, Piasce fell silent. His hands clutched the crystal glass anxiously. After a long while, he said, “Omir has very advanced inter-realm transportation technology. When I left, it was only a bit behind my Void Ferry. These years, I’ve been improving my Void Ferry, but Omir is developing quickly too. Their accomplishments shouldn’t be any less than mine… Of course, the cost of traveling is still great, and they must pay a lot. They’re chasing so relentlessly is because…because… Lord, I think I must explain Omir’s situation to answer this question.”

“Go on.” Link was listening attentively.

Piasce’s eyes filled with reminiscence. “My home used to be peaceful. Everyone lived happily; the land was fertile, and everything was plentiful. The world was filled with clean Mana, like Firuman. But unlike Firuman, we didn’t develop large-scale destruction spells. We mostly cared about the cultivation of the soul. Those with attainments in Soul magic are known as Soul Roamers.”

“Soul Roamers? That sounds interesting.”

Piasce nodded. “Amongst the Soul Roamers, there are also those with extremely great achievements who are respected and revered. They can become Soul Tutors. When I was in Omir, there were three Soul Tutors. I was one of them.”

“Oh.” It dawned on Link. “In other words, you were one of Omir’s three leaders.”

“Not leader…or you can just say that. If I did anything, many people would follow me.” Piasce nodded.

On the side, Celine couldn’t contain her curiosity. “I want to know what exactly you did that made people think you’re a traitor and keep chasing you.”

“I…” Piasce had a pained expression. He clenched his fists, relaxed, and then tightened again. Clearly, Celine’s words had hit his sore spot.

“If you find it hard to say, you can write it down,” Link said. “I know this question is too probing, but we must understand everything because you have people after you. You said before that they’re very dangerous. If you’re exposed, you won’t be the only one affected. Firuman won’t be well off either.”

Piasce sighed. “You’re right, Lord. I indeed may bring catastrophe to Firuman. My race is no longer peaceful like before. They’ve become puppets of darkness, and this is all my fault!”

By now, Piasce had finished his second drink. As if he was drinking his troubles away, he seemed to have thought things through now. “During soul cultivation, the most important thing is meditation. As a Soul Tutor, I meditated instead of sleeping at night. In meditation, our souls become free. Our Eye of the Soul opens too, allowing us to travel freely within the Sea of Void. Oh, we’re free, but it’s still very dangerous. The Sea of Void is boundless. If you go too far, your soul may become lost. The law prohibits probing too deeply into the Sea of Void, while that is what I did. During my travel, I found a very powerful existence called Nozama…”

“Nozama?” Link froze. Celine was also surprised. She hadn’t expected to hear her father’s name from this realm traveler.

Piasce smiled bitterly. “Yes, Nozama, Lord of the Deep. I didn’t know his identity back then. The things seen by the Eye of the Soul are very limited. In my meditation, I saw that Nozama was an elegant gentleman. His voice was mellow and full. His words were logical and organized. Many of his opinions matched mine. Thus, we became friends.”

Here, the magic veins on his blue face scrunched together. He clenched his jaw, and the crystal glass trembled in his hands.

“I…” He opened his mouth to speak again, but his voice caught. He coughed lightly and composed himself before continuing. “I didn’t think that my actions would bring catastrophe to my race. He lied to me, and I personally brought him into my world, starting the disaster… When I escaped, more than half of Omir was under Nozama’s control.”

Hearing this, Link and Celine exchanged glances. “My fa…” Celine murmured. “That demon is that good at disguises?”

Link thought back to the first time he saw Nozama in the game. It had been at the plains outside the Demon Fort. The alliance had been forced into the final battle with the Dark Army when Nozama appeared.

No one had expected him to look like that. He had black hair, a black robe, and a handsome face that even looked a bit warm. His voice was gentle and mellow. If he hadn’t been standing with the Dark Army and commanding the demons, no one would have thought that he was such a terrifying figure.

Later, Link realized that it was Nozama’s disguise. He didn’t reveal his true image until they’d started fighting.

All in all, if Nozama tried to fool someone, it was extremely easy. There was nothing strange about Piasce being tricked by him.

Here, Link looked to Piasce. “What are your future plans?”

Chapter 624: The Mysterious Gear in the Void (2/3)

“I don’t know. I’ll probably leave Firuman once I’ve repaired the Void Ferry.” Piasce shrugged and then sighed.

In truth, he did not know what he was supposed to do at this point. He was no longer the Soul Tutor he once was. He was simply a stray cast out by his own kin. The only thing on his mind now was survival.

Link gently tapped on the table as he sank into deep thought. Suddenly, something occurred to him. “Do your people know you were the reason behind the demons’ invasion of Omir?”

“Everyone knew. That’s why they all hated me. That’s why they are all so intent on killing me.” Piasce closed his eyes, visibly tormented by the events in Omir.

The way everyone looked at him with such visceral hatred still haunted his every waking moment. His students numbered in the tens of thousands, but after the incident, everyone avoided him like the plague.

Even the student who had freed him from his prison had looked at him with disgust. The only reason he had come to set Piasce free was that he did not wish to see his former teacher die in a prison. However, like everyone else, his liberator did not think he should remain in Omir any longer.

“Traitor!”

“Murderer!”

“Butcher!”

“Blind old fool!”

These were but a few of the names that his people had called him.

“So do you think that the Omir realm has any chance of resisting the Abyssal Demons?” asked Link.

Piasce shook his head. “Though I had hope, reality has always been a cruel thing. My people are not well-versed in the art of combat. As a result, they may have succumbed to the demons easily. A few probably survived, but the Omir realm is probably done for at this point.”

“I don’t understand. If they can’t even protect themselves, and there is a high chance they have already been overrun by the demons, why are they still coming after you?”

Link sensed that there was still something missing in Piasce’s account.

Piasce chuckled bitterly. “This isn’t too difficult to understand. When the Omir realm was occupied, my people were probably either killed or corrupted by the darkness into mere vessels for the demons. In any event, they still harbor a burning hatred towards me. There were three Soul Tutors back in Omir. When I left, one of them was already corrupted by the darkness. He had slaughtered his own people, and still, he hated me. He would probably torture me until the day I die if he ever found me.

“No, no, no.” Link shook his head. “You were hated by everyone, I get that. But you’ve left the Omir realm far behind. Your people would not have gained anything by coming after you all the way here. Mere hatred could not have driven such a pursuit for so long. There must be another reason why they are still chasing you!”

Link’s eyes were now fixed intently on Piasce. He extended a hand towards him. “You must be carrying something that they wanted or feared. What is it? Show me what you’re trying to hide from them, and from me.”

Celine was also curiously looking at Piasce, wondering how he would react to this.

Nana remained motionless. Before, she simply had a hand placed over the pommel of her sword. Now, she was gripping on its handle, ready to pull it out should Piasce try anything funny.

Piasce was stunned for a moment. He did not move a muscle as he sat there on his chair. After a while, he sighed. “My lord, I have no intention of keeping this from you. It’s just… it’s just that I don’t think your current power level would be able to withstand the heft of my secret. It may bring you more harm than good if I reveal it to you.”

“Oh? Don’t you think you’re a bit too quick to judge my abilities?”

Link sat up straight and listened intently to what Piasce had to say now. He sensed that there was something more to his situation and that whatever secret Piasce was withholding from Link would be able to fill the holes in his story.

Piasce still seemed unsure about revealing his secret.

Celine then said, “Mr. Piasce, you may be our guest, but one could also argue that you’re now a prisoner within these walls. I don’t think you have a choice in this.”

Nana sharply drew out an inch of her sword. A clear clang sounded from within its scabbard, making its owner’s intent clear to Piasce.

A tired smile surfaced on Piasce’s face. He looked at Link. “My lord, is this how you treat all your guests?”

Link nodded. “Speak then.”

“Alright then.” Piasce took out a notebook with a blue cover. Magical runes were etched on its cover. There were also dazzling gemstones embedded on it. Judging by its resplendent appearance, it seemed to be a magic book of some sort.

“This is my training notebook.” Piasce handed the notebook over to Link. “As I mentioned just now, Soul Roamers are able to forgo sleep by meditating. Through meditation, a person’s soul will be allowed to roam free in the infinite expanse of the Void. Before meeting Nozama, I stumbled across something of considerable value in the Void. I’ve taken a note of it on page 189.”

Link took the notebook and turned to page 189. On it was inscribed the diagram of a type of gear. The gear had eight teeth in total around it. Light of various colors radiated from it. Magical runes were etched across the middle of the gear, forming a pattern which resembled an eye. Though it looked alien, for some reason, it seemed familiar to Link.

This was strange.

Link could not figure out what was familiar about the object in question. He then saw that there was something written below the diagram.

“It was enveloped in blinding light when I first came upon it. It was huge. At that moment, I was like a speck of dust in front of a huge ball of fire. It floated there in the emptiness of the Void, continuously spinning at a constant speed. I then approached it. As I drew closer, there was a sudden rhythmic rumbling sound in my ears. It was then that a weird sensation came upon me. For some reason, I sensed that the gear was the core of the Void keeping everything in it in balance. When I got closer towards it, it seemed to have spotted me, as the magical eye in the center of the gear swiveled towards me. The eye gazed at me apathetically, as if I was nothing more than an ant before it. Then, darkness swallowed me up, and I was forced back into my body.”

The whole account was bizarre. Beyond the appearance of the floating gear, Link was unable to glean anything concrete from it.

Link then found a set of coordinates as he continued reading down the page.

“Where do these coordinates point to?” asked Link while pointing them out to Piasce.

“Ah, that,” said Piasce. “After my first encounter, I went back to where the gear was a few more times. It would always float there each time. I would always keep my distance from it in order to avoid being cast out by it like before. It would simply rotate in place at a regular speed. I even managed to calculate how fast it was going. It would make one complete rotation in every 2.06721 seconds, never going too fast or too slow.”

The object’s precision that Piasce had described was uncanny. It seemed to be a part of a really huge machine, where such precision would be vital to its function.

Thinking about this for a while, Link asked, “Did you tell Nozama about this?”

Piasce smiled bitterly. “I did tell him a bit about this. At the time, I thought he was a friend, so I shared with him the diagram I had drawn of the gear. He was fascinated by it. He then asked for the coordinates of this mysterious gear from me. For some reason, I didn’t tell him where it was. He tried asking me a few times later on, and that’s when I grew suspicious of him. I think that this may be the reason why Nozama’s hunting me down.”

Hearing this, Link grew even more curious about the gear. He looked at it closely, and the inexplicable sense of deja vu in him intensified.

He felt as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Celine was staring at it as well. She then said, “Odd, why do I get the feeling that I’ve seen it somewhere before?”

“You too?” Surprised by this, Link then turned to Nana. “Nana, what about you? Have you seen something like this before?”

Nana had existed in the realm of Firuman for 800 years and another 100 years in the realm of Aragu. Naturally, she saw and heard more than any one of them in her travels.

When Nana looked at the gear’s diagram, she paused, as if trying to recall something. A few seconds later, she nodded. “Yes, I’ve seen it before. It was on the emblem of the Aragu Empire.”

“Aragu? And on the empire’s emblem?” Link could not understand what this all meant.

Like himself, Celine seemed to be familiar with the gear, which meant that it had probably existed in Firuman once. However, Nana had seen something like it too in the Aragu realm. And now, through Piasce’s notes, they discovered that it had appeared in the middle of the Sea of Void. What exactly was it?