Chapter 117: The Wizard World and the Calym Continent

Chapter 117: The Wizard World and the Calym Continent



"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Deep within the Black Swamp, a dense and viscous miasma shook violently amidst the resounding booms.

At the center, a towering tree swayed wildly, its leaves resembling hungry mouths devouring the surrounding miasma.

As the miasma dissipated, the once lush green tree turned dark and withered.

A Second Circle Wizard—Life Sacrifice! Addison, the gray-robed wizard holding the 'Stargate,' had a solemn expression, and within his Spirit Sea, a wizard's power was activated.

In the next instant, his body quietly disintegrated, and the towering tree behind him, now well-fed, began to wither at a visible rate.

All the energy transformed into a pure life force, flowing into the broken wizard tool.

The Second Circle Wizard's life force powered the 'Stargate' into operation.

Addison's soul controlled it, opening the gateway to the Wizard World.

This meant that the Gray-Robe Wizard Addison, the only Second Circle Wizard in the Kingdom of Gando, had sacrificed himself.

Perhaps his soul remained within the Stargate, but it would never be able to escape, only fading away with time.

"Mentor!" Marianne stumbled, tears welling up as she watched the person who had accompanied her for decades disappear before her eyes.

The grief was indescribable.

But only for a moment, as if remembering something, a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, and her sorrow instantly diminished.

The others also had mixed expressions, most of them unfamiliar with Addison, yet they couldn't help but admire his greatness.

He had sacrificed himself to open the way to the Wizard World for others.

To be honest, they didn't think it was a wise choice, attributing it to his noble spirit.

"Buzz..."

Suddenly, a blinding light appeared before them.

The dazzling light flashed and vanished, followed by a soft glow that emerged from the center of the Stargate and gradually expanded into a massive sphere, three meters in diameter, hovering silently in mid-air, adorned with countless interconnected runes.

"Stargate?" someone whispered.

"Is this the Stargate?"

Contrary to their imagination, the opened Stargate wasn't shaped like a door but was a sphere.

"Indeed," someone nodded.

"The so-called Stargate is a twisted space-time passage, inherently a three-dimensional form."

"Hmm?"

"What's that?"

A black dot appeared in the center of the Stargate, moving intelligently within.

Then, a halo emerged from the Stargate and descended into the center of the group.

Several Archwizards retreated, casting defensive spells and cautiously observing the halo, their offensive spells half-activated.

An invisible killing intent enveloped the halo, ready to unleash a barrage of attacks at the slightest sign of threat.

"Relax," the halo quivered, gradually solidifying into an elderly white-haired man in an odd wizard's robe.

He looked at the group with a friendly demeanor.

"I am a Third Circle Wizard, Mony, from White Fang Castle, responsible for monitoring spatial transmission fluctuations on the Calym Continent."

"Just as you opened the Stargate..."

He turned to glance at the Stargate behind him, a puzzled look in his eyes.

"It's an ancient technology, and this Stargate seems familiar, but I can't quite place it."

A Third Circle Wizard?

White Fang Castle?

The Calym Continent?

The wizards exchanged glances, cautious yet curious about the sudden appearance.

They chose not to act hastily.

"A Third Circle Wizard?" Marianne asked, furrowing her brows.

"Can this Stargate only transmit in one direction?"

"Yes," Mony nodded.

"What you see now is my Astral Projection, so there's no need to worry. I pose no threat to you."

Astral Projection?

A Third Circle Spell!

Was this person truly a Third Circle Wizard?

The Archwizards in the group had mixed expressions, some astonished, some delighted, and others eager.

"I remember now!" Mony lightly tapped his forehead.

"This Stargate is identical to the one in the Magic Forest, likely remnants from the past."

"Um... Senior," Marianne cautiously inquired, "Are you from the Wizard World?"

"You call the Calym Continent the Wizard World?" Mony looked up, gazing at the sky.

"That's not a bad name, considering the Eastern Kingdom Continent is constantly bathed in the light of the deities, which isn't conducive to wizardry."

"Is the deity here still the Heavenly Father?"

Heavenly Father?

The group exchanged puzzled looks.

"Senior," an elderly wizard spoke up, "Centuries ago, the Fee Empire was engulfed in civil strife, and the authority of the Heavenly Father was divided among the gods. Now, we're in an era of warring deities, with the Flame Lord seeking to conquer nations and reclaim his authority."

"Our deity here is the Morning Sun Lord."

"The Morning Sun Lord?" Mony stroked his beard.

"The authority of life and harvest, but it doesn't matter. I doubt you wish to stay here anyway."

"So..."

He opened his mouth with curiosity.

"Who are these twenty people?"

"Senior," Marianne frowned, "What twenty people?"

"This Stargate can only transmit twenty people at a time," Mony pointed at the Stargate.

"Although this place isn't ideal for wizardry, I'm sure these twenty individuals possess exceptional talents. It's intriguing how the most gifted wizards often emerge from resource-scarce regions."

"Would you consider joining White Fang Castle?"

His voice brimmed with enthusiasm.

"White Fang Castle has a Fifth Circle Wizard and access to several exotic spaces, which could greatly benefit your future endeavors."

"Nonsense!" A cold voice rang out.

A shadow emerged from the portal, transforming into an old woman with a staff, her face full of wrinkles.

"The Five-Circle Wizard from White Fang Castle hasn't been seen for centuries. He might have died in some foreign land. Why not join our Sixth Circle Tower instead?"

"The founder of the Sixth Circle Tower was a Six-Circle Wizard himself!"

"Hmph!" Mony scoffed. "Old woman, the Six-Circle Wizard you speak of has been dead for tens of thousands of years. Why keep bringing him up? Is there nothing else you can boast about?"

"The existence of a Six-Circle Wizard is like that of a deity; they are immortal and never truly die," the old woman said expressionlessly. "He will return one day."

"Ha..." Mony showed disdain. "So, you can keep waiting. Maybe in a few more tens of thousands of years, he'll be back. But I doubt you'll live that long!"

"Mony!" The old woman's eyes turned icy. "Shall we set a time to test our spells?"

"Hmph!"

Mony's face twitched slightly, and a hint of apprehension flashed in his eyes. "Old woman, I don't have time to argue with you. White Fang Castle discovered this portal first and has the priority to choose."

The group of wizards from the Swamp Alliance exchanged peculiar looks.

Could it be that...

They were still highly sought-after in the Wizard World?

"Honored elders," a short wizard in the crowd spoke up. "Could you please introduce us to the Wizard World of the Calym Continent?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Of course, I can do that," Mony said, stroking his beard. He seemed to have a good temper and was patient. "Where should I start?"

After a moment's thought, he spoke in a low voice, "The place you are in is called the Eastern Kingdom Continent. It is where deities herd their creatures and harvest faith."

"The Calym Continent, on the other hand, is more chaotic. Various races live together, and it's rare for an area to form a unified nation."

"As for why it's like this, it dates back to a very ancient war. You don't need to know the details for now."

"That's right," the old woman nodded and added, "On the Calym Continent, there are four major Wizard organizations with true status: our Sixth Circle Tower, White Fang Castle, the Order of Seclusion, and Rose Academy. However, since they haven't arrived yet, it's safe to assume they won't be coming."

Hmm? Mony raised an eyebrow.

As if realizing something, he smiled at the old woman.

That's good!

It's always better to have fewer competitors. After all, with only twenty people, four portions are certainly not as good as two.

The old woman seemed unaware of his gaze and continued, "All four major Wizard organizations have produced Five-Circle and even Six-Circle Wizards. There's also the Knowledge Church, which has nurtured a Five-Circle Wizard, but this organization is very loose. Any Archwizard can apply to join, even Dark Wizards, though it's not recommended."

"In the Calym Continent, Wizards are categorized into five levels of talent, and each level is further divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers."

"Five-level talent is the most common. With four-level talent, you can attempt to join various organizations. Three-level talent is rarer, and two-level talent..."

"...is almost a guarantee for becoming an Archwizard. That's why all four major Wizard organizations will compete to recruit them."

Huh? The Archwizards from the Swamp Alliance exchanged curious glances.

Most of them were Two-Circle Wizard talents, and their advancement to Archwizards was largely due to fortunate circumstances.

While the Alliance had a fair number of Three-Circle talent Wizard apprentices, it certainly wasn't a small amount.

Four-level talents were even more common!

"The Swamp Alliance has nineteen Wizard apprentices with Two-Circle talent and nearly a hundred with Three-Circle talent."

Marianne spoke up urgently, "Can you take them all?"

"Well..." Mony forced a bitter smile. "We'd like to take them all, but unfortunately, you can only send twenty people over from your side."

"Can't we send more in batches?" someone asked.

"No." The old woman shook her head. "This portal is an ancient artifact, and no one can repair it. The deities here are well aware of this, which is why they entrusted it to you."

"Every ten years..."

She continued, "A batch of people can be sent only once every ten years."

Ten years?

The crowd frowned.

They knew that the teleportation process required batches, but they didn't expect such a small number and such a long interval.

With this arrangement...

There were already several Archwizards, which meant only a dozen or so others could accompany them.

This number was...

Too small!

Many who should have been on the list would be removed, including some who were relatives of Archwizards.

However, Mony and the old woman didn't show much regret.

Twenty people were just right!

Even the four major Wizard organizations would struggle to support the advancement of hundreds of Wizard apprentices.

With ten for each organization, it was just perfect.

"There's another option," the old woman said. "You can go to the Magic Forest first and enter the Calym Continent from there. However, the Magic Forest is also not under our jurisdiction."

Magic Forest?

...

In the meeting hall, the Archwizards of the Swamp Alliance gathered.

"We should definitely join a Wizard organization, and if possible, the same one."

"There's no rush for this," a wizard spoke up. "We still have some time before we can send people over. Let's discuss the twenty slots first."

"I think the rules should be adjusted. Some wizards with low talent have accomplished a lot due to coincidences, like this Karl..."

"No!" Marianne's face changed, and she shouted, "These rules were set by our mentor. We should honor our agreement and stick to them."

"Rules are meant to be broken, and people are adaptable."

"Someone frowned and said, "Some people are just not suitable."

"The four major wizard organizations have strict requirements for their members. They don't want fourth-level wizard talents at all. Even if they join, they have to figure things out on their own, which is a complete waste of a spot."

"Shut up!" Marianne slammed the table and stood up, her voice cold.

"My mentor sacrificed his life to open the Star Portal, creating an opportunity for you all. Now, just after his death, you want to change the decision he made. I absolutely cannot allow this!"

The crowd's expressions turned rigid, and they bowed their heads in succession.

At this moment, Marianne was like a powder keg ready to explode, and no one dared to provoke her.

However, with a limited number of spots available, it was even less likely to waste time on such thoughts.

If Adolf were still here, he could have suppressed the others, but angry Marianne couldn't do that.

...

...

...

Soon after.

Somewhere in the Black Swamp.

Two curved flames slashed across a person's throat and abdomen, cutting the target into three segments, and the attacker quietly left.

On an island.

Several people who were gathering seemed to sense something and looked down at their feet, their eyes widening in shock.

...

"Not good!"

"Boom!"

A violent explosion shattered the house, instantly killing the people inside.

In the waters.

"Who are you?"

Modiri held a staff, and thick fog immediately enveloped him as he vanished.

"Trying to escape?"

In the darkness, a high-level wizard apprentice stepped forward, his eyes a fiery red like a glass bead.

In his eyes, Modiri's fleeing figure was clearly reflected.

"Hmph!"

"Do you think you can escape?"

There was a significant gap in strength among the high-level wizard apprentices. The stronger ones could even challenge legendary knights.

The weaker ones could be killed by grand knights!

With a disdainful snort, he tapped his foot, and his entire body transformed into a burning flame, rushing forward.

Similar scenes played out in various parts of the Black Swamp.

"Karl!"

"The sixth on the assassination list: a mid-level wizard apprentice and grand knight. He once joined forces with others to kill the legendary knight Bob."

"After the incident, the Investigation Division examined the scene. Dozens of soldiers had their lives devoured, and it was suspected that someone had hidden their presence. It is recommended that at least three teams set up an ambush together."

One person holding the target's profile read it and shook his head in disbelief:

"Is this too exaggerated?"

"Dozens of armed soldiers, several wizard apprentices, and a legendary knight were killed at the scene. It's definitely not the work of one person. I think this Karl is just lucky. His companions died, and he reaped the fruits of victory, which is why he's ranked sixth on the assassination list."

"Regardless, killing him is no small feat." Someone spoke up: "It's always better to be cautious. Let's wait for the others and then take action together."

...

...

"No!"

Karl sighed and shook his head.

After more than two months of dedicated cultivation, he even temporarily set aside his wizardry, and his physique finally improved to the peak of a grand knight.

Physique: 5!

From this point on, there was no further progress.

"Since the Heavenly Father bestowed a blessing upon me, allowing me to practice the Colossal Breath Technique, why hasn't he shown himself again?"

"Or perhaps..."

"Has the Moon Goddess become so weak that she can't even bestow blessings for advancement?"

Without the blessing of a deity, the abyssal bloodline in his body was also useless. It seemed he could only rely on himself.

This was the limit of his potential.

By using bloodline wizardry, he could break through this limit, but that would mean abandoning the path of a knight.

Having come this far on the path of a knight, Karl didn't want to give up if there was any chance.

"This Quincy guy is quite patient. It's been so long, and he hasn't made a move. I underestimated him."

"Otherwise..."

"Should we send out a few more people?"

Standing up, Karl went to the island to stretch his body:

"There are too few grand knights in Rushing City. It's hard to find someone who meets the requirements. Should I go to the Duke's territory?"

"Ding-a-ling-ling..."

The crisp ringing interrupted his movement.

"Mr. Karl!"

A wooden boat docked at the shore, and a knight in the Swamp Alliance uniform bowed: "The Alliance Parliament invites you over."

"Okay!"

Karl nodded.

The wooden boat navigated through the swamp, occasionally bumping and jostling, especially when turning.

"Your boat-handling skills aren't great!" Karl laughed:

"Haven't you done this often before?"

"Yes." The knight looked embarrassed: "I've always been a bodyguard for wizard apprentices, so I'm not very skilled at steering a boat..."

"No wonder." Today, Karl was in a foul mood due to his cultivation issues. He wanted to chat to relieve his boredom and asked, "What's the reason for this invitation?"

"I'm not sure." The knight shook his head: "I heard it might be related to the Star Realm."

"Oh!"

Karl's eyes lit up.

The Star Gate's opening was a topic he had heard of, but only Archwizards could participate in such an event.

The specifics were unclear.

Buzz!

Suddenly, a chill emerged from his tailbone, surging towards the back of his head, causing Karl's consciousness to abruptly focus.

Danger!

His Abyssal Bloodline sensed the danger, signaling a warning.

"Stop..."

He shouted, and his body suddenly retreated, causing the wooden boat beneath him to shatter with a loud crash.

The knight maneuvering the boat glared with malice and lunged towards Karl.

Intense flames erupted from the knight, and with a simple pounce, his speed was astonishingly fast.

Even Karl, a Grand Knight, couldn't dodge in time.

This is...

Divine Magic!

A life-sacrificing divine spell!

The knight hugged Karl, his mouth wide open, spewing thick flames with a pungent sulfuric scent.

A wild surge of power quickly accumulated.

"Get away from me!"

Karl's eyes widened, and the power of a peak Grand Knight erupted.

Combat Skill—Bloom!

A powerful repulsive force shattered the knight's arms, and Karl seized the opportunity to roll backwards.

"Boom!"

A burst of flames.

The knight exploded, transforming into a ball of azure flames. If Karl had reacted a moment later, he would have been engulfed.

Fire Thief!

Karl waded through the swamp, his sense of danger still lingering. With a wave of his hand, he cast the Wizard Spell—Azure Shield.

A sphere of water appeared out of thin air, enveloping him within it.

At the same time...

Wizard Trap—Flame Prison!

Dozens of thick flames erupted from the swamp, forming a cage that trapped him inside.

The thousand-degree heat, capable of melting steel, was no match for even a peak Grand Knight.

Fortunately, the Azure Shield provided some defense.

In a flash, Karl appeared over a dozen meters away.

His expression turned somber as he scanned his surroundings, feeling a twinge of regret for not bringing his own weapon.

However...

It should be manageable.

"He's spotted us!"

"Charge!"

"..."

Low roars echoed from all around, as several flames shot out like arrows, and a fire dragon roared towards them.

Seven people! One High Wizard Apprentice, three Mid-level Wizard Apprentices, and three capable knights.

In an instant, Karl sensed the active presences around them.

"People from the Koln Kingdom?"

His face darkened, and with a sway of his body, he transformed, towering six meters tall. He lifted a single foot and stomped it onto the ground.

Super-grade Rune—Earthshaker!

As for the incoming attacks, he chose to endure them.

With several defensive spells and runes, along with his super-grade body, enduring regular Wizard Spells was not an issue.

"Peng!"

The Wizard Flame struck his body, causing Karl to lean back, his arms and chest visibly scorched.

At the same time...

"Boom!"

The ground shook for dozens of meters around, and ripples formed in the swamp.

Shockwaves swept across the ground in all directions, forcing hidden figures to emerge.

"Swish!"

Stone pillars rose from the ground, aiming at the revealed figures.

Instantly...

Various Wizard Spells appeared in quick succession.

Fire Wall!

Flame Shield!

Fire Clone!

...

Several figures flashed and resisted within the stone pillars, turning to face Karl, ready to activate their spells.

"Be careful!"

The only High Wizard Apprentice in the field had a tense expression, gritting his teeth as he roared:

"The target's defense is incredibly strong, comparable to a Legendary Knight, and he's a High Wizard Apprentice!"

A peak Grand Knight and a High Wizard Apprentice.

The information in the file was clearly misleading, as he had indeed concealed his strength. Fortunately, they had attacked in a group of three.

Otherwise...

They would have been doomed!

"Hmph!"

Karl's back muscles rippled, and a dozen-meter-long tentacle emerged, waving menacingly in the air.

"What is that?"

"Ah!"

"Monster!"

"..."

Shouts of surprise filled the air.

Fear Aura!

As Karl's strength increased, so did the power of his Fear Aura, which could easily cause mental breakdowns in ordinary people with just a glance.

Even Wizard Apprentices might experience a moment of mental confusion.

And this...

Was enough!

The dozen-meter-long tentacles flashed out, engulfing the Wizard Apprentices and knights, turning them into white bones.

"Crack, crack, crack!"

In an instant, the High Wizard Apprentice's expression changed, and he slammed his staff into the ground, activating the runes he carried.

Rune—Grimur's Wrath!

Grimur was Koln's most famous volcano.

This spell was also known as Volcano's Wrath, capable of causing lava eruptions from the ground, showering the surroundings.

It was incredibly terrifying.

The ground cracked, and thick magma erupted, instantly engulfing Karl's figure.

But...

"A Zero-Ring Spell?"

The giant, enveloped in magma, charged towards Karl, his injuries healing at a visible rate.

Karl dashed forward, shattering the giant's defense with a few punches, finishing the kill.

"At such close range, even a High Wizard Apprentice wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Ah!"

"You monster, Koln will never forgive you! The king will kill you to avenge us!"

"Karl, you're on Koln's kill list! You'll pay for this, sooner or later!"

"Puh, puh!"

Karl's expression darkened, and his body trembled slightly. The tentacles flexed, swallowing the people and reducing them to white bones.

He swept his gaze, sending the bones into the swamp.

The kill list?

Is this Koln's revenge?

Please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end