Chapter 217: Taking Over Phantom City

Chapter 217: Taking Over Phantom City

Bo Wen is dead!

After Karl promised to take care of Phantom City for a while, he seemed to have fulfilled his duty, and his aura faded away.

Perhaps the reason he had endured for so long was that he was waiting for someone to take over the responsibilities he bore.

Soon,

The wails of Phantom City echoed through the sky.

"The mentor ascended to the rank of Divine Envoy at the age of forty, and for over a hundred years, he toiled for this Phantom City."

McGin, with a blank stare, collapsed onto the ground:

"Over a hundred years..."

"Our Phantom City has given birth to several Divine Envoys besides the mentor, but without exception, they all left."

"Only the mentor, who could have lived a better life elsewhere, stayed to care for the people of Phantom City."

Generations of Phantom City's residents had grown up under Bo Wen's care and guidance.

Every child had received his baptism.

Every corner of Phantom City bore his footprints, and every building had been touched by his hands.

"Hoo..."

The wind and sand swept through Phantom City.

Karl stood with his hands behind his back, allowing the wild wind to caress his face, his wizard robe fluttering, as he looked at the weeping crowd.

His face showed no signs of emotional turmoil.

As a late-stage First Circle Wizard, he possessed powerful perception, clearly sensing the complex emotions of the people around him.

Dazed, numb, and fearful...

With a hint of sadness.

'Even though Bo Wen devoted himself to helping others, he might not have received the recognition he deserved in the end.'

'When the Cloud Divine Envoy left, only McGin remained.'

'With Bo Wen's death, these people are primarily concerned about how they will live from now on, which is understandable.'

Karl shook his head lightly.

"Take a census of the remaining residents in the city, give me the list, and also the locations of nearby Phantom Cities and the specific directions of the Divine Gifts."

At the core of Phantom City, there was a unique structure where the remains of past Divine Envoys were kept.

It also contained records of ancient times.

"Snap!"

Karl snapped his fingers.

Luminescence Spell! A soft glow illuminated the surroundings, revealing the engraved texts and patterns on the walls.

The inscriptions described the ancestors of Phantom City's speculations about the Collapse Divine Realm and the experiences accumulated over hundreds of years.

Karl stroked his chin thoughtfully.

His understanding of this world far surpassed that of Phantom City's Divine Envoys, so he had a more comprehensive view.

The timeline of the other world became increasingly clear before his eyes.

"In ancient times, the other world was ruled by dragons and giants, then the deities descended, exterminating the giants and enslaving the dragon descendants. This process lasted a long time, but eventually, the deities prevailed, and humanity rose to prominence."

"After countless years, the lord of the other world's deities changed several times, and humanity experienced its ups and downs..."

"The era of war, the steam age, the barbaric age..."

"Under the control of the deities, humanity remained the source of divine faith, and even occasional rebellions never succeeded."

"The deities built their Divine Realms in the starry realm, connecting them into one, and their power and influence reached their peak."

"Until..."

"Celestial Convergence!"

The so-called 'Celestial Convergence' was, according to Karl's understanding, the moment when several worlds collided and intertwined.

At this time.

Extraterrestrial evil gods invaded, seeking to occupy this 'wealthy' world.

Coincidentally.

The deities of this world also experienced internal strife. The Moon Goddess assassinated the lord of the gods and took his place.

But before she could solidify her position, she was ambushed by the Death God, severely injuring her even though she did not perish.

There were definitely conspiracies and evil god's manipulations involved...

The Moon Goddess unleashed her Divine Realm, sacrificing the other deities with a shattered blood-red moon to halt the invasion of the extraterrestrial evil gods.

The deities fell!

The Divine Realm collapsed!

The world gradually headed towards extinction.

"According to my speculation, when the deities fell, their bodies disintegrated and scattered across the land, forming the veins of Phantom Cities."

"In other words, the veins of the current Phantom Cities."

"Based on these records, when the Divine Realm initially collapsed, Phantom Cities were like stars adorning the world, interconnected and thriving for a while. However, as abominations proliferated, the paths between Phantom Cities became obstructed, and eventually, even Divine Envoys dared not linger outside the cities for long."

"With fewer and fewer Phantom Cities, the lives of mortals became increasingly difficult."

Karl paced:

"According to the Wizard's Tome, deities are composed of divine nature, divine function, divine power, divine flame, and divine essence."

"Divine function and divine nature are two sides of the same coin, while divine power and divine essence are interconnected, and divine flame is the foundation of becoming a deity."

"When the deities fell, their bodies transformed into the veins of Phantom Cities, their divine power imbued Divine Gifts, and their divine flame blessed the land..."

He stroked his chin:

"Due to the influence of the Moon Goddess, this world cannot accommodate beings above the Second Rank, including the remnants left behind by the deities."

"Hmm..."

"So now, this world holds little value for me and only poses potential dangers."

"Except for the Divine Marrow!"

...

"Divine Envoy Karl."

McGin took out a slate covered in inscriptions and introduced:

"Phantom City has 563 residents, including 72 infants under seven years old and 103 individuals over thirty years old."

"Among them, seven individuals are expected to reach the Great Knight cultivation within ten years and become Divine Envoys."

"There is one water bug, two ant colonies, and seven people capable of crafting Divine Stone Seals, nineteen weavers, and twenty-five miners..."

Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation.

For the residents of Phantom City, only 'food' was of utmost importance; the other aspects were dispensable.

The Collapse Divine Realm suffered from an extreme scarcity of food, and under such harsh conditions, humanity had developed exceptional endurance against hunger.

For three days and three nights, one could endure without food or water.

However, food and water were essential.

Karl was curious and asked, "How do you get water?"

He had seen the reservoirs in Phantom City, similar to wells, which automatically filled with water, as if enchanted by magic.

"Oh!"

McGin explained, "There's a Phantom City that has mastered the art of controlling water from the Divine Gifts. They can construct reservoirs using Divine Stones, but there's a time limit. After that, they must pay to renew the service to continue using them."

"That Phantom City sustains itself through this craft."

"We used to have three reservoirs, but one hasn't been renewed, so it's no longer in use. The other two are still functioning, but if another fails, we'll be in trouble."

Karl's lips twitched. Was there a membership discount for the renewal fee?

"How about clothes?"

The Divine Realm of Collapse lacked cotton, hemp, and other plants; not a trace of greenery could be seen for miles.

"When mining for Divine Stones, we find stone threads that can be used to make clothing with some defensive capabilities."

McGin gave Karl a curious look, his gaze lingering on Karl's wizard robe. "Isn't that how clothing is made in your previous Phantom City, Divine Envoy Karl? Your clothes are truly exquisite."

Karl shook his head, not elaborating, "What's the current food situation in the city?"

McGin sighed, "The mother bug is doing well, but the ant colony you provided, Divine Envoy Karl, is producing fewer ants. The queen ant is showing signs of aberration, and soon we won't be able to consume them."

Karl raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go!"

"Take a look."

He had specifically chosen an ant colony that bred quickly and had a high protein content. Could it be that this species, improved through bloodline magic, is already on the verge of extinction here? In the mortal world, it would have become a plague in no time," Karl thought.

"Divine Envoy Karl," John said, standing by the ant nest, bowing respectfully. He was currently learning breeding techniques from the inscriptions on the slate.

Several people, including the apprentice Lulu, had followed the Cloud Envoy to the Wood Nine Phantom City.

"Hmm," Karl nodded casually, squatting down to inspect the ant nest, his brows furrowing.

"Aberration?"

"In the Divine Realm of Collapse, with the influence of the Divine Fire, can aberrations still occur?"

"Rarely," McGin interjected, "Only newborns and those with severe mental trauma are susceptible to aberrations."

Karl raised an eyebrow, suddenly realizing that the Divine Realm of Collapse was different from the Magic Forest. The place was filled with an air that drained one's sanity.

Once one's sanity dropped to a certain level, aberration would occur.

The locals had resistance to this, and with the protection of the Divine Fire within the Phantom City, they were usually safe.

But the ant nest from the Magic Forest was different.

The queen ant was not adapted to the illusions of this realm, so aberration was to be expected.

"Leave it to me."

Karl shook his head and reached out to collect the ant nest, "I'll provide you with something else for now, and once I fix this... we'll use it for breeding food."

"Yes," McGin hesitated, "Recently, there's been a food shortage in the city, and with the Fallen Angel outside, we can't venture out..."

"Don't worry," Karl retrieved some dried meat from his storage artifact, "Use this for now."

He could easily provide for the few hundred people, and the locals had low standards for food quality, even accepting dirt as long as it wasn't human flesh.

However...

To ensure a long-term food supply, they would still need breeding techniques.

'If they can't resist the aberrations here, then reducing their lifespan and accelerating the reproduction rate should do the trick,' Karl thought.

The mine.

The trio stood at the entrance of the mine, a dark and chilling air emanating from the pitch-black interior.

Even Karl's robust physique felt the discomfort from the air within the mine.

"The air in the mine is harmful to the human body. Even a Divine Envoy can't stay inside for long," McGin explained.

"But some are immune to the air in the mine; they are natural miners. We rely on them for mining."

"We grind the Divine Marrow into powder and fragments to inscribe runes or craft various items, which we carry out."

Karl didn't venture further into the mine, as the aura from the depths of the vein was already triggering warning signs in his body.

Since the vein was impassable, there was no rush to explore it immediately.

"What are the chances of obtaining Divine Marrow?"

"Very slim," McGin shook his head, "In the beginning, we could frequently mine Divine Marrow to fuel the Divine Fire, but in the past year, we've only obtained two."

Both of which were in Karl's possession.

"Hmm..."

Karl straightened up, speaking slowly, "So, the city's water supply is at risk, there's already a food shortage, and the mine is also facing issues."

"And outside, there's a Fallen Angel. You dare not leave the city with it out there."

"..." McGin's face turned dry, "Yes."

"Despair-rank abominations won't stay in one place for long. It should leave after some time."

"Should?" Karl shook his head, "What if it doesn't leave?"

"Never mind!"

"We'll tackle one problem at a time. First, take me to the well."

"Yes."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end