Chapter 290: Flame Gateway
Chapter 290: Flame Gateway
Tap... tap...
The rhythmic tapping of an exquisite staff echoed through the room as Karl, clad in an oversized wizard's robe, strode in.
The room was not large, but every piece of furniture was meticulously arranged.
Even with his limited knowledge of antiques, Karl could tell that the items in this room had stood the test of time. Each one was priceless.
"Karl Bergman, the most outstanding and mysterious wizard the Magic Forest has seen in thousands of years."
A hoarse, aged voice spoke up:
"In less than a century on the path of wizardry, you attained the Second Circle and consecutively slew several members of the Green Family's lineage."
"That's..."
"Impressive!"
Karl's eyebrows arched slightly.
"I didn't expect that someone in the Eastern Kingdom Continent would know about the events that transpired in the Magic Forest."
"The pact between the gods and wizards doesn't mean all communication is severed," a white-robed elder emerged from behind a screen-like setup, "especially for the upper echelons of various nations, who consider engaging with the wizarding world an indispensable task."
"You!" Karl narrowed his eyes. "Archduke Alphur!"
Alphur Augustus, one of the four current archdukes of the Kingdom of Gando, hailed from the Augustus Family, which carried the bloodline of ancient deities.
And that wasn't all.
The archduke before him exuded a powerful aura and possessed a calm and steady spiritual energy, unmistakably a Second Rank Holy Knight and a Second Circle Wizard.
"President?"
"Yes, it's me."
Alphur nodded with a smile.
"The royal city is home to a million people. If the powers of wizard apprentices go unchecked, it could lead to all sorts of trouble."
"So, I took on the position of the guild president to keep the members in line."
Karl understood.
Who would have thought that the president of the Wizard's Guild was an archduke of the Kingdom of Gando and a Holy Knight?
Not only that, but he was also a Second Circle Wizard.
Upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
Holy Knights could live for five hundred years, and this ample time was more than enough for him to advance his wizardry to the Second Circle.
To ordinary people, wizards were shrouded in mystery, but for the kingdom's elite, it was likely that they had access to wizardry traditions.
Apparently, Addison, the Grey Robe Warlock, wasn't the only Second Circle Wizard in the Eastern Kingdom Continent.
There were...
Quite a few of them!
With this thought, Karl spoke up, "President, did you call me here for something?"
"Yes."
Alphur nodded.
"Recently, the Green Family from the Sixth Circle Tower sent a message requesting assistance in capturing or killing you."
Karl's expression grew somber.
Even after he had fled to the Wizarding Desert, the Green Family was still not ready to let it go.
"Don't worry."
Alphur smiled.
"No matter how powerful the Green Family is, their abilities are of little use in the land bathed in the gods' radiance."
"We merely responded out of courtesy and have no intention of interfering in your feud."
"Thank you, Archduke," Karl breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was a Third Rank, many of his abilities were not fully usable here, and if it came to a fight, he wasn't sure he could take them down.
"You should address me as President," Alphur adjusted his beard, "and Vice President Tai Chi."
"Yes, President!" Karl agreed.
"Actually..." Alphur gestured for Karl to sit down and pulled up a chair.
"I'm quite curious as to how you managed to become a Second Circle Wizard in just a few decades."
"And a Holy Knight!"
"It took me over three hundred years to achieve this, and that was with the resources of my family."
"Fate," Karl said with a neutral expression. "Back when I was in the Black Swamp, I obtained the inheritance of a Third Rank Lich, and I also experienced some things in the Magic Forest."
"I was fortunate to have some success."
"The inheritance of a Third Rank Lich?" Alphur's eyebrows furrowed as if he had realized something, and a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes. "That was..."
"There was a rumor in the royal city about a powerful lich who came here and eventually fell into a deep slumber."
"Karl nodded. He had already provided an explanation, and how the other party thought about it was none of his concern.
"Alphur is about to die!"
On the way back, Karl's eyes were pensive.
When he mentioned that he had obtained the Lich Heritage, he could clearly perceive the other party's emotional fluctuations.
Excitement, greed, and desire...
The Lich was not strong in many aspects, but it had unique means of prolonging life.
Even a Second Circle Lich could live for seven to eight hundred years.
For Alphur, who was about to reach the end of his lifespan, the temptation of living an extra two to three hundred years was unimaginable.
"It's too early!"
"This meeting was just to get to know each other, and even if he wanted the Lich Heritage, he would find another opportunity."
"There's no rush."
Even Alphur wouldn't easily offend a Second Circle Warlock, so the possibility of forcefully taking the heritage was unlikely.
Chapter 69
The most likely scenario was a trade.
Karl was curious about what the other party could offer in exchange.
Of course, he couldn't let his guard down. If the other party did use force, he had the means to counter it.
In the following months, Karl accompanied Yula, Sally, and others to attend several gatherings among the nobility, familiarizing himself with the upper-class lifestyle and mingling with them.
The gatherings were filled with extravagance and splendor...
The war on the frontlines seemed to have no impact on them.
However, these good days did not last long. With the collapse of the battlefield, the nobles in the rear were in disarray.
Some nobles had quietly left the royal city and fled to the Sak Kingdom, while others were forcibly conscripted to the battlefield.
For a moment, the clouds of war loomed over the entire royal city.
Remille also returned to the battlefield, causing Karl's plan to obtain Essence from the Divine Realm to be interrupted.
Several more months passed.
Alphur, the Duke, also went to the frontlines.
"The situation is dire!"
Looking at the newspaper, although the Kingdom of Gando was trying to conceal it, reporting only victorious instances, the battlefront didn't lie. The army of the Kingdom of Cologne had already appeared in nearby cities.
Rumors were rampant, causing unease among the people.
Putting down the newspaper, Karl shook his head lightly:
"It's not my concern."
...
Divine Realm Fragment.
A brand-new Wizard Tower stood tall.
This Wizard Tower was constructed by Karl, who disassembled and reassembled two Wizard Towers, preserving their advantages and improving its rank.
Sitting cross-legged at the top, Karl could perceive the Stellar Energy more clearly.
Beneath the Wizard Tower was an active volcano in a state of eruption, with raging flames enveloping the lava that splashed endlessly.
And within the lava, a palace could be vaguely seen.
The Fire God's Palace!
With a Divine Realm Fragment the size of a county, it was sufficient to house a volcano, aiding Karl's cultivation.
The dense fire elemental aura permeated the entire Divine Realm Fragment, and vast Stellar Energy descended from above.
The combination of the two.
Caused Karl's cultivation to gradually increase.
"It's done!"
"Flame Gateway!"
Third Circle Spell - Flame Gateway.
It could open a spatial passage to another location from anywhere, allowing escape from the battlefield at any time.
Of course.
This spell had many inconveniences and was far less powerful than the Fourth Circle Great Wizard Spell of Void Path.
For instance.
It required extensive preparation before casting and was easily interrupted.
Secondly.
The teleportation distance was limited, and it left traces, making it possible to be pursued again.
There were also advantages.
For example, it could set a teleportation coordinate, and casting near that coordinate would significantly shorten the casting time.
"I can set the coordinate within the fireplace. When the time comes, I'll hold the spell materials in my hand, throw them on the ground, silently recite the location, and then I can directly teleport to the fireplace. This situation reminds me of something..."
Karl smiled and disappeared from the Divine Realm.
(End of Chapter)
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