Eye of the Transcendent

Take and the others wouldn't be coming back. The Temple of Tyrion, the sole entrance to Amber City, was buried deep underground. It only projected a mirage-like illusion on the surface at specific times. The local residents, lucky enough to witness it, called it Saint Taliel, though most people believed they were probably just seeing things or were drunk.

The sealing function of Leonart's Fourth Solution, which Li Wen had drawn, was precisely to prevent the temple from escaping. It was a shame her own Magic Power was too low; the magic circle's duration was only enough for them to enter the temple the first time.

After catching her breath, Li Wen rummaged through the Fire Mage's remains, enjoying the thrill of looting after defeating a boss. However, she was surprised that as a Mage from the Mystic Academy, he didn't even have a magic pocket.

Magic pockets were magical constructs that could typically hold four to five times their own volume, yet their weight remained around ten pounds. They were a storage item highly favored by Mages, and some Mages had even created spells specifically for crafting magic pockets.

The fact that the Fire Mage didn't even have one likely meant he wasn't well-regarded at the Mystic Academy, just as he had said.

The Fire Mage's remains, or rather, his loot, were plentiful. They included a black and red wooden staff, a ring imbued with magic, a key of unknown purpose, a circular gem with internal cracks, a scroll of Levitation Spell, a scroll of Colored Mist, and a small amount of spellcasting materials and potions of unknown effect.

A staff was one of the mediums for a Mage's spellcasting. It wasn't that all Mages needed to hold a staff to cast spells, but a staff could significantly enhance the stability and safety of magic. Therefore, Mages always encouraged those new to magic to grip their staffs tightly.

The Fire Mage's staff was likely made from the branches of a plant that grew in a volcanic crater. Such a staff had no other special abilities, but it made casting fire-related spells more fluid. The reason the Fire Mage hadn't used it in the recent battle was simple: like the Mage's robe he was wearing, it was a standard magical item of the Mystic Academy. If he had cast spells with it, he would most likely have been tracked by Mages from the Academy.

The ring was a magical item the Fire Mage used to remove the Dark Word Curse. It was called the Ring of Fiery Passion and was likely produced by an alchemy workshop affiliated with the Magic Committee.

[Ring of Fiery Passion]

[Accessory - Ring - Magic (Blue)]

[A magic ring crafted with modern alchemy techniques, allowing the casting of one Flame Heal spell.]

[Flame Heal: Consumes 1 Magic Power, restores a certain amount of HP while dispelling curses and Frostbite status. Requires 3 natural days to recharge after each use.]

Li Wen noticed what seemed to be an inscription on the inner band of the ring: m·l? Could it be the Fire Mage's initials?

Li Wen couldn't use either the staff or the ring. The staff was exclusively for Mages, and while the ring was indeed a good item, Li Wen's Prayer Incantation could achieve the same effects for restoring HP and dispelling status ailments, without any recharge time.

Keeping them for someone in need or selling them would be their best fate.

Li Wen then looked at the remaining items. Magical scrolls were valuable goods; they only required Magic Power to use, not a Mage's Class.

Levitation Spell could temporarily make a person's body lighter, allowing them to jump higher and run faster. It differed significantly from Flight Spell, despite only having one character difference in their names. Colored Mist was a Tier 2 magic that could create a patch of colorful mist to confuse enemies, possessing hallucinatory effects. It was an enhanced version of the basic White Mist.

Both scrolls contained spells that weren't overwhelmingly powerful but were widely applicable. She didn't need to worry about how to sell them; keeping them for herself would suffice.

What remained were the key of unknown purpose and the shattered gem.

Li Wen looked at the gem. If she wasn't mistaken, this gem should be a shattered Eye of the Transcendent.

The Eye of the Transcendent was an extremely rare and powerful magical item, with its crafting techniques almost nonexistent in the current era. More often, Mages considered it a naturally formed magic item, or even a base material for creating some kind of divine artifact.

It was a magical item that could influence space. Some Mages attempted to embed it in their staffs to cast long-distance teleportation spells over large areas, or even use it to open dimensional gates.

Shattered didn't mean it was broken or incomplete. A shattered Eye of the Transcendent often possessed random, potent power and beauty. It would frequently produce unexpected effects in unexpected situations.

Could this be the secret treasure the Fire Mage mentioned?

Li Wen was somewhat puzzled. Although the Eye of the Transcendent was rare, calling it a secret treasure of the Sunday Secret College felt like using a golden hoe to till the land. As the most powerful magical society in the Kingdom of Arthur, the College probably wouldn't even care about ten Eyes of the Transcendent, let alone one.

Perhaps the Fire Mage's perspective was too limited; he mistook any slightly rare treasure for a secret treasure?

That was indeed a possibility. If the Fire Mage had truly stolen a secret treasure from the College, the high-ranking elder Mages would have surely been unable to sit still and would have already pursued him into the Black Dragon Territory. Li Wen wouldn't have had a chance.

Li Wen stuffed these items into her bag. She had initially considered taking the Fire Mage's robe, but it was tattered and covered in bloodstains, so she abandoned the idea.

At this moment, Li Wen recalled the Fire Mage's actions before he died. She rummaged through his corpse again and successfully retrieved a letter from a hidden pocket in his Mage's robe.

The envelope was addressed to "Miss Melina, 21 Hackenlo Street."

What was this? A love letter? A family letter? Or a will?

Li Wen decided to keep the letter anyway; it might be a crucial clue.

What remained was the Fire Mage's corpse.

This was Amber City, the eternal kingdom. Bodies left here would not decay, even if nothing was done, but would remain in their current state forever.

She decided to leave it there. After all, there was no land here for him to be buried in peace. Should she throw him under the bridge instead?

Li Wen glanced under the bridge, only to see a dark abyss. It turned out that a bottomless abyss separated the inner and outer districts of Amber City, and the stone bridge of the spire was the only passage connecting the two areas.

Li Wen looked again towards the end of the stone bridge.

The cold, black city stood there. The warm light from the dim yellow sky cast down, but it didn't add warmth to the city. Instead, it created a bizarre contrast that was particularly chilling.

Li Wen took a deep breath and walked towards Amber City along the stone bridge.