The secret of the Floating City

Has the Versatile Hands truly returned?

Soren couldn't be entirely certain yet, because the requirements for Legendary Equipment were somewhat weaker, and could potentially be forcibly suppressed. For example, some Abyssal Weapon could be used after Purify, reducing or eliminating the Alignment requirement. If something had happened to this Legendary Scimitar in the past, or if someone had forcibly erased the Alignment requirement, then its usage requirements would be much more lenient, and it might actually allow people of the Evil Alignment to use it.

The best tools for testing Versatile Hands are Artifact and soul-bound equipment.

The former is virtually impossible to erase due to Alignment requirements, and any change would require Deity intervention. The latter bears Soul Mark, mostly crafted by Legendary Spellcaster, and can only be used by the caster themselves or their descendants. Representative examples include three Legendary Ring: one in the hands of Elf, one in the hands of Dwarf, and the last inherited by an ancient human family. These three rings are Legendary Item bound by the soul, and only direct descendants can wear them.

Otherwise, he must be a Legendary Rogue with Versatile Hands!

Soren originally wanted to forge a Soulbound Ring of Legendary rank or higher himself, but unfortunately, he couldn't find Legendary Spellcaster of class level 25 or higher to collaborate with.

If possible in the future, he still wants to forge a ring, because the Soul Mark has a special effect! [Note: A ring in the hands of a human grants +1 Epic Spell slot.]

Inside the pitch-black room.

Soren stood by the window, gazing into the distance. Without his Artifact, he couldn't test his Versatile Hands, so he had to put it aside for the time being. Goria was preparing Divination; to pinpoint Vivian's location, she would have to wait until the Divination was complete. He was currently in turmoil, worried about Vivian's safety and also afraid of Lillian's full awakening. Having fought against the will of the Demon Lord of Fear, he knew how terrifying the will of Deity could be, and how easily one could fall into its clutches.

The top of the Wizard Tower.

A glamorous woman appeared on the Astrology Platform. She glanced at her daughter indifferently and said slowly, "You have already overexploited your Hit Points. Why do you still need to use divination rituals?"

Goria, dressed in a long white robe with her long hair flying in the wind, didn't turn to look at her, but simply said, "My affairs are none of your business."

The alluring woman seemed somewhat angry, and said with displeasure, "Foolish! You're playing with your Hit Points! Don't you know the price you paid for Prophecy a Godsbane? You're only dragging yourself into a quagmire! If you ask me, it would have been better to capture them sooner; perhaps we could use some experiments to extract their Divinity!"

"Soren must also be Godsbane, right? Otherwise, his strength couldn't have increased so quickly!"

Goria frowned slightly, turned to look at her mother, and slowly said, "Did you come here today just to tell me this?"

The glamorous woman's face stiffened. After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, "Do whatever you want, just hope you won't regret it later!"

regret?

Goria gently brushed aside her long hair, revealing a single strand of silver. She shook her head and said, "I chose this path myself. There's no need to regret it! Besides, I've always had a strange premonition that something terrible will happen in the future! Being around them has only intensified my premonition; I feel like I'm touching the river of Destiny!"

"It was a torrent, but I chose my Alignment beforehand."

"I like that little girl, and I'm willing to help her and stand by her side. Look at the sky! Have you noticed that the stars representing the Deity are a bit dim? Perhaps the appearance of the Fear God Child is just the beginning!..."

The alluring woman paused for a moment, gazing at the stars in the sky, but unfortunately, she couldn't see anything.

She was a master Spell Evocation and Enchantment Spell, but she hadn't studied Prophecy much; her daughter was the true master of Prophecy. Even the [Eye of the North] was amazed by her daughter's talent. For some reason, she believed her daughter had indeed sensed, or rather, seen, something.

The Deity have been silent for a long time.

That's why she fled the Exiled Lands, because she believed the druids no longer had the energy to care about her.

Unfortunately, she underestimated the druids' stubbornness, and her own reputation!

"Mother."

Goria sighed softly and said slowly, "You have violated the rules of the Witches' Council, and your attempt to evade punishment has enraged Eye of the North!... While she won't personally arrest you, she won't stop the druids from taking action!... You'd better leave here and go into seclusion somewhere they can't find you. Perhaps when the real changes begin, the druids won't be in the mood to investigate what you did back then!..."

The glamorous woman's expression gradually turned angry, and her voice became sharp as she said, "What do those idiots know!"

"They have no idea how groundbreaking my research is! If I succeed, the Arcane Empire will be revived because of my existence! An unprecedented Arcane Era will begin with me!..."

Goria frowned slightly and sighed, "Mother, it's a pity you still failed."

"While I don't know what you found in the ruins in the desert, I do know that the core knowledge of the Arcane Empire has been lost. Your research has only brought terrible destruction and irreversible energy radiation. You probably don't know that the place where you conducted your experiments has already undergone biological mutation, do you? The Northern Witch and the Druid Order have joined forces to block all information and have set up a maze in that area to prevent other creatures from entering!"

What?

A hint of surprise appeared on the alluring woman's face as she murmured, "It's mutated?"

"But my research is almost complete!... Just a little bit more!... Just a little bit more!... Once I figure out the energy core that powered the Floating City during the Arcane Empire era!... I can create a new era!..."

Her expression seemed extremely disappointed, even a little hysterical. Suddenly, she looked up and said, "There's still a chance!... As long as I can enter the Legendary!... I'll be qualified to enter the [Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus]!... As long as I find the energy core that powers the Floating City!... I can build my own Floating City!... At that time, no one will dare to threaten me Banishment me, or hunt me down!... I will become Archmage who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the Gods!...

"Daughter, would you help me?"

Goria sighed softly and shook her head, saying, "Mother, are you still not awake?"

"Since the disappearance of the Arcane Empire, so many forces have tried to recover Arcane Empire core secrets. But what was the result? The Goblin originally possessed remarkable Alchemy Craft, and as servants of Arcanist, they acquired a great deal of knowledge. However, they were almost completely Destruction in a terrible explosion, and now they can only eke out a living in the desert near the sea. The Gnome also tried to find the secrets of the Arcane Empire, but their cities were completely Destruction, buried deep underground by collapsed mountains."

"The Wizard Union has been conducting secret research for over a thousand years, but apart from a few Destruction explosions, they have achieved almost nothing."

"Mother."

"It's far too dangerous! The slightest mistake could unleash a Destruction catastrophe!"

"Let's abandon the research on [Elemental Annihilation]."

The alluring woman took a step back, shook her head firmly, and said, "No! I won't give up! Half of my Hit Points has been dedicated to this research!... My dear daughter!... I know you hate me!... I've never fulfilled my responsibilities as a mother!... But please believe me!... You are the only person I care about in this world!..."

"If the research hadn't reached its most crucial stage, I wouldn't have entrusted you to Eye of the North in the first place!..."

Goria looked at her deeply and sighed, "Mother, I don't hate you."

"In fact, my memory of you has always been vague. In my childhood memories, you appeared only a handful of times. By the time I was old enough to understand, your experiments had brought terrible disasters, killing many innocent Hit Points and forcing the people in the vicinity to relocate. By the time I truly began to know you, you had already been Banishment and imprisoned in White Horse City. At that time, you were no longer the person I remembered."

Do you know?

"Even now, I still can't see you clearly. My only request as your daughter is that you give up this dangerous experiment."

"With your current strength and wisdom, you are simply incapable of controlling such terrifying power!"

The alluring woman fell silent.

Finally, she looked up at Goria in front of her, then turned and walked outside. Her escape certainly wasn't solely for freedom.

She refused.

She felt the rift between herself and her daughter growing wider, but she was truly unwilling to give up. She believed that once she crossed this hurdle, she would be a being comparable to the Gods, and her daughter would naturally realize that she was the one in the wrong. She wasn't one of those incompetent idiots in the Wizard Union, nor was she a low- Goblin or a foolish Gnome. In fact, her experiment was already partially completed; otherwise, the damage would have been far greater.

She must find a way to get back what is rightfully hers, no matter the cost!

She needs an ally.

Since her daughter was unwilling to help her, she had no choice but to find new allies.

Arcane Empire.

In the ancient and glorious Arcane Era, she didn't need to complete all the research. As long as she could find the core secrets of the Floating City, she would have no fear, not even of the Gods!

She wouldn't give up so easily, which is why she's been imprisoned for over a decade.

(P. S.: There will be another update today, but it will be a little late.) (To be continued~^~)