Thanks to Lord Black!

Is it or is it not?

Sean pondered the question.

From his experiences in dreams and his control over the statue, he was.

But from the perspective of over twenty years of ordinary life, he could also not be.

Even if one's current life is connected to a past life and one possesses memories from it, from a biological standpoint, he is still not the original self—in fact, every person is not the same person from one second to the next.

This is because the cells in the human body are constantly metabolizing; new cells and old cells are not the same cells, and the body composed of them is naturally not the original body. This is the famous paradox of Theseus's ship.

It is also one of the most powerful magics in the "philosophical" branch of the True Formula.

In specific circumstances, it can completely fool someone.

His thoughts had drifted a bit too far, and Sean quickly reined them in.

Returning to the question of whether he "was Black"—

He chose not to answer.

It was evident that Adeph desperately wanted a definite, affirmative answer; the old man was practically on the verge of tears. Kate and the others were also excited, their faces flushed, gazing at his statue with anticipation. This made Sean wonder if he had some sort of succubus constitution in his past life…

The more they were like this, the more Sean refused to commit.

It was like how a goddess always replies slowly; only by maintaining an ambiguous, evasive, and inscrutable attitude can one keep someone hooked and preserve one's mystique as a legendary figure in an epic of the ages.

After that, no matter what Adeph and the others said, Sean didn't move again.

Steady as an old dog.

Yet, even so, Adeph and the others didn't give up.

Or rather, they had already given up. Hundreds of years had passed, empires had risen and fallen, and Black and his Age of Scholars were long gone. The harder people lived now, the more they would miss the past. Everyone wished Black were still alive, yet at the same time, everyone knew it was impossible. But Sean's two actions had rekindled hope in their hearts, which had already accepted reality—

"If it truly is you, Lord Black, please open your eyes and look at this world."

Adeph shouted.

"Please look at what they have done."

"Those faithless scoundrels have branded us as heretics and want to exterminate us. We are forced to hide everywhere, with no end in sight. We want to fight, to avenge our slaughtered companions…"

"But now, the study of the arcane is in decline, and our enemies are numerous. Many of our nascent Wizards lack even the ability to protect themselves, only able to flee in all directions under the enemy's pursuit, barely surviving…"

"But it's alright!"

"Because you have returned!"

"Just as you once opened the Void Arts Space with one hand, established the True Formula Hall with another, conquered the Saintess with a third, and defeated the Pope with a fourth…"

"Lord Black, please show yourself!"

"Please lead us, please punish those unforgivable traitors."

"Please make the arcane and Wizards… great again!!"

Sean: "…"

So he had that many hands?

Adeph's emotions were intense and full of feeling, like a devout believer praying for the arrival of their god. Iris and the others were momentarily moved, and Kate's eyes reddened. She used shaping magic to create a soft cushion and knelt down on the spot, choking out, "Please, Lord Black, show yourself!"

Not appearing.

Sean's expression was blank.

He wasn't going to come out.

After all, he wasn't the true "god" and didn't buy into that. He didn't believe in a god himself. Whether in his past life or this one, he only believed in knowledge. Once, a follower insisted on discussing with him the form in which God existed. He told the person it was mathematics, and that God = 6.

Seeing his prolonged lack of response, everyone couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Especially Elvily. Sean had been watching the young girl, and her face seemed to hold more dejection than the others. She bit her lip slightly, which made Sean's heart stir with a murmur.

When he had previously asked Elvily about Black, the girl had seemed impatient, as if she didn't want to mention the name. But now, seeing that he wasn't responding, she had become very disheartened…

So, what was Elvily's attitude towards Black?

Sean found that girls' minds were sometimes truly difficult to guess.

It felt like there was a story there.

But one thing was strange. According to Adeph, the Age of Scholars was hundreds of years ago. How could a modern girl of seventeen or eighteen like Elvily have any connection to a historical figure?

Sean couldn't figure it out.

Before the statue, Adeph didn't lose heart. He composed himself slightly, turned to everyone, and said, "Don't be discouraged. After sleeping for so many years, Lord Black might be tired. Let's not disturb him for now."

This wasn't self-deception, because the statue had indeed moved. It wasn't just him and Kate who saw it.

Lord Black refusing to appear must have his reasons.

Even if, at the very least, Lord Black had truly been submerged by the river of time and only a wisp of his soul remained, it would still be encouraging news.

Because as long as he was here, he could bring hope to everyone.

This is the power of a great man.

What's more, Lord Black might even be able to help them reach the third level of the Sanctuary and obtain those long-lost knowledge, which would be enough to elevate the combat power of all Wizards in the Void Arts Space to a new level.

"In any case, this is a good start. The era belonging to us Wizards will soon return!" Adeph's voice was vigorous and powerful. He bowed deeply to the statue and said, "Let's adjourn for tonight. Go back and prepare what you need to prepare, and don't delay important matters."

"Also, from today onwards, we must ensure that someone is guarding the statue at all times. If Lord Black has any instructions, be sure to notify everyone immediately."

Sean: Huh?

Instructions?

"I, let me do it!" Kate volunteered.

Staying in the Void Arts Space for a long time is actually a very arduous task, as it constantly consumes mental energy, but Kate is not afraid of hardship. He grew up listening to the stories of Karl Black. Being able to become Lord Black's exclusive messenger, he felt extremely honored!

"Then I won't fight you for it." Iris glanced at Elvily with an unreadable expression and said with a smile, "When you get tired, you can call me to take over."

Kate: "Then you'll have to wait."

He wouldn't get tired!

Everyone laughed and shook their heads, then looked at the statue again, their eyes clearly brighter than before.

Tonight's Dawn Meeting seemed to have truly ushered in the dawn.

Elvily glanced at the statue one last time and turned to leave.

Iris quickly followed, and the others left one after another, leaving only Kate behind.

And Sean, who was inside the statue.

The candleholder on the round table burned silently, and the hall returned to silence.

At this moment, Sean's mind began to spin and leap again, recalling the process of cultivating from rank one to rank two in his dream.

It was a long time ago for both him and Black. Sean thought for a long time before he remembered.

It was mainly because Kate was too diligent...

Adeph and the others had already left for a while, but he was still maintaining his previous posture of admiration, his eyes fixed on the statue filled with anticipation. Even through the stone carving, Sean could feel the longing in his heart—he really wanted to receive instructions.

This made Sean feel a little embarrassed.

So, while Kate's neck was getting a little sore, and he thought waiting like this wasn't ideal, Sean, who was about to get up and go to the library to get a book, quietly floated out. Using his mental power as ink, he wrote a few lines of text on the table, revealing arrogance and indifference—

[Kate?]

[I remember your name]

[I saw your performance tonight, not bad. I think I can consider giving you an opportunity]

[Silver algae, rusted ore, white crystal... you should know these?]

[East suburb of Old Sigel City, this is the address. You will deliver it personally in a week]

[Personally, you should understand what I mean]

Besides a few items used to identify toxicity, the rest were materials for brewing "Spirit Potions."

Wizards cultivate Magic through Meditation, and Spirit Potions are used to aid Meditation. White crystal contains a certain hallucinogenic effect, but through alchemy, the hallucinogenic effect can be applied to Meditation, improving the cultivation speed of low-level Wizards.

After leaving the instructions, Sean also left the Sanctuary, leaving without looking back.

When Kate returned from the library and saw the writing on the table, he was completely stunned. The book in his hand fell to the floor with a "thump."

It took nearly ten seconds for the text on the table to start burning, turning into ashes stroke by stroke, before he finally reacted.

It's really Lord Black!

Lord Black is still alive!

Although it seemed like a bit of an overreaction and a bit strange to have him do such a simple task, perhaps this was a small test that Lord Black deliberately set for him?

After all, this was Lord Black's first time using him, so he couldn't directly entrust him with an important task. It was reasonable to observe him first.

He would have done the same if he were in Kate's position.

Kate, who gradually understood everything, looked at the statue with a flushed face and said excitedly:

"Please rest assured, Lord Black, I will do my utmost to complete your instructions and will never let you down!"

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Black!"

"Thank you!"