Arrival at the Second Line

"Whooo—"

The Spell Airship sent a deep hum shuddering through the air. Like a magnificent, mysterious silver whale, it broke through layer after layer of cloud and cruised across the vast sky, seeming slow despite its speed.

Undine stood quietly at the airship's highest level, dressed in a robe covered with intricate gold patterns. Her waterfall of hair fell to her ankles. With skin as bright and pale as moonlight, delicate features, and blue-violet eyes, she looked like a poised, elegant goddess, radiating beauty impossible to ignore.

More than half the young wizards on the deck below were stealing glances at Undine, including two women.

A figure in a luxurious robe walked up behind her and softly called her name.

Undine turned and saw an unusual-looking middle-aged man.

Most of his hair was chestnut brown, threaded with many metallic silver-gray strands.

He was handsome, but a patch of his right cheek and eye looked damaged and corroded. There was no eyeball in the socket. Instead, a golden pocket watch was set there, its face occasionally flashing with tiny, transparent runes. It looked deep and mysterious.

"Undine."

The middle-aged man with the golden pocket watch for an eye came to stand beside her at the bow. He spoke gently.

"Why haven't I seen anyone from the Silver Tower this time? I heard you recently found a promising young fellow with an Old One's Overlord Bloodline. And Violet is more than qualified to explore the front line of the core secret realm."

"He's still weak. He's only just advanced to the Second Circle, and his fighting strength rests entirely on the power of his Old One bloodline. The front line of the core secret realm isn't suited to him. As for Violet..."

Undine paused, then said quietly, "Karos specifically assigned him to