Turning to look at Tomar, Han Xiao smiled and greeted him.
"Hey, hello there, friend who suddenly appeared."
Hello.
Tomar snapped out of his daze, stammering as he looked at the four of them with suspicion, asking uncertainly, "You... are you really wizards?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tomar realized he had asked an unnecessary question.
What's the point of asking? Only wizards can exorcise demons... and these four people must be powerful wizards, otherwise how could they have instantly killed the mutated blue shadow demon?
I thought they were protecting four laymen, but it turns out they were actually colleagues... Tomar's eyes widened in shock.
Suddenly, Tomar seemed to remember something, his expression changed, and he hurriedly took out white Glimmer dust from his bag, sprinkled it into the air, and then beckoned Han Xiao and the others to follow him.
"I used the Dust of Erasure to erase all traces of magic here, so we shouldn't be detected. Hurry up and follow me; I'll take you to the meeting place in Stoneheart City."
As he spoke, Tomar nimbly scaled the wall and ran out of the manor, Luffy. Han Xiao, along with the three bewildered individuals, followed at a leisurely pace. They arrived at an old, empty house in a corner of Stoneheart City. A simple concealment array was set up there, which was naturally quite clumsy in the eyes of the group, leaving Nowhere to Hide. However, it was perfectly adequate to deceive the natives of Planet Nalen.
Climbing over the chimney, Tomar lifted the floorboards in the corner of the house, revealing a dark, unfathomable cellar entrance.
"The meeting place is downstairs, follow me."
The cellar entrance features a suspended basket that transports people via hinges and gears, resembling a primitive elevator.
Several people stepped onto it, and with a creaking sound from the hinges, the basket finally touched the ground with a thud.
Before me lay a dimly lit space, like an underground base, piled with many wooden crates containing supplies. There were more than a dozen rooms, and the crackling kerosene lamps were the only source of light.
Having grown accustomed to advanced interstellar technology, the backwardness of this place felt quite novel to Hila and her companions, giving them a sense of returning to ancient times.
"This is the Stoneheart City meeting place. I'll take you to see Mr. Lanli, the person in charge here."
Tomar enthusiastically led the group to one of the rooms, which had more than a dozen bookshelves filled with old books.
An elderly man with a white beard was engrossed in reading by the dim light of a kerosene lamp. Hearing the noise, he looked at the group of people and showed a surprised expression.
After Tomar explained, the old man Lanli lowered his guard and said in a hoarse voice, "So you are also wizard brothers. Please make yourselves at home. The Stoneheart City Gathering Hall welcomes you."
Tomar asked curiously, "I've been wondering the whole way here, how did you manage to kill the demon spirit without using any potions?"
"It's actually quite simple; it's a technique for using magic." Fording, having received instructions from Han Xiao, reluctantly began his role-playing.
So Black Star likes this kind of style.
"Really? I've never seen it in a book before..." Tomar scratched his head.
Upon hearing this, Lanli suddenly stood up, exclaiming with delight, "Only legendary great wizards can cast spells without the aid of potions! Could you be great wizards?! I thought all the great wizards were killed by that devil fifty years ago!"
"What demon? What's going on?"
Lanli was taken aback. "You didn't know?"
"I don't know..." Han Xiao feigned ignorance.
Actually, I know, but I can only trigger the mission by listening to you... Han Xiao sighed inwardly.
"I understand. You are the legendary hermit wizards, who did not participate in the battle fifty years ago."
Lanli became excited and explained the whole story.
Fifty years ago, wizards still roamed this land widely. A wizard named Wosumede created a "divine artifact" that could create and command spirits, and absorb their power to enhance his own magic. In order to increase his power, he released a large number of fear spirits in several towns, using the fear of ordinary people as nourishment to enhance the power of the spirits, and eventually became a great wizard.
At that time, many wizards united to kill Wosumede, but Wosumede used a "divine artifact" to kill all the wizards who besieged him. He then Pursuit the remaining wizards all over the world, almost wiping them out and severing countless magical traditions.
After that, Wosumede became the court archmage of the Kingdom of Heruin, a veritable great demon king of the wizarding world. He also raised demon spirits within the kingdom, though he restrained his methods somewhat due to his status. His demon spirit army grew increasingly powerful and committed numerous evil deeds.
A small number of wizards joined Wosumede and became his henchmen, while the other surviving wizards had to hide and establish various meeting places to help each other.
Wosumede has been hunting down the surviving wizards, so they have gone into hiding and no longer appear in public. The outside world has lost track of the wizards, and the transmission of magic is controlled only by Wosumede and the Gathering Hall. Wizards in the Gathering Hall will only teach magic to trustworthy young people, carefully replenishing their blood and prolonging their lives.
This Wosumede is also a fellow leek grower... Han Xiao curled his lip.
Having roamed the universe for so many years, he'd heard similar stories so many times he was practically sick of them. It was nothing more than a super-powerful boss appearing in a surface civilization, overwhelming everyone on the planet, leading to a period of darkness ruling over it.
Planet Nalen was unaware of other life forms in the universe, and might not even be clear about the definition of the universe, so naturally it had no ability to ask interstellar mercenaries for help.
Wosumede is the ultimate target of this series of missions. He lords it over Planet Nalen, but he's just a pushover in front of Han Xiao. However, rushing in and defeating the BOSS might not guarantee getting the special skill reward for the final stage of the mission. To ensure he gets the special skill, Han Xiao plans to complete the mission step by step.
Anyway, I'm basically playing like a high-level character, easily crushing the newbie village. There's no pressure, so I'll just treat it as a vacation.
Lanli paced back and forth excitedly, his tone becoming respectful as he said, "Four Wizards, we need your help."
"Go ahead and say it," Han Xiao nodded.
"As long as Wosumede lives, the wizarding world will forever remain under his control..."
"So you want us to kill him?" Fording interjected.
Lanli shook his head with a wry smile. "We've been trying this for fifty years. Wosumede too powerful. He could kill several archmages decades ago, and he's definitely even more powerful now. Even if all four of you are archmages, you're no match for him. I can't let you go to your deaths."
Hila pursed her lips. She could handle the entire Planet Nalen all by herself, but seeing that Han Xiao didn't speak, she could only shut up in frustration.
"So what do we need to do?" Han Xiao asked patiently.
"That's right, Wosumede's most powerful ally is the demon army. He created the most powerful demon in history to help him command the army. We call it the King of Wraiths. To deal with Wosumede, we must first eliminate his ally... But the King of Wraiths extremely powerful. Even a great wizard might not be its match. However, we have discovered its weakness."
The King of Wraiths is a man-made creation, sustained by three magical altars. Each destroyed altar weakens him. Our council has located the three altars; one is near Stoneheart City, but it's guarded by demon armies. Now, with the addition of four of you, we possess the power to destroy it.
As soon as he finished speaking, the next quest appeared on Han Xiao's panel: to destroy the altar near Stoneheart City. The quest description said it was a pledge of loyalty, requiring him to gain the trust of the Gathering Hall by destroying an altar.
"Okay, I accept."
Lanli was overjoyed and said, "Then I'll have to leave it to you. Our Stoneheart City Gathering Hall has limited manpower and can only provide eight wizards to help you..."
"No need, he's enough." Han Xiao pointed to Tomar to the side.
Tomar, who had been listening quietly, was somewhat surprised, then nodded firmly, "I will do my best."
Han Xiao nodded secretly. Acquiring a specialty was one of his goals, and his second goal for this trip was Tomar, who possessed Low-Level Lucky Halo and was a protagonist-type character on Planet Nalen.
Most of the quests have follow-up effects. Players who completed the quest back then coincidentally returned to Planet Nalen several versions later and discovered that Tomar had left behind his legacy.
After Wosumede's death, the wizards of Planet Nalen were finally free. Tomar became a famous wizard, devoting his life to the study of magic and achieving groundbreaking results. He left behind a wealth of knowledge for future generations and almost single-handedly raised the superpower level of the entire Planet Nalen to a new level.
This is no easy feat. To give an example, it's like someone who has only received junior high school math education figuring out advanced mathematics at the university level on their own. In the course of civilization, they would be considered a great figure who pioneered a new era.
In fact, many great figures in the history of civilizations were geniuses whose talents were buried due to the limitations of their times.
Tomar is this type of person. His magical talent is outstanding, making him a genius that is rare to see on Planet Nalen. However, in such a backward place, geniuses do not receive systematic training, and even the most outstanding talents will be wasted.
Han Xiao's other purpose for this trip was to abduct Tomar and bring him into the legion for training.
Talented individuals are the most valuable asset, and the more protagonist-type characters you have under your command, the better—at the very least, they can bring good fortune and enhance the legion's luck.
The address Lanli gave was a cave hidden among the mountains, where an altar was said to be located.
Early the next morning, Han Xiao and his group set off with Tomar. To accommodate Tomar's pace, it took them most of the day to reach the cave, by which time it was already dark.
The group stood outside the cave, where a cold wind blew out of the dark entrance as if it were breathing, creating an eerie and sinister atmosphere.
Tomar shuddered. "Nighttime is when spirits roam, and their power is amplified. We'd better camp outside for the night and go in tomorrow at noon."
"There's no need."
Han Xiao shook his head. The mission itself was not difficult for him. He led Hila and the other two into the cave. Tomar hesitated for a few seconds, gritted his teeth, and hurriedly followed.
The cave's interior was winding and twisting, with gusts of cold wind blowing. The deeper one went, the more pronounced the eerie atmosphere became. In the depths of the cave, the presence of demonic spirits was almost undisguised, and faint murmurs could be heard from time to time in the darkness.
Tomar was covered in sweat, his nerves were on edge, and he nervously looked around, afraid that a demon would suddenly appear and surprise him. He gripped the potion at his waist tightly, ready to throw it at any moment, which was completely different from Han Xiao and the others who were strolling leisurely.
"Should we... should we go back..." Tomar's voice trembled. "Even though you are great wizards, don't underestimate us. There are at least three hundred demon spirits here; we'll have a hard time dealing with them..."
As soon as the words were spoken, a strange stone altar appeared before them, decorated with hundreds of candles burning with green flames that never went out.
"This is it! We need to destroy the altar immediately and then retreat!"
Tomar spoke urgently, about to throw out the potion.
Just then, a bone-chilling cold swept over them, and hundreds of phantoms suddenly appeared around them, layer upon layer, coldly watching them and forming an encirclement.
"They're all demons..." Tomar's eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat.
However, before his fear could fully manifest, all the eerie atmosphere melted away instantly, like snow under the sun.
Hundreds of demonic spirits disintegrated without uttering a sound, instantly killed by Fording's casual strike.
The phantoms vanished, Tomar's powerful scream caught in his throat, his eyes wide open.
This scene shattered his worldview.
What just happened? So many demons are gone?
Are great wizards really that powerful?!
"Destroying this altar will suffice." Hila waved her hand, and a dark red aura swept out, turning the entire altar into stone dust with a bang.
Han Xiao's panel displayed a notification that the second stage of the quest was completed.
But the cave suddenly began to shake the moment the altar was destroyed.
Rumble--
Black mist rose from the shattered altar, forming a black vortex about one meter in diameter in mid-air. A powerful pressure emanated from the vortex, as if some being had descended.
Tomar felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being stared at by some kind of ferocious beast, and an instinctive fear rose within him.
"It's the King of Wraiths..." Tomar's throat tightened, and he was so frightened that he couldn't move, only able to let out a weak groan.
The next second, a sinister voice, filled with deep malice, emanated from the vortex, seemingly causing the entire cave to tremble.
"You insects, how dare you destroy my altar! You will pay the price!"
Han Xiao and his companions watched the King of Wraiths's performance with expressionless faces.
"Hmph, it's too late for regrets. I will devour your souls, turning you into a part of me, and dragging you into the deepest darkness... Ah!"
Before he could finish his act, Fording muttered "playing tricks," and casually shot out a psychic energy. Like a sharp spike piercing a balloon, the King of Wraiths let out a miserable "Ah~" as if deflated, and then fell silent.
The magical vortex in mid-air disappeared, the tremors in the cave subsided, and all the strange phenomena vanished, as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, you're not going to kill it, are you?" Han Xiao was a little worried. If they killed this King of Wraiths, would the mission be interrupted?
"You can kill him, but there's no need." Fording rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"You understand me best." Han Xiao laughed and patted his shoulder hard.
As he spoke, Han Xiao turned around and called to Tomar, who was standing there dumbfounded.
"The altar is fixed, let's go back."
Tomar forced his mouth shut, jumped back a step, and stared at the group warily.
Who exactly are you people?!
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "I've already said, we are wizards."
Tomar looked incredulous.
Don't think you can fool me just because I'm not well-educated; you're definitely not wizards.
--Because wizards aren't that powerful!!
He gave himself a thumbs up for his rationality.
"Alright, since you've found out, I'll tell you the truth..."
Han Xiao's eyes darted around, a mischievous glint in his eye. He spread his arms wide, his expression turning solemn.
"Actually, we are gods."
Hila and the other two almost choked.
Wow, you're really shameless!
Upon hearing this, Tomar looked on in disbelief.
There really are gods in this world? Could it be that what those religions say is true? I thought they were all just charlatans and frauds.
It seems only a god could easily annihilate hundreds of demon spirits.
Tomar couldn't think of any other explanation. Faced with a "god," he was at a loss for words.
Han Xiao smiled inwardly, then feigned seriousness and said, "I came for Wosumede. His actions have violated the laws of nature, and he will be punished."
The Planet Nalen are all natives, so it's not difficult to fool them. This isn't the first time he's impersonated a god; he tried it once before with the Black Spirit Race. When facing natives, saying you're from outer space is less believable than saying you're a god.
Upon hearing this, Tomar's eyes lit up, and he looked excited.
Seeing this, Han Xiao put his hand to his lips and smiled, "But I hope you can keep this a secret. It's best if only you know the truth that we are gods."
Only after the mission is completed can we begin to kidnap people.
"I understand." Tomar nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
He originally intended to tell the others in the meeting place, but since the "deity" had personally made the request, he must have some reason for it, so he decided to keep the secret to himself.
The thought that he was the only mortal in the world who knew that the four people in front of him were gods Tomar so excited that his bladder tightened.