The Most Terrifying Threat

"Grandpa... I'm so scared..."

After returning to her familiar and comforting room, Rolandis finally couldn't hold back any longer and threw herself into the old mage's arms, venting all the grievances she had suffered over the past few days. She cried as she poured out her heart to the old mage, explaining that although Li Lin hadn't actually done anything to her, for Rolandis, who had always lived a comfortable life, this kind of life was practically torture. The old mage simply listened silently to Rolandis's story until she had finished speaking.

"Grandpa, why don't you fight back? Is it really because you can't beat him?"

"That's right."

Stroking Rolandis's head, the old mage nodded solemnly, a statement that Rolandis found somewhat unbelievable.

"How is that possible? Grandpa, you're a high-level mage, and with such immense power, how could you possibly be no match for a young man? Although he also possesses powerful magic, he couldn't possibly be stronger than you, Grandpa. After all, you're a member of the Inner Circle Council of the Mages' Association, aren't you the most powerful mage in the world?"

Regardless, Rolandis couldn't believe her grandfather's words. Ever since she was old enough to understand, the old mage had been one of the most powerful mages on the continent. Not only did he possess immense strength, but his status as a member of the Kudel royal family also gave him considerable influence and a voice, even within the monster-infested Inner Circle Council. Therefore, in Rolandis's mind, her grandfather was always powerful and wise. Yet, he had shown such weakness in front of a man who was only slightly older than her—something Rolandis simply couldn't comprehend.

"This world...?"

The old monk gave a wry smile and shook his head.

"In this world, we are far from the most powerful mages. Yes, we wield terrifying spells and possess destructive power and creative glory. But these are merely the minutiae of magic. What we possess is only a fraction of what the ancient empires have passed down."

"Grandfather...?"

Rolandis stared at the old mage in surprise, wondering why her grandfather would suddenly bring up the ancient empire. Although this was something mages would discuss in private, it was a taboo subject within the royal palace. After all, the Magic Empire was a taboo subject across the entire continent, and it was best to avoid mentioning it if possible.

"That's right, what we've learned is merely fragments. That man, on the other hand, possesses the essence of magic. Even if I went all out, I probably wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest. After all, he's Arcane Mage."

"Varied..."

Rolandis was speechless for a moment. Arcane Mage —she had heard of those four words before. No, it should be said that every mage had heard stories about Arcane Mage. No matter how many, they feared, admired, and longed for Arcane Mage because they represented the limits of magic and that unattainable goal that these mages could never reach.

"That's impossible!"

Rolandis almost forgot she was in the palace and screamed as if she had been pricked by a needle.

"All the Arcane Mage have vanished, didn't you tell us that? The whole continent knows that under the attack of the Five-Nation Alliance, all thirteen Arcane Mage perished without exception!"

"That's right, that's what I said."

The old monk nodded.

"However, we've only heard this from the previous generation; nobody really knows what history actually is."

"But how can you be so sure he is...?"

"Magic Tattoo."

The old mage interrupted Rolandis's question and gave the answer.

"When he was fighting Noah, I saw the radiance of the Magic Tattoo and felt that power; it was something that could never be faked."

"Magic Tattoo?"

Clearly, Rolandis, who had only heard some rumors, had no idea what this meant.

Magic Tattoo are reserved for Arcane Mage, representing the pinnacle of magic. The ultimate manifestation of mystery, each magical character possesses immense power, and they only recognize Arcane Mage as worthy to wield them. This power grants Arcane Mage unparalleled speed and might in their spellcasting compared to ordinary mages. Through this power, they can unleash formidable and terrifying spells anytime, anywhere, without incantations or hand gestures, simply with a thought. Furthermore, Arcane Mage expend very little energy when using Magic Tattoo, a fundamental difference from mages of this era who must expend enormous amounts of energy to use advanced magical techniques.

Any spell cast using Magic Tattoo would be very difficult for modern mages to resist or stop.

"Noah did quite well back then; the defensive spells he cast would have been troublesome even for me. But that man easily shattered all his defenses—which was inevitable. No matter how talented or intelligent Noah was, he was ultimately just an ordinary mage, and his skills were no different from ours. How could he possibly be a match for the founder of the Magic Empire, the most powerful Arcane Mage? But then again... to die at the hands of Arcane Mage, as a mage, Noah could already be considered very honored."

"How is that possible...?"

Just hearing this, Rolandis felt her mind go completely blank. Magic Tattoo? Are you kidding me? How could such a powerful thing exist?!

"So, which Arcane Mage is he?"

There were thirteen ancient Arcane Mage in total. Which one was this man?

I don't know.

When Rolandis asked the question, the old mage shook his head.

"Magic Tattoo are something every Arcane Mage possesses, and even if there are differences, it's beyond the understanding of those of us who only grasp a corner of history. However, the lady beside him is clearly not human. Given this, she could be the alchemist Belmondo or the sorcerer Kairos; they are rumored to be most skilled at modifying the human body and summoning demons. If that lady is one of their creations, then we could at least try to trace their identities from this."

"That..."

Upon hearing this, Rolandis suddenly had a flash of inspiration and remembered the conversation between Angela and Nia in the carriage earlier.

"That man has a talking spellbook, I wonder about this..."

"Weapon Spirit?!"

The old monk stood up abruptly, his face pale, his eyes revealing undisguised fear.

"The Eternal Library within the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys?!"

Magical weapons capable of speaking are extremely rare in history. The skill of imbuing inanimate objects with life has even surpassed the limits of magic, reaching the realm of divine arts. Combined with Li Lin's identity as an arcane mage, the answer is already obvious.

"So... that lord is the 'Dominator' among the thirteen Arcane Mage... Luoxia Cathe Ellan, I never expected it to be him..."

The old monk was trembling slightly all over. He even slowly sat back down on the sofa, picked up the teacup with his trembling hands, but quickly put it down again.

"... Was that Arcane Mage extremely powerful?"

Rolandis was surprised and puzzled. Although the old mage's tone had subtly conveyed respect and fear when mentioning Arcane Mage, his reaction seemed exceptionally strong when facing this one...

"... According to records, at the founding of the Magic Empire, he was the strongest among the thirteen Arcane Mage. However, later, for unknown reasons, his power weakened drastically, dropping him from first to thirteenth, making him the weakest of the Arcane Mage."

"So..."

Rolandis didn't seem to care much. During the learning of magical mysteries, all sorts of accidents naturally occur, resulting in numerous deaths and the inability to use magic again, not to mention weakening their strength. Since this Arcane Mage was the weakest of the thirteen, why was her grandfather so anxious? He hadn't acted this way when he mentioned the other two Arcane Mages.

"You don't understand. We have no information, we have no idea what happened. We also don't know why that 'Dominator' would deliberately reduce his strength. But he is the most terrifying of the thirteen. After all, the other Arcane Mage each have their own area of expertise, but this 'Dominator,' we have no idea what his specialty is. He is not an alchemist, yet he created Weapon Spirit that even alchemists would be ashamed of. He is not a necromancer, yet he created several powerful necromancy spells... He seems omnipotent and omniscient. Of course, we all know that's impossible. A mage is already exhausted enough from pursuing just one path; he simply doesn't have the extra energy to do anything else... Moreover, he was one of the Arcane Mage who originally created the Magic Empire..."

The old monk lowered his head helplessly as he spoke.

To that "Dominator," the Magic Empire was like his child. Would he so easily let Kudel destroyed his own child, go unpunished?

"Rolandis, did you hear anything while you were with them?"

"This..."

Rolandis frowned slightly, recalling for a moment.

"They seem to be heading out to sea... I remember hearing the Arcane Mage tell his maid to rent a boat..."

"Going to sea... is that right?"

The old monk frowned as well. But after thinking for a moment, he shook his head helplessly. Clearly, he didn't know what Li Lin was going to do at sea either.

"Rolandis, you've worked hard. You should go back and rest."

"Um."

Although she still had many questions, judging from the old mage's expression, Rolandis knew that now was not the time to ask questions, so she obediently nodded and then turned to leave.

After Rolandis left the room, the old mage stood up with a solemn expression. He walked to the crystal ball and began to chant incantations in a low voice. Soon, a phantom light emanated from the crystal ball, illuminating the room and slowly revealing an unusual scene. Several blurry figures appeared before the old mage's eyes, and a commotion and discontent accompanied the Mind Link, causing the old mage to frown in annoyance.

"I never expected that anyone among us would hold Inner Circle Council at this time."

One of the figures spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"We hope you didn't call this meeting for some trivial domestic matter concerning your king."

"I have convened this meeting with the members of the Inner Circle Council to report on an important matter."

The old monk had no interest in ignoring the other party's provocation and went straight to the point.

"Here, as an inner-ring mage, I propose that the alert level for the Mages' Association's absolute sealed artifact— 'Hymn of Destruction' —be raised to the highest level! Furthermore, I hope that at least one hundred mid-level and high-level mages will be assigned to guard it!"

"..."

The old monk's words took everyone by surprise, and after a brief silence, all sorts of voices erupted.

"Are you kidding me? The highest level? Do you know how many people in the Mages' Association are being wasted on this useless thing?"

"Please explain. Even if you are an inner-circle mage, you alone are not qualified to propose such a motion."

"One hundred mid-level and high-level mages? The Mages' Association only has a few thousand mid-level and above mages right now. Deploying that many people to guard the forbidden item is making a mountain out of a molehill!"

"That's absolutely impossible, give up. Without sufficient reason, we will never agree to your proposal."

"Quiet."

Amidst the cacophony, a cold, somber voice emerged, drowning out all the other sounds.

"Speaker of the Parliament."

Faced with that cold voice, the old mage lowered his head. Although he had never met the council chairman, this terrifying feeling had never left his heart.

"We need a reason. You should understand that even an absolutely sealed forbidden object isn't something anyone can use at will. Furthermore, you should know that we've already taken ample precautions against it. And 'Hymn of Destruction' is an exceptionally terrifying magical weapon; it can absorb the Magic Power of any mage who comes into contact with it, turning them all into cripples. I believe that even mages wouldn't easily come into contact with such a magical weapon. Why did you request increased vigilance? What exactly do you know? Share it with everyone."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

The old monk nodded slightly, and then, with a solemn expression, he spoke to the book.

"The person capable of wielding this terrifying weapon has appeared."