2024-04-28 17:19:22The Gilded Rose stood on Limelight main street, the most bustling area of Rebillion City. But with the decline of the Spectral Lime chamber of commerce, it was now deserted. The three peak alchemists had left, taking valuable materials because they hadn't been paid.
But in reality, what the clerks took was worth ten times their salary. They only left behind the cheapest reagents.
The Spectral Lime chamber of commerce couldn't pay their salaries at that point. Luigi's eight thousand gold couldn't even cover it, let alone the tens of thousands owed to the alchemists.
With the clerks leaving one by one, taking bits and pieces with them, the once prestigious Gilded Rose became a mere shadow of its former self. If not for the old butler's quick action to seal the warehouse, even the remaining cheap reagents might have been taken.
When Caster entered the Gilded Rose, it was empty and dusty, a far cry from its former splendor. Raymond sighed, pity evident on his face.
But inside, Raymond felt triumphant. 'Are you despairing, thinking of your past wealth? Well, joke's on you. The Spectral Lime chamber of commerce is gone, the Gilded Rose withered, and you, stuck as a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice, aren't worth much.'
Raymond was prepared to gloat at Caster's despair, but to his surprise, Caster remained unfazed. He didn't react to the emptiness around him and proceeded to the back of the Gilded Rose without a glance.
Raymond tried to provoke a reaction, but Caster was too quick, leaving Raymond trailing behind.
As they reached the warehouse, Caster stood amidst the cheap materials. Raymond wanted to complain, but seeing Caster's desolate expression, he held back. 'He's fallen on hard times. I shouldn't add to his misery.'
Seeing Caster's lifeless look, Raymond felt vindicated. Finally, Caster seemed shocked by the discovery of the cheap materials. But Raymond wasn't aware of Caster's true thoughts...
Caster was surprised by the abundance of resources in this era. The materials, including magic iron, were plentiful, unlike in his time. He marveled at the wealth around him but refrained from indulging.
After moving the materials to the alchemy laboratory, Raymond was confused. What had prompted Caster's sudden actions? He feared Caster had lost his mind, but deep down, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. However, he worried about the consequences for himself if Caster's behavior was seen as madness.
As Raymond felt overwhelmed, Caster found some shiny gems behind a box, so he kept searching. After making sure he didn't miss anything, he called to Raymond, "Come help me."
Without waiting for Raymond's answer, Caster picked a few good gems and left.
Left behind, Raymond was surprised. 'You think I'll help just because you asked? Am I your friend? And do you really expect a great mage like me to work with such cheap stuff? Are you kidding? You can't just hire a mage like me for a few coins.'
As Raymond went into the Gilded Rose, he grumbled. "Let's get this straight! Don't give me troublesome tasks. I can't waste my magic like this. The magic we use isn't something you can understand. Hey! Are you listening?"
After complaining for a while, Raymond realized he hadn't heard back, so he looked over.
He was shocked. "Stop! What are you doing?"
Raymond saw Caster shaking a tube with red liquid—red coral solution. Raymond got scared. Red coral solution was dangerous. It could cause big problems if it got too hot or got shaken. It was a power that even mages couldn't control.
For centuries, people had tried to use it, but no one succeeded. Red coral solution was a no-go in alchemy. Raymond was terrified at the thought of what Caster was doing.
Raymond wanted to stop him but was afraid of making Caster drop the tube. He begged, "Stop! What are you doing?"
He couldn't finish because Caster lit a lamp and held the tube over the flame. Raymond panicked. 'If I don't stop him, something bad will happen!' Quickly, Raymond used a spell to freeze things, using up a lot of his magic which is very fatal for mages.
But that was better than losing everything. After using up so much mana, the Frost spell was faster and stronger than usual. Almost instantly, the empty lab was freezing cold, and the lamp went out.
And there was more. After the lamp went out, a blue light spread like reaching vines. It froze the test tube of red coral solution and Caster's right hand in place.
"Thank goodness nothing bad happened..." Raymond said, still shaking from the scare. That scene had been way too scary. If he had been a few seconds slower, the whole lab might have blown up. 'That guy is too reckless. I don't mind him playing with red coral, but he shouldn't drag me into it...'
After the shock wore off, Raymond was filled with shock and anger. With his magical skill, he could have controlled the Frost spell to just put out the lamp and freeze the test tube, without freezing Caster's hand.
Yes, Raymond had done it on purpose. 'This guy doesn't know what he's doing. It'll teach him a lesson.' Since he still thought Caster was just an Apprentice, he wouldn't treat him like a fellow mage. If it weren't for his relationship with Raymond's father, he wouldn't even bother with him. If it were anyone else, they would have been frozen solid by now!
'I've had enough of this nonsense!' Raymond thought as he cast the Frost spell. He planned to let Caster freeze for an hour before rescuing him and giving him a stern warning. If his father asked, he would say it was because of the dangerous red coral solution. It wasn't a lie. Red coral solution was dangerous. He did it all to keep "Young Master Spellbound" safe...
The more Raymond thought about it, the happier he felt. He didn't even notice that Caster wasn't bothered at all.
After surviving for over twenty years at the end of the magic era, Caster knew more than anyone else in this era. And his casting ability was top-notch, not just because of his rank, but because of his hard work. In this era, there wasn't anyone more skilled in using magic for battle than Caster. All his experiences had honed his instincts, making him instinctively know the most efficient way to use mana.
Just like his mana shield: it seemed rough, but it was enough to block Raymond's Frost spell.
As the icy mist cleared, the mana shield faded away. The thick layer of ice on Caster's right hand fell away with a "crash."
"No way..." Raymond's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. 'How... How could this be? How could an Apprentice resist a Frost spell? Even a mage couldn't! Frost might not be the most powerful spell, but it's still a 2nd rank spell! Even a bold mage wouldn't dare to resist it with their flesh. And yet this guy not only dared, he succeeded!'
'No way, something's not right here!'
'Even if he's weird, he's still Flint Spellbound's son. The Thunder God Chamber of commerce was incredibly wealthy. Flint Spellbound's son would surely have some magic tools to protect him. There's no way he'd be unharmed after a Frost spell.'
'It must be a magic tool that bFlintd the spell!'
'Yeah, that's it!'
'Otherwise, how could he be fine after a Frost spell?'
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Chapter 552
The doors to the chamber were locked. This was a closed-door, emergency session. The public was not allowed inside."The city is falling apart!" High Councilor Morvan cried out. His voice squeaked in panic. He slammed his fat hand on the dark wood table. "The markets are crashing! The bakers are refusing to bake! The banks are closing! The people think the sky is going to open up and eat them!"Commander Vex crossed his strong arms over his chest. "My soldiers are tired, Morvan. They have been breaking up fights in the streets all night. The people are scared of the dark magic. If we do not give them an answer soon, they will start burning down their own houses.""What do you want me to do?" Morvan whined, wiping his sweaty face again. "The Sage Tower is gone! The greatest magical city in the world was crushed into dirt in ten seconds! We felt the earthquake all the way here! If the Sage Tower can fall, then Glassview can fall too!"Caster sat quietly on his wooden bench. He watched t
Chapter 551
The city of Glassview was loud. It was a very rich, very shiny city. It sat fifty miles away from the ruined Sage Tower. It was built on high, green hills. The buildings were made of smooth, polished green glass and bright silver metal. Usually, the city was a place of music, money, and happy people. But today, Glassview was a city of pure terror.Caster Spellbound walked slowly down the crowded street. He wore a simple, rough brown cloak. He pulled the deep hood over his head to hide his face. He leaned heavily on his wooden walking stick. He looked like an ordinary, tired, poor old man. No one knew he was the greatest Archmage in history. No one knew he was the man who had just saved the world from a dark god. He stopped and looked at the center of the street.A giant, floating magical crystal hung in the air. It was a broadcast crystal. The High Council of Glassview used these crystals to share news with the people.Right now, the crystal was flashing with bright, angry red ligh
Chapter 551
The city of Glassview was loud. It was a very rich, very shiny city. It sat fifty miles away from the ruined Sage Tower. It was built on high, green hills. The buildings were made of smooth, polished green glass and bright silver metal. Usually, the city was a place of music, money, and happy people. But today, Glassview was a city of pure terror.Caster Spellbound walked slowly down the crowded street. He wore a simple, rough brown cloak. He pulled the deep hood over his head to hide his face. He leaned heavily on his wooden walking stick. He looked like an ordinary, tired, poor old man. No one knew he was the greatest Archmage in history. No one knew he was the man who had just saved the world from a dark god. He stopped and looked at the center of the street.A giant, floating magical crystal hung in the air. It was a broadcast crystal. The High Council of Glassview used these crystals to share news with the people.Right now, the crystal was flashing with bright, angry red ligh
Chapter 550
When Caster had fought the dark god in his mind, he had taken the sharp, glowing white stylus of his own willpower and carved into his spiritual core. He had burned away the dark, evil ink of the monster. He felt the carving now. Deep inside his quiet soul, the words shone with a soft, warm, gentle light.CASTER SPELLBOUND. His True Name was secured. It was not a boastful, arrogant light. It was just a quiet, unshakeable truth. He knew exactly who he was. He was an old man who had made terrible mistakes, but he was also the man who had given up everything to fix them. He was not a monster. He was not an Existential Hazard. He was just Caster. And that was enough.Caster opened his eyes. He smiled at the small glass vial in his hand. He had not kept the black sigil to worship it. He had not kept it because he wanted the dark power back. He kept it as a trophy. He kept it as a simple, quiet reminder.Whenever he felt tired, whenever he felt like the world was too broken to be fixed,
Chapter 549
Lysane smiled. It was a beautiful, bright smile that made her look years younger, despite her snow-white hair."They are going to build a good world, Caster," Lysane promised him. "We are already organizing building crews. Toma the baker is showing the young mages how to mix mud and straw to build warm houses. Finn is teaching the other children how to plant seeds in the clean dirt. We are going to be fine.""I know you will be," Caster said. His gray eyes shone with immense pride. "Because you are here to guide them. They do not need a magical Master of Wards anymore, Lysane. They need a wise leader with a good heart. They need you."Lysane’s eyes filled with tears. She squeezed Caster’s scarred fingers tightly.It was a quiet, incredibly powerful moment between them. They were not just friends. They were two soldiers who had stood back-to-back at the absolute edge of oblivion. They had held the weight of the universe together. They had lost everything, but they had won the only thi
Chapter 548
Several days later, the sun rose over a completely different world. The dark, choking gray ash was gone. The sky was a brilliant, endless, perfect blue. The air did not smell like burnt bone or heavy magic anymore. It smelled like fresh pine trees, wet dirt, and clean rain.Outside the ruined capital city, in the wide, green fields of the wild lands, the survivors had built a base camp.It was not a rich, beautiful place like the old Sage Tower. There were no floating white marble gardens. There were no golden statues. It was a messy, loud, busy camp made of simple tents. The tents were sewn together from old blankets, torn gray robes, and pieces of blue silk rescued from the broken city.Fires burned in the center of the camp. But these fires were not made of pale, freezing spectral light. They were normal, warm, cracking orange fires built from dry wood.The people were cooking simple soup. They were talking. They were laughing. The fear was finally gone.At the edge of the busy c
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