The last two words he spoke were light, yet carried an undeniable weight.
Faluxir’s heart skipped a beat.
Her gaze sharpened, locking onto the eyes of the [Sage of Jingwei] behind the lenses, trying to glean any hint of intent.
Change the tide of battle? This was no empty threat.
This man never did anything without purpose.
Beside her, Zhao Yingyue sensed the undercurrent of tension.
She stepped forward almost imperceptibly, shielding Faluxir’s side with her own body, a warning clear in her eyes.
Faluxir lifted her hand and gently patted Zhao Yingyue’s arm, signaling her to stay calm.
Janet’s words echoed in her mind.
“…Some enemies can be used.”
She took a deep breath, suppressing the vigilance and doubt in her heart, and slowly extended her right hand, gloved in white.
“In that case, please.”
A faint, satisfied smile finally appeared on the face of the [Sage of Jingwei].
He lightly took Faluxir’s hand, stepped back half a pace with elegant poise, allowing himself to be led, and together they slid into the dance floor.
The [Sage of Jingwei] danced surprisingly well.
As the follower in the female step, his movements were light and precise, perfectly matching Faluxir’s slightly stiff, military-style lead.
Faluxir had no interest in appreciating his skill.
All her focus was absorbed in this special negotiation.
“What do you want to say?”
Her lips barely moved, her voice squeezed out between her teeth, perfectly masked by the graceful music.
“A proposal—or rather, a plan already in motion.”
The [Sage of Jingwei] responded calmly, completing a graceful spin, his voice equally low.
“I need your support—or at least, your tacit approval.”
“I never tacitly approve of anything I don’t understand.”
Faluxir guided him through a crossing step, narrowing the distance between them for a moment.
“You will understand.”
A flash of confidence lit the [Sage of Jingwei]’s eyes.
“Just this afternoon, I had an in-depth and productive discussion with the First Prince, His Highness Dolos. We reached a consensus.”
“Consensus?”
“Yes,”
The tone of the [Sage of Jingwei] grew solemn, as if stating a world-changing event.
“A consensus on constructing a two-way teleportation array. One that directly connects the royal capital with the front lines of the Forbidden Marsh of the Demon Domain.”
A bomb seemed to detonate in Faluxir’s mind.
Her steps faltered for a fraction of a second—if not for the [Sage of Jingwei]’s steadying grip, she would have lost composure on the dance floor.
Teleportation array?! Connecting the royal capital and the Forbidden Marsh of the Demon Domain?!
What a mad yet… enticing idea!
On the continent of Tingyue, true teleportation magic didn’t exist.
Spatial magic was a forbidden domain of the gods, untouchable by mortals.
Constructing a teleportation array capable of spanning such distances not only required astronomical funds but also rare magical materials nearly extinct on Tingyue.
Currently, the entire Arslan Kingdom possessed only one array to the Night Dragon Kingdom—its construction had been unimaginably difficult.
But if… if it could really be built…
After the shock, Faluxir’s mind raced wildly.
The strategic advantages were overwhelming!
Instant deployment of troops—no more days of dangerous, exhausting marches; unbreakable supply lines—frontline soldiers never fearing starvation again; critically wounded could be sent to the royal capital for treatment within minutes, drastically reducing mortality…
“…Impossible.”
She spoke hoarsely, her voice dry with disbelief.
“Cost… technology… The First Prince could never agree.
Even if he funded it, the necessary magical materials…”
The [Sage of Jingwei] gave a soft chuckle, interrupting her.
“Since I’ve come to you, Chosen of the Gods, naturally I already have solutions to those obstacles.”
With a turn in the dance, his lips nearly brushed Faluxir’s ear.
“It’s clear, Chosen of the Gods, that you’re very interested in this plan…
So why not discuss it in detail after the banquet, in the conference room by the side entrance…
His Highness Dolos and I will be waiting for you.”
—
The night was as thick as spilled ink, swallowing the Gothic spires of the Lishen Church’s cathedral.
By the time she escaped the false toasts and insincere congratulations of the celebration, it was already midnight.
This was the Hall of Silent Thought within the church—a secret conference room forbidden even to ordinary bishops.
The room was unadorned, even austere.
The walls were built from massive, unpolished black stone, cold and hard, as if they absorbed all light and sound.
From the center of the ceiling hung a single Magic Crystal emitting a soft white glow, illuminating the huge oval table of solid Millennial Rosewood and the three faces around it.
The First Prince Dolos wore a finely tailored royal uniform.
Golden sashes and ornate badges gleamed in the crystal light, but couldn’t mask the impatience and ambition on his young face.
He repeatedly adjusted his collar or tapped the table unconsciously with his knuckles, making a quiet “knock, knock.”
His gaze flickered between the other two—proud and reserved as a prince, yet betraying his eagerness for alliance.
Across from him sat the [Sage of Jingwei].
This player from another world leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced over his abdomen.
He still wore those gold-rimmed glasses—his gaze behind the lenses calm as deep water, unreadable.
Faluxir stood on the other side of the table, still in her crisp men’s suit from the ball.
She hadn’t even sat down.
Arms folded across her chest, her stance was wary and distant—a soldier’s posture.
“Cough.”
In the end, it was the First Prince Dolos who broke the suffocating silence.
He cleared his throat, striving to make his voice steady and commanding.
“Thank you both for coming.
My father… has lately indulged in pleasure, and no longer cares for the war at the front.
His Majesty the Pope, though devoted to the kingdom, considers the church’s duty to be faith and comfort, not warfare.
Now, the burden of resisting the Demon Domain has fallen upon the three of us.”
He paused, observing their reactions.
When neither spoke, he continued.
“Tonight, I invited you both here to discuss an undertaking that could change the fate of this war—the construction of a super-massive teleportation array directly linking the outskirts of the capital with the front lines of the Forbidden Marsh of the Demon Domain.”
He extended his hand, pressing his fingers onto two distant points on a map.
“I have already chosen a name for it—Gate of Dolos. I am willing to shoulder all the gold required for its construction in the name of myself and my maternal family.From recruiting craftsmen to purchasing materials to maintenance, I will bear the cost alone.”
Gate of Dolos… so that’s his motive.
Faluxir understood the First Prince’s ambition.
The kingdom was corrupt, and among Duraniel’s many sons, Dolos was the most capable—yet suppressed by a weak king.
What does a prince eager to prove himself desire most?
Achievement.
An immortal achievement great enough to silence all doubt and justify his claim to power.
If the Gate of Dolos were completed, the kingdom’s war against the Forbidden Marsh would shift from desperate defense to overwhelming offense.
Each victory and every report would become an anthem praising his wisdom.
Before such temptation, this ambitious but ultimately young prince could not resist.
But that was not enough.
For a miracle-scale teleportation array, money was the least important factor.
The rare magical materials—required for the array’s core and found only in legend—were the true issue.
Dolos clearly understood this.
His gaze turned to the [Sage of Jingwei].
“Of course, I know that money alone is not enough.
The most crucial aspect of this grand undertaking depends on you, Sage, and the… guild behind you.”
The [Sage of Jingwei] finally lifted his head.
He adjusted his glasses, a polite smile on his lips.
“Your Highness’s resolve is admirable.”
His voice was calm and clear, resonating with an almost prophetic authority.
“As you said, constructing a teleportation array of this scale requires core materials beyond the ordinary.
For example, the ‘Star Dragon Lizard Horn’ as a spatial marker, the ‘Deep Sea Naga Tear Pearl’ to stabilize spatial structure, and the ‘Lava Giant Heart’ as a power relay.
Even with the resources of the Lishen Church, I imagine these would be nearly impossible to gather.”
With each material he named, Dolos’s expression grew heavier, and Faluxir’s gaze deepened.
She’d only seen these names in the oldest tomes of the military academy library.
Almost all were materials born from demigod-class monsters or extreme environments—the difficulty of obtaining them no less than slaying a dragon.
“However, you need not worry. When it comes to magical materials, we players have our own unique methods.”
The [Sage of Jingwei] spoke of an astonishing truth with perfect calm.
“It’s hard to explain in detail, but simply put, we can use the currency of our world to acquire magical materials out of thin air from the system through Recharge.”
“In our terminology, it’s called… ‘Kejin’.”