The Well of Magic Beasts, meeting room.
“Bishop Mordecai, I trust you have been well.”
Losev propped his chin on his hand, watching the cold and slightly smug face before him.
His expression gradually turned chilly.
“The noble Six-Circle Mage, Master Losev, the ‘Wood of Avelina.’ To what do I owe the honor of such a hurried summons?”
Mordecai seemed to take a perverse pleasure in reciting people’s titles one by one, a display of his peculiar sense of humor.
He had originally intended to delay this for a while longer, waiting until the seeds he had planted began to sprout before dealing with the situation.
However, on the surface, Mordecai was the overall head of the expedition.
Coupled with Losev’s high status, Mordecai had been forced to agree to this meeting after declining several times.
“Do you have anything to say regarding the incident at Avelina?”
Losev’s eyes were indifferent, betraying no emotion.
“Oh… I heard about it. The Alpos Army took advantage of the vulnerability, but thanks to the academy students and Professor Lia stepping up, the danger was averted.”
Losev was in no mood to appreciate his performance.
Magic light flickered in his eyes, and the originally gentle power of the laws instantly became eerie and oppressive.
“If you value your life, show some sincerity.”
“I cannot interfere with Avelina’s incompetence… Ugh!”
He suddenly felt his legs go weak and stumbled back several steps.
Looking down at his hair, he noticed it was losing its vitality, turning gray.
“I see… I take it you have no intention of maintaining a friendly relationship with the Holy See, then?”
Mordecai pulled out his divine staff.
A power that did not belong to him erupted from the staff, blocking Losev’s pressure.
Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Although he remained composed on the surface, he was already considering his escape route.
“You know the truth behind this matter better than I do.”
Losev’s source power had been triggered.
Even without an investigation, he understood everything.
“What is this, Master Losev? Do you intend to take my life?”
He knew that the Six-Circle Mage before him had attachments and would never actually make a move.
“If you don’t plan on fliping the table, I certainly can’t keep you here.”
Losev slowly stood up and walked toward Mordecai with his hands behind his back.
“But… what if that is exactly what I intend to do?”
The surrounding environment instantly became eerie and terrifying.
“Two Six-Circle Mages from unknown factions, accompanied by many High Mages, suddenly arrive in Bishop Mordecai’s parish via the laws of space… What do you think would happen?”
“Oh, it doesn’t stop there. By the time the Holy See reacts and mobilizes resources for defense, they happen to have moved to Saint Quentam… What would happen then?”
If a Six-Circle Mage with a faction and attachments was a lion bound by chains, then those who abandoned everything and bit at everything they saw like stray dogs… they would become the world’s nightmare.
Because Lia Carax, that monster among monsters, was capable of destroying any tactical deployment.
Mordecai knew the price, because the Holy See had experienced exactly what Losev was describing.
Mordecai’s expression turned so dark it looked like it could drip ink.
He knew Losev would settle the score, but he hadn’t expected him to have such resolve.
He had miscalculated.
Before Losev obtained the title “Wood of Avelina,” his more famous moniker had nothing to do with healing.
The “Black Reaper of Slaughter.”
Like a nightmare, he would plunder the vitality of his enemies.
Most mages were sucked dry before they could even cast a spell.
It was only that specific incident and his physical illness that had caused him to reflect, eventually becoming a representative of gentleness.
A Six-Circle Mage was truly terrifying.
Within this plane, it was better not to go head-to-head with them.
“Let’s talk terms.”
Losev suddenly retracted his power, knowing that the ambitious man before him lacked the courage to gamble everything against him.
“First… I—oh, that’s right. Have your Saintess, Sephina, join my Avelina.”
“I am particularly interested in her.”
He finished Mordecai’s potential words for him, leaving the man speechless.
With a flick of his robe, he continued toward the wounded.
‘Losev…’
Mordecai slowly stood up, his hair gradually returning to its original state.
‘Very well…’
‘Once I receive the “Gospel” and officially reach the sixth circle, I will have my revenge.’
At Avelina’s outdoor training field, Lin Yue couldn’t handle the recoil and fell onto his butt.
There was no one around except for a few practice dummies and Gus, who was standing nearby with an excited expression.
“This thing…”
Lin Yue raised his eyebrows and lifted the still-burning Magic Engineering Arm, unable to stop a hint of excitement from bubbling up.
He slowly stood up.
The thicket in front of him looked as if it had been struck by a small orbital cannon, forming a path of annihilation where gray and green met.
With a thought from Lin Yue, the Magic Engineering Arm instantly disassembled, drawing in and exhaling air like it had a mind of its own to cool down the core that had turned red from the heat.
Exquisite mechanical parts operated autonomously, closing up and rising and falling as if they were alive.
“How is it? My latest masterpiece, the Magic Engineering Arm!”
Gus seemed very satisfied with Lin Yue’s reaction.
He had stayed up for several nights, combining design blueprints with master craftsmanship to create a weapon suited to Lin Yue’s combat style so quickly.
“Impressive.”
Gus truly was the genius who occasionally gave “cheat” equipment to Allen in the main storyline.
His weapon design concepts, which surpassed the current era, were truly invincible.
People of this era either foolishly followed the path of traditional warriors, forging holy swords and giant axes, or they held onto “firewood sticks” that offered no defense while chanting spells, lacking any close-quarters combat ability.
If this design philosophy continued, it could directly overturn the traditional combat of this world.
One had to realize that in the game, only Allen could manage both magic and melee.
Now that it was his turn to become such a person, he really couldn’t complain.
“What’s with that face? You look like a crooked merchant.”
Gus looked at Lin Yue’s treacherous expression.
If he didn’t know better, he would have thought he’d cheated Gus out of millions.
“So, when are you going to invite me to be your cook again? You can make a reservation if you want…”
“???”
Gus remembered that when he was mass-producing equipment, those merchants used the same expression to haggle with him.
Had he been in contact with some merchant lately?
Had he picked up some bad habits?
“Hey, I’m not a glutton. Once or twice is enough…”
Lin Yue’s cooking was indeed delicious, but Gus wasn’t so obsessed with food that he would let himself be taken advantage of.
He placed his hands on his hips and said, “Besides, customized equipment of this quality is priceless. The core I used for you is an Energy Storage Stone. Don’t break it like you did during the exam. I don’t offer a warranty.”
“Tch.”
Lin Yue clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, still thinking about taking more advantage of this big guy.
Seeing his unsatisfied expression, even the straightforward Gus couldn’t help but complain internally: ‘Has he really been poisoned by some crooked merchant?’
“But… hehe, if you can provide me with some Energy Storage Stones, I wouldn’t mind doing you a few favors.”
‘There it is. I knew he was waiting for me with that.’
But regarding this request, Lin Yue felt somewhat helpless.
Since transmigrating to this world, he had only seen an Energy Storage Stone once, and that was the one Maper had given him.
Other than that, they could only be found at auctions, and the prices were far beyond his spending power.
“Oh, by the way, how is Lilian doing?” Lin Yue asked Gus.
He had been busy tidying up his new house these past few days and hadn’t checked on the hero’s party.
“She’s recovering quite well and should be back in class soon. However, Allen has become somewhat quiet. I don’t know what he’s thinking…”
Gus also seemed a bit troubled.
Why would that natural leader become so depressed?
Hmm…
Currently, his abilities were insufficient; it would take some time before he could become a Two-Circle Mage.
In the original work, the difficulties he encountered matched his abilities, so he could grow step-by-step after the snow mountain incident without being trapped by a specific event.
Now… with everything happening ahead of schedule, he didn’t know if Allen could handle it.
But Lin Yue chose to believe in him, because he was the protagonist, after all.
“Back to the Energy Storage Stones.”
Gus put his hands on his hips again.
“Actually, my demand has been quite high lately. It’s not that I don’t have the money to buy them, but I don’t have the channels.”
“You don’t want your equipment to be flawed, right? Since it’s a weapon for actual combat, it’s best to use top-tier materials. If you can find a channel for me, I might be able to help you out.”
Lin Yue couldn’t help but think of the Chris Chamber of Commerce.
Many rare materials could actually be obtained through them.
He probably wouldn’t find an Energy Storage Stone immediately, but the ores and composite materials Gus needed could likely be found if they looked.
Since Maper was planning to take him to the chamber of commerce anyway, could he use that connection to look for Energy Storage Stones?
But he didn’t know what he could use for a trade.
Valuable information was too shocking; no one would necessarily believe him if he spoke.
Some things were also too much of a spoiler, and he might be seized and burned at the stake for spreading heresy.
Regardless, he would keep the matter in mind.
Since Maper had one, there was a high probability she had a second.
Once this was over, it wouldn’t be impossible to ask her for one as a reward…