Chapter 906 Undercurrents
The rotten mud was releasing a strong smell. A wild wolf, having barged into the place in panic, was deeply mired in it. Howling, it tried to pull its leg out, only to be trapped deeper and deeper, until the mud consumed its ears and nose and interrupted the screaming.
It was what Vicente saw when he returned to the swamps. The place where he was usually active was now occupied by a creepy man in black.
All the parts on the man that was exposed to the air had nothing but bones left. Red, needle-like fire was bouncing in his hollow eyes. His clothes were filled with unusual patterns sewed with glamorous gold lines.
Noticing Vicente’s return, he asked with a voice as depressing as the dead, “Where have you been? An envoy from the Congress of Magic is coming.”
Vicente replied casually, “I visited home and took care of some stuff.”
By the way, I picked up s.h.i.+rley.
“You visited home? You took care of some stuff? Did you destroy the church and the Inquisition in the city?” The black-robed lich exclaimed in shock and fury, “Do you have any idea what great trouble you are bringing us into? Do you want our organization to be destroyed?”
Now that the Church had absolute advantages, the ma.s.sacre by a necromancer would definitely be regarded as the greatest provocation. It would lead to the hunting of legends!
“Congus, it’s my business. If you are unsatisfied, I can withdraw from the organization.” Vicente replied simply without any argument.
The lich was exactly Archmage Congus, the leader of “Supreme Soul”. In the incident of Cocus, he managed to survive with the many life-preserving skills of the school of necromancy. However, “Supreme Soul” suffered a destructive blow later, and only a few members escaped. He had to lie low for quite a while.
A few years later, when the situation was less intense, he left his shelter and tried to reorganize “Supreme Soul”. Then, he accidentally learned that the Liege of Death’s demiplane was never discovered by the Church and seemed to have automatically closed. Therefore, he returned to the swamps near Cocus to search for the possible leads on the Liege of Death’s demiplane. Out of his expectation, he discovered Vicente Miranda, a self-made necromancer, in the swamps.
With only a few commonly-seen magic books on necromancy and the incomplete materials in the swamps, the man became an official sorcerer after only a couple of years. Congus, who intended to reorganize “Supreme Soul”, appreciated him and brought Vicente into “Supreme Soul”, promising that he would offer guidance.
However, what happened in the following twenty years made Congus unable to believe his eyes. Perhaps due to his lack of formal magic education, this Vicente Miranda had many ideas that were the opposites of the principles in necromancy, but for the same reason, he had succeeded in rectifying and improving many principles of necromancy. He made quite a few major breakthroughs in body structure and circulation. Receiving the feedback from the real world many times, he reached the ninth circle at a speed that Congus could not imagine!
Twenty-eight years, growing from nothing to an archmage. He was definitely a genius among the geniuses. Even in the heyday of the Magic Empire, there were few people who could compare to the record in Congus’ knowledge. Even Thanos, the Sun King known as the strongest sorcerer, took a longer time than Vicente did due to the specialties of Untraceable Destiny.
Of course, Congus had also gained tremendous benefits from Vicente’s breakthroughs. Together with Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy and Basics of Calculus from the Congress of Magic, his cognitive world was close to half solidification, and he was confident to break into the legendary level in fifty years.
So, Congus had complicated feelings about Vicente. He planned to treat and groom the man as a student, but the man had become as strong as himself so quickly that he, who had been busy re-establis.h.i.+ng the organization, did not have the time to really bond with him.
However, Congus did not intend to suppress Vicente to ensure his power, because he knew that Vicente had perhaps sacrificed part of his flesh through a certain unique item. Otherwise, he couldn’t have become an official sorcerer in such a poor environment with few materials. If he wanted to become a legend, he would need more theoretical breakthroughs and more time than Congus did. By then, Vicente would bow before him in respect without him doing anything.
Hearing Vicente’s simple and cold reply, Congus held back his fury and said, “I trust that it will not happen again?”
“There’s a ‘Crazy Hound’ in Cocus.” Vicente did not hide it.
“Only one night watcher?” Congus was relieved. “I’ll ask our branches and the other organizations to lie low for now.”
Vicente nodded. “Who has come from the Congress of Magic?”
He was quite interested because he had read Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy and Basics of Calculus in Congus’ place and was quite shocked by the ideas in them. He also applied them to his studies in body structure and circulation. Had he not picked up calculus, he couldn’t have constructed magic models so easily or set a record of advancement however brilliant he was.
Therefore, even though he looked indifferent, he had been longing to meet Derrick Douglas, the author of the two books.
Congus floated before Vicente. “It’s Fernando, one of the co-authors of Basics of Calculus.”
He too had complicated feelings about the Congress of Magic. On one hand, he resisted their intention to annex “Supreme Soul”, but on the other hand, he appreciated them for publicly sharing Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy and Basics of Calculus.
“I can meet him.” Vicente touched the magic pouch in his pocket.
……
In the forest where the Supreme Soul was hidden…
It was the day of which a small fair was being held, where people could exchange magic materials and books, so the place was lively and noisy. Vicente and Congus bypa.s.sed it and stepped into an underground palace.
“The meeting will be held half an hour later.” Congus sat behind his desk.
Vicente did not say anything. He stopped before Congus’ bookshelf, took out a thick book, and read it carefully.
Half an hour pa.s.sed before anyone realized it. At this moment, the sorcerer at the reception brought in a lady who was as bright as fire.
“Fernando?” Congus asked in uncertainty because the gorgeous lady was too different from Fernando.
Fernando nodded. “The night watchers got their eyes on me. I have to change a bit before I go out.”
He pulled his belt. His b.r.e.a.s.t.s immediately collapsed, and he became a stout handsome man.
Looking at the transformation, Vicente said in disgust, “Pervert.”
Born a normal person, he always respected gender boundaries. Even if he needed to change himself, he would only focus on height and appearance.
Fernando was immediately enraged. “It’s better than you who makes everyone throw up the moment they see you!”
Vicente did not reply. He was too lazy to squabble with him.
Fernando lost momentum after his roars met no response, so he turned to look at Congus. “I would like to meet the author of ‘Theories of Body Structure and Circulation’.”
Recently, Congus had compiled Vicente’s research into books and traded them for the latest accomplishments of Douglas, Fernando, and one mysterious “Miss Silvery”.
Congus raised his skeleton hand and pointed at Vicente. “You just met him.”
“Huh?” Having become an archmage, Fernando finally noticed how young Vicente, who was also an archmage, was!
In the fair outside…
It was the first time that Oliver, who kept a mustache, had partic.i.p.ated in such a lively magic fair with his friends. He searched for beautiful sorceresses while he looked at the magic books casually.
After twenty years, due to the lack of books and guidance, he was still at the fifth circle.
“Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy, Basics of Calculus… What are they exactly?” Having been hiding here and there, Oliver barely took part in any gatherings. Many things and many books were unknown to him.
The dealer looked at him as if he were a b.u.mpkin. “Just take a look and you’ll see.”
“Huh. I can read them?” Oliver picked up the books.
After a while, he already forgot to pursue beautiful sorceresses or anything around him. He was completely devoted to the world in the books.
Such books!
Such theories!
……
In the Bright Hall in Lance, the Holy City…
Aradeline, a level-nine red robe, walked into the sacred room in awe. He did not dare to raise his head before he paid respects to Pope Gregory.
At the beginning of this year, His Holiness killed the Mother G.o.d of the Earth with “G.o.d’s Arrival”, completely banis.h.i.+ng sorcerers, dark creatures, and heretical churches into the Dark Mountain Range. It also marked the complete doom of the Sylvanas Magic Empire, the last of the three Magic Empires!
After paying respects to the pope, Aradeline realized that Ivan, the strongest saint, was also in the Bright Hall waiting for the pope’s instructions.
“You will organize the grand cardinals and the legendary knights to patrol along the edge of the Dark Mountain Range. Be prepared to conquer the place in fifteen years.” Pope Gregory calculated the time of his recovery and added some more time.
Ivan, who was handsome and masculine, lowered his head. “As you wish, Your Holiness.”
Watching Ivan leave, Gregory narrowed his eyes. Although he was not worried about the betrayal of saints with his trump cards like Excommunication, he still took precautions out of habit. For example, he kept Ivan busy in the Holy City or the Dark Mountain Range without allowing him to return to the north where he rose from. Also, he had dispatched the few grand cardinals close to him to different parishes.
After a brief silence, Gregory said to Aradeline kindly, “I appoint you as the bishop of the Snow Cathedral in the North Province of the Schachran Empire. I hope that you can work with Felix well.”
Sending his own men to the place was also one of the precautions.
“Of course, Your Holiness,” Aradeline answered anxiously.