"What? Lord Leilin, do you know what you're saying?"
Within the endless circle of pitch-black darkness, Inosita's figure materialized directly, and more beings in the shadows directed their consciousness toward him — clearly, this was a matter of utmost importance.
"Of course I know!"
Leilin drew a deep breath. "I've mastered the method of passing through the Crystal Wall System. Currently, I can transport beings at or below Dawn-level
"Interesting! Interesting!"
Almost in the same instant, Leilin felt several sinister thoughts descend upon him like lightning bolts, even attempting to peer into his mind.
"Get lost!!!"
A ferocious grin spread across his face. Blood-red Dream Runes flickered to life, and a vertical eye materialized between his brows.
In that instant, the multitude of sinister thoughts recoiled with screams of anguish, hastily pulling back.
"It's the inheritance of the King of Nightmares!"
"No wonder he has this level of strength and rate of progress — he's already no weaker than we Eighth-level Wizards..."
Exclamations rose from all around, and only now did those powerful beings begin to take Leilin seriously. Equal strength was the foundation of any relationship — Leilin had never doubted this for a moment.
Without demonstrating power comparable to an Eighth-level Wizard, these beings would likely just seize all of his achievements by force.
"I've said it before... Lord Leilin has signed the contract and is one of us Wizards!"
Boom!
A tremendous force radiated outward, representing the will of the Mother of the Earth's Core.
The existence at the absolute peak of the Eighth level immediately caused the other Wizards to cease their prying.
"Legend has it that the Mother of the Earth's Core originates from the core of the Wizard World, possessing tens of millions of avatars, each with a different form. It seems the rumors are true after all..."
Leilin nodded inwardly, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Your research results will be protected!"
The Mother of the Earth's Core's enormous core pulsed, emanating a resolute consciousness.
"Thank you, my Lady! However, I am also willing to share this research with all of you..."
Leilin smiled, dangling bait that no being could refuse. "It will only require a small price — a fair trade..."
--- After a period of turbulence, explosive news spread throughout the Wizard World and continued to expand outward.
A Seventh-level Wizard had actually discovered a method to reopen the Crystal Wall System, and it had been verified by the Mother of the Earth's Core!
This immediately set off a tidal wave of shock. After all, the outside Wizards' coveting of the
Now, it seemed the preparations to restart the war were nearly complete!
It was worth noting that because the Crystal Wall System's blockade was so thorough, even though the Rule-level beings of the outside world were all discussing and probing this matter, the gods within the World of Gods hadn't noticed a thing.
In their subconscious, with the protection of the Crystal Wall System, a Wizard invasion was a distant, almost unthinkable prospect.
Leilin, who was at the very heart of this storm, was spending his time in remarkable tranquility.
With the strength he had displayed — comparable to an Eighth-level Wizard — apart from a handful of beings like the Mother of the Earth's Core, he could practically roam the Astral Plane with impunity.
More importantly, even if the situation turned unfavorable, he could flee to the Dream World or the Shadow World at any time, where even peak Eighth-level beings couldn't touch him.
With this as his safety net and trump card, his true body remained unshakable regardless of the storms raging outside.
The Wizards were not so short-sighted either. After all, according to the materials Leilin had submitted, at most, beings below Dawn-level Wizard strength could be transported into the World of Gods.
As for a method that could truly allow Rule-level beings to pass through, Leilin flatly denied having one.
This was the absolute truth. After all, his current main body was still in the outside world and couldn't penetrate the Crystal Wall System either, even with the help of the Mander's Disc. So he had nothing to fear from the oath's verification.
But even so, it was more than enough to stoke the Wizards' greed.
The Astral Plane gradually grew lively. Numerous powerful and malevolent gazes had locked onto the World of Gods.
The shadow of a second Final War seemed poised to ignite at any moment!
--- On the other side of the Astral Plane, deep within the formidable Crystal Wall System, the myriad beings of the World of Gods remained blissfully unaware, continuing their lives of decadence and their schemes for power.
The continent, which had been wracked by constant warfare, had now fallen quiet due to the temporary ceasefire between the Northern Beastmen Empire and the Silver Moon Alliance. The gaze of the entire continent gradually shifted southward, toward that legendary island.
Faolan Island.
This had originally been the territory of the Faolan Family. After Leilin relocated the entire family to Bankz Island, its status had declined somewhat, but it remained a major channel for South Coast trade and an important transit hub.
Vast quantities of sugar, salt, and grain flowed continuously from the south, converging here before being shipped inland in exchange for ironware, cloth, and extensive technical support.
Countless merchants had earned fortunes through this channel that could last several lifetimes, and smuggling was impossible to stamp out no matter how hard they tried. This trade route had therefore earned the name the Golden Route!
According to the rumors, even an ordinary sailor working the route for a few years could become a minor wealthy man. All manner of tales like these drew waves of adventurers from the mainland to converge here. Bars and inns did booming business every single day, filled with an air of prosperity.
And on this particular day, a small passenger vessel from the mainland docked at the port.
Unlike the other sailing ships packed to the brim with cargo, eager to fill every last bit of available space, this ship was rather spacious, leaving ample room for each passenger. As a result, it was favored by some wealthy minor nobles and merchants.
Under the escort of an elderly man resembling a butler and a knight, a young man wearing a white veil over his face stepped down from the deck.
"So this is Morning Star Port? The legendary land of wealth and hope!"
The young man gazed at the massive cranes and the fearsome wooden mechanical arms — these enormous tools, commonplace across the docks, danced with the flexibility of living things as they lifted enormous wooden crates from ocean-going vessels tall as mountains and transferred them along long conveyor belts out past the dock perimeter.
There, numerous laborers and sailors — most of them bare-chested and brimming with solid muscle — were already waiting.
What struck the young man even more was that it wasn't only humans here — he could see South Sea natives with dark and yellow skin, merfolk with unmistakable oceanic features, hirsute half-orcs, and even dwarves, gnomes, and halflings, all of whom seemed to have found their place in this port.
"What extraordinary devices! Ordinary cranes are nowhere near this flexible, and they certainly couldn't bear this much weight!"
The young man stared at the enormous net baskets hanging from the cranes, their terrifying cargo nearly blotting out the sky like small dark clouds.
"Indeed... it's like a mountain! I wouldn't doubt for a moment that if an actual mountain were placed before them, they could move it away just as quickly... That lord is also a great master of alchemy — his remarkable expertise is evident from the way he modified these two machines..."
The butler-like old man polished his spectacles. "Quite a wondrous place indeed, but this isn't our destination. You should go rest first, young master..."
"You're right — this place doesn't belong to me..." The young man's voice turned suddenly subdued as he left the dock under the knight's escort and protection.
They had no idea that this fleeting instant had already drawn the attention of many.
--- Outside Morning Star Port, inside the Wizard Tower atop the hill.
After Leilin departed from Faolan Island, Ernest had been granted most of the authority over this Wizard Tower, and had been safeguarding it for the Faolan Family ever since.
"What an interesting little fellow... Pity, I no longer have the energy to play your games..."
Ernest sighed. He was sitting in a wheelchair, a thick woolen blanket draped over his legs, with a ceramic teapot and teacup of elven craftsmanship resting within arm's reach.
"Tower Spirit... deliver this intelligence to the Church of the Giant Serpent, and then we need not concern ourselves further..."
After a feeble wave of his hand, Ernest reluctantly closed his eyes, his movements slow and dignified, as though he didn't want to waste a single shred of his remaining energy.
"Oh,
Ernest murmured softly, as though lost in some distant recollection.
It was the image of his most prized pupil in his youth — without question, the greatest pride of his entire life.
From the youngest mage prodigy to the youngest High Mage, and even to Legend — his pupil had shattered the world's prejudices against mages at every turn, showing them the rise of a truly gifted mage. And now, his proudest student had begun to gaze upon the realm of gods!
"God of Knowledge, Ogma... I pray to you with all my heart. Grant me just a little more time to witness that most glorious moment!"
Ernest drew a medallion from his breast and began to murmur his prayer.
Mages' faith was generally quite weak, and Ernest had previously been a follower of
Of course, for reasons that could not be spoken of, he had timely changed his faith. Rather than accepting the doctrine of the Giant Serpent, he had turned to the embrace of Ogma, God of Knowledge.
After all, for mages, knowledge was power — wasn't it?
At that moment, Ernest had no idea that the earlier visit of the young man and his butler would draw even more attention to this place, setting off ripples in the outer seas that would eventually spread across the entire continent — and perhaps even the multiverse.