Chapter 105: The Battle of Rheox (IV)

Domain—a term ancient and mysterious, even more astonishing than forbidden spells.
If forbidden spells represent the most powerful forces that human magicians can wield, then domains symbolize a realm beyond that, beyond what humans can achieve, marking the threshold to divine power.
In magical texts, gods represent omniscience and omnipotence. Aside from Salonia, they are often used as a general term, just as astrologers regard the eternal stars as omnipotent gods. For black magicians, gods represent unfathomable profound knowledge or uncontrollable forces—powers as mighty as nature, beyond human reach throughout their lives.
Indeed, even the most powerful black magicians cannot summon giant blizzards that sweep across the entire Galic region. The power of nature is the power of gods—a feat beyond the reach of black magicians… no, beyond what humans can accomplish.
Throughout history, in evaluations of magicians’ ranks, forbidden spells have always served as a measure of a magician’s true power. Only those who fully master at least one forbidden spell can be titled great magicians—a mark that is almost the limit for humans.
But in the Empire… no, among black magicians, there are rumors of those who surpass even great magicians, and what balances this claim is the domain!
Salonian white magicians are staunch supporters of theism, while imperial black magicians advocate atheism. These two groups have had irreconcilable cultural differences for centuries, leading to wars at the founding of their respective nations.
To white magicians, all other magicians are pagans. Among them, necromancers are evil creatures who desecrate pure souls, while black magicians are the worst of sinners—those who dare to seize divine power. And this power is not referring to forbidden spells, but to domains.
Though no one knows for sure whether gods have ever existed in this world, white magicians believe that gods created it.
At the beginning of the world was an eternal, boundless, pitch-black chaos—a fact even black magicians cannot deny. They call this endless chaos, containing light, darkness, and all other substances, Chaos, the source from which all power originates.

But in the subsequent developments, a rift arose between black mages and white mages: black mages believed that there were no gods in this world, that gods were merely human fantasies and assumptions about the unknown, and that this world evolved naturally; whereas white mages believed that gods were the earliest inhabitants of this world, that it was the gods who created it—though whether they were the supreme gods they worshipped was another matter… In any case, white mages argued that this world was balanced, and that both the creative power of gods and pure souls should remain untainted. The concept of a “domain” meant creating space, creating a second space separate from this world! Some once regarded forbidden spells as mages’ ultimate power, but this was a misconception—no matter how powerful a forbidden spell might be, it was still just magic, at most a combination of several low-level spells; how could it compare to the greatness of a domain? Others mistook the oppressive aura possessed by strong individuals for a domain; in reality, that was merely an “aura,” something any mage who had accumulated enough magic power could achieve. The true nature of a domain was creation—theoretically, it involved using powerful magic to tear apart space, simulating the forces of nature between spatial fractures to create a second space out of nothing, and then using strong mental power and magic to give it form and substance. The mage who created such a space became a god within it! This was the true meaning of “even the greatest mages are hard to defeat”! After all, how could human power compare to the power of nature—even just a world created through mental power and magic? What Thos and the others were seeing now—the dissonant energy surrounding Rheox and the strange spatial fractures—was derived from the old dean’s domain, the [Etna Volcano Range]! Among black mages, there was an unwritten convention: although they did not believe in the actual existence of gods in this world, they still tended to add words representing gods to forbidden spells, just like the old dean had done with [Lava Hell: Hephaestus’ Fury] in Galik.

Mount Etna, in mythology, is the mountain where the god of fire, Hephaestus, resides, and all elements of fire in the world originate from here. Of course, legends are just that—legends. How could all elements of fire, as crucial components of the world, be concentrated in one place? And how can we explain the existence of the River of Flame? Surely it’s not that the dwelling place of flame demons is some river at the foot of Mount Etna? Not to mention whether Mount Etna actually exists, the River of Flame exists in a completely different subspace.

Legends aside, domains truly are a powerful and incredible force!

Let’s go back to the time when Argus and the students of Rex met on Magic Street. At that time, Argus stopped the necromancer Puhl and spared Thos and Ulric and their group.

Of course, Argus had no genuine kindness in mind. Aside from his interest in the unknown dark forces within Thos, he cared little about the lives of the others. In the past, he might have tried to recruit Ulric again, just as he did with Jean Connel, due to Ulric’s extraordinary abilities. But with things having developed to this point, he no longer had time to recruit companions. At that moment, he indeed intended to kill Ulric himself, but the earthquake accompanied by irregular magical fluctuations made him change his mind.

It was truly an incredible force—a massive pressure, as if the entire sky were collapsing. The air grew increasingly hot, and the ground trembled irregularly, all because the elements of fire and earth in the vicinity were becoming more intense. Argus was well aware that only one person could achieve such things: Great Kaines, a grand mage of fire and earth. Clearly, this old man was preparing some astonishing magic.

For this reason, Argus warned Thos. It was the first time he truly threatened this friend in a sense, because he didn’t want his plans disrupted. Great Kaines, one of the pillars of the empire, must die here, and Rex, the reserve mage of the empire, must be destroyed. Nothing could change this outcome!—He was determined to destroy this place.

Of course, Argus had considered simpler methods, such as killing Thors, but first, he truly felt a fondness for that brat, and second, through their previous encounters, he had gradually figured out what kind of being the demon within his younger friend was: a similar dark force, similar illusions, enough to prove that the great demon behind that brat was of the same rank as him. Although that brat was still weak, the great demon behind him was no easy opponent. As an Apostle as well, Argus understood this all too well. For him, destroying Rex and thus the empire was the most important thing. He didn’t want any extra complications, after all, he had already paid a huge price for this… Battle, the most brutal thing in human civilization’s history, has never ceased. Even seemingly noble magicians, behind their dazzling spells, hide terrifying realities. Magic is not a trick; don’t think of it as fireworks lit by nobles for entertainment. For knights, magic is terrifying; for magicians, it is equally terrifying. Behind each beautiful spell lies death, and lives are lost as a result. In the current situation, whether it’s necromancers or academy professors, they all must be extremely focused. A moment of carelessness could mean someone falling—perhaps a necromancer, perhaps an academy professor… Intense battles are always accompanied by death. Even necromancers who worship death are not spared. On their way to the ancient castle, Argus, Purl, and Connel had already seen over a dozen corpses. At this moment, the necromancers looked grim, but the academy professors didn’t look much better either. In the fierce battle just now, both sides lost several familiar faces. For their own ideals and positions, they fell in battle and would never see the sun of tomorrow again… Throughout the entire Heliorex Academy, perhaps only Argus could still smile. That demonic man! His eyes held no pity, nor regret. His gaze remained as mocking, or perhaps self-mocking, as ever. Perhaps for him, as long as he could achieve his goals, any price was worth paying—his own, needless to say, and others’ even more so. Some say that battles where neither side has an advantage are the most magnificent, as well as the most brutal. Argus agreed with this view.

One of the thirteen immortal kings who rule the Land of Death, a forbidden-level manifested Flame Lord, as well as angelic magic whose power is no less than those two, coupled with armies of skeletons, boulder golems, swamp puppets, and countless other summoned and manifested beasts—compared to a magic academy, Rexor now resembles more of a battlefield. In terms of numbers, the necromancers clearly have the advantage, but in terms of magic, the academy professors as black magicians hold the upper hand. It must be said that the Church’s angelic magic truly has its unique strengths; even one of the immortal kings who rule the Land of Death couldn’t fully suppress the Seraph Vapas summoned by Father Andrew. Of course, the Flame Lord controlled by the old dean also played a significant role; otherwise, Father Andrew alone would have found it extremely difficult to deal with that massive immortal king. Seeing that the battle situation was not optimistic, Pule chose to join the fight, but Argus seemed unwilling to intervene. Argus remained silent, and Connel was content to watch from the sidelines—he didn’t want to get involved in some inexplicable battle. For him, aside from that little girl whose eyes and demeanor resembled his lover, whether others lived or died didn’t really matter to him. Werewolves have never been creatures full of love. Suddenly, Connel heard a murmured voice filled with deep sighs beside him. “It’s almost over… As long as Rexor is destroyed, we can take control of the Sassan Empire… Hmph! In two or three years, internal strife and external disasters will completely dismantle the empire… This corrupt country shouldn’t continue to exist…” Connel glanced at Argus in confusion. When he saw the intense hatred in Argus’s eyes, he was stunned. He had never seen Argus show such emotions before. Vaguely, he could see a hint of sorrow in Argus’s eyes, as if recalling something. Argus relaxed, and Connel knew very well that if he wanted to, he could kill him before Argus could react. Perhaps it’s a common human trait—when on the verge of achieving a desire, people instinctively relax, and even Argus wasn’t an exception. Connel didn’t act. First, he still needed Argus to help him fulfill his wish. Second, as time passed together, he gradually realized that Argus wasn’t actually an utterly evil person. Out of curiosity, he asked softly, “Why destroy this country?”

The words struck like thunder, pulling Agus back from his memories. He glanced at Connel and wore a familiar smile. “Oh, what a surprise! You almost became a hero of this country!”
Connel certainly understood what Agus meant. With a cold sneer, he said, “Stop talking nonsense. Answer me—why do you insist on destroying this country?”
Agus stared deeply at Connel, his smile fading gradually. He gazed into the distance and murmured, “Yeah, why?” Then, a teasing smile appeared on his lips as he said mockingly, “Maybe because it’s fun? Who knows?”
“Tch!” Connel curled his lips and said coldly, “You’re still as annoying as ever!”
“Want to teach me a lesson? Well, there’s no such chance anymore!”
“Hmph!” Connel snorted and said indifferently, looking at the battle in the distance, “Don’t worry, that day will come! But with your current state, I doubt you’ll live long enough to see it!”
“That’s true…” Agus sighed rarely, putting his right hand in his pocket and fiddling with the silver coin as he murmured, “Maybe it won’t be long…”
Seeming not to hear clearly, Connel turned and frowned. “What?”
“Hm?” Agus paused briefly, then shook his head and smiled. “Nothing!”
Connel stared deeply at Agus. Seeing that he wasn’t willing to talk, he didn’t press further. He looked up at the battle in the distance and asked in surprise, “Are you just going to keep watching here? Aren’t those skeleton scum your allies?”
“Oh, right!” Agus smiled lightly and shrugged. “It’s precisely because they’re allies that I can’t interfere! If they think I’m underestimating them, that would be troublesome!”
Connel was clearly annoyed by Agus’s teasing smile. After snorting, he said sternly, “You’re using them, aren’t you? You don’t trust them, nor do you really consider them allies…”

Argus fell silent, narrowed his eyes, and said calmly, “People are born to be exploited. The only difference is by whom they’re exploited, isn’t that right? Let’s say it’s a transaction—everything in this world is a transaction. One pays a price to satisfy their desires—power, status, money, reputation, women… As long as there are desires in a person’s heart, those desires drive them to willingly be exploited… It’s just a transaction. I can fulfill their desires and bring them back to the center of this world, and in return, they must help me… Just a transaction…”

“Aren’t you afraid those skeleton scum will cause you trouble later? They’ve already lost quite a few people because of this!”

“That’s exactly the point,” Argus said with a slight smile, his eyes narrowing as he spoke in a deep voice. “The key is that I’m not afraid at all of them causing me trouble!” As he spoke, a faint yet profound dark force emanated from him—pureer than ever before. The invisible pressure even made Connel tremble with fear.

What shocked Connel even more was the faint gray silhouette that seemed to emerge from Argus’s body. Though the aura it emitted was weak, it clearly indicated a being of high rank.

There was something seriously wrong with this guy today…

Connel frowned at Argus. Suddenly, he noticed that Argus’s eyes had turned a faint red, as if imbued with magic. Just by glancing at them, a fierce desire surged inexplicably in his heart—a desire so intense it was almost unbearable. In an instant, Connel felt an odd urge to control the entire world.

“What’s going on?” Connel gasped, clutching his forehead after shaking off those strange thoughts.

Argus seemed to notice Connel’s reaction as well. Instinctively, he covered his eyes and said in a deep voice, “Don’t look at my eyes!”

His eyes?

Connel stared at Argus in shock. Only then did he realize that the black tattoos on Argus’s chest had now spread to his neck, arms, and other parts of his body. Although he couldn’t understand what the runes on those tattoos meant, he could sense something from Argus’s dark aura. He murmured, “You… have you been gradually consumed by this dark force? Wait… I can feel the dark power inside you has multiplied several times over…”

Argus fell silent for a moment. After taking a breath, he said calmly, “That’s right, to deal with the situation ahead! Those two old men aren’t easy to deal with. As you said, I don’t trust those necromancers! If they can complete the deal, they’ll get their reward; but if not… I’ll take matters into my own hands! This decaying country must be destroyed! No one can change that!”
“Are you crazy? To gain great power, would you even sacrifice yourself?” Connel said in disbelief.
After another brief silence, Argus spoke in a serious yet calm tone, “Any price is worth it!”
“You bastard…”
Meanwhile, on the other side, the old dean, who had done nothing but summon the Flame Lord, finally opened his eyes. Holding his wand, he stepped forward. Faced with a barrage of magical attacks, he simply used his magical aura to disperse them. Bone spears, bone souls, necromantic spells—all vanished like flames meeting water the moment they touched his aura.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!” Professor Hode dodged the attacks from the necromancers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the old dean’s unusual actions. His face, covered in red tattoos, showed a hint of pity. Using teleportation magic, he rushed to the old dean’s side and called out softly, “Dean…”
The old dean smiled at Professor Hode and nodded. “It’s time, Hode! The children have safely left this area. You should leave too…”
“But, Dean…”
“No need to say more,” the old dean interrupted, raising his hand. He glanced at the necromancers in the distance and then at Argus even further away, and said softly, “I knew that man would come… Go quickly! Everyone, leave. Those professors who sacrificed themselves… Ah, it’s my fault. I’ll leave the rest to you. Please convey my highest respects to their families and tell them they were the most capable professors at Heliorox Academy, as well as the greatest black magicians!”
“Swish!” Aibel also used teleportation magic to join the old dean. Biting her lip, she said softly, “Let’s go together, Dean… No, Grandfather!”
“Hehehe,” the old dean looked at Aibel with satisfaction, gently stroking her hair and smiling. “Someone must stay here to hold them back…”

“I’ll stay!” Professor Hode said in a deep voice.
“Hehe,” the old dean shook his head with a smile, teasingly, “You’re not ready yet, Hode! And it has to be me who stays. As long as I stay here, they’ll stay too, including that man, Argus… Haven’t you noticed his aura? Humans can never reach such a level. To gain great power, he sold his soul…” As he spoke, the old dean sighed slightly, glanced at Argus in the distance, and shook his head, saying, “What a pitiful fellow!”
“But Grandfather…”
“Enough,” the old dean said with a smile, stroking Abel’s hair. “There’s no need for this. I’m just buying you some time to hold them off. I reckon the Royal Mage is on his way already. Hehe, even with these old bones, I’m not going to be bullied by a young junior! I’ll meet you in half an hour! — Abel, go tell those professors to leave quickly! Hurry up!”
“Grandfather…”
“Hurry! You’ve grown up now, Abel!”
Biting her lip and staring deeply at the old dean, Abel lowered her head slightly and said softly, “This time, I can’t break my promise!”
“Oh! I definitely won’t break my promise this time!”
Watching Abel flash to the side of the professors fighting, Professor Hode forced a smile and said softly, “That tone of deceiving a little girl really shouldn’t come from you… In fact, she’s already noticed!”
“Yes, she’s Vandel’s best apprentice astrologer!” The old dean smiled proudly, then sighed slightly and said softly, “That means she’s grown up… Hode, I’m counting on you after this!”
“Yes, Dean!”
“Hmm!” Pinching his wizard hat, the old dean said softly, “Tch! That old bastard Wiston… After we leave, head to Vandel! The Royal Mage… Jerry Belford might betray us. Thasson isn’t safe anymore. Go to Vandel for now. Elder Jives will take care of you… Please, Hode!”
“Yes, Dean!” Professor Hode said, suppressing his sorrow.
“By the way,” the old dean said with a smile, shaking his head, “You’ve been by my side for over a decade, right, Hode?”
“Almost eighteen years…”
“Yes, listening to you for eighteen years… I’m tired of it!”

“Huh?” Professor Hode instinctively raised his head and saw the old dean staring at him with a teasing gaze. Realizing what was happening, he said awkwardly, “Dean, now… this…”
“Heh, what’s the matter? Do you want to explain something? It’s very immoral to deceive an old man!”
“Well…” Professor Hode licked his lips awkwardly and called out shyly, “Grand… grandpa…”
“Hahaha!” The old dean nodded in satisfaction and said with a smile, “If that guy Barrett were still here, he’d probably be furious upon hearing this… Alright, you can go now! — Remember what you promised me!”
“Yes!”
At the same time, Father Andrew also noticed the old dean’s actions. While controlling the Archangel to block the Immortal King, he whispered to his assistants, Eves James and Brother Laurel Naber, “Eves, Laurel, you and Brother Chesho leave here now! Our students are in a small village to the south and probably don’t know about this yet. Take them and return to Salonia immediately!”
“What about you, Father?”
“I’ll stay here!” Glancing at Argus, who was watching the battle from behind a withered tree in the distance, Father Andrew said firmly, “I must fulfill my mission! If I can’t bring this man back to Salonia for trial, then as a servant of the Lord, I will punish him in His place!”
The two assistant brothers had already suffered serious injuries in the previous battle, but upon hearing Father Andrew’s words, they said, “Father, how can we leave you here? Actually… to be blunt, we really don’t need to chase after Argus anymore…”
“Yes, this is now the Empire’s problem. If chaos breaks out in the Empire, won’t Salonia also be affected…”
“Nonsense!” Father Andrew sharply interrupted them and said firmly, “Do you think Salonia can stay untouched if the Empire falls into chaos? The Empire and the Holy See divided between north and south—that’s the stable order. Once the Empire is plunged into war, Salonia will inevitably be affected, not to mention those orcs in the west. Now is not the time for internal strife among humans!”
The two assistant brothers exchanged a glance and lowered their heads in shame, saying, “We’re very sorry, Father! But there’s really no need for you to stay… How can we reply to His Holiness the Pope?”

“I must stay!” Father Andrew sighed softly and said in a deep voice, “It was my mistake to underestimate that man and let him escape into the empire. I must make amends for this error!” With that, he turned to Brother Chesho, the Inquisitor, and called out in a low voice, “Brother Chesho!”
Seeming to understand, Brother Chesho dodged an attack from a lich and said firmly, “It is our duty to punish heretics. Please allow us to stay here…”
“Obey the order, Brother Chesho!” Father Andrew interrupted him in a stern tone.
A hint of hesitation appeared on Brother Chesho’s indifferent face. After thinking for a moment, he stopped the two remaining companions who were attacking the lich and declared decisively, “Take the bodies of Rivi and the others—let’s leave this place!”
The liches had seen the professors and clergy of Riox leave one after another, but they had no intention of stopping them. After all, they had also suffered heavy losses in the fierce battle just now. There was no need to force them into a desperate struggle. Moreover, the old dean was still here, along with a cardinal from the Church.
Thus, the battle paused once again. Argus, who had been watching until then, finally stepped forward and clapped his hands in praise at the old dean. “What nobility! Truly worthy of being a renowned archmage!” He then turned to Father Andrew and said with a smile, “And Father Andrew… it’s an honor to see you again!”
“We don’t feel honored at all!” Father Andrew replied coldly.
“Oh dear, it seems you two don’t have a very good impression of me,” Argus said, shrugging as he walked slowly. “How about we sit down and have some tea? I actually think I’m quite skilled at making tea. Maybe then your opinion of me might change a little!”
Before Father Andrew and the old dean could respond, the Immortal King, who had been filled with anger after the battle against the Archangel Vapas and the Flame Lord, roared angrily, “Tea? What a joke, humans! Don’t you want to kill those guys? Then hurry up and do it! I don’t have all day to waste here with you!”
“Tch!” Argus’s smile vanished instantly. Glancing sideways at the giant Immortal King, he said indifferently, “When I’m talking, it’s best for everyone else to keep quiet!”

“What did you say?!” Flames of anger ignited in the eyes of the Immortal King. Before he could think of a way to punish this damned human, he suddenly felt a shock to his head, followed by intense pain originating from deep within his soul, forcing him to scream in agony.
“Such fast speed…”
“Such powerful strength… No, just physical strength!” The old dean and Father Andrew were slightly moved. They saw clearly as Argus appeared before the Immortal King’s skull in an instant. With a single slap of his right hand, not only did he sink the Immortal King’s massive body into the ground, but he also managed to crack his sturdy skull.
After all, he was one of the rulers of the power of the thirteen Skeleton Lords in the Land of Death. Even forbidden spells might not be able to harm his body.
“Ah!” The Immortal King screamed in pain. Suddenly, a figure landed on his nose, speaking with utter authority, “Shut up, reptile! You’re no longer needed. Go back!”
“What did you say?” The Immortal King was enraged. He growled, “A mere human dares to call the great Immortal King a reptile? Just a human…” He struggled to get up, but Argus stepped on him, sinking him deeper into the ground.
“Go back! Or do you prefer to die here?” Argus said calmly, standing on the Immortal King’s nose.
After glancing at Argus in anger, the Immortal King surprisingly calmed down and laughed loudly. “Die? I am an eternal being! Human… no, you can no longer be called human! Your name is Argus, right? I’ll remember you! Poor wretch, you’re just a clown relying on someone else’s power. Don’t deny it—I can see the shadows behind you. Tsk tsk, what a powerful guy. But sadly, you only possess this strength temporarily… Once you die, when your soul arrives in the Land of Death, I’ll personally welcome you. Oh, sorry, I seem to have forgotten—your soul will never reach the Land of Death because it no longer exists. You’ll be completely devoured! Hahaha… Ah! You damned bastard!”
“Hmph!” Before the Immortal King could finish speaking, Argus stomped hard, crushing his nasal bones. Then, with a slap of his right hand on the Immortal King’s skull, his body emitted a dark purple glow. With a series of cracking sounds, his body began to crack apart.

“You damned bastard! Be glad your soul will vanish from this world; otherwise, I’ll make your life worse than death! — Necromancer, don’t forget our deal!” Amidst continuous roars, the Immortal King’s body gradually cracked and eventually turned into a pile of black-purple crystal debris.
“What a crazy guy…” Looking at Argus standing on that pile of black-purple crystals, the necromancers instinctively swallowed hard. Clearly, Argus’s strength far exceeded their expectations.
“Tch! What a talkative guy!” With a smirk, Argus turned around and, looking at the old dean and Father Andrew, said mockingly, “With the troublemaker gone, what do you two think of my proposal just now?”
“Hehe,” the old dean smiled faintly and shook his head. “I don’t sense any sincerity in your words at all!” Next to him, Father Andrew held his cross and said solemnly, “Drink tea with a demon like you? I’m afraid I’ll be abandoned by the Lord!”
“That’s too unfortunate…” Argus pretended regret and shook his head, then a faint red appeared in his eyes as he said coldly, “Then die here! Old man!”
Feeling the heavy threat in Argus’s words, the old dean shook his head and sighed, “Young man, sacrificing everything for power is a foolish act… Even if you temporarily gain great power from a demon, it doesn’t truly belong to you. Sooner or later, you’ll lose everything!”
“Everything?” Argus was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. In a tone of mockery and self-mockery, he said lightly, “So what?” Then he raised his head and, looking at the old dean and Father Andrew, said mockingly, “Rather than that, I’m more surprised that two important figures like you would choose to stay here. Why not leave like everyone else? Haven’t they all left already? You have no reason to stay here… If a great mage is determined to leave, it’s not something that can be stopped just by trying…”

“But at least you can be stopped!” The old dean interrupted Argus with a smile, shaking his head. “Since becoming the dean of Rheox, I’ve never intended to abandon this place. I didn’t before, and I won’t now. And…” He glanced at Argus, his expression turning serious. “And I have the duty to keep dangerous guys like you here, forever!” As he spoke, the old dean raised his magic wand, which immediately emitted a fiery red glow. Along with this light, strange characters began to appear in the air.

“Buzzing!” The ground started to shake violently, accompanied by crackling noises in the air.

“Trying to use that same trick as with Gallek again? Pretending to cast a forbidden spell, only to try to escape?” Argus sneered mockingly. But soon, his expression grew serious as he kept looking around, muttering, “A domain?”

“That’s right!” As if hearing Argus’s voice, the old dean said in a deep tone, “For the empire, for Helirheox, I must keep you here. This is my domain—the Etna volcanic range!”

Along with the old dean’s voice, the entire surrounding space began to tremble. The powerful magic caused the originally balanced space to warp strangely, and at the intersections of this warped space, a second world was gradually taking shape.

Unlike the original world, this place contained only fire and earth elements—a world of imbalance. The entire space was eerily tinted with fiery red, undoubtedly due to the excessive concentration of fire elements, resulting in a tangible manifestation.

What made up this world were only powerful active volcanoes and the scorching lava they emitted.

The molten lava flowed across the surface, dividing it into sections. From those giant volcanoes came thunderous noises from time to time, accompanied by earthquakes. The volcanoes erupted violently, with huge, entirely fiery rocks falling like meteors. The intense impacts caused the surface to crumble, forming deep red ravines that resembled passages to hell. This was truly a real world… No, it was indeed a real world—a world of fire and rock that trapped the necromancer and Argus!

“Mount Etna?” After the earthquakes subsided, Argus looked around with a mocking smile, saying uncertainly, “It’s the mountain where the god of fire is said to live, right? Oh no, this is troublesome!”

Agus paid no attention to the old dean’s mockery. With a wave of his wand, those several giant volcanoes suddenly accelerated their eruptions, and the scorching lava gradually consumed the ground beneath Agus and the other necromancers. Meanwhile, flames engulfed rocks that fell like meteors. Amidst roars, one after another Flame Lords emerged from the deep pits, looking down on Agus and the necromancers from above.

“Wow, what a spectacular sight!” Agus exclaimed in admiration. Suddenly, he saw a flash of white light in front of him and instinctively jumped back a few steps.

With a loud crash, the mighty sword of the Archangel Vapas struck the ground, creating a deep gully that was quickly filled by the scorching lava.

“How dangerous!” Agus turned his gaze to Father Andrew at the Archangel’s feet and said mockingly, “Is it really necessary to be so hasty, Reverend Father Andrew?”

“Hmph!” Father Andrew snorted. At the same time, a brilliant white light emanated from the Archangel’s wings, and thick beams of light, as thick as fingers, were shot out. One of the necromancers, who was looking around in shock, was hit by several of these beams at once. Without even a cry, his body faded away in the holy light, disappearing forever.

“Damn it!” The five elders of the necromancers glared angrily at Agus, then at the old dean and Father Andrew, and shouted, “Come here!” As they spoke, they began to chant spells. A circle of purple light appeared beneath their feet, and soon a gray mist rose into the air, colliding with the fiery red mist.

Beneath that gray mist, a river filled with deathly energy could be faintly seen, littered with floating corpses. Occasionally, the sound of dripping water could be heard, along with oppressive, eerie whispers.

This was the domain of Elder Boris among the five elders of the necromancers, also named after a legendary place—[Three Rivers Path]!

But a domain formed in haste could never rival the one prepared by the old dean over a long time. In this endless world of lava, the five elders of the necromancers could at most protect their own companions, leaving them no time to attack the old dean.

Looking at the remaining twenty or so companions beside him, Poole’s face showed a complex expression. Then he said to Agus, “Agus, we’ve done as agreed before! Is that enough? If you’re not satisfied, I’ll take their place!”

“Hey!” Argus shook his head with a half-smile. After giving Pule a deep glance, he shrugged indifferently and said nonchalantly, “That’s it!” Then he turned to Connel standing behind him and said, “Step back and make way!”
“Hm?” Connel was clearly very surprised by Argus’s words.
Seeming to notice Connel’s astonishment, Argus raised his right hand and smiled wickedly. “It took me a long time to resolve to obtain this power. It would be a shame not to do anything with it…”
“Really?” Connel looked at Argus with a puzzled expression.
“Of course!”
Even the old dean and Father Andrew were surprised. After all, the old dean had spent so much time accumulating magic not only for Argus but also for those necromancers. Yet it seemed Argus wanted to face them alone, which filled the two elders with both anger and delight.
Perhaps sensing the unusual look in the elders’ eyes, Argus laughed heartily.
“Do you think I’m underestimating you two? Hey! Indeed, if it were some time ago, I might have had no choice but to run. But… there’s no time left. Let me end this!”
Under the astonished gazes of the old dean and Father Andrew, the black tattoos on Argus’s body expanded continuously until they covered his entire body. Soon, an ominous black mist emanated from his body. The black mist expanded in an instant, turning the fiery red rock surface beneath his feet into endless darkness. In that deep and pure darkness, an ancient and magnificent palace slowly rose.
For a moment, the forces of darkness and blazing flames collided violently, causing the entire space to tremble.
[Domain: The Lost Temple — Pandimanninan]!
Volume 3: The Broken World