Chapter 27: Instant Spellcasting

“Congratulations! You now possess a preliminary aptitude for channeling elemental energy, and your energy pool has reached Level 1. With your current spellcasting level, you can basically achieve instant spellcasting.” Nancy’s promises were always reliable, andNeo had suffered greatly to reap such rich rewards.
The energy pool in his mind not only provided power for the growth of his intelligence core but also helped accumulate essence of elemental energy. The Water Moon Stone spell array, when operating continuously, could establish a profound energy connection with the water elemental plane. This energy pool allowedNeo’s own elemental energy to become increasingly linked with external elemental energies, creating a constant stream of energy at his disposal.
WhenNeo cast a spell, his mental strength and the accumulated essence of elemental energy would be released together—what Nancy called the “seed of magic.” Once this seed appeared in the external world, it could rapidly combine with surrounding energies to produce the desired spell effect.
In other words, the seed of magic was a permanent semi-finished spell, or rather, it providedNeo with an energy source that kept his spells in a state of readiness. This made it far more convenient than ordinary mages who had to release their mental energy, control external energies, and shape spell effects at the last moment.
It is said that the more one experiences life-and-death situations, the harder and colder their heart becomes. Many things that were once hard to let go of or forget become trivial or even overlooked. However,Neo believed this theory didn’t apply to him—at least not yet. His heart was filled with passion and excitement. After completing this difficult cultivation, the first thing he thought of was sharing his success with Millien.
Neo could force himself to remain restrained, telling himself to stay rational and calm, but his true feelings wouldn’t lie—he truly missed Millien and wanted to see her, to talk to her about so many things. His love for Millien was like the fiercest flame of life. Back then, he would have risked his life to return for her and fight against the dark forces. Now, he still couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Of course, there was one thingNeo hadn’t realized yet: he could now resist impulses and seek proper methods to achieve his goals. If it were the old him, after the massacre by the migration group, he would have packed up his supplies, flown to Asia, found Millien first, taken her away, and explained the truth behind what happened.
His love remained, but his way of expressing it had become deeper and more reserved as he grew. For someone likeNeo, he thought it would be better for Millien to be with Iris Knight Aurora. As for reputation,Neo didn’t want Millien’s name to be tarnished if they ran away together. As for life, with the dark forces and Victor as his enemies, he didn’t want Millien to endure a life of constant hardship. Although he still believed that going through trials together was part of love, with such powerful enemies around, having Millien with him was no longer just about shared trials—it was a recipe for tragedy. After all, Millien being involved in his combat life was clearly a burden, andNeo admitted that.

However, Neo felt he had done his best, but Melian might not fully understand. Even if she could empathize with his difficulties, as time passed and events unfolded, feelings of regret and resentment inevitably arose. While Neo was undergoing his trials, Melian led others to bury the victims of the migration fleet, only to encounter a series of kidnappings by various factions. Without the company of a powerful and handsome young nobleman and the help of a mysterious person, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

After such a terrifying experience, Melian couldn’t help but compare the present with the past. Back then, Neo had risked his life to return at once and save her from danger; now, more than two months later, she hadn’t heard a word from him. Yes, there were high rewards for his capture, and she surely had many spies around her, but Neo was extremely skilled at disguise—she had seen him do it firsthand. Melian wondered if he couldn’t at least use disguise to see her, even just for a moment.

“Hatred fills her eyes, while true courage fades away.” It was impossible for Melian not to be affected by the countless rumors. She had heard somewhat about what Neo had done on the Hurricane, and she felt he had handled things poorly in that incident.

Victor was the murderer, and there were also villains among the Fangs who had been bribed by him, but many of the crew on the Hurricane and the Fangs were innocent. They had been deceived and were also victims. When the Hurricane crashed, thousands died, and they too had families…

Additionally, the people of the migration fleet perished, yet Neo left their bodies abandoned in the wilderness. At least he could have tried to convey the news to Aurora or to those who had gone to the Church’s jurisdiction as soon as possible. But he didn’t—Neo took no action, so Melian only recently learned that the area remained in its state from the Night of Calamity, with waves of people going there to investigate.

Collecting the bodies of the victims, Melian believed, was where true courage and compassion lay—it was an obligation. In contrast, Neo’s revenge seemed ruthless, targeting the innocent.

Neo didn’t know that Melian viewed these matters in such a way. And even if he did, he couldn’t say her thoughts were necessarily wrong. After all, phrases like “there is no pure good or evil” and “different eyes see different worlds” aren’t just excuses to justify one’s own actions.

Being harsh toward enemies was Neo’s usual style. And his definition of the innocent was far less lenient than Melian’s. That night, many of the people Victor brought with him hadn’t directly participated in the massacre but had indirectly contributed to it by doing their jobs. Even if viewed kindly, they were merely not deserving of death, but certainly not innocent.

Moreover, Neo despised the practice of “not doing anything while alive, only showing sorrow after death.” Although burial was a form of mourning, for Neo, who believed “one can even eat their enemies when necessary,” deciding not to deal with those corpses was an easy choice when weighing the pros and cons.

Differences in perception and mindset sowed the seeds of conflict. Millien felt that Neo had “changed,” while Neo was unaware of this “change,” or if he was, he didn’t consider it unusual. Two young people struggling through the upheaval of disaster still hadn’t realized that staying together was even harder than loving each other. But they did understand one thing: love alone wasn’t enough in life. The series of kidnappings made Millien witness the power and terror of the worldly forces Victor could manipulate, strengthening her resolve to fight him to the end. Feeling she needed to grow up, she decided to head to Phoenix City in Freydom to find strength to confront Victor. Meanwhile, Neo focused on resolving several critical issues in Howl Caverns, avenging Bels, obtaining Gnera’s identity, returning to Shelter Valley under the guise of the dead young werewolf, reclaiming his status as the “Chosen One,” and then going to Asia to see Millien. The foundation of any stronghold or village in Howl Caverns lay in livelihood and safety. On the day Neo completed his training, he created a Water Moon Stone spell circle in the pond. When the blue light, carrying the cool scent of pure water, illuminated the pond, even the usually indifferent slaves couldn’t help but cheer. Another similar moment of joy came three days later when the first batch of fungus wheat was planted and quickly sprouted. On the same day, the Great Passage Barrier was completed, marking the first step in Howl Caverns’ development—a mere beginning to rapid growth. Knowledge was power, and Howl Caverns surpassed other dark region forces in every aspect. Everyone believed that as the caverns expanded, as improved fungus wheat was grown, and as more projects were completed, Howl Caverns would not only become a livable dungeon but also possess abundant trade goods and a strong military force. The future was promising, and effort was already linked to reward. Three days later, the group led by Boglem, who had gone out to fetch food, returned. Their mission could be considered successful or not. It was successful in that they followed Neo’s advice before leaving, obtained 8 large carts, and managed to avoid a few native hunters. It was not successful because they fought against three groups of magical beasts. In Boglem’s words, “Those beasts were insane; it would be more accurate to call them killing beasts.” In Aemera’s world, magical beasts were simply wild animals with extraordinary abilities. As beasts, their thoughts were simple, even pure—survival! All their actions stemmed from this goal. So they would never recklessly provoke humans. Over the years, their genetic makeup had developed the concept that “intelligent beings are natural enemies; avoid groups.” Otherwise, no matter how powerful they were, they wouldn’t have survived on human-dominated land to this day.

Apart from not being vile enough, there aren’t enough magical beasts. In the wilderness, they can be at the top of the food chain, but they can’t farm or truly herd; at most, they confine a group of creatures and keep them alive until they’re eaten. So, when there are many magical beasts, no one needs to hunt them down—nature itself will take care of them by starving them to death! This is also why those rumors about hundreds of demon wolves being something special are just jokes.

But according to the information from the task force, the magical beasts have not only become more vile but also increased in number!

“New species that have never been seen before.” These words sound simple, but they’re actually thought-provoking. If rare species can be encountered so easily, then wouldn’t those adventurers and monster hunters who risk their lives for rare beasts be in tears?

Fortunately, Boglem is a thoughtful person. He brought back the corpses of those magical beasts, and Neo along with two druids acted as anatomists. They eventually concluded that it wasn’t new species, but rather wild animals mutated due to some dark force. The other one was indeed a magical beast, but it showed clear signs of primordial transformation and wasn’t entirely a fierce creature—its abnormal traits conveyed madness and destruction rather than strength.

After reaching this conclusion, Neo specially gathered all the villagers and announced the matter publicly. This was only the third time since Neo declared himself a minor lord. Looking at Neo standing on a stone pedestal, everyone felt uneasy.

“I have to announce some bad news,” Neo said loudly, his gaze sweeping over everyone’s faces. “For some time to come, no one is allowed to go outside. Mining and hunting will be prohibited. I’ll inform you when this ban ends.”

Most people breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn’t really bad news for them—they already lived around the Dome, and mining and hunting were only activities for a few. Their only concern now was whether there would be enough food if hunting stopped.

In fact, this problem did exist. Food was already somewhat scarce, and if hunting were halted, the shortage would worsen.

Neo had discussed this issue with the leadership. The construction of the Dome and the training of the Gale Team would slow down, allowing some food to be saved from daily consumption. Additionally, wolves couldn’t be raised anymore. Though it was hard to give them up and the Dome lacked carrying capacity, between people and beasts, people had to come first.

This decision was undoubtedly difficult for Neo, but such choices were part of a lord’s daily life.

In front of everyone, Neo wouldn’t announce such frightening news. What he wanted to do was remind them to stay vigilant and watch out for unusual occurrences—such as strange light orbs, peculiar mists, mutated small animals or insects. They should report them immediately if they noticed anything. And if they felt unwell, they should seek medical help right away…

“Our enemies are spreading evil forces; we must prevent the invasion of calamity just as we would prevent a plague.” By this point, most people understood. Though nervous, they weren’t overly fearful. Plagues feared most was breaking out unexpectedly—now that everyone was on guard and many eyes were watching, any signs of trouble could be nipped in the bud before it turned into a disaster. Moreover, these days everyone had witnessed the lord’s wonders—a mere Wild Howl Cavern housed five spellcasters (Nio, two druids, Van Rending, and Bichir who could use water-based healing magic). With such highly skilled individuals, everyone felt more confident in resisting calamity.

At this time, Nio hadn’t yet realized that the mutations of beasts and the madness of magical creatures weren’t isolated incidents but part of a larger problem affecting the entire Aemera continent. He thought it was a vicious scheme concocted by Victor in alliance with dark forces, using dark energies to contaminate a region.

Though this approach was clearly ingenious, it wasn’t unique or unprecedented—after all, the Kales of the three major factions, those vampires, had been doing the same thing for thousands of years. In their homeland, the clouds were poisonous green, the sun a fiery orange sphere, and the land exhibited a “twisted vitality in decay”—a truly distinctive sight.

Two days after the Lockdown Ordinances were issued, Nio finished arranging the final part—building the ecological garden—and left Wild Howl Cavern overnight. This time, he took the same route he had used when entering the Dark Lands to search for the Gale Team. It wasn’t far from the bandit lairs in the underground city. Along with him left were Multi-Face, White Socks, and six other wolves.

After the Migration Team massacre, Nio went underground and spent less time with White Socks. But every time he returned, he spared no effort using the Wave of Life to restore her health. He also kept his promise, setting aside time every day to train combat skills with her. By now, although White Socks hadn’t achieved breakthroughs in energy manipulation, she was no less skilled than a level 5 warrior. With such strength, she was already qualified to be a alpha wolf.

“Buddy, this land has become a cesspool. Take your followers and head back to Edrith or Mornstoke. Once I’ve finished here, I’ll come look for you, and then we’ll return to my hometown together.”

White Socks followed Nio’s advice. This time, as they left Wild Howl Cavern, they headed west.

Now, White Socks wasn’t only white-footed but also entirely snow-white in fur, sleek and striking—far from the scarred creature she had been when she first met Nio.

Gently stroking White Socks’ mane, Nio said, “Take care, buddy! With your intelligence, as long as you don’t stubbornly refuse to listen, no one can catch you.”

“Uuuu…” White Socks whined softly, her eyes filled with reluctance. Such an expression was rare for the usually haughty young lady.

Nio smiled and said firmly, “Trust me, we’ll definitely meet again, in the near future.”

Without another word or promise, Neo turned and strode away, never looking back. A heavy sense of sorrow weighed on his heart, only to nurture the joy of their next reunion.
After walking for a long distance, Neo heard the distant howls of wolves…
Two days later, Neo appeared in a valley over 30 kilometers away from the continental road.
March, the month of spring, should have been a time of revival, but the remnants of winter still lingered, making the climate as chilly as February in previous years—cold and unpredictable.
The valley seemed unremarkable, with few umbrella trees and many jagged boulders covered in snow, creating many natural traps. If one wasn’t careful while walking, it was easy to sprain an ankle or get injured.
Yet as soon as Neo entered the valley, he sensed something different about it. After his previous trials, his sensitivity to energy had more than doubled. But here, he didn’t sense elemental energy or its variants, such as frost or lightning. Instead, he felt an extremely strange energy fluctuation—one that bypassed his protective energy barriers and clearly transmitted its power into his body, causing a surge of agitation that made him want to vent his emotions by recklessly using his power.
“Truly remarkable. Only you could find a place like this.” Neo said these words to Polyhedral.
Polyhedral had carried out two escort missions—one to protect Jeff and his group, and another to escort the Wind Team members leaving. Each time it returned, its core vines had changed significantly. Neo had noticed this, and this time, it led the way to this location once they reached the surface.
It was an unusual kind of energy, and Neo could sense the dark forces within him stirring. Clearly, this force was closely linked to negative energy. That wasn’t surprising—something like Polyhedral finding the Source of Holy Light would be truly miraculous.
“What do you think? Any suggestions or guesses?” This time, Neo asked Nancy.
“Suggestions? Well! Be bold yet cautious. That’s it. I need more information; it’s too early to make rash guesses.”
The valley wasn’t large. Under Polyhedral’s guidance, Neo soon arrived at a cliff face. The rock at the base had narrow horizontal cracks—so tight that it was barely possible to fit an arm through. It seemed these cracks had formed recently, and the strange energy fluctuations were emanating from them.
During its previous visits, Polyhedral had changed its form and slithered into the cracks like snakes. Neo didn’t have that ability, so he asked Polyhedral to dig a path.
Polyhedral was frustrated because it found the rocks here difficult to deal with. After careful observation, Neo realized that beneath the surface layer of the rocks surrounding the cracks was a blood-red interior, as hard as granite.
With no other choice, Neo had to do it himself. Fortunately, he brought an ice axe and could use the power of earth runes. No matter how strange these rocks were, they still fell under the earth element, so the power of earth runes was effective against them.

Cutting off a piece of blood-red rock, Neo asked Nancy to help scan it to determine its composition. However, due to a lack of data, Nancy could not give a definitive answer. She only told Neo that this strange energy was extremely ancient and highly dangerous. For safety’s sake, Neo had better wear the Polyhedron like clothing and use its special vines to reduce the impact of these energy fluctuations.