Round Three: Home and Old Friends

“Why can’t we fly in the sky? It would be easier to search from above, right? Besides, haven’t we been there before?” The rainy season made the vast swamps even more muddy and difficult to navigate. Si Qi Shi Yi Jiu sank deep into the sludge with every step, yet his shoes remained as shiny as new, even the spurs on his heels gleaming—clearly, the armor that had grown on him was more than just uniquely designed.

Moriel still used simple magic to keep her separated from the filthy swamps, preventing the murky water and buzzing insects from approaching her. “It’s not that simple. I can sense that the temple must no longer be in its original location. We’ll have to search slowly… Lady Mist was once a powerful goddess who ruled over lies and illusions. To find her temple, just flying overhead won’t do.”

She stopped to look around, then adjusted her direction. “Also, I think you’d better not keep thinking about using your giant form… Our goal is to find Kayro and find a way to solve the problem of her seemingly being controlled by Lady Mist. There are also servants of Prince Xirik plotting in the shadows, so it’s better if you keep your power in check. When dealing with gods, even strength isn’t enough—use your brain, understand?”

“Fine, then let’s keep rolling around in this mud.” Si Qi Shi Yi Jiu yawned, or at least pretended to yawn to annoy Moriel. “I hope we can find some sour snake lizards to pass the time… Hm? There seems to be someone over there!”

The old pterodactyl, Blackwing, circled above, chasing the poor creatures fleeing chaotically through the swamps, almost as if it were playing a game. Its body was dirtier and tattered than in previous years, with a huge, deformed scar on its chest that stood out sharply—but it was still as strong as ever, even more cunning and deadly.

Blackwing wasn’t hungry; otherwise, it would have already enveloped its prey in its poisonous gas cloud. It was rarely hungry, as surviving in the swamps required more than just a strong body and sharp teeth—experience was often more important. So now, Blackwing saw hunting this person, who had been struggling in the swamps since it first noticed him, as a post-meal pastime, just like a full cat likes to chase and catch its prey over and over again.

Suddenly, Blackwing sharply turned its head mid-glide, causing the magic projectile that might have hit its eyes to strike its thick neck, bursting through its thick skin and adding a new wound.

Blackwing flew into a rage—it searched for the source of the attack, ready to give this intruder who disturbed its mood a lesson it would never forget. Adventurers who only used magic projectiles had nothing to fear.

It quickly spotted those two meddling fools, what seemed like a typical adventurer duo—a novice warrior and a novice mage, thinking they could handle anything after killing a few goblins. Blackwing adjusted its posture to dive, but then suddenly flapped its wings to turn upward and flew away without looking back.

“The Novice Warrior” looked up at it, and it recognized those blood-red eyes. A dull pain arose in its chest—as an pterodactyl far smarter than its peers, Black Wing had an excellent memory. Though this human warrior didn’t seem comparable to the metal werewolf that had once severely wounded it, Black Wing preferred to trust its instincts.

“Hey, hey!” Si Qishi, ready to act, watched as the old pterodactyl flew away. “It ran away… Why does this guy seem familiar to me?”

After driving away Black Wing, Moriel and Si Qishi approached the rescued person, who was slumped in the mud. Strangely, he just stared blankly at Moriel without offering thanks.

“Kant? What are you doing here? And you…” Moriel examined this strange man for a while before suddenly recognizing him.

It was Kant, but he no longer resembled the highest mage of the Council at all. His face was broken—whether from scratches or blows—it was hard to tell, his hair and beard were matted with mud, and his mage robe was tattered and dirty, making it impossible to tell what it once looked like…

“Of course I’m Kant! How am I here? How do I know how I’m here?! Why don’t you go ask that old bastard Kiskein! Uuuu…” Suddenly relieved from the immense pressure, Kant, who had barely escaped death, completely lost his composure and started wailing as if mentally broken. It was hard to imagine that he had once been one of the seven great mages of the Agus Mage Council.

“So Master Kiskein is living in Master Lum’s former mage tower?” After hearing Kant’s tearful account, Moriel and Si Qishi exchanged a glance. “Then let’s go pay him a visit.”

“Uuuu… Please, Moriel, considering how well I’ve treated you over the years… Let me go. I can’t take it anymore… If I stay there, I’ll die at that old bastard’s hands sooner or later…” Kant wailed and struggled, splashing mud everywhere. It was unclear what kind of treatment he had endured, to the point where he even abandoned his dignity as a great mage. But Si Qishi remained unmoved, dragging him forward with firm resolve.

The mage tower in the swamp was still in ruins, with many damaged and collapsed areas that couldn’t be repaired in a short time. But it was much cleaner now, especially in front of the tower, where there was a small patch of solid, flat stone ground. Kiskein was sitting in a rocking chair, swaying comfortably, with even a fish tank beside him!

“Mm, mm, jelly is delicious…” Probably accustomed to pretending to be foolish for years, Kiskein still acted like someone with dementia. “Here, have some…”

He threw a spoonful of jelly into the fish tank, but the terrifying six-legged amphibian inside didn’t appreciate it at all. It opened its mouth wide, revealing three rows of sharp teeth, and growled threateningly.

“Master Kiskein, six-legged man-eating frogs don’t eat jelly. Are you really going to stay here forever?” Moriel sat across from him, utterly at a loss as to what to do with this old man. To her surprise, Kiskein didn’t seem surprised at all by her arrival. Si Qishi also didn’t seem hostile toward Kiskein; he had already started exploring the place on his own.

“Oh, um, Moriel, it’s great to see you…”

“Master! You’ve been happy four times already… Now it’s just the two of us talking, not in Vatan City, nor at the Mage Council! Can’t you stop pretending?” Moriel now felt a bit sympathetic for Kant, who was on the other side of the tower, wiping tears while digging a hole. From Kiskain’s words, it seemed he intended to build a swimming pool there…

Still, it was truly extraordinary and terrifying that such an old man could so easily erase most of Kant’s power.

“Hehe… I’m used to it.” Kiskain finally calmed down a bit and handed Moriel a piece of candy. “I never thought… that construct could evolve to this extent… It seems it has fully absorbed and integrated the energy of the ‘Divine Armaments.’ If we fought, my old bones probably wouldn’t stand a chance against it!”

“Divine Armaments?” It was the first time Moriel had heard that term. She had come to see Kiskain precisely to seek answers to some unresolved doubts.

“That’s right, the Divine Armaments.” Kiskain grew serious. “You must have heard of the stories of the Wars of the Gods in the Age of Barbarity, right?”

Of course, Moriel had heard them, but she had never studied them in depth. Legend has it that thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago, perhaps even earlier, the world was not dominated by humans as it is now—back then, countless dragons soared freely in the skies; immensely powerful giants threw mountains-sized rocks at each other in battles to fight for territory and mates, even daring to wage war against dragon clans; various terrifying monsters roamed the icy depths and dark underground, ready to bring destruction and fear at any moment; ancient elves and other races built their fragile civilizations in the cracks between…

Even the gods back then were not as mysterious and unapproachable as they are now. They either descended to the mortal world frequently, wandering in various incarnations; or resided on majestic snow-capped peaks, where the strongest and bravest could reach their temples to meet the true gods; or simply lived among the creatures they ruled, just like modern kings.

For some reason, war broke out. The Wars of the Gods swept across the entire world, and the battles in those now unknown realms were even more brutal—as a result, many ancient gods perished, while the surviving gods withdrew forever from the main material world, hiding in their divine homes and refusing to descend easily, lest they be destroyed by their enemies. Instead, they began to cultivate agents among their believers to convey their will. Due to these wars, powerful creatures like dragons and giants also suffered heavy losses and disappeared from history. The ancient giants left only some hybrid descendants; pure ancient giants were almost extinct. In contrast, weaker races persisted tenaciously, with humans being a representative of these. During the period when the river of history went from turbulent to calm, new gods emerged from scattered divine energies and human faith, growing rapidly and even possessing greater power than the ancient gods. Darkshrik was one of them, and there is even substantial evidence suggesting he was once a mortal.

“I believe the legends are mostly correct…” Kiskain narrowed his eyes. “Especially the parts about gods disappearing, leaving, or being born. Aren’t gods just mortals who possess powers we still don’t understand? As a mage, one must have such awareness.”
“But… what does this have to do with the ‘Divine Armaments’ you mentioned?”
“Well, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. The legends state that gods didn’t just fight in person… They summoned dragons, giants, and various other powerful creatures whose names are now unknown to awaken for battle.”
“But one thing,” Kiskain said, raising a finger, “modern people think we played no role in the God Wars—they’re likely wrong. Though I’m not sure whether to call them humans… I’m certain there were ancient archmages who possessed magic and technologies beyond our imagination. Even in the chaotic era when the magical network hadn’t yet taken shape and primal magical forces ran rampant, they created mighty construct giants for the Magic Goddess to use in fighting the armies of other gods who wanted to seize her magic. We call these Divine Armaments.”
Morriel instinctively glanced toward the tower, wondering what 47 was doing inside. “You mean…”
“That’s right. Ever since the archmages who founded the Council accidentally discovered the magical giants buried beneath Vatan City, we’ve been studying them until we reached this conclusion. Our entire goal is to unravel the mysteries of these giants, awaken them, replicate them, and restore the glory of those ancient archmages.” Kiskain also looked toward the tower. “Alas, how can a mage resist such temptation? Well… anyway, the results of our efforts are reflected in him. I’m sure he’s not an ancient magical giant at all—he’s still that strange construct you brought out of the Lum Mage Tower… I wonder if Singer… if Singer feels more at ease underground.”
“So… there seems to be such a giant in the Sleeping Forest as well. Agus went to war against the elves precisely for this reason, right? 47 took me there once, but it’s gone!”
“Oh?” Hearing this, Kiskain pondered for a while.
“Has it awakened…? Then I suppose it might be some kind of resonance,” Kiskain deduced. “We still don’t fully understand most of the principles behind the magical giants, so it’s not surprising if one wakes up and the other follows.”
“What?” Morriel, who had just taken a bite of candy, almost choked at Kiskain’s irresponsible statement.
“Oh, what’s there to worry about? You’re a mage too! A female mage at that!” Kiskain became playful again. “Show the awareness of a mage and a woman, and keep him firmly in your grasp! Here, these are Singer and my spellbooks. I give them to you. You must have fearless courage and not disgrace the Council…”
Suddenly, 47 rushed out of the tower.
“Old toothless man, what have you been doing in the workshop?”

Kiskayne slapped his forehead hard. “Ah, I almost forgot! Even without the ‘Divine Armaments,’ I can still conduct research! Come on, Morriel, let me show you my latest creation!”
Morriel stared at the half-melted humanoid monster in the large basin in the middle of the workshop, her stomach turning upside down.
She had no idea where Kiskayne got all those ingredients—flour, syrup, peanuts, nuts, and various other mixtures that made up this bulky mass. Due to the effects of the magical potion, this disgusting lump of dough had an indescribable color that was extremely unsettling. Worst of all, many insects that tried to taste it got stuck on it, covering its occasionally bubbling surface in dense clusters…
“This is my newly invented—Candy Golem!” Kiskayne said proudly. “Based on my research, clay golems can be developed into many variants for various applications! Besides the Candy Golem, there could be… Hmm? It seems it’s not fully mixed yet. I need Kond to stir it harder, otherwise I won’t give him any candy…”
“Ugh—” Morriel finally couldn’t hold back.
Even after leaving the mage tower for a long time, Morriel’s face remained pale.
“Master Kiskayne…” Morriel looked at the smiling Kiskayne and the grim-faced Kond, and suddenly she couldn’t say any of the many things she wanted to say. “Thank you!”
After bowing in gratitude, Morriel left with Forty-Seven. From a distance, she could still see the two figures moving below the tower. Suddenly, a sense of sadness arose in her heart, as if many past events were covered by a layer of unreality, and even her memories of Agus gradually blurred.
However, her purpose became much clearer. After learning that Morriel was searching for the temple in the swamp, Kiskayne suggested that she not focus solely on the temple itself but instead analyze the changes in the swamp’s terrain and water flow. Even if Lady Mist, who had been killed by the Dark Days, had revived, she would surely be very weak and wouldn’t waste energy on completely relocating or destroying the temple. So, the easier approach would be to use the power of the swamp itself.
“What does that old man think he’s doing?” Forty-Seven said as they walked. “Why create something like that? Why not make a Fecal Golem? Wouldn’t that be even more powerful?”
“Shut up! Ugh—”
It took several days before Morriel’s nausea finally subsided. Finally, they found a corner of the Mist Temple, half-buried in a large pool of water, among the plants taller than humans.
“Do we have to get in the water?” Forty-Seven asked, looking at Morriel’s still clean mage robes with malicious intent.
“No need.” Morriel began preparing the spell to dispel illusions. “The Mist Temple seen at first glance must be fake… That’s Lady Mist’s style. This way.”
After passing through long and winding damp passages, they were blocked by a stone door.
“That woman,” Forty-Seven said rudely, “wants to hide her treasure but still leaves a path, and even locks the door after that. What’s wrong with her?”

“The door is real.” Moriel touched the stone door, feeling its thickness. “Strange, the Temple of Mist should rarely use such solid obstacles…”
“Enough, forget it!” Siqi Shi pulled Moriel behind him. “Just open it!”
What Siqi Shi meant by “open it” resulted in the stone door shattering into pieces.
“Damn it, you’re going to collapse this place!” Moriel complained helplessly once again. Siqi Shi’s fierce blows had even shaken the passage.
“What’s there to fear? We got out even when there was no path at all.” Siqi Shi stepped into the temple first, with Moriel close behind—right into the path of someone who had turned around at the sound, standing in front of the ruined statue of the Goddess of Mist.
There were five of them, all dressed in black. One of them was an old acquaintance.
Both sides were slightly surprised.
“Moriel?”
“O’Sullivan?”
After a brief silence, O’Sullivan smiled. As usual, he was spotless, not even a strand of hair out of place. But his skin was paler than before, completely devoid of color, while his eyes glowed with an eerie black light, with almost no white visible. Moriel could tell that some demonic power had taken hold of his entire body.
“I can’t believe it… You’re here to find the little girl who went missing in Rain City too?”
“No, I’m here to return your precious weapon,” Siqi Shi sneered.