Lower Wind Moon, June 25.
"Imperia Kingdom"
The gloomy, overcast weather completely blocked the sunlight above, and the air felt somewhat humid after a light rain.
The entire abandoned Royal Capital was permeated with a faint, decaying odor of dampness.
Iville Ai, as an Undead, didn't mind such trivialities. The corners of her mouth subtly lifted behind her mask as she looked contentedly at the Magic Ritual she had set up.
"Success for the 21st time; I've fully mastered it."
Iville Ai muttered to herself, her tone cheerful.
She had been focusing on the study and research of magic, and her understanding of "Magic Rituals" was quite limited. To have mastered such a powerful ritual in just over ten days was certainly a cause for celebration.
"Thanks to the legacy left by that Undead," Iville Ai thought to herself.
The extensive magical materials consumed during her research had all come from the inheritance of the Undead killed by the Dragon Lord.
"However, to truly master this ritual…"
"According to the Dragon Lord, I still need to learn 'Magic Rise,' a method for magic enhancement."
Iville Ai gazed at the Magic Ritual she had arranged, her crimson eyes flickering with anticipation behind her mask.
Her long-standing experiences had led her to believe that as a woman, she should strive to become powerful, rather than learn how to charm and please men for protection.
If she could fully master this ritual!
She would be able to unleash the magic power of the Seventh Tier. It was said that the Guardian Deity of the Bahharuth Empire only wielded the power of the Sixth Tier, and that being had lived longer than she had.
Of course.
Iville Ai knew that if it came to direct combat, that Guardian Deity, Fluder, would not be her match at all.
This wasn't determined by talent and effort!
Sometimes, Iville Ai felt that becoming an Undead might not be such a bad thing after all.
But!
She would never be grateful to the evil True Dragon Lord who turned herself and everyone else into Undead; she simply disliked hating herself.
"It's been a month since I left. I wonder how everyone in the Blue Rose is doing."
Iville Ai thought quietly.
Lakyus must be very worried about her. She wanted to return, but there were more important matters at hand.
Through her contact with the Abyss Body, Iville Ai increasingly suspected that the Dragon Lord controlling this organization, hidden behind the scenes, was the very same True Dragon Lord who had destroyed their kingdom.
This matter had to be clarified!
"Oh."
A plain voice suddenly echoed from the air.
Iville Ai spun around sharply and softly chanted toward the direction of the sound, "Crystal Dagger!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Glistening crystals coalesced into a dagger, shooting out at high speed.
The attack missed.
There was no figure in the direction the sound had come from.
"Dragon Lord… Sir?"
Iville Ai took a small step back, remaining cautious while tentatively inquiring.
"You've been working hard; you've completely mastered the 'Magic Rise Ritual.'"
Tang Zheng, using Ninjutsu: Concealment to render himself invisible, stood not far away, observing the Magic Ritual Iville Ai had constructed, and gave a barely perceptible nod.
This time, he had not transformed into a giant dragon but maintained a normal human appearance.
Previously, even while in an invisible state, Tang Zheng had kept his dragon form as a precaution, ensuring he wouldn't expose his human identity in case of unexpected situations.
And now!
With the World-Class Item, the Two Worlds Mandala, he no longer needed to be overly cautious, even if he suddenly encountered the True Dragon Lord.
With the inherent property of "World Protection" from the World-Class Item, Tang Zheng was confident in handling such emergencies without worrying about being affected by Origin Magic.
Facing an enemy with a World-Class Item or the True Dragon Lord was a completely different concept than not having one!
"Dragon Lord, you've returned."
Iville Ai's tense body relaxed, and she spoke with surprise, then curiously asked:
"Did you find that place, Dragon Lord?"
Having disappeared for over ten days, he must have come back with results.
Iville Ai was equally curious about the place known as "Saint" or "Buddha Domain," which should be related to the "Buddha God."
After all, this powerful Dragon Lord had presented the "Magic Rise Ritual," a method for exchanging knowledge that allowed the use of tier magic across levels.
No matter how you analyze it, it was definitely not simple.
"Not at all."
Tang Zheng feigned disappointment with a sigh, not admitting to any gains.
Although the actual gains were quite astonishing!
Tang Zheng's gaze instinctively drifted to his waist, where the area was concealed by his clothing.
The Two Worlds Mandala, a five-colored scroll, was rolled up like a magic scroll and tied at his waist.
It wasn't that he didn't want to store it in the Item Box.
It was simply impossible to do so!
To put it simply, the "status" of a world-class item was too high; a player's storage space couldn't accommodate it, so it had to be carried around.
The specific abilities of the Two Worlds Mandala weren't overly complicated. Besides the "world" protection effect that all world-class items possessed, it could forcibly pull opponents into the "Vajra Mandala" or "Garbhadhatu Mandala," two different spaces.
If the opponent could defeat the four Heavenly Kings, the holding rights to the Two Worlds Mandala would automatically transfer.
This was somewhat similar to another world-class item, the Mountain and River State Diagram, but completely different at the same time.
As the holder of the Two Worlds Mandala, Tang Zheng could choose to expel enemies from the other space at any time.
In other words!
As long as Tang Zheng was willing, the enemy would have no chance of simultaneously defeating the four Heavenly Kings in both Mandala spaces.
The Mountain and River State Diagram, however, was different; if the enemy deliberately entered, the item holder couldn't forcibly expel them. As long as the enemy escaped from the other space, the holding rights would directly transfer.
It's hard to judge which of the two items is superior.
The Two Worlds Mandala only had two other spaces, while the Mountain and River State Diagram had a total of 100 different spaces.
However!
Tang Zheng felt that the operational space of the Two Worlds Mandala was much larger. The reason he had only just returned was that he had been researching this world-class item for the past few days.
For instance, when pulling enemies into the Mandala space, as the holder, Tang Zheng could also enter, collaborating with the two Heavenly Kings to deal with the enemy.
Although the Heavenly Kings were only level 85, they possessed a terrifying "-90% physical or magical damage" buff, making their combat power comparable to two level 100 opponents.
Additionally.
He discovered that the effects of world-class items weren't actually that complex; rather, they belonged to the straightforward and brutal type of items. After appearing in another world, world-class items would inevitably derive certain generalized abilities!
In the context of "YGGDRASIL," these world-class items were formed from small worlds, each possessing the power to contend with an entire world!
While studying, Tang Zheng realized that the Two Worlds Mandala might even have time-related abilities.
At present.
The only thing he couldn't understand was that both sides of the Mandala were completely blank outlines, without any images of the Buddha.
Tang Zheng wasn't sure if this world-class item was meant to be like this in the game, lacking a seated Buddha, which felt like something was missing.
"…"
Iville Ai parted her lips, sensing that the Dragon Lord, who had seemingly gained nothing, might not be in the best mood. Her voice turned serious:
"Is there a problem with the information provided by the Abyss Body?"
"Have they been in contact with you during this time?" Tang Zheng didn't answer directly, speaking淡淡的.
The "Magic Rise Ritual" wasn't precious to Tang Zheng, but for other magic casters, its value was immeasurable.
Even Iville Ai realized that Tang Zheng valued the information about "Saint" and "Buddha God"; naturally, those from the Abyss Body could think of that too.
Tang Zheng needed to give others the impression that he had gained nothing, even creating the illusion that the information provided by the Abyss Body was worthless.
This was related to the world-class item and the investigation into the "Buddha God," a player. If such information fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, they might connect the dots.
Iville Ai's demeanor shifted, and a surge of anger rose within her.
"These guys actually dared to tamper with the transaction!" Iville Ai was somewhat irritated, after all, she was the one handling this transaction.
Moreover, it also involved the investigation into the destruction of the Imperia Kingdom and the identity of that True Dragon Lord.
If the Abyss Body was making alterations or tampering with the transaction, it proved that the other party wasn't trustworthy.
"Benjeri from the *Abyss* has secretly come three times while the Dragon Lord was away, wanting to obtain knowledge about the enhancement of the Magic Rise."
Iville Ai answered truthfully, her tone growing cold: "I used the Dragon Lord's absence as an excuse to indicate that the transaction couldn't proceed."
Tang Zheng pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly: "The people from the Abyss Body are even more anxious than we imagined."
"Indeed."
Iville Ai nodded, agreeing on this point: "Perhaps it's due to the Undead's thirst for knowledge, or maybe it's to respond more quickly to that Dragon Lord controlling the Abyss Body."
"Or perhaps both reasons apply. Should we warn them?"
"Contact the Abyss Body and change the previous deal," Tang Zheng said, thinking for a moment before addressing Iville Ai.
"Ah?"
Iville Ai was taken aback, momentarily unable to respond.
"The information regarding the Saint is inaccurate. This useless intel is consuming the trust between both parties."
Tang Zheng spoke calmly, his expression cold as he looked at Iville Ai. Suddenly, he asked, "You should be a vampire-type undead, right?"
"Yes, yes, Lord Dragon," Iville Ai hesitated for a moment before slowly responding, struggling to keep up with the thoughts of the Dragon Lord.
"Then have them present research on vampire-type undead knowledge. It's easier to discern its authenticity than the vague concept of the 'Saint.'"
A slight smile appeared on Tang Zheng's lips, his tone unchanged: "As a vampire-type undead, you should also be able to gain something to enhance your strength."
Exactly!
Tang Zheng planned to kill two birds with one stone; aside from himself, no one could judge the truth of the information about the Saint.
Not to mention that the intel regarding the Abyss Body was outdated by over a hundred years, which couldn't be considered as Tang Zheng deliberately deceiving anyone.
Under normal circumstances, once a transaction involving intel and knowledge was completed, it could not be changed, regardless of its truthfulness.
This certainly had a hint of being unscrupulous.
However!
Tang Zheng had a good read on the Abyss Body's people, who were now more eager than ever for the magical enhancement technique of Magic Rise.
"Is... is that appropriate?"
Iville Ai felt a strange emotion bubbling within her, a bit at a loss. She sensed that she was gaining a significant advantage.
The Dragon Lord was trading his knowledge, and now she had not only learned the Magic Rise Ritual but was also set to trade again for knowledge about vampire undead.
And up until now, it seemed she hadn't given anything in return.
"We are friends, aren't we?"
Tang Zheng seemed to see the confused expression behind Iville Ai's mask, smiling as his gaze grew profound: "In the future, we may face powerful enemies. If you're too weak and get killed, I would be saddened."
"Ah, ah."
Iville Ai became even more flustered, an unprecedented tension flooding her chest as her fingers instinctively fidgeted.
---
In the Re-Estize Kingdom.
Royal Capital.
Climb stood at the door of a conference room, his expression serious, clad in shiny silver full armor, his thick, angular brows slightly tensed, radiating an air that seemed to say, "No entry for outsiders."
Magic casters passing by were met with Climb's piercing gaze, forcing them to hastily move through the corridor.
The departing magic casters all wore disappointed expressions.
No one expected that Princess Renner, known as "Golden," would suddenly visit their Magic Caster Guild, along with the one also called "Blood Rose," Renners.
These two women!
They were currently the most renowned and beautiful figures in the Royal Capital.
The magic casters who deliberately walked past the conference room wanted to catch a glimpse of Princess Renner and Renners' beauty.
Unfortunately, they saw nothing!
Climb remained expressionless, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, preventing anyone from coming close.
In the Re-Estize Kingdom, where knightly spirit was revered, the presence of the Magic Caster Guild was not particularly high, and even Climb was affected by this.
Of course, he would not underestimate the magic casters.
He had witnessed the true power of formidable magic casters, which ordinary warriors and small armies could not hope to contend with.
The images of two figures who had fought in the court flashed in his mind.
Iville Ai of the Blue Rose!
Tang of Free Will!
Thinking of these two, a hint of awe and admiration flickered in Climb's eyes. Outsiders might not understand.
He knew why Princess Renner and Lady Renners were present at the Magic Caster Guild headquarters.
This was related to the impending conflict with the Bahharuth Empire in one or two months.
Therefore!
Climb would not allow anyone to approach the conference room, ensuring that the possibility of leaking or eavesdropping on intel was eliminated.
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