Unsealing Emptiness

The duo started to discuss the details that Ozul hadn’t bothered to explain about just now.

——–

– A few minutes earlier –

Two slim figures clad in light brown robes from head to toes jolted up when they noticed the six people coming out of the tower.

They immediately tried to calm themselves down since panicking would make it harder for them to stay hidden.

Turbulent emotions make it harder for Mages to keep control of their Mana, and Ozul was a Rank-9 Mage in their eyes who would easily notice their presence if they made any mistake.

.....

Unfortunately for them, not to mention Ozul, even the Rogue Crew hiding around Ozul had also noticed their presence!

For a second, they even felt as if someone was about to ambush them, but all of a sudden, that feeling disappeared, allowing them to focus on Ozul’s conversation in the distance.

However, even when they turned their focus to the fullest, they weren’t able to hear what the six people were talking about.

“They are using a barrier,” one of the two masked guys spoke in a rough tone, getting a slight nod from his partner who had his eyes fixated on the group of six people.

“Should I move closer?” the masked guy asked his partner who shook his head in response, “Any closer, and we will be found out. Moreover, he is a Rank-9 Mage...”

The two masked men waited for a couple of moments to see if they could hear anything, but it was all for naught.

“You go and inform the Archbishop, and I will follow them,” the masked man with a cracky voice said to his partner when he noticed that Ozul and his team were about to leave.

His partner nodded his head and instantly disappeared from the site.

Seeing his partner leave, the masked man who was left behind also followed after the trio. Noticing their speed, he couldn’t help but curse under his breath, “Damn it! Why are they in so much of a hurry?!”

However, before his own eyes, the distance between them continued to decrease as he also had to focus on hiding his presence which wasn’t a simple task considering that flying also required excessive Mana manipulation.

Unfortunately for him, he was only a Middle Stage Rank-8 Mage, and couldn’t keep up with the trio’s speed if he wanted to stay hidden. After all, it required a lot more effort to hide his presence than keeping up with the group.

. . .

Meanwhile, the other masked man arrived back in the Church as he hurriedly made his way inside to report to the Archbishop.

A few moments later, he was kneeling down before Lammert on one of his knees.

“Speak, what happened?” Lammert asked impatiently as he noticed the masked man taking his sweet time to catch his breath.

“Archbishop, the leader of the Three-Eyed Strangers has again left the tower along with that Darkness girl and the Ice boy,” the masked man informed, making Lammert frown hard.

He had stationed a Middle Stage Rank-8 Mage near the headquarters of the Three-Eyed Strangers and had only yesterday found that the annoying brat had returned after disappearing for four whole years!

No matter how much he searched for them these past years, they were nowhere to be found. He would occasionally find some tracks that he could relate to them, but the next clue he would find about their whereabouts would be in a totally different direction.

Ancestor Darcia had already ordered him to always keep track of their location, so he had sent another Rank-8 Mage in case that one wasn’t enough.

Learning that he had returned yesterday came as a surprise to him, but he didn’t expect him to leave so soon again.

He also knew that a single Rank-8 Mage wouldn’t be able to follow the trio endlessly. Sooner or later, he would be found out and probably killed.

“Did you learn where they were heading to?” Lammert questioned with a stern tone.

He now had to report everything to the Ancestor, so he didn’t bother to keep his usual ‘kind’ smile on his face.

“We tried, Archbishop... However, they set up a barrier when they were discussing outside the tower. We were too far away for us to read their lips either...” the masked man answered fearfully.

Angering the Archbishop was known to never end well in the Church, so the masked man was being extra careful in whatever he said.

“Take two other Bishops with you and go after them. Only report back when you find their destination. Get moving!” Lammert ordered before he left the hall to report everything to Ancestor Darcia.

She had told him to immediately inform her of anything they found related to Ozul.

Lammert wasn’t surprised by the fact that the previously arrogant and uninterested Ancestor would let him disturb her cultivation whenever it was about matters related to that uncanny brat.

The masked man also nodded his head before also leaving the room. Following a Rank-9 Mage meant playing with fire, but disobeying Archbishop Lammert’s orders would probably hurt more in his mind.

Lammert arrived before the closed room and stood at the entrance without daring to knock.

“Come in,” a deep voice came from behind the closed doors.

Lammert didn’t dare to keep her waiting and entered the room that had no source of light except for the rays of sunlight dropping from the colored glass windows.

In the middle of the room sat Darcia with her legs crossed.

The room was mostly empty but there was a box of glass on the floor before Darcia. If Ozul was here, he would have instantly recognized it because inside the box was the only remaining limb that he had yet to take back!

Lammert bowed his head for a solid few seconds before he quietly stood on the side.

Only a few moments later did Darcia open her eyes which were noticeably more reddened.

Even Lammert didn’t know the reason for the redness in her eyes, but it sure made his hair stand whenever he went near Darcia now.

It was different before. She was Rank-10 Mage previously as well, but her Mana was always restrained and refined like a still lake. However, it felt like a torrent of water now that she had started to absorb the black smoke released from that severed hand.

“What is it now?” Darcia asked in a calm voice, but her reddened eyes and the wild aura around her was enough to put Lammert on edge.

“That brat left their headquarters again. I have sent more men to keep tracking their location and learn about their destination,” Lammert briefed her about the situation.

What came as a surprise to him was how Darcia actually stood up and left the room!

He followed right after and asked with a stuttering voice, “W-what happened, Ancestor?”

The box of glass containing Ozul’s severed arm was already stored in Darcia’s Spatial Ring as she inquired, “You had said that it wouldn’t take long for that to finish, yes?”

“Ah. Yes... the physicians told me that it would at most take only a few more weeks. But where are we going?” Lammert answered when he realized what she was talking about.

“I have to see it for myself,” Darcia replied with a cold voice. She didn’t like being asked questions.

Lammert realized that he would be in trouble if he continued asking questions, so he stopped opening his mouth and followed behind her quietly.

“Once that finishes, even that Old man wouldn’t dare to come in between me and godhood! No one will be able to stop me!” Darcia spoke with an unrestrained smile that brought chills down even Lammerts back.

Although Lammert was on edge being near Darcia, even he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

If their Ancestor really achieved a breakthrough to the next Rank, he knew that there was no one stopping the Church from taking control over the whole continent!

However, it all depended on ‘that’ and if they could really use ‘that’.

‘The old man is still nowhere to be found and he will probably not appear before this year passes. Now that the demon brat is here, it is the perfect opportunity,’ Darcia thought with a sinister smile taking over her face.

She still thought Ozul was only as powerful as a Rank-9 Mage and speculated that she would be able to take him out immediately if she ever encountered him. The only problem was that she had to be careful of Old Gu finding out about it.

However, with the creation of that, she wouldn’t have to worry about Old Gu either!

“How many people are working on it?” Darcia asked as they slowly made their way deeper into the Church.

“Excluding the physicians who are busy in the healing potions’ mass production, all others were sent to help in its making,” Lammert answered without a pause.

“No wonder it is so slow. Don’t care about those potions. Stop their production if need be, I want it to be done under seven days!” Darcia didn’t hesitate to halt the progress of the Church’s main source of income nowadays.

They were currently walking in the dark hallway. This part of the Church had no one roaming around. Even the sounds of footsteps could be heard by any ordinary person without much effort here.

While Darcia kept on giving instructions to Lammert, they didn’t notice the presence of a black cat leisurely strolling behind with her heterochromatic eyes glued to Darcia’s Spatial Ring!