The storm was pouring down like a waterfall from the sky, raising vague mist when it hit the ground. It was completely dark, except for the occasional dazzling lightning in the sky, which made the place seem like a ghost town where nobody lived.
Nobody dared to go out on such a night. The heavy rain had isolated every house from the outside world. Everybody was both panicked as if it were the end of the world but also felt safe that nobody would break in. The water curtain was like the wall of the house.
In an ordinary two-story house in the city, a young man wearing a bright red magic robe was staring at the rain in a daze. His eyes were deep, and no one knew what he was thinking. He looked to be about 20 years old. His eyes were blood-red, and his facial features were handsome. His eyes were as bright as lightning snakes, and he was full of vitality. Moreover, the faint scholarly aura around him added a touch of elegance to him, forming a unique temperament.
"Fernando, have you told Count Paphos what I said?" The door of the room was opened, and a young man in "fashionable" clothes walked in. He was wearing a trendy black high-collared coat that reached the top of his head. His ears were completely covered by the shadow.
His cheeks were long and thin, his facial features were regular, and he had a small mustache. He also had a knowledgeable temperament.
"Of course I did! When have I ever messed up my work? " The young man who was called Fernando turned around and roared in a low voice. Then, he waved his hands to stop the stranger from approaching. "Lauren, I told you not to stand too close to me!"
Lauren held back his smile and did not dare to say anything. He consciously stood further away, because he was one head taller than Fernando, who was short and tall.
"How did Earl Paphos react?" Lauren scratched his mustache and put on a solemn expression.
Fernando said angrily, "How could he react? It's the first time we met. He doesn't even know what's going on yet! If he dares to agree to anything, I'll suspect that it's a trap! "
He spoke so confidently that infinite strength seemed to be contained in his short body.
"That's true. We have to take it slow. However, we have to move to another place tomorrow in case the 'black-clawed dogs' target us." Lauren nodded slightly. "Black-clawed Dogs" was the name they gave to the night watchers who had killed many sorcerers. The name came from the black gloves they were wearing.
Fernando did not have a problem with that. Although he was short-tempered, and in the past, he even dared to argue with his teacher because of a mistake in magic knowledge, ignoring the strict teacher-student relationship of the ancient Magic Empire at all, after being hunted by the night watchers for such a long time, and even his teacher was killed by them together with the Grand Cardinal. How could he still be arrogant?
"It's best to hide in the crypt outside the city." Fernando said calmly. Then, he moved his eyes to a plain belt on the table. Instantly, he became furious again. "Roland, why do you want me to wear this belt to meet Count Paphos? Is it interesting to become a woman? "
Lauren lowered his head to prevent himself from laughing. After a long time, he raised his head and said "solemnly", "You're a young senior-rank sorcerer and the hope of the Empire. Also, you've killed a red robe. You've been targeted by the black-clawed dogs a long time ago and become a member of the Cleansing List. How can Count Paphos not recognize you? If he regrets later, chances are that a Grand Cardinal or a legendary Knight will come after him. Now, it's better for us. He doesn't know who we are exactly. As long as we reveal our strength and stance, it'll be easier for us to cooperate. "
"You can just use a transformation spell to change your appearance!" Fernando was not deceived at all. His two bright red eyes seemed to contain a storm.
Lauren subconsciously stepped back. "But if you change your gender, won't it be harder for you to be recognized? Also … Also, you're bad-tempered and sharp-tongued. As a man, it's easy for you to infuriate Count Paphos. If you're a beautiful lady, it'll be easier for you to communicate and negotiate. "
"We're not short of female sorcerers." Fernando mumbled, more or less accepting the explanation.
Lauren opened his hands. "But they're not senior-rank sorcerers and can be caught easily. Besides, you didn't object when I proposed it. You didn't even ask for an explanation."
"Fine." Fernando's fury came and went as quickly as it came. He did not seem as angry about the whole thing as Lauren imagined. "I'm just curious about the feelings of a woman …"
Lauren seemed to be interested too. He asked curiously, "How does it feel to be a lady? Are you targeted by a pervert? "
"Feelings? It's weird. It's pleasant to see other people obsessed with you, but this belt is not perfect yet. The situation after the transformation is all fake. It can't really experience the body feelings of a lady … "Fernando considered as if he were doing magic research." I have to figure out a way to craft a perfect … "
After that, he looked at Lauren, only to see that his friend was dumbfounded.
"Pervert!"
"Huh?" Fernando snorted in a low voice, and the air pressure around him suddenly rose.
Lauren laughed dryly. "I'm just kidding. Right, Fernando, we have to go to Padre Port the day after tomorrow. A sorcerer is secretly coming from the other side of the strait. He's an archmage!"
"An archmage?" Fernando was slightly surprised.
"Yes, a relatively young archmage. He'll be a great supplement to our strength!" Lauren said excitedly, "If Jarrosus hadn't dealt with him on the other side of the strait, we wouldn't have been able to get in touch with him at all. Other magic organizations will definitely try to rope him in."
This place had been divided into three kingdoms, one duchy, and a cluster of cities along the northern coastline. The Magic Empire of the past had been broken up, and many magic organizations had emerged. Some of them were super large organizations with a long history, such as the Cabin of Palmeira, and some were newly established, such as the Union of Sorcerers that Fernando and the rest of them were in. What they all had in common was that they could only hide in the dark corners and fight for survival.
Fernando nodded his head and said, "An archmage who knows ninth-circle spells can indeed help us unite with other organizations."
Their organization was named the Union of Sorcerers because they hoped to unite the major magic organizations to resist the Church. However, they were not strong enough to persuade other organizations at all.
Lauren heaved a long sigh. "Yes. The legends can hide in their demiplanes and hide the entrances. They can escape into the Dark Mountain Range, but we can only try to survive. An archmage is the most important leverage."
"Not exactly. If the legends hadn't distracted the Grand Cardinals and the epic Knight, we probably would've been annihilated." Fernando, for once, did not describe the legendary sorcerers as rats in the gutter. Lauren sighed again.
"There's also the important cities such as Aalto. It's said that most of the Cult of Truth's forces are focused on conquering those cities. Well, a lot of legends have gathered there. It seems that the glory of the Empire did not perish with the fall of Antiffler. Instead, it was reunited. If so many legends hadn't gone missing in the past, the Cult of Truth wouldn't have been able to develop at all …"
"It's already a fact. Don't regret it. Focus on the present and the future!" Fernando interrupted Lauren rudely. "What's the archmage's name? How old is he? "
He subconsciously compared himself with the archmage.
Lauren shook his head. "I don't know, but he can't be too young. Which archmage isn't hundreds of years old?"
"I won't be in the future!" Fernando said proudly.
Although he was born after the Saint Calendar, most of the area on this side of the strait was still under the control of the two Magic Empires at that time.
Lauren held back his smile again. "Right, his name is Derek Douglas. He went into exile here because of the fall of Antiffler."
"Derek Douglas." Fernando repeated the name and remembered it as a comparison in the future. "Why didn't he just fly here?"
"It's said that he was wounded and couldn't fly. After all, there's no inspection on a boat," Lauren said unconcernedly.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion burst out.
Fernando looked out of the window and said to Lauren, "It's time to take a rest. We have to move to Padre Port tomorrow."
Lauren raised his eyebrows, as if he had understood it. "Got it. You want Ingrid to come."
"Get lost!" Fernando roared unceremoniously.
Lauren laughed aloud and walked out while shouting, "Ingrid, Fernando wants you to come."
The fury on Fernando's face was gone, replaced by vague helplessness and mixed feelings. He and Ingrid, the sorceress, did not have a deep relationship, but they desperately needed each other's bodies in such a desperate, depressing and dark environment.
Suddenly, his face changed, and a mirror with countless mysterious symbols protruded before him.
A beam of holy light that seemed to have descended from the heavens hit the mirror with a vast aura, completely shattering it. However, the holy light was reflected back, piercing through the rain and darkness outside, and drowning several figures.
"Enemy attack!" Fernando shouted and pointed his finger. A figure that jumped out of the shadow immediately became glittering and froze in midair. Then, it fell to the ground and shattered into countless pieces like glass with a crisp sound.
"No …" A woman's scream came to an abrupt end. Fernando raised his eyebrows. Was it Ingrid?
He withdrew and entered the corridor, only to see a person in black gloves passing a body.
The body was so familiar to him, but it was already lifeless at this moment!
"Damn it!" Fernando's eyes were bloodshot. Crackling sounds could be heard around him. Then, silver lightning bolts surrounded the night watcher like giant snakes. It was as if a forest of lightning had descended upon the world.
BOOM!
The electric light attracted the lightning from outside, and a thick electric snake descended from the sky, directly piercing through the roof.
The place was turned into an ocean of lightning, blocking the enemy. Fernando did not waste any time. Having been used to death, he held back his fury and covered the other sorcerers to evacuate through the secret channel.
Then, he cast a spell and set Ingrid's body on fire as a funeral for her.
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