Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Lu Zhiyu began to explain to Edward, “It was a ghoul. The monster you saw before is not a complete creature. They can only be regarded as low-level monsters with infections. After losing their will, they retain their memories and instincts. Only the high-ranking ghouls that are equipped with the Mind Of the Undead can be truly called real ghouls.They have a powerful remodeled body that can control ordinary ghouls. With their powerful bloodline powers and adept combat ability that is immune to fear and fatigue, they form the formidable undead army.”
He continued. “Compared with the Owl Knights, which were an isolated platoon, the ghouls have become a race. They are a more terrible and powerful incarnation of the Owl Knights. Individually, they aren’t all that impressive, but they can proliferate endlessly if they are not restricted or contained.”
After Lu Zhiyu finished, he saw Edward thinking hard with his head down. This student of Bohr’s looked quite smart. Although he didn’t seem to have as much innate potential as Bohr, as he was a mere ordinary wizard right now, Lu Zhiyu still felt that he may go even further on the road on the road of wizardry than Bohr. This was because he was more open-minded and his thought process was much more far reaching.
After thinking for a long time, Edward looked up. “So, how should I contain it?”
Lu Zhiyu said, “The source of the special abilities of wizards can be traced back to various magical beasts. For ghouls, which were are created by wizards, we can trace the witchcraft techniques to a species called the superior ghoul, known as the Mortuus Magna. The power of this mythical creature stems from its blood. Within this blood, there is the power to cast curses. Curse witchcraft is a derivation of illusion witchcraft, and is also an important intersection point between mind power and reality. Someone has taken the bloodline of the Mortuus Magna to create the ghouls.”
Lu Zhiyu paused for a moment, then added, “Ghouls have no wisdom or consciousness. They just act on instinct alone. If no one coordinates or directs them, even an ordinary army could easily destroy them.”
Edward jumped in at that moment, saying, “So, as long as I find the person behind the ghouls, I can resolve the crisis that is plaguing Babus?”
Lu Zhiyu snapped his fingers. “Yes, the wizard who has the bloodline of the superior ghoul is relying on the power of its deified cells and cursed blood to maintain control over the ghouls. As long as you incapacitate him, the blood curse will be destroyed, along with its host. Then, those ghouls would revert back to their dead bodies. In fact, their very existence depends on the blood of the superior ghoul, and when the curse wielder dies, they will disappear together!”
Edward nodded. “I understand now, so rest assured, I will complete that task!”
Lu Zhiyu sat up straight and looked into Edward’s eyes seriously. “Are you sure you are ready? I am afraid that the scene you will face is far beyond your imagination.”
Edward replied, “No matter what kind of scene I see, no matter what decision I need to make, I will tell myself that the lives of Babus’ 100,000 civilians are innocent. No one has the right to deprive them of their right to live!”
Edward truly was proving himself worthy of being a student of Bohr’s. Although there were some differences in their personalities, his basic worldview and ideas were exactly the same as Bohr’s. Yet, Lu Zhiyu didn’t know if he would make the same decisions, according to the ideals he had just espoused.
Lu Zhiyu stood up and patted him on the shoulder. He didn’t say anything more, just looked at him with a complicated expression on his face. “When Babus City is completely transformed into a city of the dead, in order to not let the situation get any worse, I will personally obliterate Babus. I hope you will not force me to make such a cruel decision.”
Edward remembered the thousands of faces he had seen in the city, from the old people to the women, and the children, loggers, sailors and businessmen, Babus was no paradise. From the outside, it was seen as the Gem City of Mara.
But, after getting a deeper look, you could see the sins and blood that stained the city’s dark underbelly. Yet for thousands of ordinary people, this was their hometown, the place that they depended on for their livelihoods.
Edward looked at Lu Zhiyu. “Why don’t you solve this problem yourself? With your strength, no matter who the opponent was, no one could resist you.”
Lu Zhiyu looked at Edward, then said, “Actually, I think that you are more suitable than me to handle this. When you find the culprit, I believe that you will agree with me. Besides, I have other things to take care of!”
“Mr. Anthony, can you enlighten me as to what those matters are?” Edward wondered what could be more important than the imminent destruction of Babus.
Lu Zhiyu turned and headed outside. He pushed the door open, and the cold wind gushed at Edward’s face. Edward could only hear a light voice, saying, “I am going to save the world, so saving Babus must be done by a young man like you!”
Edward had once thought about the nature of the great Sage Anthony.
What kind of existence was the strongest wizard? Solemn? Wise? Rational?
All sorts of images akin to the Gods appeared in Edward’s mind, but he had never thought that, when they finally met, the Sage would actually be so strange! But, the aura around the Sage had been very comfortable and soothing.
Edward was clever enough to connect the dots of who the culprit was from what Lu Zhiyu had told him. From the ghouls and the Mind of the Undead to the Owl Knights and the Duchy of Creer in the northern wilderness, where Edward had discovered traces of Adonis, combined with Adonis’ modus operandi, although Lu Zhiyu did not say who the culprit was, Edward was pretty sure that it was his own fellow apprentice, Adonis.
Adonis was Bohr’s first student. The two of them had the same master, so when Edward was a child, he had lived with Adonis for several years. They were very close and shared one of the closest relationships within the tower. Adonis was a few years older than Edward, so he took care of both Edward’s daily life and his education from an early age.
Edward still remembers the days when he wore a huge wizard’s robe that drooped all the way to floor, while he locked arms with Adonis, just like brothers. They would explore the castle, the classrooms, the caves, the forest and through every corner of the Wizard Tower together.
Therefore, Adonis’ betrayal and subsequent escape from the tower had always been a matter close to Edward’s heart. Edward hoped to find Adonis, so that he could question him directly about it. But, he also wanted to persuade him to return to the tower to beg forgiveness from their Master, Bohr.
A young Edward had long ago sat on the window of the castle, one foot dangling outside of it. “Adonis, I want to be a wizard, just like Bohr. I want all of the wizards to know my name! What about you?”
Adonis was indifferent, which was clearly evident as he looked at the sky outside with Edward. “Me? I want to figure out the meaning of life. I also want to create a world without death.”
Edward laughed. “Isn’t that basically like the Divine Kingdom that those scammers talk about? Adonis, why would you yearn for this kind of thing? Do you want to become a god?” Adonis had smiled and didn’t speak, but the corners of his mouth had clearly lifted a tad.
Edward didn’t know why he had suddenly remembered this scene from the past. He sat down slowly on the chair. By now, everything in the room was restored to its original state, as if nothing had happened.
“Is it really you? Adonis?”
Edward gave a soft sigh, then sat with his head in his hands. He did not believe that he could do what he had promised to Lu Zhiyu, but he was grateful that Lu Zhiyu given him this opportunity. If the culprit really was Adonis, then he hoped to handle this matter by himself.
Edward felt something on the table and immediately looked over and saw a notebook there. The leather cover was embellished with gold lettering, which spelled out the words in Phinks “Dream Witchcraft!”
Huh? What is this?
Edward was stunned for a second, then he got extremely excited. The only person who could have left these witchcraft notes was the person who had just left! It was the master of his own teacher, the founder of witchcraft, the most powerful wizard in the world!
This precious tome that he had left behind would be invaluable to any wizard! It was something that people could only dream of possessing! Edward’s hands shook, as he carefully picked up the notebook, his exhaustion completely disappearing in an instant.
Dream witchcraft? This is a branch of witchcraft that I have never heard of before. What is this power?