Mid-September, Year 7 of Lalande Calendar.
Lin Suo returned to the Golden City with the child, and the situation was not very optimistic.
The Capital had largely empty alleys, and the streets were pitifully devoid of people.
The majority of people just stayed within their homes.
Lin Suo had just entered the gate, planning to visit home first, but there was Meinehoer standing by the door, beating around the bush – You’re still on door duty.
"Rhein, you’re finally back. The Dean has been looking for you. Why didn’t you teleport back with the students?"
"It’s a long story... Were you specifically waiting for me?"
"Yes, recently Padolon has not been safe. The Dean asked me to guard the gate of the academy, acknowledging my strength!"
Lin Suo: "... As long as you’re happy..."
Originally, he had intended to ask Theresa to take good care of little Thea, but considering the urgency, it was a good opportunity to test little Thea’s ability to self-conceal and see if she could hide from the Deputy Dean.
"You’re back, this is..."
The Deputy Dean’s old face was marked with confusion as he looked at little Thea in Lin Suo’s arms, as if under misconception.
"I found this child on the road, who has some talent, so I brought her back here."
The Deputy Dean did not think much of it and instead began to discuss the reason for looking for him.
"You’re one of Koster’s, right?"
"Yes, what happened?"
As he asked this question, the Deputy Dean’s expression had a hint of pity, giving Lin Suo an unpleasant premonition.
"Recently, the Duke of Disaster was chasing Six Wings Crow-man, heading north, and over the following month, there were frequent obstructions. The Bloodline Ancestor is assisting them."
"About seven days ago, the chase turned eastward, reaching Koster directly."
Both the Bloodline Ancestor and the Duke of Disaster were beings of Ninth Ring or above. The Six Wings Crow-man sounded formidable by name alone, and within the Crow Court, there resided a Four Wings Crowman King standing at the peak of Ninth Ring, just half a step from breaking through.
Three against one, it was hard to predict the outcome.
"What’s the situation now?"
The Deputy Dean heaved a long sigh, appearing somewhat distressed.
"The Crow-man are numerous, with the entire tribe at Official Level wizard strength, numbering up to ten thousand. The Blood Clan has even more members, but not all are engaged in battle."
"The East Sea Fishman Kingdom... annihilated as a whole, forcefully transformed into carriers of the Crow Curse, landing in the form of corpses, slaughtering humans."
"Thousands of Sea Demons joined the battle..."
"The Purple Bauhinia Family rebelled, establishing the Blood Wolf Thieves, uniting all the East Sea pirates, and they are now assaulting coastal cities."
"Koster... The city is adrift, blood flows like rivers."
Lin Suo’s mind went blank.
All things considered, it had only been a year since he took his post at the Golden Academy, and his hometown was gone; wouldn’t that mean his castle had also turned into ruins?
The Fishman Kingdom wiped out as an entire race.
Tifa and Lin Ni · Xinya were more than likely doomed, and so soon?
"Aren’t you taking action?"
Faced with Lin Suo’s inquiry, the Deputy Dean opened his mouth but didn’t say much.
"I have a more important task; it’s not everyone that has the privilege."
"Just the literal sense."
It took a while before he continued speaking.
"Rhein, the Mother Star is facing its final juncture. The Evil Naga Empire is reorganizing its troops and is about to launch a massive landing assault on the tidal defenses of the Hundred City-states."
"Thirty-six permanent members of the Wizard General Association have also returned to their respective countries to serve their nations. Dan Dong does not have the manpower to cover all places."
The Deputy Dean’s words all hinted at this.
"Northern Ice Plain Empire, guarding the Great Wall, needs to be wary of Polar Trolls and Frost Giants."
"The Southern Silver Star Alliance is resisting a full-scale invasion by Mermaids afflicted with curses. Due to their government system, they are more lax, and I reckon at times , they won’t put out their last ounce of effort for Padolon."
"The far south High Elf Empire is almost the same, everyone’s only concerned with cleaning their own doorstep, waiting for the convergence of the celestial spheres..."
Lin Suo couldn’t help but interrupt, if he hadn’t misheard.
Are they going to abandon the Padolon Continent?
Abandon the Mother Star?
What about the many Divine Corpses that are sealed?
Does ’qualification’ mean the eligibility to go to the new world?
The Deputy Dean’s words were cryptic, but to sum it up, one could mostly guess what he meant.
The world is ending, and everyone is busy hoarding wealth and population, ready to pack up and flee.
Who cares about a little bit of land?
If it’s taken, so be it.
And the Divine Corpses are mostly sealed in the main continent of Ancient Times. Those beings from before the Ninth Ring are probably packing up these treasures...
Realizing this truth, Lin Suo found it all a bit too fucked up.
Does this mean common people can only fend for themselves and only those who survive have the qualification?
Not to mention the real start of the convergence of celestial spheres after five months.
Without them guarding the spatial fluctuation points, wouldn’t that truly herald the disaster of a demonic tide, the apocalypse arriving?!!
It seems characteristic of Wizards, somehow expected...
Lin Suo asked this question with a heavy face.
The Deputy Dean extended his index and middle finger, gesturing a two.
"I haven’t said anything."
Two years, twenty years, two hundred years?
If left unchecked, the rate of destruction would be even quicker; just look at the old main battlefield of the continent to see.
When a world begins its decline.
All of its capabilities become exceptionally weak, like a human on the verge of death, with all bodily functions at the lowest.
Facing the risk of death at any moment.
On such critical junctures, to have another great war unfold would truly start the countdown to world annihilation...
While Lin Suo was stunned.
The Deputy Dean took out a map, densely marked with spatial fluctuation points discovered by fifty teams over the past two months.
"Times have changed, this is the last time."
"All members of the Four Great Colleges have the qualification to board the ship. I’m showing you this now because it relates to your status in the new world."
"The Starry Sky Challenge is canceled, replaced by the Demon Hunting Points competition. All members of the Four Great Colleges will participate, including you. The results of the past three months still count, and you team leaders start with five thousand points."
"You’re a month late, you need to start as soon as possible."
"To secure the same status over there, you can only rely on yourself."
Lin Suo nodded, roughly knowing why the old man was in such a hurry to find him.
"Koster has a rescue mission, commissioned by the High Elf Empire, roughly meaning a group of Elves with good talents are trapped beneath Koster."
"The location is a place called the Rhein Bookstore."
"What a coincidence, huh?"
"It’s... a bit coincidental..."
Lin Suo’s scalp tingled, he had a guess in his heart, but hoped it wasn’t what he thought.
"The mission reward is ten thousand points, and it’s very difficult."
"After all, Koster has become a lair of monsters, you’re a local, and I want to entrust this task to you."