Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Watching Russell leave without saying another word, Felis gently rested his forehead against the ice block ahead.

Did Russell know how smug... how gentle his expression was when he spoke?

Felis couldn’t connect the Gilbert he knew with the Gilbert in Russell’s memories.

Although it might be because the mage, when trusted and loved by his student, naturally presented a different image, it was simply... too much of a discrepancy, wasn’t it?

Felis sighed: When someone has a damaged mental sea, constantly in turmoil over the years, you can’t judge them by common sense.

No one, including Ruth, would doubt that there were many reasons for Gilbert’s replacement, but the talent attributes of the Tower of Dark Enigma were certainly the most important point.

So even if many people felt some differences in Gilbert compared to the past, everyone could only think about him rediscovering his nature... The key is, Gilbert’s own legendary story had long made people aware that he was one of the rarest kinds in this world: kind and willing to sacrifice for others, and able to perceive the beauty in this world.

Once his health improved, he became peaceful and gentle again, which, indeed, made sense.

Even with slight differences, no one would become exactly the same as they were decades ago even if they were restoring their nature.

Besides, after all these years of experiences, if Gilbert still managed to remain as innocent as before, it would be frightening.

If he truly turned out that way, even Ruth would probably have to check if he was afflicted by some evil poison or if someone truly managed to penetrate the soul defenses of the Tower of Dark Enigma and replace Gilbert.

Felis pondered over the thoughts again, then fiercely slammed his head against the large ice block in front... He started overthinking again.

Although he had almost cleared his mental sea, even going so far as to prepare for mage advancement, just what remained was the most stubborn and hardest to eliminate.

It was really tough, and extremely elusive.

Clearly just some residue of a potion invading the mental sea, yet it seemed to have the ability to think, even the ways of evasion kept changing.

Clearly, he felt that he had cleaned out the whole block, but after a while, Felis would still discover the resurrected remnants.

Over so long, he memorized the presence of every piece of residue in his mental sea, so he could identify which ones were slowly growing back.

The only relief he felt was that indeed no new ones appeared.

Some might think that an incurable ailment is more horrifying, but Felis felt that not having new maladies appear was the best for him.

That way he wouldn’t lose confidence.

Felis was never afraid of trouble, but when he couldn’t find the root cause, restlessness would arise... Leading to mistakes.

Anyway, there were only three stubborn residues left, success was bound to be achieved.

But... Felis furrowed his brow, these residues’ characteristics were a bit too incredible these days.

He actually had a very bad premonition, but in this world, after people die, isn’t it that they manifest in the form of souls and enter the half-demolished Divine Kingdom of Goddess Bisozeya, right?

It’s just that due to the instability of the Divine Kingdom, those who neither gained Goddess Bisozeya’s approval nor made contributions to the world’s future salvation would ultimately scatter their souls everywhere until they slowly dissipate.

Since Goddess Bisozeya had fallen into a long, unknown slumber... Even though she once selflessly loved all living beings, she couldn’t control the situation with her Divine Kingdom broken.

So, only beings connected with her could have the chance to rest in the Divine Kingdom.

Although it’s a slumber without consciousness, as long as they led lives that were somewhat tolerable, ordinary people always hope for some kind of final resting place.

Hence, while Goddess Bisozeya never agreed to build temples for herself, people still like to express their reverence aloud.

For those who couldn’t do so were either desperados who completely abandoned emotions or unfortunate souls who used up their last strength just to survive.

Living and dying unconsciously, leaving behind are only bewildered souls.

Such souls, basically, don’t exist for long but do have their time, otherwise, the Tower of Necromancy wouldn’t exist.

The education they received from a young age was, even if not contributing to the world’s recovery, they must offer their sincerest gratitude to the Goddess... Only then would they avoid returning to nothingness after death, or even transforming into puppets of the Tower of Necromancy.

Especially for these mage apprentices, their souls are quite favored by necromancers.

Felis silently gazed at the remnants within his mental sea.

Having mastered the unique meditation of the Tower of Dark Enigma, which is sensitive to soul power, he always felt a cold, grey characteristic on these things... But if he peeled off that layer of ominous grey: like those pieces he destroyed completely not long ago, at the moment before disappearing, when they turned transparent for an instant, it gave him a familiar feeling he was unwilling to admit.

Russell might have sensed his unease, so using this way, he told him that his family’s situation was rather peaceful, it was better to advance sooner.

Russell always mentioned his own teacher, actually hinting to Felis that it’s best to become a true mage before Mage Gilbert emerged from the Meditation Chamber.

Otherwise, even if Gilbert were willing to lend him a hand... Whether those in power at the Tower of Dark Enigma would step back for Gilbert’s sake depended on Felis’s own abilities as a crucial factor.

Mage apprentices were insignificant; in the case of Rolando possibly not dying and Kamente Tower being willing to abandon Prutt, a Seventh Circle Mage... The only thing to do was eliminate him to satisfy many people.

Who would bother to dispute over right and wrong for an apprentice?

But if Felis were to die, this argument wouldn’t need to occur at all.

Felis lightly closed his eyes, then resolutely opened them, gazing at the paper already encased in the ice block... He persevered for so long, certainly not to be cleared away like unwanted trash!

So it’s just three residues that can’t be utterly eliminated?

Even if there’s truly a soul shard hidden within them, what does it matter!

Is he some saint who hesitates about others’ souls’ existence?

Felis fixed his gaze straight ahead.

He actually knew, his most likely and sole opportunity was to take advantage of the crossroads where the soul sea and the outside world intersect during mage advancement, to directly discard those three residues from the mental sea!

Though this might weaken his soul power slightly, safety was paramount!

Felis clenched his lips, making up his mind.

He wasn’t unaware of another solution.

After all, these residues were hard to eliminate precisely because they were indeed the final essence, easily assimilated, and every piece could make Felis feel that strong allure: once they were assimilated, his spiritual power talents would instantly increase.

They were, indeed, the real reason the mental power potion had any effect.

With Felis’s cleverness, it’s not that he couldn’t imagine swallowing just one piece would have minimal impact on his behavior deviation.

But having somewhat guessed what those things were made of, he outright refused.

Felis might not be a good person, but he had his bottom line.

He wouldn’t sacrifice his own interests for others, nor commit such repulsive acts.

He sighed quietly, then carefully reviewed the magic rune set he concluded himself... His spontaneously erupted ice series talents, although seemingly futile, were still quite sensitive to relevant runes.

This was the simplest, yet most cohesive rune string he could achieve.

There’s no point in waiting any longer, let’s go all out!