CHAPTER 499: CHAPTER 454: HOOK

It was nearing midnight.

But Tetadis Fortress seemed even livelier than during the day.

Especially in the Hollow Castle at the very top of the fortress, a place only accessible to the highest ranks of the base, priests and wizards of special status.

Outside the luxurious suite vacated by Major General Willmot of the Ilya Kingdom, almost all the formal magical transcendentals of the "Treasure Tree Bay" base had gathered here, talking animatedly.

And there was only one focus of their debate.

"The Sun God Inti actually has the power to reverse extraordinary loss of control? It’s simply unbelievable."

Even now, there were still people who couldn’t believe their own eyes.

"That was an irreversible loss of control! And it was just reversed like that?"

Among the crowd of wizards were members of the three branches of the Alchemy School, "Violet Eye" wizards, as well as those from the Solomon School of the Tyrone Kingdom and its affiliates, all offering their opinions.

"This defies logic. The power of gods, especially demigods within their divine position domains, might indeed be unfathomable, but outside their domains, even the mysteriousness of a demigod is ineffective."

"You all mentioned feeling something akin to the blazing sun and moonlight at that time? Could it be that this main god of the Gashna Empire also possesses the divine position of the moon?"

"The moon is related to spirituality, which is quite possible."

"What a pity, that was a single-use talisman, otherwise, we could have studied it thoroughly. It might have led to a groundbreaking witchcraft invention!"

Some were beating their chests, as if they had missed out on millions of Golden Lions.

"Since the talisman was unearthed from a temple on the New Continent, perhaps there are other talismans in different ruins. Once this stationing task is over, I’m applying to go to the New Continent."

Wizards belonging to the "Alchemy Tools and Enchantment Branch" were unwilling to give up but knowing the talisman’s origin from Aiven, they resolved to search from the source of the New Continent.

"Let’s go together. Even if the magic element concentration in ’Treasure Tree Bay’ is higher and more conducive to the progress of the meditation method, it’s still worth disregarding."

A group of technically inclined individuals greedily considered "Treasure Tree Bay" as a cultivation paradise, and for once, they had the urge to leave their comfort zone.

As for the possibilities beyond that demigod talisman, they didn’t make any other associations. The wizards, who even questioned the capabilities of a demigod, would not suspect Aiven and his group.

This was also the benefit of Aiven initially highlighting the value and origin of the talisman. Otherwise, if Gel had been restored to his original state without any explanation, who knows how their thoughts might have wandered.

After completing the rescue of Gel earlier, the three of them openly occupied the room originally belonging to the Grand Knight Ilya. When this group of magical transcendentals proceeded to examine Gel’s condition further, Aiven not only didn’t stop them but was pleased to see it happen.

First, it allowed them to confirm that Gel no longer harbored any inclination towards madness and to lift the restrictions on him.

Secondly, his uncle, now entering a recovery phase, would need the care of these individuals as well.

Particularly, a few military priests who focused more on Gel’s condition had already begun devising a preliminary recovery plan for him.

"Whether it’s the physical recovery or the effect of spiritual purification, both are quite thorough. The out-of-control extraordinary traits have returned to normal. His body seems to have undergone a new transformation. Colonel Gel can rely purely on his physical strength to reach the Tier 3 standard.

There are no issues with the divine art detection, and there’s no problem with divination from a higher-level celestial being. He should regain consciousness and wake up within three days at the latest, or as soon as the following day."

Summarizing the opinions of several military priests, the elderly priest, whose hair was gray and wore a monocle, finally concluded.

However, he left one thing unsaid:

The process of willing interference in reality to condense into Combat Qi had experienced a failure once, and although his life was ultimately preserved, it was nearly impossible for him to become a Great Knight again. At most, he could reach an invincible stature as a Tier 2 Peak Knight.

Even if his achievements warranted the kingdom to award another bottle of "Breath of the Giant Beast," the most likely outcome would just be another bout of loss of control.

But after capturing the latter half of the sentence with sharp senses, Aiven, who was lying on the bedroom bed of the suite without even removing his clothes, was thoroughly relieved and fell into a deep sleep.

He even started to snore softly.

Previously maintaining maximum flight speed, flying for almost a full day and night, and then rushing non-stop to rescue Gel; even with a body comparable to a demon for a Tier 3 extraordinary, he was nearly overwhelmed, with mental exhaustion far surpassing the physical.

However, previous efforts had ultimately led to a positive outcome, making it possible to have a good dream.

In the room next to him, Olivia, who had just unleashed her "Lifebound Gem" to extract her own extreme strength, had replaced the bedding with her own and was also soundly asleep.

The effects of the "Mask of Deceit" quietly dissipated, revealing the delicate eyebrows of the girl above the bedspread, her smooth hair scattered over the pillow, and the gemstone hairpin between the strands, which she never parted with.

Though Gel’s essence remained at Tier 2 and had not completed the promotion, purifying the spirituality of a Tier 2 Peak nevertheless left Olivia nearly drained of her magic power.

Yet, she hadn’t failed Aiven’s expectations; even in dreams, her lips maintained a gentle curve.

At some point, the luxurious suite had returned to complete tranquility, leaving only the gentle breathing of the three people.

Tick... Tock...

The clock hands in the living room moved bit by bit, unknowingly reaching five in the morning. Simultaneously, it was ten in the evening at the Far Sails Territory.

Whoosh—

The spiritual wind played with the hem of the girl’s light, fluttering dress.

Olivia stood at the top of the Chichen Itza Pyramid, her eyes somewhat vacantly observing the forest below and the magnificent lost city beside her, zoning out for a while.

It took nearly a minute for her to realize she had arrived in the Spirit Realm.

Earlier on the road, even when it was time for Spirit Realm exploration, neither of them had mentioned the matter tacitly. Yet, upon reaching the Southern Continent, they followed the usual habit of entering here on the first night.

The girl gazed into the distance.

Outside the two beacon anchor grounds lay an endless ocean, the beaches white and the waves lapping beautifully, although in the Spirit Realm, even the most scenic views might conceal unspeakable peril.

However, when Olivia saw a figure clad in full emerald green armor sitting on the shoreline, she immediately felt reassured.

Whoosh—

Moments later, Miss Moonstone, adorned in jewels and pearls, lightly descended beside him, riding a steed seemingly formed of a wild wind.

As Olivia was about to greet the armored knight,

she saw that the knight sitting on the beach seemed to have eyes on his back. He patted the pristine sand beside him, inviting the girl to sit next to him.

The movement was casual, lacking the initial courteous distance Mr. Red Fir had shown Miss Moonstone, resembling instead longtime friends.

Olivia’s first reaction to his sudden transformation was caution; she hadn’t forgotten the last time a shape-shifting demon assumed her form to ambush the other.

Clank—

Yet, in the next moment, she saw the knight in armor turn and lift the visor of his helmet, revealing a face she knew all too well: Aiven’s face.

Though somewhat simplified in a two-dimensional way, his seemingly more animated emerald eyes looked at her, sincerely offering thanks,

"Thank you for saving Uncle, Olivia!"

After a slight pause of surprise, Olivia relaxed and smiled, as beautiful as a blooming peony.

Whoosh—

The soft halo cast by the gemstone petals above her dissipated, revealing a face remarkably similar to her true self, but with a more spirited charm.

With the same somewhat adorable two-dimensional vibe.

Gone was the aloofness that kept Moonstone aloof, far different from the obedient "Roddy" in reality. With a slight slip of her skirt, she carelessly sat next to Aiven, her slightly turned legs still unable to conceal her inherently noble grace.

Turning to look at Aiven, who was now so close.

Returning to her true nature, Olivia’s lips curled up as she unabashedly accepted the credit and playfully winked her beautiful big eyes at Aiven:

"Is the Captain being so polite? Surely, you won’t just thank me with empty words?"

Her long lashes gently fluttered like little brushes, her pupils sparkling like sapphires with starry specks.

At her words, not only did Aiven not feel any annoyance at her request, but he thumped his armored chest and laughed heartily:

"Ha-ha-ha, whatever you want, just say the word, as long as it’s within my means. Did you say last time you liked the heavy cruiser Venus? How about I gift it to you when we return to the New Continent?"

With the combined expertise of himself, Olivia, the Priestess of the Goddess, and the Magic Potion Branch Wizard, they confirmed that Uncle Gel was out of danger, or at least no longer in life-threatening peril, lifting a great burden from Aiven, leaving him in an excellent mood.

"That cruiser is worth at least tens of thousands of gold lions and can’t be purchased even if you have the money. Can you bear to part with it?"

Her sapphire eyes fixed intently on his emerald ones, Olivia spoke with genuine seriousness.

Aiven stared unblinkingly at the beautiful girl, a slight smirk forming, his face showing a boldness, as though no challenge was too great for him:

"I could always go and seize another one."

Feeling a little overwhelmed by his intense gaze, Olivia’s cheeks reddened slightly, gently averting her gaze before seemingly deciding not to admit defeat and looking back at him:

"No, I don’t want it. The Venus is crucial for you, but it would be only a toy for me.

Besides, if I dared to take a pirate ship home, my mother would surely kill me.

How about... telling me a story instead!"

With a twinkle in his eyes, Aiven gladly agreed.

Thinking more and more: she truly is a thoughtful girl, and... very likable too.

Besides, he had many other good things, which he could slowly repay her with over time. Everything else in the world might have value, but Uncle Gel’s life and the completeness of their family were beyond price in his heart.

And now Aiven was about to tell the story the girl most wanted to hear:

"On the westernmost side of the Broken Star Sea, there’s a place called the Golden Kingdom. Two hundred years ago, during the dawn of the Age of Navigation..."

The girl listened, eyes wide, absorbed in the lengthy narrative, but they also had ample time. Before dawn, they had 36 hours to finish the tale.

"Adventurer’s Blood, the land of limitless gold, Great Navigator Jelos, the Sky Goddess Kurutena, the Ocean Goddess Thetis, collecting all thirteen compasses will unveil the ultimate secret of this world..."

In her sapphire eyes shining with starry fragments, the girl seemed to see the life she deeply yearned for.

Having finally understood the reason behind the beacon anchor and the road binding the two of them, Olivia felt no fear or resistance towards the "Adventurer’s Blood", instead gazing into Aiven’s eyes and softly speaking:

"Aiven, I want to see the ultimate secret of that world in the future. What about you?"

"I do too."

"Together?"

Sneaking a sidelong glance at the gem-like girl, Aiven arrogantly snorted a response:

"What do you think? Without your dear captain, I fear you won’t make it back."

The girl crinkled her cute nose at him, extending a slender, elegant little finger.

"Don’t underestimate me, but... let’s make a promise!"

Aiven chuckled, extending his own little finger.

Behind them.

The ring-shaped Spirit Realm Sun cast its dull brilliance, stretching their shadows long, merging them together at the horizon where sky and sea met.