Chapter 130

Mission and the Kingdom of Atley

Although it was the soul witch Amira who came to consult Lucy on the Law of the Soul, after their exchange, it was Lucy who ended up gaining more.

As a widely recognized authority within the Soul School, Amira’s insights proved invaluable to Lucy.

She couldn’t help but think of Fenrir.

If that lazy dog had shown more interest in the Law of the Soul, she would’ve gladly introduced him to Amira for an exchange.

Unfortunately, despite serving as a Gatekeeper for so long, Fenrir had never taken the Law of the Soul seriously.

The next day, Lucy made a special trip to the Star Law Institute’s airship port to send the “Soul Crystal” to Talia. She also wrote a letter telling her that she must visit the Star Law Institute when she had the chance.

When she returned to the villa, she saw one of Theodosius’s Tower Knights standing at the door.

“Miss Lucy, Master requests your presence in the study.”

...

When she pushed open the door to the study, the old wizard’s solemn expression made Lucy’s heart tighten.

“Master, what happened?”

Theodosius silently slid over a gilded letter.

“What is this?”

“A report on the punitive campaign against the Realm of Death, and the results of the investigation into the ‘Council’.”

Lucy unfolded the sheepskin letter, and the contents took her breath away.

The reprisal against the Realm of Death had been led personally by His Excellency Hermes, bearer of the Crown of the Astral Realm. It included three Star Ring Wizards and over a hundred formal wizards.

The Sleeper had been gravely wounded and fled into the Sea of Eternal Slumber. The Feeder of the Dead, Hecate, who had escaped Master Theodosius’s pursuit before, hadn’t escaped this time and was forced back into slumber.

Then, the chromatic dragons, giants, and other ancient races of the Old Lands were purged. Even the divine nest of the God of Light was destroyed, marking the end of the retaliation.

Had it not been for the critical role the Styx and the Sea of Eternal Slumber played in the functioning of the Primary Plane, Lucy had no doubt that these bloodthirsty wizards would have forced all seven Gods of the Realm of Death into hibernation.

Such brilliant achievements clearly weren’t what troubled Master Theodosius.

The true cause for concern lay in the investigation into the “Council.”

“It’s now confirmed that the full name of the ‘Council’ is the Final Secret Council. It’s a small group composed of seven chief deities, and their objective matches the intelligence you previously uncovered. They’re after the Star Law Codex.”

Lucy asked, “So, have they found the traitor inside the Star Law Institute?”

The old wizard shook his head heavily.

Although he had already reported the matter to Her Excellency Molly, the Cat Witch, no one dared make a move before President Merlin returned.

After all, a wizard capable of commanding the Seven Gods had to be at least at the Star Ring level—perhaps even a Crown Wizard.

Among the Twelve Crown Towers, the only ones Theodosius could truly trust were Her Excellency Molly and President Merlin.

“So, what do you need me to do?”

“After the reprisal, the Old Three Gods did settle down for a while, but the factions of Golden Worship, Oddities, Nightmares, and Crimson retaliated.”

Theodosius let out a sigh.

“Across the Four Islands of Wizards, large-scale descents occurred almost simultaneously.”

He unfurled a map of the Four Islands.

On the elliptical projection, a dense scatter of red and blue markers was a shocking sight.

Each red dot represented a successful descent. Blue dots marked failed ones.

“From the Kingdom of Dawn in the far east to the Kingdom of Avia in the west, a total of one hundred twenty-five descents took place within just one week.”

“In the worst case, an entire city in the Kingdom of Vaste was harvested by the Crimson Sovereign.”

“Estimated casualties exceeded one hundred thousand.”

Although the various wizard factions within each nation had tightened their control, there were always survivors in hiding who managed to summon the Outer Gods.

Even the most ordinary subordinate god could inflict immense damage.

She hadn’t expected that the Final Secret Council would be this insane.

Staring at the intersecting circles on the map, Lucy suddenly realized the Council’s true intention. “They’re trying to pin us down with these suicide attacks?”

Theodosius gave a bitter smile. “We noticed that too.”

But unfortunately, it was an open conspiracy.

Even though the plan had been seen through, the Star Law Institute still had no choice but to focus all its efforts on suppression.

As a result, the internal investigation had to be postponed.

“But don’t worry—we’ve already reinforced the protection around the Star Law Codex. There will absolutely be no issues.”

Lucy couldn’t help but question, “I’m just curious—if divine power causes aging, and the descent ritual directly leads to death, then how do these Outer Gods still keep finding so many followers?”

“Human beings have always struggled to resist the allure of unknown power,” replied Master Theodosius. “Not to mention, Outer Gods are exceptionally skilled at early-stage deception.”

That explanation didn’t quite convince Lucy.

Nobles continuously propagated the dangers of the Outer Gods, and wizards never ceased their purging of fanatics—yet the cultists persisted like weeds, impossible to uproot completely.

While some were certainly misled, it couldn’t be just that simple.

“Back to the main topic.”

Theodosius pointed to a region on the Time Zone 8 map. “The Kingdom of Atley—right next to the Principality of Kolo. Based on intelligence, there’s likely a sizeable cult hidden here as well.”

“We simply don’t have the manpower in Time Zone 8. You’ll have to go.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve selected a few formal wizards from among the trainee members. Your main role is to represent Time Zone 8 and oversee the operation.”

Master Theodosius raised his hand and tore off three strands of Corpse-Stitching Thread. “You know how to use these.”

“Remember, your job this time is to protect yourself. If you’re in danger, don’t worry about the others—just retreat into the Abyss of Nightmares. Don’t try to play the hero.”

“If the situation gets completely out of hand, let the mission fail if you must, but make sure you survive. Understood?”

Lucy took the silver threads and wrapped them around her wrist.

“I understand, Master.”

Lucy didn’t have much resistance toward this mission.

Since she had been enjoying the highest privileges of the Star Law Institute, it was only natural for her to give something back in return.

Moreover, just as Theodosius had said—while she might not have been strong in combat, her means of survival were nearly unbeatable. Even the former master of this sub-plane—the Lord of Nightmares—couldn’t open a planar passage to it.

...

That night, Olivia was thrilled upon hearing about the mission.

“You’re going?”

“Of course I am!” the latter responded without hesitation. “It’s the perfect chance to stop by the Principality of Kolo!”

Although Olivia was thoroughly familiar with the affairs of her homeland through her aunt’s letters, it could never compare to seeing things with her own eyes.

“Alright. But at all times, you need to stay by my side. If anything dangerous happens, immediately retreat into the Abyss of Nightmares.”

Lucy gave her a serious reminder, not without worry.

As a formal member of the Divine Remains Round Table, Lucy had the authority to requisition other wizards from the Star Law Institute freely—

Even if Olivia didn’t belong to Time Zone 8.

This walking bundle of filthy thoughts instantly promised, “Don’t worry, I’ll be glued to your side for twenty-four sandglass hours without a moment’s break!”

Lucy reached out and pinched Olivia’s soft, dewy cheek.

“How much do you know about the Kingdom of Atley?”

“Let me think.” Olivia bit her index finger. “I just know that the Kingdom of Atley has a large population and a very wealthy royal family. At its peak, it exceeded thirty million people and was famous for its rich mineral resources.”

“But the place has very little arable land, and large-scale famines break out every few years.”