Above the skies of Eldoria Arcanum, two figures were flying through the air. Their bodies were covered in black robes.

  The first man said, “Lucas, are we at the wrong location? Isn’t he supposed to be here? Forget the guy— the whole academy is missing.”

  Lucas replied calmly, “It has been separated from the real world. Someone has used a dimension-altering spell. But to do it with such precision that even a level 7 Wandering Mage is unable to determine its location means they are probably of or above Vanr level.”

  Hearing this, the other man asked suspiciously, “Do you think they are aware of us? Should we ask for backup?”

  Lucas replied, “No. No one would go that far just to protect a level one assassin. We’ll wait and mark the target once the area returns to this dimension.”

  Madam Helina and Aurelia stood beside Mercy, who was still floating with her eyes closed. Suddenly, Helina’s eyes began to glow blue. The wall of water-like energy surrounding the academy began to shrink until it formed a sphere around the three of them. The sphere burst into particles of light, and the three vanished.

  The teachers moved the unconscious people inside the building. They provided food and elixirs to those who had regained consciousness. Surprisingly, Soul also recovered rather quickly. When a teacher came to check on him, he immediately asked about Mercy.

  After Madam Helina left, the academy returned to its original space. The Beast Hunter, Alaric, and the young man stood beside the altar, discussing the recent events. Almost a hundred meters away, hidden in the shadows, the two intruders observed them.

  “So a deity was born here. That’s why the security was so high,” Lucas said.

  “Are you sure? Doesn’t the descending ritual usually take place in the Divine Kingdom?” his comrade asked.

  “My master once described a forbidden ritual that forces an individual’s power to manifest prematurely,” Lucas replied. “Their previous deity likely met a tragic fate, and they were desperate for a new god as soon as possible to avoid being captured by other deities. However, it is an extremely dangerous practice for many reasons.”

  “Like?”

  “Like becoming a demon. A god-level demon would mean the end of the world. Then there are accidental deaths and weakened power levels for those who use this method.”

  As he spoke, Lucas’s eyes emitted a dark glow before returning to normal.

  “Our target is right there—the man to the right of the old one. But he’s a grade 3.”

  “A grade 3? Wasn’t he supposed to be a grade 1?”

  “The birth of the deity may have influenced the prediction. Either way, whether he’s grade 1 or 3 doesn’t matter. He’s still only level 1. Finishing him won’t take long. However, the old man is a level 7, grade 5 Battle Commander, and the other is a level 9, grade 5 Beast Hunter. Hayden, can you kill him while I distract the other two?” Lucas asked.

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  After a moment of thought, Hayden replied, “No. That would be nearly impossible. We’ll ambush him once he leaves this place.”

  Soul was stunned upon hearing about Mercy. For a brief moment, he didn’t even know what to say. He gathered his thoughts, calmed himself, and asked, “Where is she? I want to talk to her.”

  “I believe the goddess is in her divine palace, but it is quite far from here,” the teacher replied. “She is also in an unstable condition at the moment. It would be fatal for a mortal to go near her.”

  Hearing this, Soul replied worriedly, “That idiot is probably crying her eyes out. Can you tell me the exact location? I need to get there quickly.”

  The teacher smiled in confusion. “I can, but the palace is located on the other side of the planet.”

  Soul’s eyes widened in horror. “How long was I asleep?”

  Eldoria Arcanum was located in Woolinin City, one of the largest cities on the Panthean continent. Snowfall blanketed the city throughout the year, and it was surrounded by thick pine forests.

  Within that forest, the young man from Eldoria walked alone. His thoughts drifted until a sudden gust of wind blew through his hair. He stopped and said loudly, as if addressing someone unseen, “Why don’t you stop this hide-and-seek game and face me directly?”

  The wind swirled in front of him and transformed into a man wearing a black robe. “I’m surprised you were able to—”

  Before Hayden could finish his sentence, two spikes shot toward him. Each was the size of a toothpick—one aimed at his head, the other at his heart. Their speed was so great that he barely had time to react. He used wind to deflect the spike aimed at his head, but the other pierced his chest, narrowly missing his heart.

  Before Hayden could recover, the man charged at him with a sword. When he was five feet away, Hayden raised his left arm, releasing a powerful gust of wind that sent the attacker flying backward, crashing through multiple trees.

  “Your kind is always a pain to deal with,” Hayden said coldly. “Fine, I’ll end your misery quickly.”

  He closed his eyes and raised his hands to shoulder level. His arms disintegrated into the air, granting him full control over the wind within a ten-kilometer radius.

  “Hiding is impossible now. I can locate you no matter what you do.”

  Suddenly, trees across the forest collapsed. Animals in the area were sliced apart by invisible wind blades. Using his control over wind, Hayden sensed shifts in air pressure caused by movement. However, being only grade 2, he lacked advanced analytical ability and attacked anything that moved within his range. Even staying still was useless—breathing alone would reveal the target’s presence.

  The white snow was painted red.

  As the assault continued, Hayden shouted, “Since this is the end for you, why don’t you tell me your name?”

  The moment he finished speaking, a chill ran down his spine. Someone was standing directly behind him.

  Before Hayden could react, the man moved first, severing his arm with a sword. He replied coldly, “It’s Charon.”

  Hayden fell to his knees, screaming in pain. “You monster! You used animal bodies to hide your presence. How cruel!”

  Charon paid little attention and stared directly into Hayden’s eyes. “You’re weaker than the Wind Assassin I killed before. He might’ve been a grade or two higher than you. Either way, if you want to live, tell me who sent you.”

  Hayden stared at the ground beneath Charon’s feet and replied between heavy breaths, “I will remember you… Charon.”

  Charon sensed something was wrong. He looked down and saw a glowing circle with strange patterns beneath his feet. Before he could react, the space below him turned into a dark void and dragged him inside. Moments later, everything returned to normal.

  Another man stepped out from behind a tree. He, too, wore a black robe. It was Lucas.

  “Where did you send him?” Hayden asked while using wind to seal his injury.

  “To the gate of hell. His fate is already sealed,” Lucas replied. He pulled out a jade sphere and spoke into it,

  “It is done. The DLX has been eliminated.”