The Two Who Cannot Communicate, and Compromise

Facing Ophelia's counterattack, Tilis's eyes showed a moment of panic.

"Selfish..."

"Selfish??"

She dared not meet Luo Wei's gaze, instead muttering stubbornly, over and over again.

"How can it be selfish? A secret like becoming a god, I only want to share it with him..."

"You just don't understand me..."

"The ritual to become a god is written in the notebook. My teacher has already succeeded. It's not dangerous at all... How could it lead to death? I won't let Luo Wei die..."

She kept repeating her earlier claims, trying to convince herself that her actions were justified.

Meanwhile, Luo Wei, listening to her muttering, suddenly froze.

Did she just say the ritual to become a god is in the notebook?

Luo Wei couldn't help but glance toward the desk in the room. Earlier, Tilis had put *Usoma's Fragmented Notes* back into the drawer.

At the same time, his surprise grew.

How could Usoma, a human mage, know something as monumental as becoming a god?

Moreover, the system's item description didn't mention this at all.

The item description only said, "This is a gateway to madness..."

So, one of them had to be wrong.

Compared to Tilis, who was suddenly spiraling again, Luo Wei was more inclined to trust the system panel...

Seeing Tilis becoming more and more entangled, Ophelia's lips curled slightly, and she decided to push harder.

"See? You don't even believe it yourself, yet you're willing to drag Luo Wei into this risk!"

"Isn't that selfish?"

"No!" Tilis refused to let anyone question her path to godhood. "Who says I don't believe it? This is undeniable! I will become a god!!"

She glared coldly at Ophelia and suddenly retorted:

"You, a flying monstrosity from the Wegener family, what do you know?"

"You don't even know what your ancestors really were! Do you really think you're some kind of sacred dragon-blooded lineage?"

When her family's origins were brought up, Ophelia didn't seem the least bit angry. She smiled and said:

"What kind of monsters our family is has nothing to do with you. I suggest you worry about yourself. Want to become a god? First, contact the Bedlam Psychiatric Hospital in St. Carren. There are plenty of lunatics there who want to become gods. It's perfect for you. I know the director there—I can help you secure a nice, cozy room with a view."

Listening to Ophelia's ruthless verbal barrage, Luo Wei almost laughed but managed to hold it back.

Ophelia's sharp tongue had truly improved. Maybe she'd been cooped up in her ancestors' tombs for too long...

Finally, seeing Tilis's twisted expression, Ophelia smiled victoriously.

"Did you hear that, selfish one? If you want to become a god, go by yourself. Don't drag my Luo Wei into it!"

Tilis sneered.

"Selfish? Don't act like you're so innocent!"

She narrowed her eyes and looked at the ring on Luo Wei's hand.

"Luo Wei, she's monitoring you. Haven't you realized that?"

"It's not monitoring! I'm protecting him!" Ophelia immediately retorted.

Tilis chuckled. "Protecting? With me around, does he need protection?"

"With you around, he might lose a finger!"

"And whose fault is that?"

"Hmph, you witch. It's impossible to reason with you!"

"You Wegener reptile! Do you think I want to talk to you?"

After this exchange, their murderous gazes clashed violently, and Luo Wei could see another fight brewing.

"Wait! Hold on!"

Luo Wei couldn't sit still any longer. They'd been at it from noon to evening, and he was getting hungry.

Both of their gazes shifted to him, the murderous intent still lingering, making Luo Wei shiver.

"Alright, let's compromise!" Luo Wei tried to mediate. "I'll go with Tilis to the island and see what this so-called divine research institute is all about. As for whether or not to become a god, we'll discuss that later. If there's really something wrong with the ritual, we'll drop it!"

Although he said this, he already had his own judgment. Usoma was definitely gone, and this "godhood" thing was almost certainly a trap.

Hearing that Luo Wei was willing to accompany her to the island, Tilis's expression softened a little.

After all, her goal was to bring Luo Wei to the divine research institute on the island, and she was halfway there.

Ophelia, however, was still visibly dissatisfied. "That island is definitely dangerous, and it involves 'gods.' If something happens to you, how could you possibly escape easily?"

"Besides..." she complained, "that annoying old man sent me so far away. If I have to come rescue you, it'll take days. By the time I find you, your corpse will be cold..."

"I'm not that easy to kill," Luo Wei said with a smile. "We've already survived the descent of an evil god..."

Ophelia pursed her lips, clearly not buying Luo Wei's attempt to reassure her.

The atmosphere fell silent again.

Then, Tilis suddenly spoke:

"Teleportation magic."

"Teleportation magic?" Ophelia frowned at her. "But I don't know it."

"Do you have a mage in your group?" Tilis asked.

"Yes..." Ophelia nodded, glancing to her side.

The surroundings around Ophelia were blurry, but Luo Wei guessed she was referring to Caroline.

"But..." Ophelia hesitated, "she doesn't know teleportation magic..."

"Hmph... useless," Tilis remarked.

Ophelia shot her a cold look.

Luo Wei wasn't too surprised by their conversation.

"Teleportation magic," something that sounded like a staple of traditional magic to Luo Wei, was mostly only seen in the Magic Hermitage. Most spellcasters outside practiced more sinister, evil-looking "dark magic," like Caroline's expertise in hypnosis and a strange spell that could make someone's body rot with maggots...

After all, the Magic Hermitage inherited its traditions from the ancient magic empire. If Luo Wei had been transported to that era, he might have been living a fantasy adventure as a warrior or mage, rather than the current mystery-solving game with Captain Raymond...

"It doesn't matter if she doesn't know it," Tilis continued. "Long-distance teleportation consumes an astronomical amount of mana. If you have enough magic crystals, I can teach your spellcaster a simplified magic circle that can achieve the teleportation effect."

"Fine," Ophelia agreed decisively.

Tilis looked at her, suspicion creeping into her expression. "Is she really a proper spellcaster? Can she even reach the level of a magic apprentice here?"

"I don't need her to have a vast mana reserve, but she must have magical talent. She must be able to resonate with the 'ring's' vibrations, understand the complex structures of magical runes, and invoke miraculous echoes beyond the material world."

"Don't worry, she's quite capable," Ophelia said, glancing at Caroline beside her.

Caroline's magical talent had always been high, but after her family fell from nobility, she could no longer afford the exorbitant costs of learning magic.

"Good," Tilis said, looking at her. "In that case, your spellcaster can bring you here."

She gradually smiled. "Now you can rest easy, right? Can you entrust Luo Wei to me?"

Ophelia silently stared at her, not answering.

Rest easy? Not a chance!

Just as the atmosphere grew tense and heavy, there was a gentle knock at the door.

Luo Wei looked out the window and saw several people in mage robes, likely Tilis's subordinates.

Tilis glanced out the window and sighed deeply. "Alright, we'll discuss the teaching tomorrow."

She rubbed her temples, looking tired. "Let's leave it at that for today. I have a lot of work to do. I'm busy."

With that, she grasped Luo Wei's hand, and under Ophelia's astonished gaze, a blue magic circle suddenly lit up. Tilis personally demonstrated the teleportation spell.

In an instant, Luo Wei was transported back to the exterior of the mansion on the hillside. The area was now brightly lit, with several apprentices using illumination spells to patrol the coastline.

"It's getting late. You should rest," Tilis said, her face looking even more exhausted.

She sighed, "There's still a lot to do at the Hermitage, and I need to study the master's notes. We'll see each other tomorrow."

"You should rest too. Don't forget to sleep," Luo Wei said, looking at her.

Tilis gave a soft smile, and then her figure vanished from Luo Wei's sight.

After she disappeared,

Luo Wei stood on the hillside, quietly gazing at the dark sea, as if waiting for something.

After a while, Ophelia's translucent figure reappeared in front of Luo Wei.

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

"Did she leave?"

"Yes."

There was no complaint or argument. The atmosphere between them was entirely different from the tension back in the seaside cabin.

Luo Wei looked at Ophelia with a serious expression, his gaze deep and probing, and asked,

"Was she lying just now?"