Preparing to Land on the Island

When the captive mage was brought to the shore, more and more people from the Magical Hermitage began to gather around.

Luo Wei glanced around and saw that about thirty mages had assembled. The town was usually empty, and he had never seen them gather like this before.

This was likely because the bay where the town was located had a semi-circular terrain. To prevent the Guildmaster's people from sneaking out, they were scattered along the coast. For example, Tilis's small house was located several kilometers away.

As Luo Wei watched the mage who kept pleading for mercy, he couldn't help but move closer.

To be honest, he was also curious about what the mage had meant by "the Guildmaster has started eating people."

He had heard of transcendent beings going mad after backlash, but cannibalism was truly rare.

Seeing the captive mage's emotions grow increasingly unstable, Tilis's expression darkened, and a faint sense of pressure filled the air.

"Stop wasting my time. It's precious."

"Tell me what happened on the island, or I'll send you back into the sea to feed the fish."

The captive mage shuddered.

"Alright, alright! Vice Guildmaster! I'll talk, I'll talk..."

The mage's body had been soaked in water all morning. Shivering, he began to recount the events on the island to Tilis.

"At first, the Guildmaster was very confident... that he could lead us to break through Tilis's blockade."

"He said that as soon as he took over the research institute of Tilis and Master Usoma, he would quickly gain divine power and become omnipotent..."

"But who would have thought that we'd be stuck there for half a year..."

The captive mage's face turned bitter as he recalled the events. While waiting for the Guildmaster's research to bear fruit, they had also tried to break out. However, the magical restrictions were too strong, and even if they managed to escape, they would soon be killed by hostile mages outside.

Since supplies couldn't be exchanged with the outside world, the food in the institute ran out after two months. Perhaps because the so-called "Sea God" had died, the fish in the surrounding waters were extremely scarce. If it weren't for a mage in their group who was skilled in plant-based magic and could grow barely edible potatoes, everyone would have starved to death on the island...

Hearing this, Luo Wei couldn't help but feel a bit horrified imagining the scene. They had been eating nothing but potatoes for three months...

Unexpectedly, Evelyn muttered beside him.

"Aren't potatoes quite tasty?"

Luo Wei couldn't help but laugh, and Evelyn looked at him in confusion.

"Aren't they? The meals you usually take me to that include potatoes are quite delicious, aren't they?"

Luo Wei looked at her with amusement. "But not for three months straight..."

Evelyn had only recently started experiencing human food and probably hadn't yet felt the boredom of eating the same thing over and over...

Their quiet banter drew everyone's attention, and Tilis glanced at Evelyn expressionlessly.

Evelyn quietly closed her mouth.

The captive mage continued his story...

After their attempts to escape failed, all the mages could only pin their hopes on the Guildmaster's research, hoping he could defeat the Vice Guildmaster and lead them out of their predicament.

But half a year had passed, and the Guildmaster's research had yielded no results. The atmosphere among his faction grew increasingly oppressive and silent.

Until...

A month ago, the disheveled Guildmaster burst out of the underground research institute, ecstatic. He said he was on the verge of success, that he had heard the "divine oracle" and was about to gain divine power.

Of course, the mages were equally excited, but the Guildmaster said the research needed one final step. He couldn't do it alone and needed a little help from everyone...

Ten powerful mages from the Hermitage volunteered to assist him and entered the sealed research institute.

But they never came out.

Many mages outside grew suspicious. Before this, only the Guildmaster had been allowed into the most secretive part of the institute. Now, he was letting others in...

And then, even stranger things began to happen.

The island underwent bizarre changes, with its ecosystem altered and more and more crazed monsters appearing...

Even...

When night fell, a massive and terrifying creature would emerge in the island's forest. It was extremely dangerous, and battles on the island became frequent. The number of mages dwindled.

In desperation, they finally broke into the research institute to seek the Guildmaster's help. But when they found him, they were horrified to discover what had happened to their comrades...

"When we found the Guildmaster, he was lying on a pile of corpses, frantically devouring flesh and blood..."

The captive mage's expression grew more fearful. "The Guildmaster... he was the monster that roamed the island at night..."

"The ten assistants, the missing mages on the island, even our elders... they were all eaten by him..."

"The Guildmaster had lost his mind, but his power was terrifyingly strong. If it weren't for Elder Nelais's last desperate struggle, the rest of us might not have escaped..."

The captive mage looked at Tilis with a pleading expression. "That's all I know, Vice Guildmaster Tilis. Please, you must help us. My friends are still on the island..."

After he finished speaking, the surrounding mages all wore expressions of shock.

Elder Margery approached. She looked at the pleading mage and then turned to Tilis with a serious and questioning gaze.

"Lock him up in the town," Tilis said dismissively, waving her hand.

"The Church is still watching us closely. The Hermitage's situation is tense. Once we deal with the Guildmaster and his supporters, we'll end this meaningless infighting."

"Understood," Elder Margery nodded, then looked at Luo Wei and his companions, her tone hesitant.

"Tilis, are your friends here also going to the island?"

Tilis raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

"But..." Elder Margery glanced at Luo Wei again, frowning slightly.

"The Divine Research Institute is a crucial secret of the Hermitage. Although they are your friends, they are still outsiders..."

"Elder Margery, let me correct you."

Tilis looked in Luo Wei's direction, a faint smile on her lips.

"He's not an outsider."

In fact, this entire trip was prepared for him. If he didn't come with her, what would be the point?

Elder Margery looked up in surprise, noticing the meaningful gaze exchanged between the two. Her brows furrowed in suspicion.

She pondered the information she had about this "Luo Wei." The young man seemed to be an alchemist or perhaps a mystic?

And since this journey involved folklore and ancient deities, perhaps Tilis had considered this aspect?

Elder Margery could only assume so, as Tilis was always steady and reliable, never diverting her attention to irrelevant matters.

"In that case, I understand..."

"I'll go discuss the preparations for boarding the island with Elder Roens and the others."

Tilis nodded slightly, then quietly walked toward Luo Wei.