Of course, I am more important...

As Tilis slowly approached, Luo Wei asked, "When do you plan to go to the island?"

"Without delay," Tilis replied, glancing at the mages dispersing to their tasks. "We’ll set foot on the island by noon at the latest."

Luo Wei nodded, his gaze fixed on the small island in the sea.

As the morning temperature gradually rose, the mist over the sea began to dissipate, revealing the full outline of the island.

The two of them stood side by side, silently observing the island. After a while, Luo Wei spoke softly.

"The guild leader has turned into a mindless monster."

"Even now, do you still believe that studying the corpses of gods will lead you to the truth?"

The current state of the guild leader and the disappearance of her mentor, Usoma, had almost proven that so-called "divine research" led to no good outcome. Why did Tilis believe she was any different?

"Of course!" Tilis replied with unwavering confidence. "That fool, even if he took over the research institute from me and my mentor, what does it matter? He has no idea about the proper 'ritual' process, and he’s missing the most crucial 'artifact.'"

"Artifact?" Luo Wei asked, puzzled. "What is it?"

Tilis gave a sly smile and leaned closer to Luo Wei’s ear.

"You’ll find out when we get there."

"And don’t forget to bring the gift I gave you when we go ashore, okay~?"

Luo Wei immediately turned to her. "The key?"

Tilis nodded gently.

A moment later, her gaze drifted downward, landing on the ring Luo Wei was wearing.

This time, however, she didn’t get angry.

Instead, she wore a mocking smile.

"Why hasn’t Ophelia shown up? Isn’t she keeping an eye on you anymore?"

"She’s busy too. She can’t watch me all the time..." Luo Wei replied with a helpless smile, clearly wanting to avoid this topic.

"Oh..." Tilis’s smile faded slightly.

"That fifth princess of the Wigner family has no real power. All she knows is how to use underhanded, despicable tricks to keep you tied down. How pathetic."

Luo Wei instinctively glanced at the ring, hoping she wouldn’t show up at this critical moment...

After her taunt, Tilis turned her gaze back to Luo Wei with a smile.

"But it doesn’t matter. Once we gain infinite power, you can throw that ring away."

"I hope so," Luo Wei could only say.

Tilis continued to smile. "When that time comes, we’ll be able to do whatever we want. That annoying woman who imprisoned and monitored you—I can help you kill her too."

Luo Wei thought to himself, *Let’s not go that far.*

Noticing Luo Wei’s silence, Tilis tilted her head slightly.

"What? You don’t want that?"

Luo Wei gave an awkward laugh. "Once we ascend to godhood, our perspective will be so elevated. Why would we still care about such trivial matters?"

"True," Tilis nodded gently.

Luo Wei thought the topic was over, but Tilis leaned in closer, her deep purple eyes staring directly into his.

Her voice was soft as she whispered,

"You changing the subject like that shows you really do care about her..."

Luo Wei’s heart tightened.

Tilis smiled. "In your heart, does she hold a higher place than me?"

After she asked this, Luo Wei felt the air around them freeze.

This was truly a life-or-death question...

Should he deny it outright, saying, "No! You’re more important to me!" or should he pull a smooth move and say, "You’re both my wings.jpg"? It was a question worth pondering...

But just as he was about to speak, a pale finger pressed against his lips.

"Don’t say anything. I already know..."

"Huh?" Luo Wei was taken aback.

Tilis lowered her eyelids, her voice barely audible.

"Of course, I’m more important..."

"Otherwise, why would you give me so many precious treasures? Even in the most dangerous situations, you only think of me..."

She murmured to herself, not so much questioning Luo Wei as convincing herself.

"Yes, it must be so."

"Only I am of the most value to you, so I must be the most important."

Having concluded her reasoning, she seemed to regain her energy.

"President Tilis!"

Just then, several mages approached her. It seemed the preparations for landing on the island were complete.

Tilis no longer dwelled on the previous topic. Instead, she looked at the gradually emerging island with eager anticipation.

Luo Wei wiped the sweat from his brow, relieved in his heart.

...

A while later, all the personnel set to board the island were gathered at the fishing port on the coast.

During this time, a small incident occurred.

"You blasphemous devils! Damned dark sorcerers!"

"I’ve heard the wrathful curses of the Sea God! You’ve done such terrible things! You’ll all die horribly! You’ll all perish on that island!! Hahahaha!"

A deranged townsman stood at the street corner, fearlessly shouting curses at the mages of the Arcane Order.

Some of the mages looked displeased, others sneered, while a few turned to Elder Margery for guidance.

Margery nodded and approached Tilis, who was still gazing at the island in the sea.

"There are still many test subjects in the research institute. These impure-blooded townsfolk are no longer useful, right?"

Tilis didn’t respond. Her eyes were fixed solely on the island, or more precisely, the research institute on it.

Margery sighed helplessly and turned back to the mages.

She gestured to her neck, making a "kill" motion.

"All of them."

The mages nodded silently.

...

Two hours later, six small boats slowly approached the edge of the island.

The entire island was eerily quiet. After the mages disembarked, they encountered no resistance.

Seeing some mages examining a map, Luo Wei also moved closer. The island was low in the west and high in the east. The Divine Research Institute was located on the eastern cliff. To reach it, they would need to traverse a dense forest, which they could do before sunset.

Once all the mages had landed, the group began to move toward their destination. However, as they ventured deeper into the island, the surroundings grew increasingly strange.

Luo Wei observed the area. Rocks and tree trunks were covered in dense clusters of barnacles, enough to trigger anyone’s trypophobia...

Moreover, the air in the forest was thick with a rotten, fishy stench, making it almost unbearable to move forward.

"Why are these sea creatures growing on the island?" Evelyn asked, covering her nose as she looked at Luo Wei.

"It must be the influence of the Sea God on the local ecosystem," Luo Wei speculated. He used his cane to smash a hard barnacle, revealing the decayed flesh inside.

He recalled the townsfolk saying that the Sea God would bring an endless supply of marine life. This must be one of its abilities.

At that moment, Tilis, who had been scouting from the sky, landed gently. As soon as she touched the ground, she wrinkled her nose at the foul smell.

Elder Margery immediately cast a spell. After a brief incantation, a barrier of air formed around the group, blocking out the stench and allowing everyone to breathe freely.

Once Tilis rejoined the group, she looked seriously toward the depths of the forest. "I sense magical disturbances ahead. Everyone, stay alert."

The group proceeded with even greater caution.

In the afternoon, as they pressed on, the sound of a struggle echoed faintly through the forest. The group tensed, looking ahead to see several figures in tattered robes being chased by a horde of monsters.

"Those are the guild leader’s people," one of the mages whispered.

Luo Wei observed the monsters. They resembled the townsfolk but were even uglier, with more pronounced fish-like features. Their bodies were slick and hairless, their limbs webbed, their eyes bulging, and their gills quivering. Their backs were covered in scales.

The half-human, half-fish creatures soon noticed the new arrivals.

They screeched, emitting harsh sounds that Luo Wei couldn't comprehend. Then, from all around the dense forest, rustling noises began to emerge. More and more monsters started appearing within sight, their numbers growing rapidly.