On the island, amidst a series of ear-piercing screeches, the densely packed fish-like monsters began swarming toward Luo Wei from all directions.
Helena, standing beside him, immediately prepared to act, but Luo Wei held her back.
"Brother?"
Seeing her puzzled expression, Luo Wei shook his head. "We won't be needed."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the mages. The moment the monsters appeared, the mages swiftly retaliated with spells.
In an instant, dazzling blue light illuminated the area. Luo Wei watched as a barrage of magical attacks rained down on the horde of monsters.
With each wave of spells, the mages mowed down the creatures like reaping wheat, leaving behind a trail of corpses. The intense magical energy they unleashed even caused the surrounding forest to tremble.
Helena's eyes widened in awe. She had never witnessed such a grand spectacle of mages casting spells in unison.
This sight also made Luo Wei reflect. It was fortunate that the Magic Hermitage had limited numbers; otherwise, their ambition to restore the Magic Empire might have already been realized...
While the mages fought, Elder Margery circled high above, her expression grave as she looked at Tilis.
"There are too many of them! More than we can see. The waters around the island are teeming with monsters surfacing endlessly!"
She quickly scanned the area. "We're vulnerable to attacks from all sides here. Let's find a new foothold."
Elder Roens immediately agreed, but as the two elders turned to Tilis for a decision, they noticed her staring at the fish-like monsters, frozen in place.
"Vice President?"
"Tilis??"
The elders called out several times before Tilis finally snapped out of her daze.
"Huh? You were saying... about a foothold?"
She paused for a moment. "Yes... alright. Let's follow Elder Margery's suggestion."
The two elders exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what had preoccupied her, but they didn't press further and quickly issued orders to the mages of the Hermitage.
This scene caught Luo Wei's attention. Frowning, he approached Tilis.
"What were you thinking just now? Why were you spacing out in such a critical moment?"
"Huh?" Tilis looked at Luo Wei blankly before quickly replying, "It's... it's nothing."
"Tilis?" Luo Wei frowned, staring intently into her eyes. "What's really going on?"
Tilis hesitated, her lips parting slightly.
After a moment of silence, she murmured, "I think... I've seen something like this before. That's why I got lost in thought."
"You've seen this before?" Luo Wei looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"
Tilis closed her eyes, as if trying to recall something.
"I remember..."
"I think I remember... the first time I came to this island with my teacher, we encountered a similar situation..."
"Perhaps because of the Sea God's corpse, there were countless fish-like monsters. They came at us in a frenzy, but my teacher easily wiped them out..."
"That's why it felt so familiar..."
Luo Wei eyed her suspiciously. Why did she need to recall something that had only happened half a year ago?
As he watched her struggle to remember, a realization struck him.
Her memories were likely incomplete.
Every time he had tried to get her to explain how Usoma had ascended to godhood or what had happened that day, she had been vague and evasive. She would often repeat, like a mantra, "Teacher succeeded! I will succeed too!"
At first, he thought she was dodging the topic, but now it seemed she genuinely couldn't remember.
With this in mind, Luo Wei looked at her seriously. "What exactly happened after you arrived on the island, especially on the day Usoma disappeared? Please tell me. This is important."
Tilis's eyes snapped open, her purple irises flickering uneasily.
"I don't know..."
"I don't know..."
"Some memories are clear, but others are hazy. I even remember the exact reason the President used to expel me..."
"Because my teacher's research institute was established in secret, without the knowledge of the elders. When it was discovered, many elders sided with the President..."
"But there are many things, the most important things, that I can't recall..."
Tilis clenched her eyes shut, trying desperately to remember.
Luo Wei watched her trembling form and gently reassured her, "Take your time. It'll come to you."
"I know, I know..."
Tilis clutched her head, groaning in pain.
"I can't remember..."
"I just can't..."
"My last meeting with my teacher... what exactly happened..."
Luo Wei stared at her intently, noticing that as her emotions fluctuated, her body began to shimmer unnaturally once again.
He frowned. This wasn't the first time Tilis had exhibited such changes. It seemed to be tied to her unique physical nature.
According to her attributes, Tilis was labeled as a "spiritual entity."
In the realm of mysticism, the non-physical aspects of a person are divided into four layers: the spiritual body, the astral body, and so on. The core of it all, the essence of a person's being, even their soul, is the spiritual body.
In other words, Tilis had long since separated her soul from her physical form. Her true existence wasn't her outward appearance but her inner spiritual body.
This was why Luo Wei had initially thought the witch was already dead and even wanted to touch her face to see if it was warm...
As he pondered this, Tilis's expression grew increasingly pained.
She clutched her head, as if no matter how hard she tried, the memories wouldn't surface.
Finally, her body swayed unsteadily, and she collapsed.
"Tilis?" Luo Wei immediately stepped forward to catch her.
Tilis leaned weakly against Luo Wei, her eyes dazed as she opened them.
"I'm sorry, Luo Wei. I really can't remember..."
Luo Wei sighed, looking at her. "You need to rest. You're not in a good state right now."
But Tilis shook her head vigorously. "No, it's fine! It's fine!"
Suddenly, she grabbed Luo Wei's wrist, her eyes wide with urgency. "I hear a calling in my mind!"
"It's telling me that once we get there... everything will become clear! Luo Wei, help me up!"
Luo Wei had no choice but to support her. Tilis suddenly seemed revitalized, breaking free from his hold and staring eagerly at the structure atop the cliff.
It was the direction of the Divine Research Institute.
"We need to hurry! We can't waste any more time!"
With that, she rushed toward the two elders, filled with impatience and determination.
Soon, under Tilis's orders, the mage contingent split into two groups. One group stayed behind to fend off the monsters, while the other advanced swiftly toward the research institute, aiming to reach it before nightfall.
As he watched the hurried mages around him, Luo Wei gazed thoughtfully at Tilis's retreating figure.
A thought lingered on the edge of his mind, just out of reach.
He turned his gaze once more toward the Divine Research Institute on the cliff.
She was right. Once they reached there...
All the questions, all the mysteries—about the gods, the truth, Usoma, and even Tilis's true intentions—would be unveiled, leaving no room for doubt.
He, too, felt a growing sense of urgency.
This enigma, which had begun with a letter, had led them from Saint Callen to Brugge, and finally to this unnamed island housing the corpse of the Sea God.
It was time for answers.
But at the same time, an unprecedented sense of danger loomed over him.
The final stretch would undoubtedly be perilous.
Someone would die.
Luo Wei's steps slowed as he silently turned to Helena and Evelyn.
"Brother?" Helena immediately sensed he had something to say.
Luo Wei glanced at Helena, then shifted his gaze to Evelyn.
"Teacher," he said in a low voice, "the magical restrictions on the island have been lifted. Take advantage of the chaos and leave. Head to our landing point and secure a boat."
"Luo Wei?" Evelyn quickly looked around.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to this area, she quickly asked again, "What do you mean..."
Luo Wei gazed at her intently, "Your movements are the most discreet here, so only you can accomplish this."
"Teacher, return to Brugge now and find Officer Raymond. Tell him to bring the people from the Saint Callen Church immediately."
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
