Cooperation

On the crowded and bustling street, Luo Wei hid among the masses, quietly watching the slow-moving convoy.

After the family meeting in the dream realm ended, he was the only one who returned to the scene.

The blinding spear of light descended once more. Witnessing the assassination attempt on the Pope, Luo Wei concealed himself and silently followed the church personnel.

"Your Holiness! The carriage is ready!" A priest hurried over in panic.

"Quick! Escort His Holiness back to the cathedral at once!" Another priest supported Adrian, who was covered in blood, into the carriage. "Hold on a little longer!"

"It's fine, it's fine..." Adrian waved his hand dismissively from inside the carriage, reassuring his subordinates. "It's not a fatal wound. I'll be alright soon..."

With a deafening explosion, the Pope's carriage was blasted into the sky.

Luo Wei nearly lost his composure—Eleya's entrance was truly explosive.

Stepping out from the shadows of the street corner, he gazed at the massive crater in the middle of the road. A single divine spell from Eleya had overturned all the carriages of the Holy Edict Church, leaving the scene in utter chaos.

At noon, bathed in sunlight, Eleya strode toward the wreckage of the carriage, slowly unfurling her pristine white wings.

Luo Wei flashed forward, appearing instantly before her.

"Luo Wei?" Eleya frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Just taking a casual stroll," Luo Wei replied, walking over to the shattered carriage and pulling out the dust-covered Pope.

"Cough, cough... Luo Wei! Inform His Majesty at once..." Adrian clutched his chest, coughing violently.

Luo Wei gave him a once-over, surprised that the old man was still holding up despite the repeated ordeals. Truly, the resilience of a top-tier clergyman.

After rescuing the Pope, Luo Wei summoned a shield of magical runes to encase him. Eleya, standing opposite, eyed his actions suspiciously.

"You already knew? That foresight of yours again?"

"Yep," Luo Wei nodded.

"So honest?" Eleya's frown deepened, finding his calmness unnerving.

"Where’s Tilis? And Ophelia?" She glanced around, realizing Luo Wei was the only one who had come.

A sense of conspiracy crept into her mind.

"Them?" Luo Wei smirked. "They're busy. But you’ll see Tilis soon enough."

"Luo Wei, what exactly are you scheming?" Eleya demanded. "Back at the old house, what did you discuss with them in your room?"

"Us?" Luo Wei grinned mischievously. "A secret!"

If she enjoyed playing the enigmatic one, he’d return the favor this time.

"Hmph, stop with the theatrics!" Eleya stepped closer. "I only meant to kill these fools, but since you’ve delivered yourself to me, I’ll take you back to the Holy Mountain as well."

As she spoke, she raised her hand, and the ground beneath Luo Wei trembled violently.

His 6th-tier defensive magic might as well have been nonexistent under Eleya’s power. The terrain beneath him cracked apart, pulling him toward her.

"Come here."

With her radiant wings spread, she smiled angelically as Luo Wei drew nearer.

"You didn’t even bring Tilis. Isn’t this just walking into a trap?"

"It’s not too late to surrender. I’ve told you—you can’t stop me. Soon, you’ll witness the descent of the Holy Light."

"Luo... Luo Wei..." Adrian struggled to lift his head. "Don’t let her succeed... Run! Find His Majesty! He has a way to deal with her... The Church’s Saintess won’t escape..."

"You could’ve mentioned that sooner..." Luo Wei shot him a glance. Had he known Carlton had such means, he wouldn’t have fought Eleya to the death before.

Eleya glared coldly at the Pope, gripping his throat from afar, attempting to yank him out of the magical barrier.

"Die!"

"Wait, wait!" Luo Wei blocked her path again. "Eleya, how about we cooperate?"

Eleya paused, eyeing him with heightened suspicion.

"You ignored my pleas before, and now you propose cooperation at this moment?"

"Luo Wei, do you take me for a fool? What’s your game?"

"Don’t rush." Luo Wei gazed toward the direction of Haiglitze Palace. His earlier actions had merely been to stall Eleya for a few minutes—now, the time was right.

A tremor like an earthquake shook the earth, and finally, he saw the scene he had planned unfold.

Blinding streaks of magic rained down relentlessly upon Haiglitze Palace, reducing its opulent structures to rubble. The witch was venting all the frustration and anger Luo Wei had bottled up from their last encounter.

Eleya narrowed her eyes as she watched Tilis assault the palace.

...

Meanwhile, high above Haiglitze Palace.

Clad in a white dress and fluttering "radiant wings," Tilis casually tossed a light spell downward.

She had disguised herself as Eleya, and the spell she used was the closest thing to divine magic in her repertoire.

After a relentless bombardment, feeling her impression wasn’t striking enough, Tilis paused, then shouted down:

"For the Holy Light!!"

Her voice, amplified by magic, echoed across the sky. With that, she hurled another high-tier spell.

This time, however, a surge of mana intercepted her magic. Tilis turned to see the Royal Mage Corps had arrived.

"Who are you?!" Hawkins blocked her path in an instant.

Tilis didn’t answer. Instead, she flapped her false wings and flew toward St. Karen Cathedral.

A flash of blue light later, Hawkins reappeared before her.

"Why impersonate the Church’s Saintess?" He glared darkly at her. "What’s your goal?"

"You figured it out that fast?" Tilis muttered. "No wonder you’re the Archmage."

But she hadn’t expected to fool everyone. Luo Wei had told her to just make a big enough scene.

Pondering the next step, she continued toward their rendezvous point.

"Hmph, trying to escape?"

Hawkins’ spellcasting was nearly instantaneous. A surge of immense mana erupted, and behind him, a massive blue magic circle materialized like a cannon.

A barrage of blue beams, resembling a meteor shower, blotted out the sky as they rained down on Tilis.

She frowned at the incoming spells—not because they were troublesome, but because they looked eerily familiar.

As the blue-tailed "meteors" pursued her relentlessly, she accelerated, weaving through the sky at sharp angles.

"Strange..."

"Academy magic?"

Glancing back at the tenacious Hawkins, she pondered silently.

‘The opponent is using standard Academy Magic, and it’s even the rare Stellar Magic branch of the Academy system? Only the Arcane Hermitage still records such spells... But why have I never seen him before?’

With this thought in mind, she dodged the magical onslaught while reaching out to Elder Roens.