Charlton II

With Helena's help, Luo Wei and Eleya finally managed to escape the pursuit of the city guards. The two traveled northward, reaching the highest point of the city—the royal palace of Saint Callen, the Haglitz Palace.

"Luo Wei, how are you holding up?" Eleya stopped and noticed his face growing increasingly pale.

"I'm fine, I can still manage," Luo Wei waved his hand dismissively.

"This isn't sustainable!" Eleya worriedly supported Luo Wei, continuing to attempt healing his injuries with divine magic.

But the shimmering white glow grew fainter and fainter—Eleya could barely sense the presence of faith energy anymore.

"The closer we get to the palace, the stronger his anti-magic field becomes..." Eleya shut her eyes tightly. In her perception, the surrounding world felt like a black hole, devoid of any "light."

"I'm feeling much better now, thank you," Luo Wei took a deep breath. Her healing magic had alleviated much of his pain.

Though his chest and abdomen still ached faintly, it was no longer as unbearable as before.

"Don't thank me," Eleya said softly. "I won't let you die in front of me."

Luo Wei gazed at her. After fighting side by side to reach this point, Eleya seemed to have reverted to her former self—gentle yet resolute. The divine aspect of her had seemingly been absent for a long time.

This was likely due to the "anti-magic field." Charlton had inadvertently severed her connection to her countless followers.

For Luo Wei, however, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Though her combat ability had weakened, he no longer had to worry about the divine Eleya suddenly betraying him.

Luo Wei chuckled teasingly, "But you once said that if I stood in your way, you wouldn’t hesitate to kill me. Were those just empty threats?"

Eleya froze for a moment before her delicate face hardened.

She replied coldly, "The only reason I’m not dealing with you now is because of our alliance. We’re still on the same side—for now."

"Once we’ve dealt with Charlton, if you still stand in my way, don’t blame me for showing no mercy. Luo Wei, don’t test my limits."

"What if I insist on standing in your way?" Luo Wei probed. "Kill me? To fulfill your ascension?"

"Luo Wei!" Eleya suddenly glared at him in frustration. "Why must you be so stubborn?"

"Hard tactics won’t work—I can’t beat you," Luo Wei grinned. "But soft ones might be worth a try. Is there a 'beauty trap' option? I’d like to test my resolve."

Eleya sighed helplessly at his shameless smile. "Why didn’t that explosion earlier destroy your vocal cords..."

Her expression turned serious again. "Luo Wei, I meant every word I said before... She—or rather, the divine version of me—feels nothing. She’s nothing more than a cold machine, solely focused on godhood."

"So don’t stand in my way. Otherwise, I’ll do something we’ll both regret!"

"Oh..." Luo Wei’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly, he grew even more convinced of his theory—that she had two personalities. The other "Eleya" might not even deserve the name anymore.

"Wait..." Eleya seemed to have an epiphany.

She murmured to herself, "If you’re going to be a hindrance no matter what, maybe I should strike first?"

Hearing this, Luo Wei suddenly felt a chill in the air. "What are you planning?"

A faint smile curled on Eleya’s solemn face. "I could abduct you, remove your limbs, poison your silver tongue to silence you, and keep you safely tucked away in my chambers in the Holy City. That way, you won’t interfere, and the 'other me' won’t feel threatened."

Luo Wei shuddered. "You’re even crueler than Helena..."

Helena only wanted to remove his arms and legs—but you’re not even letting me speak!

"Helena?" Eleya’s eyes flashed with curiosity. "That little girl has the guts for that? You must be joking."

Luo Wei gave a dry chuckle. "It’s a long story..."

...

As they spoke, the two ventured deeper into the vast and intricate palace complex.

The sound of rustling footsteps surrounded them. Eleya’s cold gaze swept over the royal guards as she tightened her grip on [Judgment].

"Don’t let them waste our time," Luo Wei urged. "Find Charlton first."

[Chaos Level: 30↑]

[Chaos Level: 32↑]

Internal strife also fueled chaos. As the capital, Saint Callen’s unrest would ripple across the entire nation.

Luo Wei had to resolve the turmoil before it spiraled out of control. Now, only one enemy remained—Charlton II, hiding in his lair.

"Understood," Eleya said grimly.

Inside the palace, the city guards’ firepower advantage was nullified. Against a force like Eleya, the guards’ resistance was pitiful. She cut down everyone in her path, leading Luo Wei straight toward the palace’s deepest chambers.

In a grand, ornate corridor, Luo Wei noticed several fleeing attendants.

Eleya moved like lightning, reaching the end of the hallway in an instant and hoisting a middle-aged attendant off the ground.

"Where is the emperor? Speak!"

The attendant stared at Eleya—drenched in blood, her hammer smeared with gore—and trembled in terror.

"Speak!"

With brute force, Eleya wrenched both his arms out of their sockets.

"AAAAAH—!"

The attendant screamed, barely managing to point in a direction. "H-His Majesty is in the study... Turn left from the side of the War God Hall... That’s where..."

"Are there any royal guards or court mages left? How many are protecting Charlton?"

"N-none..." The attendant’s face dripped with sweat from the pain. "After the gunfire from White Chapel, His Majesty dismissed all of us... He went to the study alone, saying he needed seclusion... forbade anyone from disturbing him..."

Eleya tossed him aside and turned to Luo Wei. "Let’s go!"

After navigating the winding halls, they finally arrived at the study’s entrance.

This was the same study where Charlton II had first received Luo Wei and Ophelia.

But as Luo Wei stepped inside, the atmosphere felt eerily different from before.

When Eleya forced the doors open with [Judgment], a frigid gust of air rushed out, sending a shiver down Luo Wei’s spine.

The study was unnervingly dim. No magical illumination was used—only a few hanging gas lamps cast a murky glow, leaving the surroundings shrouded in shadow.

As the two stepped inside, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over Luo Wei.

Cold, slithering, an omnipresent sense of being watched...

This eerie and indescribable atmosphere was something Luo Wei would never forget. During the time he was imprisoned in the manor by Ophelia, he had once attempted to glimpse the true nature of the Dreamlands, and it bore an uncanny resemblance to this place. Yet, the study before him now carried an even more oppressive air of terror.

Luo Wei glanced around, and at first, he couldn’t spot Carlton. The study had expanded far beyond its original dimensions, stretching into an unfathomable vastness. Under the dim light, the bookshelves seemed endless, each one crammed with thick, weighty tomes.

Approaching a shelf, Luo Wei picked up a hefty book on mysticism at random.

Nearly every page was densely annotated in Carlton’s handwriting.

The old man really loves his studies...

With that thought, Luo Wei moved deeper inside, discovering that nearly every book here was related to mysticism or supernatural forces.

Celestial bodies and astrology, magical sigils, pagan deities, divine rituals and secret church histories... There were even obscure manuscripts from unknown folk sorcerers. Among them, he spotted a thesis titled A Survey on the Living Conditions of Aberrations Within the Empire—the renowned work of Professor Evelyn Abraham from Callen University.

This atmosphere reminded Luo Wei of Ophelia in her near-madness, staying up night after night studying the Dreamlands, striving to craft a Saint Callen so real it could deceive the senses. And her father... was even worse.

Carlton’s "anti-magic domain" must have been researched in secret for many years. He wasn’t just a grand architect of the Dreamlands—he was also an expert well-versed in all manner of supernatural forces.

"Where... is he?" Eleya whispered, having searched the room but finding no trace of Carlton.

"He’s here. He’s everywhere," Luo Wei replied. "Because this isn’t reality—or rather, this study exists at the intersection of illusion and truth. That’s how he’s managed to conceal his years of research into the arcane and the supernatural from everyone."

"Clever." A hoarse voice echoed from the depths of the study.

"To see through the nature of this place at a glance... Luo Wei, perhaps I truly underestimated you back then."

Eleya and Luo Wei turned in unison. Not far ahead, in the dim light, Carlton II sat hunched over a desk, poring over a stack of scrolls.

"Where is Ophelia?" He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Luo Wei. "Why hasn’t she come with you?"

"Save your last words. Telling us is the same as telling her," Eleya sneered, raising the heavy [Judgment]. In the next instant, she was upon Carlton.