Chapter 198: Allen Joins the Hermes Church
[Character]: Allen (4/10)
[Class]: Lv10 Mage
[Skills]
Arcane Comprehension: Able to comprehend entirely new magic through understanding magical principles. +5 to class level, +1 spell slot.
Innate Arcane Talent: Can easily master any existing magic.
Elemental Affinity: As level increases, elemental affinity of all types increases by 100%.
Instant Cast Lv0: As skill level increases, casting time is reduced by 10% per level, at the cost of increased mental energy consumption.
[Time]: Year 1524, Kamar-Taj
[Requirement]: Class must reach Lv120 to return to the original timeline.
…
With his head covered, Allen took advantage of a brief lull to check his class panel.
He discovered that Arcane Comprehension provided a spell slot from the start, and an additional one every five levels. He now had three spell slots.
However, Allen hadn't created a single spell so far.
Before long, the hood was removed. What came into view was the interior of a castle, with several elderly figures standing before him.
They were of various professions—mages, sorcerers, shamans. The whole group seemed like a hastily assembled band of misfits.
"Do you truly wish to join us?"
"Yes."
One of the elders posed the question. Allen answered calmly.
The elder nodded and used his abilities to sense whether Allen was lying.
He wasn't—Allen genuinely wanted to join this faction. It wasn't just empty words.
"What we do may set us against the world. Are you sure you won't regret it?" asked the shaman elder.
As he spoke, a glowing green snake appeared in the elder's hand. It flicked its tongue at Allen, ready to strike fatally at the slightest sign of hesitation.
Ptui...
Allen spat disdainfully on the ground.
The three elders were momentarily stunned and were about to punish his insolence.
But then Allen changed his tone dramatically, seething with righteous fury: "This filthy, rotten world should've been destroyed ages ago! Let it all burn! Every last bit of it! Burn it to ash!"
"…"
Brother, calm down.
We're an ambitious organization with ideals, not a bunch of suicidal lunatics out to destroy the world.
"Ahem… please, tone it down a bit. The end of the world isn't our actual goal," said the wizard elder, cutting Allen off, his tone sincere. "Destruction is never the end. It's the beginning of something new."
"Very good—I completely agree with you."
Allen responded with deep conviction, as though he'd found a kindred spirit. He grew more animated. "A bunch of idiots are ruling the world, treating the suffering masses like idiots too! I've been dying to go on a killing spree, hit the reset button, start over! We mages should be leading the people, creating a utopia where everyone can practice magic and become gods!"
"This…"
The three elders were visibly taken aback.
His vision… was almost identical to their own.
"Apologies, I can be a bit intense. Righteous rage is kind of my thing," Allen said, sitting on the ground indignantly. "I don't think being a 'villain' means doing evil. It just means your beliefs threaten the status quo, so they brand you as evil to protect their power. In reality, deceiving the masses for personal gain—that's the real unforgivable sin."
The three elders exchanged glances. In their hearts, they recognized that Allen was someone worth cultivating.
"Please, go on."
"Any real revolution comes with bloodshed and sacrifice. But if it brings a new dawn, then it's worth it. As long as the goal is just, the means are justified. Those so-called righteous factions are just accomplices to oppression…"
For the next half-hour, Allen ranted like an enraged idealist. He tore into everyone—from palace nobles to beggars on the street—without sparing a soul.
The three elders conducting the evaluation couldn't help but feel he was dangerously unhinged.
Yet, by vilifying the establishment as hypocrites and portraying them as seekers of truth and justice, Allen had secured himself a trial period.
Taking a breath, Allen pointed at three nearby necromancers and shouted with fervor, "Why the hell are necromancers labeled evil? Did they steal your rice? Pick your damn cabbages? What even is evil? Does it come in square or rectangle form? Evil is nothing but a made-up concept!"
The three necromancers who had accompanied Allen were visibly moved.
Necromancers had always been reviled—seen as vermin to be exterminated. Even within their own organization, they ranked at the bottom.
"From my point of view, necromancers are an incredible asset. They can control the undead to do all kinds of tasks—farming, mining, hauling… all the hard labor. Undead don't need sleep, don't get moody, don't ask for wages. They're like walking, eternal money trees." Allen said this with complete sincerity.
"…"
Everyone present fell silent.
This guy didn't just want to flip the world upside down—he even wanted to exploit the undead.
But on second thought… it kind of made sense. Having undead do grunt work could really be profitable.
Allen passed the preliminary evaluation and was allowed to stay in the castle under observation for a month.
"I'm Javin, a senior necromancer."
The necromancer woman Allen had shielded earlier was assigned to answer his questions.
"I've got a question. What organization exactly did I just join?"
From start to finish, the three elders hadn't even introduced their faction—Allen had been ranting nonstop the entire time, leaving them no chance to explain.
"Our organization is called the Hermes Church. At the top are thirteen High Councilors. Beneath them are numerous smaller groups. We've long been preparing for the arrival of the Final Day, but I can't reveal too much now—you'll understand when the time comes," Javin said with a faint smile.
"So secretive. With a name like 'Final Day,' it's obviously going to be a major event."
Allen didn't dwell on it, already plotting his next move.
…
Allen's sudden disappearance immediately caught the attention of Kamar-Taj's senior mages.
Thanks to Evanora spreading the word, a group of mages rushed to Redwine Barrel Town to investigate.
With the undead having dispersed, the town was now in ruins—completely deserted.
"I'll try a scene-recall spell."
Kamar-Taj had many archived spells, including one for temporal reconstruction.
Starting from the inn, they used the spell to trace events backward through time, following the trail out onto the street—until Allen's figure suddenly vanished.
"Where did he go?"
"Did he cast an invisibility spell?"
"This is going to be trouble…"
"Let me try divination."
One of the senior mages skilled in divination performed a ritual. The magical glow flickered uncertainly, and tension filled the air.
Having finally found a perfect candidate for the title of Sorcerer Supreme, losing Allen would be an irreplaceable loss.
"Allen isn't in danger," the mage finally said. "But the place he's in has extremely strong magical interference. I can't pinpoint his location."