"Wait a minute," Castorice suddenly realized. "Shouldn't the Divine Artifact of this city be related to the Divine Concealment and Extreme Cold phenomena? This staff doesn't seem to have anything to do with either."
Moreover, while it was true that Divine Concealment could occur randomly at any time or place, the fact that the entire Mage Tower had vanished into thin air at this exact moment felt a little too coincidental.
Recalling the events that had just transpired, Castorice wondered if Black Hand's use of the Sorcerer Divine Artifact and her summoning of Pollux had triggered this Divine Concealment phenomenon.
As Castorice pondered this, she suddenly felt the temperature around her plummet drastically. A howling wind began to whistle in her ears.
Turning her head, she saw a pitch-black hole where the Mage Tower had stood moments before. A dense, visible cloud of blue mist was erupting from it.
First Divine Concealment, and now Extreme Cold?
The fog was far denser than what Castorice had seen in the cellar. Like a volcanic eruption, it surged skyward as a massive blue pillar.
As it rose, Castorice watched several unlucky Black Hand goons brush against the blue mist. The instant they made contact, a thick layer of frost formed on the affected areas.
The frost seemed to possess a life of its own, spreading rapidly to engulf their entire bodies within seconds. Terror etched on their faces, they were transformed into frozen statues.
Suddenly, from within the towering blue pillar, several arm-thick, serpentine tendrils of mist detached and shot straight toward Castorice.
No, more precisely, their target seemed to be the Sorcerer Divine Artifact she held—her staff!
Instantly, Castorice extended her right hand. Streams of Styx water materialized around her, coiling like serpents as they flew toward the mist tendrils. Though one was vapor and the other liquid, both behaved as if they had physical substance, tangling together in mid-air.
The mist couldn't freeze the waters of the Styx, but neither could the Styx disperse the mist, resulting in a temporary stalemate.
Clearly, both the sudden disappearance of the Mage Tower and the surge of Extreme Cold mist erupting from the deep pit beneath it were highly likely connected to the staff Castorice held.
Could the Black Hand's use of this Divine Artifact have triggered the simultaneous emergence of Divine Concealment and the Extreme Cold phenomenon?
As she pondered, more and more mist serpents split off from the towering blue pillar. Castorice now faced two options:
First, she could confront the volcanic eruption of mist head-on, forcing her way down into the pit to uncover the source of the Extreme Cold. Second, she could retreat temporarily. Given the mist's intense hostility toward Sorcerer Divine Artifacts, she could return to the Death Priests' stronghold, secure the staff in a safe place, and then return.
After a brief moment of consideration, she decisively chose the latter. She wasn't reckless; if a safer, more prudent option existed, she wouldn't gamble on a rash, dangerous course.
"We need to retreat! Get out of here!" Castorice called to Aisha and Kaia behind her.
"Did you hear that? Everyone, retreat!" Aisha echoed urgently. Immediately, all the priests began to distance themselves from the fog, while Castorice gazed up at the towering column of mist. As it reached the upper atmosphere, it slowly bloomed like a flower, unfurling into a vast, ethereal blossom.
Perhaps due to the lingering dark clouds overhead, the frigid mist rapidly condensed upon encountering the moisture-laden air, forming a colossal, flat sheet of ice in the sky.
"Hah—" Castorice exhaled, startled to see her breath cloud in the air. She hadn't noticed when the temperature had plummeted to below freezing.
Castorice quickened her pace, her high heels clicking against the ground as everyone raced toward the Death Priests' headquarters.
Fortunately, the fog serpents lost track of their targets at a distance and didn't pursue. Instead, they gradually withdrew into the massive column of mist.
-
Meanwhile, the perspective shifted to Cipher. If she had a question, why not just ask?
She immediately turned to Feidric, who was sitting behind her on the Earth Dragon. He was engrossed in a book, holding it close and reading intently, appearing to be studying diligently. Of course, this impression was somewhat undermined by the fact that the book he was reading was Legend of the Demon King and the Hero.
"Feidric," Cipher asked, "do you think the Sorcerer's Divine Artifact is really that staff that summons lightning?"
Feidric pondered briefly before replying, "Probably. After all, the Sorcerer Hero in the novel never uses any other weapons, and he always relies on lightning magic in battle."
Cipher continued, "Do any of the Seven Heroes' Divine Artifacts have anything to do with ice?"
It's worth mentioning that Feidric had previously bought the complete Legend of the Demon King and the Hero series. With nothing else to do during their journey, Cipher had started reading it as well. However, the series was so lengthy that she hadn't even finished the Sorcerer's arc after all this time.
Feidric's reading speed was astonishing. He seemed to casually glance at two pages and absorb all the information in less than ten seconds before flipping to the next. Cipher had initially assumed he was just skimming through the book randomly, but when she asked, she discovered he was actually reading every word before turning the page!
Feidric shook his head. "None of the Seven Heroes' Divine Artifacts are related to ice. But... the Demon Lord had one. Legend says he was a master of ice magic, capable of freezing entire cities into massive sculptures with a mere gesture. Some stories even claim that those frozen to death by his power would revive as ice puppets, completely under his control."
Cipher was stunned. If the Extreme Cold phenomenon was a residual effect of the Demon Lord's power, and Castorice's staff was a Sorcerer Divine Artifact, then it made perfect sense for the Extreme Cold to target the staff directly.
Even three centuries after his death, the Demon Lord's power lingered in the world, fueled by intense resentment and lingering ambition. With the manifestation of the Divine Artifacts, the Extreme Cold had erupted anew.
Cipher continued, "Besides the ice, does the Demon Lord possess any other abilities?"
What Cipher really wanted to ask about was Divine Concealment. Since her earlier hypothesis about the Extreme Cold being the Demon Lord's power had proven incorrect, she wondered if Divine Concealment might also be an ability of the Demon Lord, rather than an effect of the Divine Artifacts.
However, directly mentioning Divine Concealment would require her to explain how she knew about it, which she couldn't do. Therefore, she had to phrase her question more subtly.
Feidric shook his head. "No. In the novel, the Seven Heroes struggled immensely just to withstand the ice. How could the Demon Lord possibly have any other powers?"
Cipher pressed further. "Then... what exactly is this ice power? The Seven Heroes were incredibly strong, and each wielded a Divine Artifact. Why did they have such a hard time?"
This question finally stumped Feidric. "Hmm... I honestly don't know. In stories like this, the Demon Lord is simply supposed to be overwhelmingly powerful. No one ever questions why he's so strong."
As the two were chatting, Dio suddenly interjected, "Oh, speaking of the Demon Lord and the Hero, we should be arriving soon."
Cipher's cat ears twitched, and she turned to Dio. "What do you mean?"
Dio explained, "This is one of the major battlefields from the war between the Allied Forces and the Demon Lord's Army three hundred years ago. Look ahead."
Cipher gazed forward. A vast plain stretched before her, with a road seemingly cleared by human hands running through its center. On either side of the road, countless rusted and broken weapons—swords, spears, and axes—stuck into the ground, creating a grimly magnificent spectacle.
Dio elaborated, "Three hundred years ago, neither the All Nations Alliance nor the neighboring Dragon Ember Empire existed yet. This continent was fragmented into a multitude of nations, most of whose names I can't even recall. War was constant among them, a never-ending cycle of conflict."
"Then, at that very moment, the Demon Lord was born, plunging the entire continent into darkness. To counter this threat, the nations forged two Allied Forces and selected the seven strongest warriors from among their ranks, tasking them with assaulting the Demon Lord's stronghold."
"This very place was where one of the Allied Forces clashed with the Demon Lord's Army. Legend says that the entire Demon Lord's Army consisted of the undead, utterly indestructible. Or rather, even when slain, they would instantly regenerate, making them an invincible force. Yet, despite facing such a foe, the Allied Forces didn't retreat an inch. They fought relentlessly for three days and three nights, buying precious time for the Seven Heroes to infiltrate the Demon King's City."
"And these weapons scattered across the plain are remnants of that epic battle."
Aria, standing beside them, exclaimed in awe, "Amazing! While the Seven Heroes were undoubtedly magnificent, every single soldier in that army was a valiant warrior worthy of admiration!"
Dio chuckled. "Indeed. That's why so many adventurers flock to this place, dreaming of finding a legendary blade or enchanted artifact on this plain paved with swords."
Cipher pondered the weapons wielded by the warriors who once fought against the Demon Lord's Army. To think that these weapons, still capable of slicing through iron like butter after three centuries, seemed straight out of legend. Even if they weren't Divine Artifacts wielded by the Heroes, these divine weapons held an undeniable allure.
Dio remarked, "It's true that some who come here claim to have found such a weapon, but most return empty-handed."
Cipher then asked, "You mentioned this was one of the main battlefields between the Allied Forces and the Demon Lord's Army. Does that mean there's another major battlefield?"
Dio nodded. "Exactly. If you'd like to see it, the Earth Dragon could take a slight detour—only adding two or three days to our journey. Shall we go?"
Before Cipher could answer, Aria eagerly raised her hand and exclaimed, "I want to see it! I want to see it!"
Why is she acting like a child? Cipher chuckled helplessly before saying, "Alright, let's take the detour."
Spending an extra two or three days to visit another legendary historical site seemed like a worthwhile investment.
Amidst the group's conversation, Feidric suddenly interjected, "The magic power concentration here is more than twice as high as in other places."
Douglas shrugged. "Hey, that's perfectly normal. Both the Allied Forces and the Demon Lord's Army undoubtedly deployed large numbers of spellcasters during the war. After such a prolonged and fierce conflict, it's no surprise the magic power concentration is elevated."
"Is that really how it works?" Feidric mused. Douglas's explanation made sense, but he slowly raised his right hand and began attempting to gather the stray magic power floating in the air. He found the process remarkably easy. "If I meditated here, I could significantly increase the total magic power within my body."
Dio cautioned, "Helping wizards meditate? I've never heard of this place having such an effect. You should be careful. This unattached magic power lingering on the battlefield might conceal unforeseen dangers."
Feidric nodded. "I'll be careful."
-
The perspective shifted back to Castorice, who had returned to the church-like structure with the others. She brushed the white frost off her black cloak, a testament to the persistently frigid temperature, even at this distance. The chilling effect likely permeated the entire city.
Castorice handed the staff, still crackling with arcs of electricity, to Aisha. "Is there a secure and hidden place here to store this Divine Artifact?"
"Of course!" Aisha declared, puffing out her chest. "As long as I hold this staff, I won't let go, even in my sleep. While I'm alive, this staff will never be lost!"
While entrusting it to someone for 24-hour watch might seem safer than simply hiding it, there was a problem. The moment Aisha's hand closed around the staff, a loud crackling sound filled the air. A large section of her hair rose, suspended in mid-air by static electricity.
A slight burn mark quickly appeared on Aisha's right wrist where she gripped the staff. "You should still put it somewhere safe," Castorice urged. "Holding it constantly is too dangerous."
Though Castorice had carried the staff all this way, Aisha's physical endurance couldn't possibly match hers.
The building had no basement. Castorice followed Aisha to a room at the end of the ground floor. Only after Aisha carefully secured the staff did Castorice begin preparing for another trip to the Mage Tower.