Chapter 588 Return or Not
'An Arcana that converts Mystic Arts Practitioners into Time Manipulators through its blessing… That sounds like a powerful Arcana.' Vale mused as he turned his attention back to Magnus, anticipating that there was more to be divulged.
"I'm aware of the existence of Demon Saints from the Abyss Realm… I've never seen them alive, but through my research, I have some grasp of their capabilities." Magnus calmly spoke.
"What do you mean? Were you able to research them? How?" Vale asked in astonishment.
"I have their remains concealed within the castle... The remote location of my castle was chosen purposefully, as I stumbled upon a burial ground housing these entities alongside the bodies of Immortals."?Magnus answered, which surprised Vale even more.
To be precise, Vale was not merely surprised; he was exhilarated. The unanticipated revelation that the castle harbored the remains of both Immortals and Demon Saints stirred a profound sense of excitement within him.
"That's amazing… I'll be visiting that burial ground later. I assumed you chose this place because of the creatures you control outside. So it's all because of the corpses." Vale muttered in realization.
Magnus then looked at Vale and gently nodded.
"That's also one of the reasons, Master. The creatures that I'm controlling outside were trained to deal with Demons. Once the Abyss Realm fully opens up, demon creatures will start invading this Realm, and I'm planning to use this castle to avoid their detection…"
"What?"
Vale's eyes widened after hearing this.
It was the same for the others who had just arrived.
"What? The Abyss Realm will invade us?" Chad asked as he approached Vale. He was initially planning to run and hug his friend, but Magnus' words stunned him. He didn't even bother to question why Vale was comfortably chatting with the enemy.
Behind him were Lisa, Pearl, and Faith, who also seemed interested in the topic they were discussing.
Of course, Vale knew that Pearl was also somewhat aware of this matter, but because she had been trapped in the Mystic Soul Tower for a very long time, her information wasn't as informative as Magnus.
"It seems that's the case, Chad. It's great to see you again." Vale said as he also looked at Lisa and gave a gentle nod.
"We were already lucky that we didn't die from that teleportation circle's malfunction. I heard from this Sir that we could've died instead during that time." Chad replied, referring to Magnus' words before.
"Ahem… Can we listen to that matter about the Abyss Realm's invasion, Vale? Right, thank you for coming to rescue us…" Lisa said that she really thought that she'd have to serve Magnus for years before being able to leave this place.
"Of course. I also want to hear more about it." Vale said as he allowed Magnus to discuss what he knew about the incoming invasion.
After almost an hour of discussion, Vale's group realized that they were approaching a bigger war. A war that will involve all nations and not just Arcane Arts Factions.
Apparently, two or three years from now, the Abyss Realm was prophesied to clash with their Human Realm.
This was unavoidable and had been predicted to happen hundreds of years ago already. However, recent divinations by Seers led them to believe that this catastrophe was about to happen in a few years' time.
With this in mind, Magnus decided to build his own fortress to avoid trouble. This may sound cowardly, but even with his strength and knowledge, he had no way of fighting against the Forces of the Abyss. He believed that even if the 12 Factions and all nations would work together, there would still be plenty of casualties.
In the end, he decided not to side with any organizations and kept himself hidden in this place.
Furthermore, he believed that the demons would target crowded areas or places to hunt humans. Living in isolation would guarantee him that he wouldn't be attacked unless they somehow found this hidden place.
"I don't think that it's cowardly… I'd probably do the same if I were you." Vale muttered softly, but everyone heard him.
Of course, they have varying opinions on this matter since Chad had a Bulmung Family waiting for him.
As for Lisa, she somehow wanted to be with the Dark Arts Faction if the invasion happened since she believed that Lesley would be there as well.
As for Faith and Pearl, they don't really have a place to return to, so they can agree to Vale a little.
'If there's really a war… I can probably stay with Vale or return to the safety of my Mystic Soul Tower…' Pearl thought as she imagined what she'd do once the demons started crawling out of the cracks that lead to the Abyss.
After a brief pause, Vale fell silent. Eventually, he composed himself and divulged his next plans to the group.
"Ahem… I hypnotized Magnus, so he's currently following my orders. For now, I'm planning to bolster the defenses of this castle and use it for myself. I'm thinking of using the arrangements that Magnus had prepared for many years." Vale said as he looked at their reaction for a moment.
Then, he continued. "Furthermore, there are plenty of treasures in this place, and I'm planning to use them to my advantage. Magnus is an Alchemist and a Magic Craftsman, so you can look forward to his collection. Chad, Lisa, and Miss Faith, are you planning to return to the Dark Arts Faction?"
Vale asked, stunning the three for a moment. They didn't expect such a question the moment they thought that they were about to return.
Indeed, ever since they arrived here, Chad and Lisa just wanted to return to the Dark Arts Faction. This was what they wanted the whole time during their captivity.
As for Faith, she just wanted to fulfill her mission, and that was to bring the lost students back to the Faction.
After a few moments, Faith looked at Chad and Lisa.
"If you wish to rejoin the Faction and resume your studies or adhere to any other arrangements in that place, I will facilitate your return," she assured them.
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