Chapter 245 Chapter243-Crossing the Ocean
"Another way?" The members of the Devil Guild fell into silence.
Separating Westwood Continent and Easten Shore is an expansive ocean, a daunting expanse to traverse.
Even the mightiest ships of the Azure Empire might encounter extreme weather on their voyage: storms, massive waves, tsunamis...
A single catastrophe could seal one's fate in the ocean's depths.
Furthermore, they needed to get there swiftly.
It seemed like an impossible task.
"Hold on..." At this moment, Quel, furrowing his brow, spoke up again, "There might be a way, albeit a dangerous one."
"What way?" The members queried.
Danger was a trivial concern to the Devil Guild members.
Every action carries inherent risks, but some endeavors are worth the peril.
Quel continued, "I once read in a tome about a city that established a Teleportation Magic Circle connecting Easten Shore and Westwood Continent. However, during a war, that city, along with its Magic Circle, was destroyed and submerged beneath the sea. Perhaps we can attempt to locate this Teleportation Magic Circle, and once restored, it could transport us there."
"It sounds like a feasible idea, and it might be our only shot."
In the Devil Guild, there were those skilled in restoring Teleportation Magic Circles.
Thus, the pressing matter now was to locate the shattered Teleportation Magic Circle.
On this occasion, Ethan came forward with specifics.
"Beneath a small island to the north of Azure Empire's capital, there lies the Teleportation Magic Circle. Azure Empire's soldiers guard it, but they are no match for us," Ethan remarked.
He had come across this information during one of his covert infiltrations into the Azure Empire's Library.
After Ethan employed the Soul Disguise Spell, Lana Mokos did sense a change.
However, she didn't conclude that Ethan's absence of aura meant he was deceased.
Instead, she surmised that he might have encountered a challenge, or perhaps concealed himself in an exceptionally secluded spot.
This led Lana Mokos to lower her guard somewhat.
Of course, Lana Mokos's primary focus was now on Dark Lord City.
This presented Ethan with an opportunity.
He had slipped into the Azure Empire's Library several times, replicating every tome and manuscript, later storing them in the library situated in the Dungeon Zone's eighth layer.
This delighted Victor immensely.
Having thrived for over a century, the Azure Empire's collection of books was truly vast.
"We should not delay. Let's set out immediately," Quel suggested.
Ethan nodded in agreement and promptly opened the space gate, heading back to the Dungeon Zone.
"Victor, I need to step out for a while. Keep a close watch on the changes in the Heart of the City. Also, we should begin establishing our caravan and start trading goods," Ethan called out to Victor with instructions.
Establishing the caravan was an initial plan.
Even though Dark Lord City was currently under Lana Mokos's control, it didn't affect the agenda.
Lana Mokos had never met Khosro, and with the Soul Disguise Spell in play, she was even less likely to discern any ruse.
Meanwhile, Khosro truly showcased his talents during this period.
Many knew of a wealthy merchant, abundant in goods, preparing to establish a trading company.
Most importantly, this prominent trader held the currently highly sought-after Flamefruit within the noble circles — an immensely profitable delicacy.
The Flamefruit, of course, was supplied by Dark Lord Lava Oriel.
In exchange for Ethan's limitless supply of Blood Source to Oriel, Oriel compensated with cultivated Flamefruit.
The nurtured Flamefruit shared certain characteristics with Blood Source, yet was incredibly gentle to consume.
It became an instant sensation, highly coveted by all despite its hefty price tag.
The mere sale of Flamefruit brought a wealth of riches to Ethan. Besides this, he possessed other precious items.
However, these seemed to pale in importance now.
After instructing Victor, Ethan opened another space gate to the outskirts of Blue Sea City, disguised as a passing traveler, and headed toward the city.
Over time, Blue Sea City flourished even more.
The scars of past wars had long since vanished. Now, Blue Sea City was not only home to numerous trading companies but also boasted dozens of Teleportation Magic Circles.
It was gradually emerging as the second capital of Azure Empire.
Soon, Ethan entered Blue Sea City.
After paying the required fees, he effortlessly arrived at the heart of Blue Sea City.
There, he smoothly encountered fellow Devil Guild members, Quel and Kadiven.
Kadiven was a man of few words.
He remained mostly silent during meetings and even now, he only nodded in acknowledgment upon seeing Ethan. Ethan, however, didn't mind.
As a member of the Devil Guild, he was familiar with Kadiven's disposition. Similarly, he was aware of Kadiven's remarkable talents.
From what he had gathered from Oriel, Kadiven wasn't truly a Dark Lord.
His true identity seemed to align more with a Little Fairy. Specifically, he was a Rune Fairy, born from magic runes.
This made Kadiven the second individual of the Little Fairy lineage Ethan had encountered. The first was the still-slumbering little Baal.
The Little Fairies and Elves, despite the similar nomenclature, were vastly different in abilities.
Elves, a common race on the continent, dwelled in forests.
They were adept in Anemo Magic and Life Magic, loved hunting, and were renowned for their striking beauty — truly the darlings of the woods.
On the other hand, Little Fairies represented a vast yet rare lineage.
There were numerous subdivisions within this group, with each variant of Little Fairy possessing distinct powerful abilities.
Just as the Shadow Fairy lineage that little Baal belonged to had the skills to see through illusions and traverse spaces, Kadiven's Rune Fairy lineage gave him the innate ability to sense various Magic Circles, making him a natural magic maestro.
"Let's set out," Ethan announced as everyone gathered.
Embarking on a mission to rescue Rose, it was evident that not everyone could participate simultaneously.
Such a large group might draw unwanted attention.
And while Rose had never truly displayed her prowess, everyone was acutely aware that she was no pushover.
Yet, the fact that Rose, along with Oberlis, had found themselves in danger deeply concerned them.
After a brief discussion, the members of the Devil Guild decided that Ethan, Quel, and Kadiven would initially head to the Westwood Continent to locate Rose.
If they encountered significant challenges, reinforcements could be dispatched later.
In no time, the trio arrived at the island.
The stationed soldiers remained oblivious to the unexpected guests, continuing their leisurely patrols.
Ethan and his companions swiftly submerged themselves, and soon they stumbled upon the ruins.
"The folks from Azure Empire certainly did a thorough sweep; they've even stripped a layer off the walls," Quel remarked with a chuckle.
Though submerged in the sea, the unique bloodlines of the trio rendered the waters no hindrance, allowing them to communicate fluidly beneath the waves.
"Let's take a closer look," Ethan suggested.
The trio continued their descent until they finally located the massive remnants of the Teleportation Magic Circle.
"Can it be repaired?" Ethan looked towards Kadiven with a hint of concern.
The Teleportation Magic Circle before them was barely discernible, its glow dim and many of its magic runes faded or missing entirely, especially where the floor had cracked.
Kadiven remained silent, simply nodding in response.
He then swam down to hover above the Magic Circle, reaching out to touch the embedded runes.
In the blink of an eye, a surge of magical power emanated from Kadiven, infusing into the magic runes.
The runes began to illuminate, their glow tracing the original patterns.
Astoundingly, as the magic reached the missing runes, they appeared to reconstruct themselves.
Witnessing this, Ethan couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
This was the inherent talent of a Rune Fairy, with the capability to seamlessly mend even a fragmented Magic Circle.
As the Magic Circle activated, the underwater ruins began to tremble.
The vibration disturbed the surrounding waters, alarming the patrolling soldiers above.
Their expressions shifted to panic as they shouted in unison, "Something's wrong! There's activity in the underwater ruins!"
Word spread swiftly.
Within moments, a significant force of soldiers gathered at the site.
However, by that time, Ethan and his companions had already utilized the Teleportation Magic Circle, transporting themselves to the Westwood Continent.
…
"What's going on?" The arriving Lana Mokos inquired of the patrolling soldiers.
One soldier quickly responded, "Lady Mokos, we just checked. Someone repaired the Teleportation Magic Circle in the underwater ruins and then used it to depart."
"Such a thing happened?" Lana Mokos expressed genuine surprise.
She had seen the Teleportation Magic Circle of the underwater ruins before, and it was clearly damaged beyond any seeming value.
Yet now, it had been mysteriously restored.
Who could have done this?
With her curiosity piqued, Lana Mokos didn't hesitate, diving swiftly into the water and descending rapidly to where the Magic Circle was located.
The Circle emitted a faint luminescence, revealing its full array of magic runes.
Lana Mokos chose not to step into the Magic Circle. Instead, she memorized its intricate pattern of runes.
A hint of a smile graced her lips as she softly murmured, "It's a Teleportation Magic Circle leading to the Westwood Continent. Strangers, you have unwittingly done me a great favor."
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