— Midnight - Daniel's Secret Base —
Within the expansive, city-like confines of Daniel's underground base, in the medical center sector, lies the most advanced and lucrative facility. Here, Daniel sits in a private patient room, his eyes fixed upon the stasis pod containing his wife, Koyuki. He gazes at her longingly, having remained in this state for hours since his return from Russia.
The moment his feet touched the ground of the hangar, he rushed here to see his wife sleeping soundly in the stasis pod. At present, she is neither dead nor alive. Her soul remains trapped in a limbo between the realms of the living and the dead.
As an Archmage, Daniel's knowledge of magic, rituals, and mysticism surpasses that of modern practitioners, holding power and mystery within its vastness. Yet, despite this immense wisdom, he remains powerless to help his beloved wife.
In his mind, countless rituals that could revive the dead come to fruition, requiring strict and inflexible ritualistic materials. As the Grand Alchemist himself, he could easily transmute such components. However, they all share a common requirement: the soul must either remain in this world or reside within the underworld. Koyuki's soul, however, is ensnared in an unprecedented state between the two realms.
It's not that these rituals lack power—some are capable of prying open the deepest prison of Hades, extracting souls from its clutches. Yet, none have been designed to retrieve a soul trapped precisely in this precarious middle state.
He could attempt to craft a new ritual for his wife, but like scientific experiments, magical rituals require trial and error. Koyuki's situation is a unique case in history, and Daniel cannot risk her safety for an untested endeavor.
With a heavy heart, Daniel dismisses the thought of experimenting on his wife, determined to find another way to help her despite the odds stacked against him.
Moreover, within all his vast knowledge, there is no mention of the Witch. Envy had revealed that all Witches had once died but were subsequently reborn with their powers. Despite his expertise as an Archmage, Grand Artificer, Grand Hunter, and Grand Alchemist, he finds no recollection of the existence of a Witch. Perhaps only Archmages possess knowledge of their existence, but not the details of their origin or nature.
Reflecting on the information he acquired through the profession card, Daniel considers that any elements related to the real world, such as the martial arts he uses in combat, are connected to ancient paladins, with knowledge sourced from the 'Grand Hunter Profession Card.' This suggests that events linked to those cards likely occurred in the past, or at least have a connection to real-world occurrences, as he confirmed with the existence of Atlantis in the history of the Curtained World.
Now, he wonders about the potential implications of the purely imaginative card sets, such as 'The Rule of Backstreet,' 'War of The Machine,' or even 'The Cosmic War.' Could they be events that occurred in the past, or will they unfold in the future? These thoughts leave him feeling both apprehensive and curious, unsure of what revelations and consequences await him.
After careful consideration, Daniel decided to meet with Envy the next morning. He had many urgent matters but told Penthesilea to hold them off until then because he wanted to see his wife first after what had happened to her. Without hesitation, he called Penthesilea to arrange a meeting with Envy.
After a brief conversation with Penthesilea, he hung up and returned home. As he opened the door to his daughter's room to check on her, he was greeted by the sight of Greed sleeping beside her. His daughter clung to Greed like a terrified little animal, finding comfort and protection in her presence.
The sight struck Daniel's heart like a painful blow. His daughter had witnessed Satan attacking his wife and her bodyguard, resulting in his wife's soul being trapped between the realm of the living and the dead. Meanwhile, Michaela, the bodyguard, was now recovering in the medical center with the help of many doctors and clerics due to severe injuries inflicted by Satan's demonic army.
Daniel entered the room and gently stroked his daughter's soft, silky red hair while she slept in Greed's embrace.
"Umm… Mama…" The little girl murmured in her sleep, unintentionally waking Greed.
"!!" Greed gasped, but Daniel quickly covered her mouth with his warm hand to prevent her from waking his daughter. He gestured for her to be quiet, placing a finger to his lips.
Greed quickly calmed down upon recognizing Daniel, and he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. She used gestures and her mouth to convey a message to him.
"We'll talk tomorrow." The message was clear, and Daniel nodded in understanding. He quietly left the room, preparing to face the new day with hope of finding a solution to his wife's predicament.
— Morning - Astral Tech Corporation HQ - Meeting Room —
In the futuristic meeting room at the headquarters of Daniel's Astral Tech Company, the four individuals gathered. Daniel occupied the founder's seat, while Greed, Envy, and Christopher Ward, the Grand Paladin of the Vatican, sat nearby. Daniel had chosen to prioritize this meeting among the many business matters he had put on hold, as Penthesilea had informed him about Christopher's desire to talk. Including Envy in the discussion was important, as she was someone Koyuki trusted deeply.
"Alright, let's get to it. What do you want to ask, Father Ward?" Daniel inquired, drawing attention from the two witches.
Christopher Ward, the stern Paladin who had never shown much humility before, now appeared more reserved. He struggled with addressing a mage with such deference, finding it somewhat annoying.
"Lo… Lord… Lord Magitek… Should I call you that… these mage titles are so vexing," Christopher mumbled under his breath, unaccustomed to being so humble before a mage and conversing with one in a respectful manner. However, he recognized that the matter he came to discuss was crucial, and yesterday's revelations compelled him to act differently in front of Daniel.
"Just say what you have to say," Daniel impatiently urged him to continue.
"Well… I was wondering… why is Lady Michaela with you? Isn't she…" Christopher began, but Daniel's annoyance prompted him to cut to the chase.
"Isn't she an archangel in Heaven? Or the General of Heaven, God's right hand? Yes, she holds all those positions, and she's undoubtedly genuine, not an imposter. As for why she serves me… let's just say we made a contract. I promised to create a paradise on earth, and that's what I'm working on," Daniel explained.
"So… That's why you started an entire tech company and began producing cheap electricity using the world mana? Let me tell you, it's doable, but a very foolish move on your part. If this continues and your power generation technology becomes popular, the world's mana will deplete!" Envy voiced her protest and disagreement, causing Daniel to turn towards Greed in confusion.
"Didn't you tell her?" Daniel pointed at Envy, inquiring whether Greed had revealed the truth about his power plant and its actual workings, which were different from what Envy had understood.
Greed shrugged, continuing to type business emails in her notebook as she responded, "I considered that information to be your business secret, so it's better for you to tell her yourself."
"But wouldn't it be better for you all to turn to us and use faith power instead? You should know that faith power has always been available to those with strong enough beliefs. Mana is merely a byproduct of faith power!" Christopher taunted Envy, relishing the opportunity to provoke her, given her position as a top management figure in Hightower, the global mage organization.
"Excuse me, Father Ward, but if you didn't say anything, no one would think you are mute, and no one would know that your brain is not as functional as your mouth. Mana is the distillation of faith; if one day mana were to vanish, what would follow is faith itself. In these days where science reigns supreme, faith power would slowly diminish and vanish too," Envy retorted, throwing her own taunt at Christopher without resorting to using any offensive language.
"You!!!" Christopher seethed, drawing his Sacred blade from his trench coat, ready to escalate the situation. However, Daniel swiftly raised his hand, halting the impending confrontation between the two in the meeting room.
Daniel clutched his head, feeling a headache coming on as he tried to address the matter at hand. He opened his palm, and a radiant light formed within it, accompanied by an intricate Alchemy array. The mana in his hand transmuted into a small prismatic stone with an incredibly high concentration of mana. Envy sensed that this stone could even transform into different types of mana, and not just any type, but the purest form. It reminded her of the time when she became a Witch during the 4th Century, an era when mana was abundant, and ancient magic was within the grasp of skilled mages.
However, the prismatic stone in Daniel's palm surpassed even that era in purity, evoking the distant ages of the Gods. It felt as if it belonged to the time when Atlantis thrived, and the Greek gods roamed the mortal world—or even the age of the Titans! Envy could only contemplate in awe and trepidation, her heart filled with wonder and reverence.
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