After Aibus, this is the second time Violet has arrived in another new world, but unlike the previous time, she has arrived in her true form.
Instead of immediately moving forward, Violet first tried to take a few steps backward. She quickly encountered an invisible, intangible barrier, similar to an air wall but impenetrable. Clearly, this was the so-called world barrier.
She seemed to be at the very edge of the Illusionary Realm.
“The Gate of the Illusionary Realm... that guy Minchen is probably on the other side of the gate, right? Pfft... Get out of my way, I need to act cool now! Hahaha! Oh no, I’m laughing too hard! Hahaha!”
Ahem! Now is not the time to make a joke. I need to quickly assess the situation.
The Gate of the Illusionary Realm is not easy to open. Although the passage on Spirit Butterfly can lead to the 【Sanctuary】, which is intertwined with the Illusionary Realm, it is a closed, one-way path—entry only, no exit.
Of course, nothing is absolute. If one possesses certain powerful space-related treasures or if Tiyelu, the 【Sanctuary】’s administrator, is willing, it might still be possible to manipulate it. Just like over three hundred years ago when she opened the gate to let a few travelers in to explore.
It was because she had some assurance that Violet dared to boldly come here directly.
With the painful experiences recorded in that notebook and the recent warning specially delivered by Sethlin, Violet did not dare to be careless. Unlike the last time with Aibus, she did not immediately conduct a large-scale scan using SP, limiting the range to better grasp the surrounding situation.
There was nothing.
Within a few kilometers, there were no living beings, nor any signs of Silvester. As for that mountain, presumably the 【Sanctuary】...
It was sealed off, not like the external Spirit Butterfly’s interference with fog, but completely locked down. An outer barrier, similar to the world barrier, prevented any entry or exit. Even Soul Power could not penetrate it at all.
“Hmm... it’s exactly as Tiyelu said.”
This was the reason why that person had lost contact with the outside world.
The powerhouses within the Illusionary Realm are incredibly formidable. It is said that there are those among them who are on par with Tiyelu, if not surpassing her. However, for various reasons, they generally stay within their own territories and do not interfere with the 【Sanctuary】.
Recently, especially after the disappearance of Novia, a fragment of the source of magic, some of these powerful beings have become restless. Many have frequently appeared near the 【Sanctuary】, which guards the portal between the Illusionary Realm and the present world, launching attacks on this side.
At first, Tiyelu was able to handle them with ease, but as more and stronger creatures gathered, even the revered ancestor, who had been fighting them alone, started to struggle under the relentless assaults. Out of necessity, she decided to seal the 【Sanctuary】 to fend off the enemies.
The closure of the 【Sanctuary】 involved world-level powers, making it impossible for even the strongest monsters in the Illusionary Realm to breach it. However, as a consequence, Tiyelu herself would also be temporarily sealed inside.
Throughout the past millennia, Tiyelu had frequently dealt with similar uprisings of Illusionary Realm creatures in this manner.
But this time was distinctly different.
Novia’s disappearance had alerted the revered ancestor to some unusual clues. During her investigation, she discovered many hints, and thus, during this period of enforced self-sealing, with her unable to monitor the outside world flexibly, Miss Butterfly thought of seeking Violet’s help.
With the ability to 【Soul Search】, she knew that the priestess was neither the planner nor participant in the series of conspiracies. Furthermore, she was inherently good and possessed mysterious and formidable powers, making cooperation with her a viable possibility.
So “Lulu” finally came knocking, just as she said, she and Tiyelu are two different entities—more precisely, with the 【Sanctuary】 sealed and the revered ancestor unable to interfere with the outside world, she is merely an ordinary Spirit Butterfly with Tiyelu’s memories and part of her powers.
This was one of Tiyelu’s contingency plans.
The reasons and situations inside and out, at least the part known to Lulu, had already been clearly explained to the priestess, so Violet was not surprised.
Since the 【Sanctuary】’s seal had not been broken and Silvester, who had entered the Illusionary Realm, was not here, there was only one explanation left.
He was indeed going after “that thing,” as Tiyelu had feared in the worst-case scenario.
Everything was calculated. From orchestrating the abduction of Novia by the Ghost Thief Group, possibly even planning earlier events, he had been preparing all along. Forcing Tiyelu to seal herself was likely also part of his plan, ensuring the revered ancestor would not interfere.
Hmm...
Silvester Bullwer, he wants to become—a god.
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“Swish~”
The space rippled like water, and two figures suddenly appeared in a hellish, dark red world.
Surrounding them were turbulent fire elements that seemed to be constantly exploding, and boiling lava occasionally erupted from the ground, sending up terrifyingly hot waves. Even the vast rocks beneath their feet had turned a strange crimson due to the high temperatures. There was no doubt, this was a despairing dead zone forbidden to the living.
However, the two who stepped out of the space into this place were protected by a layer resembling a thin blue veil. The hundreds and thousands of degrees of heat around them seemed to have no effect on them at all.
“Hmm, it seems this is the realm of fire elements recorded by the predecessors who once set foot here. So this is what it looks like. Over three hundred years have passed, and the spatial anchor points they left behind are still usable. No wonder they were such great figures who created such a brilliant history. Heh...”
Laughing lightly with a hint of disdain, Silvester casually tossed the now silver-gray tool in his hand into the lava, which was immediately swallowed by the surging flames and disappeared without a trace.
“Are you okay, Eileen? Although the 【Azure Mantle】 protects you, this environment is indeed too harsh for you. If you feel uncomfortable, you must tell me immediately.”
Upon hearing this, the gray-haired girl beside him shook her head with a smile, but her eyes couldn’t hide the heat and awe.
“I’m fine. It’s just so amazing... Although I’ve read about it in the literature, seeing it with my own eyes is an entirely different experience. It’s a pity we can only use this method of travel once more, the next time will be for leaving.”
“Once is enough. Let’s go. Although we don’t know what kind of contingencies the revered ancestor Tiyelu has left behind, she could never have dreamed that we would use the predecessors’ spatial shuttle to instantly travel tens of thousands of kilometers and directly arrive at the depths of the Illusionary Realm. Even if pursuers come, we will have enough time to complete everything.”
A brief moment of excitement flashed in Eileen’s eyes, but it quickly turned to a sense of loss.
“Siel, after that, this world will be destroyed... right?”
While observing their surroundings, Silvester replied without turning his head.
“That’s certain. The Illusionary Realm itself was a pocket world created with the powers of the Demon God. It should have collapsed after the Demon God’s fall, but the monsters here, unwilling to give up this blessing, forcibly maintained the situation. As long as we succeed, this place will inevitably cease to exist.”
“Alright, let’s go. The 【Azure Mantle】’s energy is limited, we need to leave this place quickly. Before we officially begin, we still have to meet with “Them”. After all, it is a temporary cooperation.”