[Vol. 5] Chapter 8: The Illusion of Nothingness
As thoughts raced through her mind, a sharp “snap” broke the silence, signaling the end of the fight. A wooden sword flew high into the air before falling to the ground. Silvina, displeased, rubbed her recently struck wrist.
She didn’t say a word, merely clicked her tongue softly and turned to walk back inside without looking back.
Meanwhile, Minchen, who had just defeated her, didn’t show the joy of a victor. He didn’t pursue her but instead shook his head helplessly before turning his gaze to the priestess and others who had been watching for some time.
With his abilities, he had long been aware of the outsiders’ presence but had no time to be distracted. After all, Silvina had been navigating the underworld alone for years.
Her combat experience and skills far surpassed those of Eileen, a novice to weapons. Even in a purely technical spar, Minchen couldn’t guarantee a win without concentrating fully.
His clear yet weary eyes met those of the black-haired girl, and the young man in plain clothes couldn’t help but smile.
“Miss Violet, it’s been a while. How have you been lately?”
“Not bad, not great. Things have been stable, but there’s nothing to do... It’s been quite boring.”
Hearing this, Minchen was slightly taken aback but quickly smiled again.
“For ordinary people in this world, living a stable life is a great blessing. It seems you’re not one to sit idle, Miss Violet. You’d make a fine adventurer.”
“Oh? How did you know I registered as an adventurer in the Human United Kingdom?”
Feigning surprise, the priestess laughed and patted her modest chest.
“Don’t underestimate me. I’m actually a legendary adventurer in the Human United Kingdom, officially recognized and everything.”
“Legendary, huh... With Miss Violet’s abilities, it’s reasonable. But an adventurer... ha, that brings back distant memories...”
Minchen’s seemingly young face showed a hint of nostalgia and regret as if recalling the past, and he gently shook his head.
“Ah, the ignorance of youth. Let’s not dwell on that. Miss Violet, you’re here today to solve the problem of the source of magic, correct? It seems you’ve found a solution?”
“Something like that. Shall we discuss it somewhere else?”
Minchen wasn’t one to drag things out. Since they were getting straight to the point, he nodded seriously and said, “Alright, please wait a moment.”
Instead of heading towards the small house behind him, the young man in plain clothes waved his sleeve, and a toy-like model of a building flew out. It expanded rapidly in the wind, transforming into a three-story, exquisite villa that landed steadily on the ground behind them.
“Wow... what’s that? Amazing!”
Theresa exclaimed with shining eyes upon seeing this. Leila and Rene exchanged surprised looks, and even the normally calm dragon girl showed a hint of curiosity. Violet seemed thoughtful.
As for Little Blue and Lulu, or rather Tiyelu, who had opened their eyes after the battle and walked forward with Eileen, their expressions remained unchanged, clearly having seen something like this before.
Taking in everyone’s reactions, Minchen maintained his calm demeanor and smiled slightly. “It’s a modest display. This is a magical tool I acquired in my early years. You’ve seen its function—it may not be very powerful, but it provides a lot of convenience when traveling. Now that this place is in need of rebuilding, this little gadget finally has some use.”
Acquired in his early years... the priestess thought to herself.
This item is most likely another tool from the 【Illusion World】. While Violet hadn’t seen it before, such technology to proportionally shrink or enlarge objects doesn’t exist in this world based on her knowledge and experiences, but there are many similar items in the game world. For example, her own holy artifact, 【Noah’s Ark】, usually stays in a miniature boat form and only returns to its true size when needed.
Though the priestess didn’t fully understand the specifics, she guessed that this villa, which could freely expand and shrink, operated on a similar principle.
“Alright, alright, stop showing off your little house. Let’s get inside and discuss the main issue. I think it should just be Violet, you, and me. As for the others, they can rest on the first floor for now,” Lulu said, stepping forward and giving the gatekeeper a sidelong glance before looking at Violet questioningly.
Understanding her intention, the priestess nodded slightly. “Yes, I have some matters to discuss privately with Minchen. Let’s do as you suggest.”
“Xiao Guang, I’ll leave things here to you.”
“Yes, master.”
The dragon girl, already attuned to her master’s thoughts through their contract, nodded and walked straight towards Eileen.
Even though Tiyelu’s contract was in place, Violet, as a priestess, usually preferred to keep control of the situation in a way that suited her. Despite Eileen likely having no ill intentions, they had been enemies not long ago.
Earlier in Demon Suppression City, when Violet and Mr. Side-Swept Bangs went to find her, the priestess remembered all her acting skills clearly.
One must always be cautious. Everyone wasn’t foolish and naturally understood certain things. Eileen didn’t say anything, and after entering the house, she sat alone on the sofa, took out a book, and began to read silently. This was her way of showing she wouldn’t interfere.
Then, Violet, Minchen, and Tiyelu—the three strongest individuals present with different backgrounds—went up to the second floor and entered a small room seemingly designated for discussions, closing the door behind them.
Minchen took out the 【Silent Madonna】 again to prevent information leaks. Violet also set up a barrier and gently placed the restless wolf pup from her arms into a nearby basket before starting the conversation.
“Alright, we’re not strangers here, so I’ll get straight to the point. First, the most important question: if we extract the 【Source of Magic】 from Novia, will it have any adverse effects on her?”
“......?”
Tiyelu and the gatekeeper, the two hidden powerhouses of the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, looked at each other. The former quickly understood the priestess’s meaning.
“You’re suggesting we remove the Source of Magic from her and transfer it to a more stable individual who can stay nearby for a long time? Do you have a candidate?”
The girl in the white robe nodded slightly. “Of course, otherwise, I wouldn’t be asking. So, can it be done?”
The butterfly lady was silent for a moment. She nodded but quickly shook her head.
“It is indeed a feasible solution, but to be honest, I am opposed to it.”
“?”
Upon hearing this, the priestess raised an eyebrow slightly but kept her voice steady. “What’s the reason?”
“The fusion between Novia Moon Shadow and the Source of Magic is exceptionally good. Previously, I never thought a non-divine being could withstand the load of the Source of Magic itself. Initially, the plan was to remove it as soon as possible.”
“But now it seems, though unbelievable, that the expected rejection reaction hasn’t occurred. In fact, some positive changes have happened. Therefore, I don’t believe there’s anyone more suitable than Novia to bear this power.”
Hearing this, Violet finally frowned. “Even if it means she must be imprisoned in the portal forever, separated from her mother, her people, and her home? Don’t you think making such a unilateral decision is too domineering?”
Tiyelu immediately raised her head, her gaze intense and unyielding.
“Someone has to make sacrifices, right? I have, Minchen has, we’ve all imprisoned ourselves for hundreds or thousands of years to maintain the stability of our ‘home’! If we can do it, why can’t others?!”
The girl in the white robe fell silent. It wasn’t that she couldn’t think of a rebuttal, on the contrary, the other’s argument was too strained, too out of character for her. It felt more like Tiyelu was trying to convince herself, which only made the priestess feel a faint sense of sadness.
The silence that followed was long, yet it seemed to last only a moment. Finally, the man, as the third party, could no longer remain silent.
“Tiyelu, the Demon God Olivia has fallen. She cannot be resurrected, you know that. This is... the will of the world.”
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