Chapter 76: It's All a Trick
“What have you doo me? Where's my magic? Why 't I cast magic?!”
Charles had never been this terrified before. When he opened his eyes, his power had pletely vanished... No, his power hadn’t disappeared; he still remembered he was a mage, a three-star mage from the Order School.
He knew he specialized ial magic within the Order School and could even name each of his mentors who had taught him. Yet, he simply couldn’t cast magic!
It was like a man dying of hunger—he knows he will die without eating, knows what food is, but has somehow "fotten" how to eat!
For a mage, this was worse thah by starvation!
“Give me back my magic! Give it back!!”
Though Charles had once been a formidable mage, without his magic, he was now just an ordinary man. Faced with his angry outburst, Alex simply snorted and raised his sword, pressing the cold bde against Charles’ neck. Feeling the chill of the sword, Charles immediately cmmed up—without any protective magic, he knew orike would be the end of him.
"Alright, baldy, I’ll ask, and you’ll answer. If you dare to say anythira, I 't guarantee I won’t ‘actally’ cut you. Uand?"
"You—you dare threaten me? Do you know who I am—"
Shing!
Before Charles could finish his sentehe gleam of Alex’s sword fshed before his eyes. He felt a sudden cold sensatioween his legs. Looking down, he sucked in a breath—Alex’s sword tip was h right between his legs, less than a finger’s width away.
"I ask, you answer. Got it?"
“……………”
Charles swallowed hard and nodded. He didn’t have much choiow.
"Good. First, tell me your name and identity."
"I-I’m Charles Lawrence, a mage of the White Tower of Heaven…"
“The White Tower of Heaven? You’re actually from the White Tower?”
Hearing Charles' answer, Fina gasped, and even Alex raised an eyebrow. He knew full well what the White Tower of Heaven was. To protect the Violet ant, the Order forces across the ti had formed an alliao defend order and eliminate chaos. This alliance sisted of the core anizations of various nations.
For example, Alex’s Holy Church was represented by the Sanctum of Refle, while the Magiation was represented by the White Tower of Heaven. It was said that the White Tower housed the fi mages of the Magiation, essentially the highest institution fic study. Only those who passed the rigorous entrance exams could eo study and streheir power and status.
But… It seems that being overqualified and underperf isn’t exclusive to one world.
“Who would’ve thought a mage of the White Tower would be mingling with cultists?”
“You don’t uand what I’ve been through!”
Hearing Alex’s mog tone, Charles erupted in anger.
“Those damn colleagues of mihey ostracized me, mocked me! I was kicked out of the inner circle ao this godforsakeo py wat. I’ve had enough! I should—"
“I don’t care about your past. Stop wasting my time.”
Alex couldn’t care less about Charles' sob story. He had seey of fresh graduates in interviews, all full of excuses like, "It's not me; it’s the world that’s wrong," or "My ideas are right. If you just give me enough resources, I’ll succeed!"
None of it mattered. If they couldn’t do well with the resources they had, why should a pany i in them? Were they out of their minds?
“Tell me something useful. What are these cultists pnning? Why did they attack the outpost and capture the padins? Spill everything you know.”
“……………”
But this time, Charles didn’t answer. Instead, he stared ily at Alex’s sword, a plex expression on his face as if deep in thought. Watg his rea, Alex smiled faintly.
“You don’t thiually know nothing, do you? To be ho, we’ve already gotten most of the information we need from other prisoners. Now we’re just looking to firm it. Cooperate, and maybe we’ll let you off the hook. But if you resist… well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“?”
Fina and John exged surprised g Alex’s words. Prisoners? risoners? Weren’t all the cultists dead by suicide after being captured?
“Hmph, I don’t believe you.”
Charles s Alex’s cim. He kly what kind of fanatics those cultists were. In his eyes, while they were crazed, they were terrifyingly devoted to their faith. He couldn’t believe they would betray him, let alohe figure they all worshipped.
“Well, it seems you’ve decided to resist after all.”
Seeing Charles’ disdainful expression, Alex shrugged.
“I get that you think I’m bluffing. So here’s a hint for you… the Fallen City of Summer. That’s your destination, isn’t it?”
“How do you know—?!”
Charles was stunned. He couldn’t uand how Alex khe location was something even he had only just learned from that important figure, and he hadn’t had the ce to inform the other cultists yet. By all logic, there was no way this young man could know such a secret!
But when Charles saw the look on Alex’s face, he realized what had happened.
“You tricked me?”
“Sigh… I used to think mages were supposed to be smart. Turns out… well, intelligend emotional awareness are rarely the same.”
“You… you…”
Charles’ face turned bright red with fury. If it weren’t for Alex’s sword and the fact that he couldn’t use magic for some unknown reason, he would’ve lu Alex in a desperate rage!
At that moment, Charles was filled with rese, while Fina and John were pletely dumbfounded.
“Could it be that the cultists really are pnning to reopees of Hell?”
“Exactly.”
Charles had lost all hope. Stripped of his magid captured by the padins, his reputation was ruined. He could already imagine his fate if he returned, so he had nothio hide.
“The great one will soohe Gates of Hell and summon the demon army back to this world. When that happens, all of you will die!”
“That’s impossible!”
Fina shook her head vigorously, refusing to believe what Charles had said.
“The Gates of Hell were sealed by the Goddess of Order herself! It’s absolutely impossible to open them, whether from the inside or outside! Not even Thanatos could break that seal!”
“Ha! Foolishness is a lifetime affli.”
Alex g Charles with a look of pity before shrugging.
“It seems even mages be idiots. Believe whatever you're told, and you’ll probably help t the money after they sell you.”
“You god-believers are all fools, of course you wouldn’t uand!”
Charles s Alex’s mockery.
“Yes, the Goddess’ seal is strong, and reopening the gates would be impossible. But who said we have to reopen the sealed gate? If we ’t open the door, why not create a new crastead? Haha! You’re all so stupid... you don’t even realize… Haha… Why are you looking at me like that?”
John and Fina were at a loss for words, especially Fina. She knew Alex didn’t actually know anything about the cultists' pns, and what he had said earlier was just a wild guess. But she hadn’t expected him to be this good at bluffing, making Charles fess everything with just a few specutive words.
“…Like I said, foolishness is a lifetime affli.”
Alex shrugged again as he looked at the dazed Charles. Theuro Fina.
“It seems we’ll o carefully pn our move.”
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