Lu Cang returned to the City in the Circle.

...

The moment he returned, he felt a familiar Perception make contact with his own.

It was Iz’s aura.

Izparut had returned.

"It’s been a while, Iz."

Lu Cang approached Izparut, who was standing before a fruit stall.

Iz picked up a pomegranate.

"It has been some time. How have you been?" With a light tap of his finger, Izparut peeled the pomegranate, leaving only the seeds to fall into his hand.

"My growth might just surprise you, Iz."

"Haha, you think you can surprise me?"

Izparut let out a hearty laugh. "I just got back, and I’ve already heard the news. You cleared all one hundred floors of the War God Tower and achieved a 500-win streak in the Battle Arena."

"But I didn’t expect you to go around proclaiming you’d defeat Lu Luwei as a Level 3 Mage."

Lu Cang: "Huh?"

’Wait, when did I ever say that?’

Lu Cang had always considered himself to be humble when dealing with others.

Even if he believed he was strong and incredibly talented.

He wouldn’t just say it out loud.

Making such an arrogant proclamation was completely out of character for him.

"Oh? You didn’t say that?" Iz noticed Lu Cang’s confusion.

"No."

Iz spread his hands. "What a shame. I thought you had that kind of nerve."

’It’s not... that I don’t have nerve.’

’I just don’t feel the need to broadcast it.’

"So, how about it?" Iz glanced at the Magic Staff in Lu Cang’s hand.

Then he looked back at Lu Cang.

"Are you planning to challenge Lu Luwei?"

Lu Cang sighed softly. "Is she that strong?"

Aside from his spars with Iz, the only other troublesome opponent Lu Cang had ever faced was Kai Jia.

As for everyone else...

Not a single one had managed to put any pressure on him.

Looking at Lu Luwei’s record—a 5000-win streak—he felt she might be a strong opponent.

But as for how strong... when Lu Cang asked himself that, he couldn’t help but feel a little dismissive.

’She can’t be stronger than Kai Jia, can she?’

However, Iz answered without a moment’s hesitation.

"Yes, she’s very strong."

"If she and I were the Same Tier, it would take some effort for me to defeat her."

’Oh...’

’Such high praise?’

Iz paused for a moment before adding, "And if I were one Level lower than her, hmm... it would probably be a very difficult win."

’A difficult win?’

’Is that him being overconfident...?’

Then again, it wasn’t Lu Cang’s place to judge Izparut.

After all, he was currently planning to beat Lu Luwei himself, and he was indeed one Level lower.

"Alright, I’ll be careful."

’If Iz rates her that highly, then Lu Luwei must be someone extraordinary.’

’To make sure I get the Prophet’s Secret Scroll...’

’I’d better gather some intel on my opponent.’

"What kind of opponent is she?"

Iz considered it. "Her attack range is exceptionally long... She can do almost anything an Archer is good at."

’Attack range, huh.’

Lu Cang gripped his Magic Staff.

’My current Casting Distance is over a hundred kilometers...’

’That should make up for a lot of disadvantages.’

"Anything else...?"

"I don’t know much more. She challenged me once, but she couldn’t beat me in a Same-Tier battle."

"After that, she said she wanted to have an all-out spar once we were the same Level."

"But here we are. She’s still Level 4, and I’m already Level 6."

’Ah, a failed challenger.’

’Wait...’

’Why does that feel a bit like me?’

’No, I didn’t fail. We just fought to a draw.’

’And that was a draw with one hundred fifty thousand souls. Now, if I detonate three billion souls... Iz, even you wouldn’t be able to take that, would you?’

Lu Cang decided he would go observe one of Lu Luwei’s battles.

He needed to see this opponent with his own eyes.

"By the way, Iz, what happened with Meiser?"

"Meiser... I killed him," Izparut said matter-of-factly.

As if it were a trivial matter not worth mentioning.

"His understanding of the Root Source was profound, but when it came to magical skill, he was far beneath me."

"A pity..."

"If only he had used his Magic for the right reasons."

A complex emotion flickered in Iz’s eyes.

「Two days earlier—」

"Well, well... Izparut."

"This is our first time meeting, isn’t it?"

The man with the monocle wore an aristocrat’s formal attire.

It must have been the formal wear he used as a Lord on his own domain.

The man he faced had long hair and wore a magnificent, flowing Mage Robe.

His expression was as placid as still water, yet as cold as frost.

Meiser met his gaze.

He could feel the heavy aura radiating from him, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

They were both Level 6 Mages, and Meiser had even been promoted much earlier, having explored the realm of Level 6 for a long time...

...yet he couldn’t feel the slightest hope of victory.

Just from locking eyes, he already knew.

He and this man were not on the same level.

"I am an admirer of yours, you know. The most outstanding Mage in History..." A strained smile formed on Meiser’s lips.

Izparut’s consciousness spread out. "Is that so? To have an admirer like you is, perhaps, my greatest sorrow."

"I have no desire for those who admire me to use Magic to commit undue slaughter."

A blood-red Magic Staff materialized in Meiser’s right hand.

"True, a genius like you wouldn’t understand."

"You could never comprehend the pain of us who pursue the Root Source..."

"Did you know? I was once a genius, too. It took me only six years to become a Level 5 Mage, admired by thousands."

"But it wasn’t until I reached Level 5 that I realized my thinking was wrong. My path could not prove the true Root Source... it was all just wishful thinking on my part."

"In my pursuit of the true Root Source, I tried many methods..."

"Do you think I wanted to kill people? No. I didn’t want to kill them. If they were meaningless to the pursuit of the Root Source, I wouldn’t even have the interest to glance their way. Why would I kill them?"

"But I had to do it."

"Because I had to prove something. I had to prove that the Root Source is independent."

"I have to prove that the Root Source itself is a concrete existence! I must extract Root Magic from ordinary people who know nothing of the Root Source to verify my hypothesis!"

"You are the most outstanding Mage. You should know what I’m talking about."

"You should understand my ideas!"

"Isn’t this a truly brilliant line of thought? Isn’t this an exceptionally unique and clever way to prove the Root Source?!"

Izparut’s brows furrowed deeply.

"Haha, it’s rare to have an opportunity like this. Why don’t we discuss our insights on the Root Source?"

"We’re all Mages. Why must we fight to the death?"

"You must be curious about my research."

"You must want to know what kind of Source I’ve managed to explore!"

"In truth, we don’t have to fight to the death."

"You and I..."

"Enough." Iz’s consciousness sent a slight tremor through the heavens and the earth.

It cut off his words.

"I am interested in your ideas, but... I have my own principles."

"I am interested, but that doesn’t mean I want to know the specifics of your research."

Meiser shouted, "What if the path to the Root Source requires these things! What if it demands you betray your conscience and bring ruin upon all living things!"

"Would you abandon the path of a Mage? Would you give up your pursuit of the Root Source?!"

"The direction of the Root Source does not bend to your subjective will! In the end, we must all seek the ultimate truth!"

"Are you the kind of Mage who would give up the pursuit of the Root Source?! Izparut!"

"No, I believe your heart’s desire to pursue the Root Source is even more resolute than mine!"

"If you were faced with the same situation, you would surely make the same choice I did!"

SHHHF!

The moment his words fell, Iz was already upon him.

"I am not like you, Meiser."

The Magic Staff pointed at Meiser’s body!

An infinite sense of crisis flooded Meiser’s heart!

’Magic is coming!’

’But from which direction?’

His heart sensed something, and his Perception shot downward!

There, he discovered that a massive, cylindrical cavity had formed in the sea below.

"Extraction of the Void."

.

.

(The next two Chapters need some rewriting, they’ll be out a little later.)