Fire Mage-Chapter 634: Water Mage

Chapter 634: Water Mage

Hovering midair, Charles called out, "I can freeze its thoughts for a second or two. Use that moment to strike."

He knew his flame alone wouldn’t be enough to bring down a Legendary beast. This kill would be hers.

The woman gave a faint smile and retreated a few paces, lifting her arms. She began chanting in a language older than stone, her voice resonant and slow. Around her, frost swirled and condensed, forming a long, spear-like weapon of glacial purity. The spear crystallized, freezing the grass beneath her feet.

"Now," she whispered, just as her chant reached its peak.

The spider twitched, sensing danger—but before it could flee, confusion clouded its eyes. Its limbs faltered.

The ice spear launched.

It pierced the spider’s forehead and exploded into a storm of shards. The freezing splinters drove deep into its flesh, encasing its organs, bones, and brain in biting frost.

Just as Charles was about to deliver the finishing blow, a deafening screech echoed from above.

A colossal eagle-like creature, over forty meters tall, dove from the sky. With one powerful swoop, it seized the frozen spider in its talons and lifted off. Its massive wings beat the air, shaking the trees below with each flap.

Charles and the woman watched in stunned silence.

Behind the eagle, a swarm of monstrous, black-winged birds followed—crows, but impossibly huge. They closed in quickly, clawing and pecking at the eagle, trying to steal its prize.

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Crows? Why are they so big?"

The eagle gave a piercing cry and soared even higher, refusing to let go of its kill.

Charles’s instincts flared. If the crows failed to take down the eagle, they might turn on him and the woman next. Without hesitation, he vanished into the surroundings using [Shadow Stealth], sinking back into the shadows.

The woman, now visibly alert, said, "Your stealth might not be enough to fool them. We need shelter—and a plan."

Charles nodded and followed her deeper into the forest.

As they moved swiftly through the trees, he glanced her way and asked, "Are you... related to the Lightning Mage named Rachael, My Lady?"

The question caught her off guard. Her composed expression flickered for a split second, betraying a hint of surprise.

"You know Rachel?" The woman’s voice held a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Before Charles could respond, she let out a deep sigh and continued,

"Yes, I’m her aunt—Jade. She hasn’t left the Ember Kingdom in eighteen years. She’s been searching for someone. She even asked me to find an artifact that could cure a dream curse. Do you know what she’s doing now?"

The mention of Ember Kingdom pulled Charles into thought. He recalled the brief meeting with his maternal grandfather.

Didn’t Oswald Raven say he was heading to Ember Kingdom to speak with the Nightwind Family about the Dream Curse affecting the Raven bloodline?

Charles exhaled heavily. In truth, he felt nothing for that man.

Still... he’s Eve’s father. The only person I truly cared about.

"It’s... a complicated story, Lady Jade," Charles said, steering away from details. "But I’ll be visiting the Ember Kingdom soon to take care of that issue."

He shifted the topic.

"Can you tell me more about this layer?"

Jade kept a sharp eye on him as she replied,

"Just call me Jade. But before I answer, tell me—what faction are you with?"

Cautious. Watching. Probing.

"I’m a First Order Holy Knight of the Sun Church," Charles answered firmly, concealing his real allegiance. "I may be in disguise, but I have no ill will toward the Life Church."

Without a word, Jade retrieved a worn leather map from her space ring and unfurled it.

"Sun Church. I suspected as much. Your fire spells have a certain... signature." She tapped the map with a gloved finger. "This layer’s vast. Much more dangerous than the outer zones. And worse—my Divine Power doesn’t work here. I can’t draw anything from the Life Church’s Divine One."

She paused, eyes narrowing.

"Even if you don’t rely on divine power, surviving here alone will be a challenge. Most churches won’t last long."

Charles leaned in slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I don’t know the cause, but something’s cutting off access to Divine Power. Have you tried calling on yours?"

"No, Jade. I’m a Fire Mage of the Sun Church—I don’t channel Divine Power to cast spells," he said plainly.

A Fire Mage from the Sun Church who doesn’t use divine energy?

Jade tilted her head, intrigued.

"That’s rare. Most I’ve met blend divine essence with their magic."

She continued, tone turning serious,

"I suspect this disruption is linked to the tower in the Edhen World. When the Star Tombs Dungeon appeared, it may have sealed away divine interference. The situation reminds me of the last Planar Invasion. There may be other dungeons opening throughout the Edhen World."

"Other dungeons?" Charles asked, eyes narrowing.

Jade nodded. "Yes. These events come only once every few centuries. When they do, gods lose influence, divine blessings fade, and revelations stop altogether. We call this the Chaos Era. The last one was four centuries ago."

She raised her hand and cast a Rank-5 [Ice Shard], shattering a Rank-4 ostrich-like beast charging toward them.

"There are over ten hidden dungeon entrances scattered across the world," she said as the ice mist cleared. "Each one links to a separate dimension—some offer opportunities, others... death. They all have rules. Restrictions. Only a few will qualify to enter each one. Right now, most churches will stop trying to activate teleportation gates. They’ll focus on survival—for the next thirty days." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Thirty days?" Charles asked. "Is there a time limit?"

"Exactly." Jade nodded. "To progress to the next layer, you must find and activate the teleportation gate within this layer. But if you stay here for thirty days, the Dungeon Guardian will appear and teleport you out."

Charles listened in silence, slowly absorbing the mounting weight of what they were up against.

"In this layer," Jade continued, "you’ll face Legendary-grade Magical Beasts. You’ll need to use more than just power—wisdom, caution, instinct. Be careful who you trust, even within your own church."

Charles raised a brow. "Not even the Sun Church?"

"If you weren’t tied to Rachel, I wouldn’t have said half of what I did." Jade gave a pointed look. "Let me ask—if we find ancient ruins or artifacts, would you give them up peacefully?"

Charles said nothing.

"Exactly," Jade said, conjuring a sphere of water that froze midair into needle-like shards. She sent them flying into the shadows, killing several creeping figures.

"In a lawless place like this, only the strong prevail. Some creatures here can shapeshift—take the form, memories, even powers of those they consume. It’s hard to tell who’s human... and who’s a Nightmare Creature."

Charles gave a slow nod. He wouldn’t rely too heavily on his Rune Eye ability to detect lies or illusions. Not here.

A sudden memory surfaced—Head Deacon Colt, Edwin’s father.

He said he was meeting with two Order Church members and heading to the Dream Palace. That’s far north...

"How do we find direction here?" Charles asked.

Jade gave a small smile, pleased by the question.

"When you enter a new dungeon layer, always look up. The sky tells you more than the land. Most dimensions have a sun, moon, or star. If there’s one star, it usually follows a stable path—easy to determine east and west. If there are two, they orbit in opposite directions. Find the brighter one. Use it to navigate."

Charles had already been watching the sky.

"We’re heading west, right?"

Jade’s expression brightened. "Good eye. Yes. All Life Church members are gathering at a location in the west. It’ll take us four to five days on foot."

Charles hesitated.

"Then... the Sun Church members—will they even be able to reach us?"

Jade chuckled softly.

"Unlikely. The Sun Church doesn’t have insiders. In this realm, information is power. Nothing comes free. Even small details must be traded, not shared. Only those with connections and knowledge can gain the upper hand."

Charles understood then—Jade had told him all of this because of his link to Rachel.

He nodded in silence and followed her into the deepening fog.

As Charles and Jade continued walking through Nightmare Land, the air grew thick and heavy, despite the daylight. Towering trees cast long, eerie shadows, while dark clouds churned overhead, deepening the gloom. Their journey became even more difficult when sudden rain poured down, soaking everything around them.

While they trudged along the muddy path, Charles shared a fragment of his past with Jade, revealing he had once been part of the Withering Shadows. However, he kept his true name to himself, offering only the alias he now used.

Jade raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

"Interesting. I didn’t think the Life Church let people leave so easily. From what I know, they’re not the forgiving type."

Charles let out a cold laugh.

"They had no reason to kill me. They broke their promises and seized my family’s land through a fake deal. I don’t care much anymore... but one day, I’ll go back and make them pay."

Jade stopped mid-step, something clicking in her mind.

"Wait... why would they take your family’s property?" she asked, genuinely curious. A moment later, her eyes narrowed. "Are you related to Eddie Nightwind by any chance?"

Charles blinked, caught off guard.

"You know Eddie?"

"Of course. He was a legend," Jade said with a soft sigh. "The man who took your family’s land is Cardinal Albert of the Life Church. Two years ago, something major happened in Riverdale City. The Church sent over forty Rank-4s, seven Rank-5s, and even two Legends into the Dreamworld to fight a powerful entity. No one knows the full story, but Cardinal Albert came out... changed. He’s stronger now—and aiming to become the next Pope."

"Cardinal Albert?" Charles muttered, brow furrowed. "Why the Dreamworld? Why my family’s house?"

Jade gave him a knowing look.

"Your house wasn’t ordinary—it’s called the Dream House. One of Eddie’s creations. It’s a gateway to the Dreamworld. And Albert’s been trying to seize it for years. If you want real answers... you’ll have to ask him yourself."