Fire Mage-Chapter 679: Strange Spear

Chapter 679: Strange Spear

In the current Edhen World, only a few beings or factions could stand in his way—

and the Life Church wasn’t one of them.

"Are you sure, Charles?" Hunt asked. "Cardinal Albert is already back in Riverdale and pressuring Archbishop Abel to surrender the Stormheart Whisper artifact. If he learns of your return... he’ll scheme something for sure. Your property is crucial to him right now."

Charles slowly chewed the roasted beef and swallowed before replying.

"Lady Charlotte, that place holds my mother’s memories. I used to be too powerless to protect it... But not anymore. Now, I have the strength to at least keep it from being defiled."

Charlotte went quiet.

"And I want to see that greedy man," Charles added calmly. "Maybe help him a little."

Once lunch ended, Charles and Runeth said their farewells and stepped outside.

As they walked out of the modest one-story house, Runeth gave Charles a sidelong glance.

"You still have a warm side, huh?"

"You know how much that place means to me, old man," Charles replied solemnly. Then, his gaze drifted eastward.

"To the Sun Church," he said. "Let’s announce that Zephyr Silvercrest has returned from the Star Tombs Dungeon."

"Why?" Runeth frowned. "Wouldn’t it be safer for him to stay hidden in the Rebirth Tower and train?"

"No. This world is heading toward the Era of Chaos. It’s time for heroes to rise."

A mischievous smile played on Charles’s lips.

"Runeth, I want to test something."

The old man narrowed his eyes. "Don’t tell me... you’re planning another one of your crazy stunts."

"It’s not crazy. The Thirteen Gods are forbidden from interfering in this world, right? I want to use that chance... to uproot all the churches."

He paused briefly.

"Well, not all. I’ll spare the Sun Church and the Night and Day Church—but the rest? I’ll wipe them out using those heroes."

"That’s the craziest thing I’ve heard, lad. If you do that, the Gods themselves will descend after this era ends—and they’ll come for your head." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"You think I don’t know that?" Charles scoffed. "But I’ve got a plan."

He raised his hand to his face and began to shapeshift.

Nearby passersby looked momentarily startled, some even panicked. But within seconds, they returned to their routines, as if nothing had happened.

Runeth let out a deep sigh. "Shapeshifting in broad daylight now? You’re not scared of anything anymore, are you?"

They continued down the paved road and hailed a carriage. Soon, it rolled away from El Road, passed through East Borough, and stopped before a grand stone masonry building.

After paying the fare, Charles and Runeth stepped down and walked toward the Church. They passed stone gargoyles and intricate carvings, entered through the main doors, and crossed into the Nave.

As they moved down the polished aisle, dozens of eyes followed them. But they walked unfazed, stopping before the golden statue of a young elven man.

"Zephyr?! You’re alive—just as the Cardinal said! Oh, may the Eternal Light bless you!"

A surprised voice came from the left. Charles turned with a smile.

The speaker was a middle-aged man in a gleaming golden robe, with fiery red hair, a square face, a snub nose, and olive skin.

"Bishop Orion," Charles greeted.

He raised his right hand to his chest and bowed respectfully.

"Praise the Sun God, the source of life and light," he said, then added, "How are you, Bishop Orion? How is Cardinal Damian?"

Orion sighed and shook his head.

"Though he and Tucker returned safely, the loss was immense, Sir Zephyr. And we gathered very little intel on the first layer. So, by order of the Pontiff, Cardinal Damian returned to the Holy See and entered seclusion."

"Can we speak in private?" Charles asked, noticing the stares around them.

"Of course," Orion nodded and led them to a side chamber near the vestry.

"Same room?" Charles asked, then quickly took a seat on an ornate chair.

Runeth, meanwhile, approached a glass display case holding a spear of iron-like metal. He stared at it intently.

Orion glanced at the old man. "Who is he, Exalted One?"

"Oh, don’t mind him," Charles said with a wave. "Did Cardinal Damian leave anything for me?"

Orion nodded. "He believed you were still alive. He left this for you—a Genius Rank Darkness Affinity potion." He took a black vial from his space ring and handed it to Charles.

Then, he produced a notebook, quill, and ink.

"He also asked that you write down any critical details about the Star Tombs."

"I’ve information up to the fifth layer," Charles said, inspecting the vial. "But nothing comes free."

He didn’t understand why the Sun God hadn’t shared the dungeon’s secrets with his followers, but he wasn’t about to waste the advantage.

"What do you want, Sir Zephyr?" Orion asked politely.

At that moment, Runeth’s voice echoed in Charles’s mind.

Kid, ask for that spear.

Charles blinked. That one? Isn’t it just a common-rank spear?

Hoho, even your Wisdom Eye can’t see its true value, huh? That’s no ordinary weapon. It’s inherited the will of some ancient being and became a Nature Artifact. Not just any kind either—it’s an evolving, sentient one.

"Wow," Charles murmured, genuinely impressed by Runeth’s words. He quickly pointed to the sealed spear in the glass case and asked,

"That spear is more than enough for us. But do you know how it ended up here?"

Although Bishop Orion hadn’t sensed anything remarkable about the spear, he had a nagging feeling there was more to it.

But I can’t even refuse his request, he thought grimly.

"You may take it, Exhaled One," the Bishop said at last. "As for how it got here... There are several rumors. One claims the Sun God himself used it during his early days. Later, he passed it on to a warrior named Leon. Years afterward, Leon placed it in an auction, declaring it was once wielded by the Sun God. We conducted our own investigation and found records confirming the Sun God used a spear during the last planar war. So, we bought it for four hundred Sacred Gold Coins and stored it here. Over time, it was nearly forgotten."

As Bishop Orion spoke, Runeth gently touched the glass case and stored the spear in his spatial ring.

Meanwhile, Charles had turned his attention to an empty notebook, jotting down critical information about each layer—the guardians, secret inheritance zones, boss names, their abilities, and more. He even noted details about the Hall of Stars and mentioned that the fifth layer’s boss had reached the Demi-God Rank.

"This is all the information you need," Charles said as he handed the notebook to Bishop Orion. "Also, it’s better to send real Mages and mystics instead of those fake origin-class ones."

"Yes, Exhaled One." Bishop Orion received the notebook with a respectful nod.

"Tell my father I’ll be away for a while—maybe a year or two," Charles said coldly. He turned to Runeth. "My work here is done. What now?"

"Let’s rest for a while," Runeth replied calmly, already heading toward the exit. "I also want a detailed explanation about that Evil Goddess you released... and the Titan woman."

Charles followed without a word, and the two soon left the Sun Church.

Later, they traveled to the Central Borough in a chaise carriage and stopped in front of the Mermaid’s Inn.

The inn was a four-story structure. Charles and Runeth entered, booked two rooms at the reception desk, and headed up to the second floor. As they walked down the corridor, Runeth broke the silence.

"Charles, I’ll be studying that spear for a while. In the meantime, finish any business you have in this city. You can find me here afterward."

"You’re suddenly so attached to that weapon," Charles remarked, narrowing his eyes.

"Hmph, what do you know?" Runeth snorted. "If I can trace its history, I might awaken it from its long slumber. It may look like scrap metal, but I have a feeling—just a vague one—that it could become one of the most powerful weapons in the universe."

"You imagine too much. It might become a powerful weapon, like Grace one day, but calling it one of the strongest in the universe? That’s a bit much," Charles said, giving him an odd look.

"You have no idea about evolution-type weapons, lad. You’ll find out soon enough," Runeth replied. He stopped at a wooden door, inserted a silver key, and opened it. Before Charles could say anything more, Runeth stepped inside and locked the door behind him.

"Haa, whatever," Charles muttered, shaking his head. He went to the next room, pulled out the silver key from his pocket, and entered.

He locked the door from the inside and approached the large bed at the center of the room. Removing ’Grace’ from his waist, he gently placed her on the bed.