Chapter 262: Corpse
Leon remembered it vividly—the path that led to the Apocalypse Plane, as described in countless records, always shared one distinct trait: wisps of golden aura leaking out. At the entrance to the Plane Path, Leon crouched down, his eyes fixed intently on those faint traces of gold.
This time, Leon didn’t use his mana array for direct analysis. Instead, he rummaged through his pocket and produced a vial of Angel Elixir he’d prepared earlier.
He uncorked the vial and placed it near the golden aura. Instantly, the Angel Elixir seemed to boil, and a surge of potent life force flooded the vault…
“It really is the Apocalypse Plane…” At this point, Leon was more than ninety percent certain—this Plane Path led to the legendary Apocalypse Plane that countless people had dreamed of reaching.
Only the golden aura leaking from the Apocalypse Plane could contain such intense magic and such overwhelming vitality…
Just look at the nearly boiling Angel Elixir. Crafted by Leon’s own hand, its alchemical structure was far more stable than any common alchemist’s work—yet even that stability couldn’t prevent the elixir from bubbling over in an instant. There was only one explanation: a surge of magic far beyond the norm. Only under such conditions would the Angel Elixir’s alchemical structure waver, nearly sending the entire vial into a frenzy.
And with that intoxicating surge of life force, Leon could be almost certain—the Apocalypse Plane truly existed…
Once he understood it all, Leon couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion. Who would have thought—the Plane Path to the Apocalypse Plane, spoken of in countless myths and legends across Northend, yet never witnessed by any living soul, was hidden right here in the depths of Four Seasons Gorge.
“Merlin, where does this Plane Path really lead?” As Leon mused quietly, Salomon and Lance beside him couldn’t hold back their curiosity any longer.
Honestly, you couldn't really blame them…
Ever since they set foot in this vault, strange events had happened one after another: priceless magical materials appeared, Fran advanced to Title Archmage, and then Leon—still just a Ninth-Rank Mage—defeated Fran, the newly minted Title Archmage. And that wasn’t even the end of it. The young Archmage then used the Crystal Balance to open a Plane Path.
It was as if, in an instant, an entirely new world had unfolded before everyone’s eyes…
Salomon and Lance were certainly well-traveled, but with all these bizarre events happening one after another, even these two top figures of Seaview City couldn’t help but finally ask.
“This Plane Path…” Leon paused for a moment before continuing, “At the end of this Plane Path lies a realm that’s like a mythic kingdom. There, even a grain of sand or a drop of water would be a priceless treasure in Northend…”
… Hearing Leon’s almost exaggerated description, Salomon and Lance glanced at each other, then couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.
They knew a thing or two about the young Archmage’s wealth. The Gilded Rose now had a complete monopoly over Seaview City’s alchemy trade. In less than a year, Leon had amassed a fortune so vast that he was probably the richest man in the city.
But now, this young tycoon of Seaview City was saying something like this.
That meant the value of this unknown plane was probably far beyond anyone’s imagination…
And…
Judging by the young Archmage’s grave expression, the two of them even suspected that this unknown plane might be worth more than all the priceless magical materials in the vault.
For a moment, both men were left utterly stunned.
It felt like walking down the street and having piles of gold coins suddenly rain down from the sky—completely unbelievable. They’d thought the magical materials in the vault were already the greatest gain for the United Exploration Team, but now, it turned out there was an even more terrifyingly valuable unknown plane waiting for them…
At that thought, a trace of eager excitement flickered in both their eyes…
“But…” Leon’s next words hit them like a bucket of cold water: “That mythic kingdom of a plane comes with dangers beyond imagination…”
“Danger? What’s there to be afraid of…” Salomon said dismissively, “Wasn’t this wretched place Vaughn left behind dangerous enough? And we still made it through.”
“No, Archmage Salomon, they’re not the same. No matter how dangerous Vaughn’s Alchemist’s Lab is, it’s just a place left by a creator—the strongest force you’ll find here is Sky Rank. But the plane behind this Plane Path is different. No one has ever set foot there; no one knows what kind of dangers might be waiting.”
“Maybe there’s no danger at all.”
“Heh, Archmage Salomon, come over here for a second.” Leon beckoned Salomon over. When Salomon, still puzzled, walked over, Leon continued, “Try to sense the magical fluctuations here…”
“Hm?” Salomon paused, then did as Leon said, focusing on the magical fluctuations in the surroundings.