Chapter 663: Dreaming of Heather City
Saved by Leon, Cyrus Watson was left with a tangled mess of emotions, unsure of what to say.
Leon shook his head. He didn’t need to ask to know—Cyrus Watson must have run into that monster and had his mana drained.
With a soft sigh, he said, "Just tell me what happened."
Regret and bitterness clouded Cyrus Watson’s face as he recounted the events.
"We had just landed on the USS Dauntless when we were separated. I only managed to find Reid and Anthus, and soon after, we ran into Felton. Felton threw out a few taunts, and I lost my temper—blinded by rage, I started chasing Felton without thinking…"
At this, Leon understood. The last time they’d met Oracis, Felton had thrown Cyrus Watson under the bus. This time, with everyone separated and no one to mediate, Felton still dared to provoke him. It was no wonder Cyrus Watson lost it on the spot—rage clouded his mind and he went after Felton.
Just as Leon expected, this Felton was a fake, luring Cyrus Watson and the others into a trap. Anthus had his Battle Aura drained by the monster and died a miserable death; Cyrus Watson’s mana was drained and he barely survived, while Reid Watson ended up controlled by the creature.
Dragged here by the fake Reid just now, Cyrus was already half-conscious. Even knowing Reid was an imposter, he was powerless to do anything.
"It’s my fault Reid ended up like this..."
Cyrus Watson’s face was etched with regret and bitterness. With his mana gone, he was now like a dying old man—the pride of a Title Archmage had been shattered, leaving nothing behind.
Leon sighed inwardly. He had no interest in dredging up old grievances with Cyrus Watson. The guy’s temper had always been foul, and Leon never really liked him—but now, barely hanging on, he was worse off than if Leon had just killed him outright…
"Hubert, bring Archmage Seth along."
Leon gave Hubert the order. Hubert looked reluctant—Dragonblood Orcs didn’t care if Seth had lost all his power; a single blow would be the easiest solution.
But faced with Leon’s command, Hubert could only grit his teeth and comply, roughly slinging Seth over his shoulder.
Seeing Leon about to enter the passage, Seth’s face twisted in terror and he hastily tried to stop him.
"Merlin, you mustn’t go in! Run, quickly— that monster is terrifying. Before I escaped, I even heard it say it’s already seeped into most of the USS Dauntless. It’s confident it can take control soon. Going in now is suicide!"
Leon glanced at the terrified Seth, shook his head, and said nothing. The Spellbook of Ages was something he absolutely couldn’t give up.
Leon led the way, raising his Rune Shield and casting a Light Spell at the tip of his Doombringer Staff.
The passage was four or five meters high, but after walking for over ten minutes, the surroundings remained unchanged—darkness ahead and behind, with the occasional gust of cold wind moaning through the gloom.
The walls on either side seemed to swallow all light—the Light Spell could barely illuminate ten meters ahead, with nothing but darkness beyond.
The heavy thud of footsteps made everyone uneasy, and the deeper they went, the thicker the air grew with evil, resentment, and the stench of death.
What had sounded like distant, muttering wails and screams was now growing clearer.
Suddenly, a bloody figure appeared ahead—skinless, covered in dark red flesh, its hollow eyes staring at them as it reached out.
Startled, Hubert swung Slaughter at it, and the apparition vanished instantly.
Leon frowned and cast Mindguard on everyone—this place was far too strange.
With Mindguard in place, the wailing seemed to quiet down a bit, but soon enough, ghostly illusions began to appear again.
At this point, even Mindguard was barely effective—horrific visions swarmed around them.
Many of the dead even began to manifest among the illusions.
Warriors missing half their heads, mages so twisted they were barely human, a female corpse dragging her intestines across the floor toward the group...
More and more illusions appeared, as if the group were walking down a corridor of nightmares. This path felt like a passage straight into hell.
Hubert’s face was pale, his teeth chattering. He knew these things weren’t real, but when a blood-soaked corpse of a woman loomed in front of him, he couldn’t help but swing Slaughter at it.
The passage was packed with all manner of horrors. Even knowing they were illusions, charging straight through them was enough to make anyone’s heart race.
Before long, the pitiful wails became like repeated barrages of mind magic, pounding at everyone’s sanity.
With all his power gone, Cyrus Watson was completely lost in the illusions. Even Mindguard couldn’t help him—Hubert had to knock him out just to quiet him down.
Leon’s expression was grim. Ten layers of Mindguard, yet none could block the illusions assaulting their minds. He knew it was all fake, but the relentless voices made their bodies believe the horrors were real.
After more than an hour, they finally saw something different ahead.
The endless, identical passage felt like an unending labyrinth. Coupled with the tide of illusions, anyone with a weaker mind would have been driven to collapse.
Emerging from the passage, they found themselves in a vast hall. Every wall was black, and at the center was a huge, swirling black vortex that nearly filled the entire room.
Gentle spatial ripples drifted through the air, carrying fragments that spun around like shards of space itself.
Lin Yun stood at the entrance of the passage, occasionally glimpsing his own reflection through the warped spaces—a sign that the space here had been twisted to its absolute limit.
The chaotic spatial structure resembled an impossibly tangled labyrinth. Just one glance made Lin Yun’s head throb.
Wisps of black mist swirled with the vortex, occasionally condensing into eerie, grinning skulls that cackled at Lin Yun and the others before dissolving back into the darkness.
All manner of terrifying things churned within the vortex. Hollow, malicious eyes stared out, making everyone’s skin crawl.
Standing at the passage entrance, Lin Yun gazed at the black vortex that nearly filled the entire hall. Beyond it lay a door—clearly, the only way forward was through the swirling darkness.
Aside from the illusions and malice, the black vortex seemed to lack any direct means of attack. Yet Lin Yun couldn’t shake his unease.
He couldn’t help but recall the first mate’s journal mentioning a great vortex, and the nautical chart’s ominous death mark.
“Stay sharp, everyone. Steel your minds and keep moving forward. Remember, everything you see is an illusion!”
Lin Yun cast a slew of Mindguard spells on everyone, then stepped into the black vortex first. Though bizarre, he sensed only the power of illusion; even the chaotic spaces were just an ever-shifting, irregular maze. With enough time, one could get through.
Stepping into the vortex, it was as if all light and sound were swallowed by darkness. Lin Yun had no idea where the others had gone.
Lin Yun blinked, but his consciousness began to blur. Drowsiness overwhelmed him. He realized something was wrong, but it was too late—the immense power that could rival a titled Archmage was utterly powerless against this sleep...
“Power of the Rules…”
That was the last thought in Lin Yun’s mind before he drifted into a deep sleep…
Lin Yun had no idea how long he slept…
Perhaps a year. Perhaps ten. Perhaps a hundred…
All he knew was that when he finally opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a sky shrouded in gray…
Jagged, terrifying cracks marred the sky. Void storms tore at the heavens, rending new fissures into the already ruined expanse.
A blood-red sun scorched the land, its poisonous rays evaporating all moisture. The blistering air shimmered with heat—distant scenes danced and twisted as if seen through flames…
“Is this Haither City?” Lin Yun rubbed his eyes, gazing at the familiar scene. Yet for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d forgotten something…
Sadly, before Lin Yun could remember what he’d forgotten, the gray sky suddenly ignited. Endless darkness descended, blood and flame swept the earth, and the void storms tore at the sky, stretching the cracks longer and longer…
Enormous meteors, trailing fiery tails, plummeted from the heavens. In the distance, a kilometer-wide meteor crashed down, shattering space like fragile glass—chaotic energy rippled outward, as if erasing a swath of reality.
Boom…
The earth began to tremble. Yellow sand outside Haither City soared a thousand meters high, whipped by howling winds. Beyond the city, nothing was visible anymore.
Lin Yun lifted his head, watching a meteor hurtling toward Haither City, murmuring to himself.
“It’s going to be destroyed again… Hm? Why did I say ‘again’?”
Lin Yun watched as the massive meteor fell—not onto Haither City, but a dozen miles beyond its walls. The shockwave swept over everything, drowning out every cry, scream, and prayer in an instant.
The land outside Haither City shattered completely…
A hundred miles of earth lifted into the air. Standing atop Haither City, Lin Yun gazed out—the world of Northend looked like a cookie smashed into countless pieces by a mischievous child…