CH403 - CH404

CH403


As a second-level wizard, Irina could easily sense the presence of the dimensional rift.

When a rift forms, it causes noticeable spatial fluctuations in the surrounding area.

With her sharp senses, Irina had detected the spatial disturbance from afar.

Carrying Helag, she approached the rift, a streak of fiery light trailing behind her as they flew.

Helag, though somewhat distracted by the situation, kept his focus on observing Irina’s flight technique.

He couldn’t fully understand the spell she was using but guessed it had something to do with second-level spells and the manipulation of rules.

Judging by her abilities, Helag surmised that Irina was a fire-specialized wizard, likely having comprehended fire-element rules.

He figured her flight spell was utilizing fire-element rules, allowing her to achieve this incredible speed by essentially becoming one with the element.

Helag couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. The power of spells that utilized rules far surpassed first-level spells—they were on a completely different level.

Just as Helag was about to turn his attention to the dimensional rift, Irina’s hand pressed his head down again, making it hard for him to breathe.

“Don’t move,” Irina commanded.

The wind howled around them, and if not for Helag’s strong body, he would’ve likely caught a cold from flying through the air without clothes.

“We’re here.”

As soon as Irina spoke, they landed on the ground.

Helag quickly retrieved a robe from his spatial ring and slipped it on.

Even though there weren’t many people around, he wasn’t comfortable running around naked.

Irina, now on the ground, immediately turned her attention to the black vortex and the dimensional rift.

Once dressed, Helag also examined the rift.

Compared to when he had left, the rift had grown slightly in both length and width.

The growth wasn’t drastic, but it was clear that the rift was slowly expanding.

This was a bad sign. It meant that the world’s willpower alone wasn’t enough to heal the rift.

If left unchecked, the beings on the other side of the Abyssal Plane would continue to widen the rift.

Irina pulled a red stone from her spatial ring, holding it in her palm while chanting a few strange syllables. Magic and fire-element energy particles gathered around the stone.

“Lava Giant.”

Irina released the stone, which floated in front of her and quickly coalesced into a six-meter-tall lava giant.

The giant was made entirely of stone, with molten lava flowing between the cracks in its body.

“Guard this place. Kill anything that comes through the rift,” Irina commanded.

The lava giant let out a deep, rumbling growl and turned toward the rift, its heavy footsteps leaving scorched marks on the ground.

“Let’s go. We need to get back quickly.”

Irina couldn’t close the rift herself. Her primary objective was to scout the situation and report back.

The lava giant, with its strength and defense, was comparable to a second-level wizard.

Irina left it behind to handle any minor creatures that might come through the rift while they were gone.

After confirming the situation, Irina tossed two small red crystals onto the ground.

The crystals sank into the earth, and Helag guessed they were used for marking the location.

Not everyone could navigate the polluted zone as easily as Helag, so other wizards relied on tools like these for orientation.

After planting the crystals, the tips of Irina’s hair ignited once more.

Helag, knowing what was coming, braced himself.

Sure enough, his head was once again pressed into a soft, suffocating embrace as they sped off toward Crystal City.

In this mix of discomfort and unexpected comfort, Helag found himself back in the city in no time.

“Come with me to see the city lord. This is a serious matter,” Irina said.

Helag nodded, fully aware of the gravity of the situation, and followed Irina toward a towering wizard tower.

This tower was noticeably larger and more imposing than the others in the city, standing out prominently.

With Irina leading the way, they bypassed many of the usual security checks, and the guards at the entrance allowed them through without question.

Once inside, Helag noticed that the first floor of the tower seemed much larger than it appeared from the outside.

It was a grand hall, almost like a living room, with a large circle of leather sofas in the center.

A massive oil painting of a black goat’s head hung on the far wall, giving the room an eerie atmosphere.

Normally, one would expect a portrait of the tower’s owner, but here, there was a strange black goat’s head instead.

Helag found it odd but didn’t ask any questions.

“Irina, I’ve received your message. I’ve already contacted Master Mort from the Wizard Array Association. Once he arrives, we’ll head out,” said a young man in a black suit, holding a glass of red wine.

“Lord Domer, this is Helag. He’s the one who discovered the dimensional rift,” Irina introduced.

Domer turned to Helag, smiling. “You’re from Parker’s group, right? Well done. You’ve done a great service. If you hadn’t discovered the rift in time, the consequences could’ve been disastrous.”

“It was my duty,” Helag replied politely.

On the way here, Helag had learned that Domer was the city lord of Crystal City and a third-level wizard.

Not every city lord was a third-level wizard. In many cities, the lord might only be a second-level wizard.

Wizards like Parker, who could create floating cities, were rare even in the entire Land of Dawn.

Domer smiled, “I’ll make sure your contribution is reported. You’ll get the recognition you deserve.”

“Thank you, Lord Domer. Thank you, Lady Irina,” Helag said gratefully.

Irina glanced at him, her tone playful, “It’s a shame. If it weren’t for the urgency of the situation, I’d love to spend more time with you.”

Helag smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

Domer merely sipped his wine, seemingly unfazed by Irina’s behavior, as if he was used to it.

“My friend is still injured and receiving treatment. I should go check on him,” Helag said, eager to excuse himself.

Domer had no objections. Their focus was on resolving the issue of the dimensional rift, and Helag wouldn’t be of much help in that regard.

Even when it came to traveling, Helag had been more of a burden, needing Irina to carry him.



CH404


Now that Domer, a third-level wizard, was involved, the small dimensional rift was no longer a major issue.

Since the rift had only recently formed, there was still time to repair it.

After leaving Domer’s wizard tower, Helag followed the directions Irina had given him to find David.

David had been treated and was now resting in a local inn.

Helag checked the address on his communication stone, hailed a carriage, and gave the driver the location.

As the carriage rolled through the streets, Helag observed the surroundings. It was his first time in Crystal City.

The city’s structure was similar to Silvermoon City, but the style was slightly different.

Buildings along the streets were embedded with various crystals, which not only served as decorations but also had the subtle effect of gathering free-floating energy particles.

Crystal City was built on a massive crystal mine, hence its name.

When Helag arrived at the inn, he glanced up at the sign: Desert Wind.

The wooden sign was adorned with crystals, fitting the local aesthetic.

As soon as he stepped inside, a skinny young man approached with a smile. “Looking for a room, sir?”

“I’m here to see someone. His name is David,” Helag replied.

“Oh, you must be here for the guest Lady Irina arranged. He’s on the second floor. Follow me,” the young man said, leading the way.

They reached a room in the corner of the second floor, and the young man knocked on the door. A woman with a gentle face opened it.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Miss Layla, this gentleman is here to see Mr. David,” the young man explained.

Layla stepped out, looking at Helag. “Are you Mr. Helag?”

“That’s me,” Helag nodded, though he didn’t know who Layla was or why she was here.

“I was assigned by Lady Irina to ensure Mr. David’s safety. Now that you’re here, I’ll take my leave,” Layla said.

“Thank you for taking care of him, Miss Layla,” Helag said politely.

Layla smiled shyly and walked away, her high heels clicking as she descended the stairs.

After watching her leave, Helag entered the room and saw David lying on the bed.

David’s arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, and the room smelled faintly of medicinal herbs, indicating that ointments had been applied to his wounds.

Helag noticed that the bandages were neatly and carefully wrapped, showing that whoever had tended to David had been thorough.

David was asleep but stirred at the sound of Helag’s footsteps, slowly waking up.

When he saw Helag, he gave a sheepish smile and glanced around the room.

“She’s gone,” Helag said with a chuckle.

David looked disappointed. “Miss Layla left?”

“Do you want her to stay? I can ask Irina to send her back,” Helag teased, pretending to reach for his communication stone.

“No, no, no!” David stammered, suddenly flustered. If he weren’t bedridden, he would’ve jumped up.

Helag laughed and put the stone away, fully understanding the situation.

“Did you get Miss Layla’s communication stone number?” Helag asked.

David scratched his head awkwardly. “I… I didn’t have the nerve to ask.”

“I’ll ask for you,” Helag said, pulling out his communication stone and sending a message to Irina.

A moment later, Irina replied, “Oh? You’ve got your eye on Layla?”

Helag rolled his eyes and replied, “It’s not me, it’s David.”

“Who’s David?” Irina asked.

“My follower, the one you assigned Layla to take care of,” Helag explained.

“Oh, right. I didn’t really pay attention to him. Here’s Layla’s communication stone number,” Irina responded, sending the number.

Clearly, Irina hadn’t given David much thought, her focus having been on Helag the entire time.

Helag passed the number to David. “Here, add her when you’re feeling better.”

David hesitated. “I… I wouldn’t know what to say even if I added her. Maybe I shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean? Just ask her out for a meal,” Helag suggested.

“What? I… I don’t want to bother her,” David said, still nervous.

“She took care of you. It’s only polite to thank her with a meal,” Helag pointed out.

David thought about it and nodded. “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

***

Three days later, Helag and David boarded an airship back to Silvermoon City.

Although David’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, he was now able to move around on his own.

There was still no news from Irina, indicating that repairing the dimensional rift would take some time.

David had initially planned to return to the Eastern Source Trading Company and resume work after a few days.

But Helag convinced him to return to Silvermoon City and rest for a month. After all, it had been a while since David had been home.

David was reluctant at first, feeling embarrassed that he hadn’t accomplished much during his time away.

Helag simply patted him on the shoulder. “No one at home cares about that. What matters is that you’re safe.”

David nodded silently, no longer insisting on returning to the trading company.

When they arrived in Silvermoon City and returned to King Street, standing outside the familiar courtyard, David looked around at the unchanged surroundings. It was as if he had never left.

Reese, seeing that Helag had safely brought David back, breathed a sigh of relief.

Wearing an apron and holding a spatula crafted by a local blacksmith at Helag’s request, she smiled and said, “I’ll cook. You two rest.”

“You can cook now?” David asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

“I’ve learned a lot while you were away,” Reese said proudly.

That evening, the three of them ate together, just like old times.

The only difference was that this time, all the food had been prepared by Reese.

David’s room was still as it had been, unchanged since he left. He would stay there to recover.

After years of constant travel and hard work, returning home felt like a dream to David, as if everything he had experienced was just a distant memory.

***

Outside Crystal City, in the polluted zone.

At the site of the dimensional rift, Domer, Irina, Master Mort from the Wizard Array Association, and four other wizards stood in a circle.

All seven were at least second-level wizards, with Domer being a third-level wizard.

The dimensional rift had been sealed, and the black vortex was gone.

But despite the successful repair, Domer and the others remained serious.

Domer spoke in a low voice, “The rift may be closed, but I can’t shake the feeling that something has already happened.”

Domer had a nagging sense that this dimensional rift might have caused unforeseen consequences that no one could predict.