Chapter 123: The World of Astrea

In the world of Ginones, the core of power still lay with the magical academy established by the Silver Tower. Without much small talk, Landor swiftly departed after obtaining the information he sought.

In the southern town of Latore, the sole domain of the Patel family, only a few stewards and servants remained besides Josip Patel, known for selling sculptures. According to the data provided by the Toru Merchant Guild and the information Landor gathered at the academy, Josip’s mismanagement had forced the sale of the family’s last remaining estate. To make ends meet, he began selling ancestral relics, the sculpture among them.

After carefully ensuring no formidable presence lingered nearby, Landor entered Josip’s manor directly, finding him with a face heavy with worry. Employing a subtle mental probe, Landor effortlessly extracted the information he desired.

His previous intelligence held true: most of the possessions of the arcane ancestor Aral Patel had already been sold off. Josip led Landor to the storage room and displayed the remaining items. Apart from a diary and a few trinkets imbued with faint elemental power, nothing else held any real value.

Landor leafed through the diary while prompting Josip to recount the life of his arcane ancestor. From the descriptions, Landor formed a rough impression: Aral Patel hailed from a humble background, but after joining the academy, his talents blossomed. He studied diligently at the Silver Tower and cherished traveling across various worlds.

The diary chronicled much of Aral’s journeys after reaching the second stage of his cultivation, culminating in an expedition into the Black Domain. Though he returned alive, he had been cursed with a soul-burning affliction during that venture. By the time he reached the academy, his soul was nearly consumed by flames. The Silver Tower had been powerless to save him. Eventually, Aral returned to his homeland and died in despair.

The diary recorded that the strange black sculpture had been acquired during that fateful exploration.

Casting a glance at the still-dazed Josip, Landor tossed a piece of universally valuable material—precious in this world—onto the table, snatched up the diary, and left.

After a cold wind swept through, Josip suddenly jolted awake, confused about how he had ended up in the storage room. His eyes fell upon the ancestral relics and the material, and a chill ran down his spine.

…

Back at the academy, Landor headed straight to the laboratory, where he found Odo immersed in his usual reading, much to his relief. Had his mentor not returned, Landor would have initiated an emergency contact.

Because of Odo’s busy schedule, Landor rarely contacted him unless necessary, not wanting to disturb his work. Odo had once said that if anything urgent arose, Landor could reach out directly—after all, their council duties could afford some delay.

“Mentor, can you access the records of our Silver Tower arcane mages’ explorations of the Black Domain? I wish to learn more about Aral Patel’s last expedition there,” Landor said candidly, no longer holding back from Odo.

“There are records, but this is considered his private matter. Accessing them without his consent would be a violation,” Odo replied, not questioning Landor’s motive but reminding him of the rules.

“Aral Patel passed away long ago,” Landor added.

“Oh, that simplifies things. If a deceased arcane mage has no clear successor, much of their information and research becomes public. I’ll help you find what you need.”

Soon after, Odo sent Landor the final records of Aral Patel and related maps of the Black Domain to his intelligence core, “Little Grey.” Landor immediately began comparing the data with the diary’s account.

The diary noted that although Aral set out to explore the Black Domain, he encountered a rare storm that veered him off course, landing him in the fateful world where he was cursed and later died.

After a long pause, Landor exhaled and whispered a name: “Astraea.”

“Found what you were looking for?” Odo asked. “Astraea is a world within the Black Domain. Several centuries ago, Aral Patel was caught in a Black Domain storm and trapped there. At that time, the Arcane Empire’s territory was much smaller, and Astraea was a distant frontier. Now, however, Astraea lies near the empire’s border and will soon be part of its expansion.”

“The empire has basic intelligence on that world. Its primary inhabitants are called the Atrox, designated by the empire as the ‘Dead-End Clan.’ Their ordinary members resemble humans, but upon awakening, they grow twin horns and gain the power to control death.”

“This world is peculiar. The empire suspects a necromancer cult’s stronghold exists there, though evidence remains scant. I believe the cult’s presence is almost certain; the lack of proof is likely a pretense.”

“Now, all this intelligence is from the empire, unrelated to the Silver Tower. You mustn’t speak of it carelessly. Rules must be upheld.”

Landor was silent for a moment before saying, “Mentor, I want to go to Astraea.”

“Hmm,” Odo responded calmly.

“Mentor… since your devoted disciple is venturing into such a perilous region, won’t you at least lend me a handy artifact?” Landor teased.

Odo simply turned the page of his book.

Landor pouted but wasn’t truly disappointed. As he reached the door, a sharp sound sliced through the air. Turning, he caught a delicate ring thrown to him.

“I don’t know why you insist on exploring the Black Domain now, but it seems you won’t give up easily. This ring can open a teleportation portal—a rare and precious item. Outside of some extremely rare cases, using it will cost you your special world laboratory quota and saddle the Silver Tower with a hefty debt. All your current and future privileges will vanish unless you rise to Grand Arcane Mage. Think carefully.”