Saul followed behind the group of blindfolded people, all the way into the depths of the forested mountains.
After several twists and turns, a wizard apprentice appeared ahead.
He stepped forward to inspect the state of the seven people, then led them into a mountain cave.
Inside the cave were two wizards, who, upon seeing them, ordered the group to step into small earthen pits, each about half a ter deep.
Saul remained just outside the cave, his figure hidden behind a rock.
His ntal power far exceeded that of anyone inside. They couldn’t detect his presence at all.
However, the warding formation at the cave entrance prevented Saul from entering directly.
Peering in, he saw that the legs of the seven blindfolded people had already been buried in soil. The other wizards stood far away from them.
After a few minutes, one of the blindfolded individuals began showing signs of pain on his face. Gradually, the rest of them also started to contort in agony.
But it only lasted for a few dozen seconds before the pain disappeared from all their faces, replaced once again by numb expressions.
Saul’s gaze moved from their faces to their soil-covered legs.
“Ants in the soil… They want the ants to crawl into their bodies, bite from the inside, and leave behind formic acid. Then, from the bodies of these ordinary people, they extract the needed material to make Soul-Reading Candles.”
“They're extracting the formic acid here without much concealnt. Which ans this extraction step isn't the important one. What really matters is how they re-extract the non-toxic formic acid from the human body and refine it into candles that can activate the ntal realm.”
That second extraction thod surely belonged to the Grand Shaman.
Saul wasn’t planning to take the risk of stealing it.
He wasn’t yet at the point of needing drugs to activate his brain for studying.
The ones who truly needed Soul-Reading Candles were often wizards and apprentices stuck at a bottleneck, who had been unable to advance for a long ti and were starting to suffer backlash from accumulated knowledge.
Most of the wizards at the Pandeting he visited earlier were probably in that very situation.
At this point, the wizards inside the cave began speaking softly.
"Why are there so few ants today?"
"Maybe they’re just not that hungry recently."
"Oh, co on. The Grand Shaman only lets us build seven at nests each ti precisely to stop the ants from hauling away too much food at once."
Their voices quickly fell quiet again.
Since Saul didn’t get any more information, he simply left.
“Could that Old Witch really have mistaken the hunchback termites for quicksand termites? Her brain may not work well, but her eyes should be fine…” Saul muttered with so frustration.
If there were no quicksand termites here, not only had he co for nothing, but he’d also lost track of any other leads on them.
If he really couldn’t find quicksand termites, he’d have to look for so alternatives.
But those alternatives were either dangerous or even rarer—none easy to obtain.
Saul wandered into the ancient woods, debating whether to continue searching nearby or head back.
Suddenly, his coat pocket vibrated.
Reaching inside, Saul's brows furrowed deeply.
He felt the candle that Kist had placed in his pocket.
But there was sothing else—a piece of paper!
Saul was sure he hadn’t put any paper in there.
He pulled his hand out, fingertips pinching a scrap of paper.
One sentence was written on it:
“The golden page is with . Fourth row, house number four.”
“That bastard…” Saul took a deep breath. Kist had definitely done this on purpose.
The importance of a golden page needed no explanation. Even if Kist was playing gas, Saul had no choice but to go and see.
He picked up his pace and quickly reached the forest’s edge.
And there, he ran into that boy again.
The boy was hiding behind a tree, hesitating as he looked toward the settlent.
“If you go back, both you and your father are as good as dead.”
The boy jumped in fright at Saul’s voice.
But seeing it was him, he let out a breath of relief.
“Sir, I wasn’t planning to go back. I just… can’t stop worrying about my father and younger brother. Leaving like this, I might never see them again. Besides, I’ve been in that settlent with my father since I was little. I’ve never left before. I don’t even know where to go.”
Saul raised a hand and pointed in a direction. “Go that way. Walk for two days and you’ll reach another settlent. Though, that might just be another cage.”
Saul didn’t know how these ordinary people ended up in the Borderland.
Maybe the wizards here just needed so humans to handle the most basic labor.
“Sir, could I know your na?” The boy’s eyes were full of gratitude.
But Saul ignored him.
He walked past the boy, out of the forest, and before nightfall, re-entered the settlent.
The pot-plant old man recognized Saul.
After all, there weren’t many wizards who could get Kist to personally make introductions.
He let Saul through without question.
Saul didn’t ask the pot plant old man for directions. Instead, he casually stopped a regular resident in the settlent.
The mont these people saw Saul’s robes, they eagerly pointed the way for him—so even wanted to personally escort him there, though Saul declined.
Before long, he arrived at Room 4 of Row 4.
The door swung open with a light push, as if the absent-minded owner had just stepped out monts ago.
The room wasn’t large. Upon entering, Saul imdiately saw a note pinned to the opposite wall.
Only four words were written on it:
Be right back.
Saul’s expression changed. He instantly turned to leave.
But the mont he stepped one foot outside the room, a scream tore through the street.
The dusky sky above changed color in an instant.
Saul walked onto the street and looked up—above the settlent’s walls, a massive green, arching barrier had appeared.
So quick-reacting wizards imdiately cast Flight and soared into the sky.
But before they could get close, a burst of green mist shot violently from the barrier—blasting one wizard square in the face.
The wizard shrieked and plumted back to the ground.
Before anyone could make sense of what was happening, a deafening boom rang out.
The sound was so loud that it echoed even within the green barrier.
Saul flew to a rooftop. Only then did he see it—Pandeting, the place he had just visited, had completely collapsed!
“What happened at Pandeting?”
That was the question on everyone’s mind.
Several wizards imdiately took to low-altitude flight, weaving beneath the looming green do as they rushed toward the fallen building.
But Saul’s first reaction was to sprint toward the settlent gate.
Now he understood what “Be right back” really ant.
Kist was trying to create a golden page right here!
But golden pages were incredibly complex in origin. Could a small settlent like this really birth one?
As he ran, Saul’s mind raced.
Though the enemy hadn’t yet shown themselves, Saul had full faith in Kist’s knack for stirring up chaos.
Just then, a strange buzzing sound began behind him—
“Bzzzzzz…”
It wasn’t loud, but it echoed throughout the entire settlent.
Saul turned back, and to his astonishnt, saw a giant white termite hovering in the air! Two pairs of wings flapped behind it, so fast they left only afterimages.
The termite was at least five ters long, its massive mandibles gleaming with a chilling light even from afar—looking sharp enough to sever a man in half at a glance.
Looking closer, Saul noticed that soone was riding the termite!
A dark-skinned man sat at the joint behind the ant’s head, cradling sothing in his arms.
Saul squinted, narrowing his eyes to make out the details in the distance.
And what the man held—
Was the severed head of that large-bellied woman Saul had t before: Dolly.
(End of Chapter)
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