"Winston? Why is he calling?" Andrew frowned and turned to Raziel.
While this fellow no longer had a brain, the latter was still a Supre-rank powerhouse with imnse ntal ability after all. Perhaps enough to comprehend information that wasn't surface level.
Raziel adjusted his gold-rimd glasses. "Let's hear what he has to say."
Andrew picked up the communications device and asked knowingly, "Oh~ It's Division Chief Winston. You don't sound too good, and why are you using soone else's communications device? Did sothing happen?"
While speaking, he glanced at the massive crater in the distance that was enveloped in a massive cloud of dust.
Although Secret Rite Tower had quickly set up a temporary third layer barrier to block out the vision and thoughts of ordinary folk, soone of Andrew's ability and level could still see it clearly.
From his point of view, the entire 67th Avenue was in ruins, devoid of any signs of life.
It was plain that Winston had been seriously hurt at the frontlines...
Winston's voice was still ragged and wavering. "Enough of this useless chatter… The Truth Union hasn't sent any reinforcents to the battlefield at all. Are you all trying to cut off all ties with Secret Rite Tower?"
Andrew could hear the hidden anxiety in Winston's voice and smiled calmly. "Has the battle between Joseph and Wilde been over? Personnel dispatched by us are just to clean up the battlefield. Does it matter if they are early or late? As for cutting ties… This isn't sothing for you to decide, Winston. If it really does happen, who do you think would end up worse off?"
After falling silent for a mont, Winston said, "Joseph will win... Boss Lin said so himself."
Andrew was surprised before he heard Winston continue. "You heard correctly. I can tell you that Secret Rite Tower sent personnel to find out about Boss Lin's thoughts regarding this battle, and I was the person in charge for this mission."
Andrew instinctively turned toward Raziel, who lifted up his glasses and nodded. "He's not lying."
"Hahaha..." Andrew broke into laughter. "So, this is how Secret Rite Tower treats a loyal knight. How laughable. How do you reckon Joseph would think if he knew he was being used as a disposable tool?"
Winston replied coldly, "I don't know what he would think, but he must win. If he dies due to the Truth Union's inaction, do you think you can escape responsibility?"
"Whoa," Andrew scoffed. "He's a part of Secret Rite Tower. What does it have to do with if you people don't save him?"
Winston snorted. "Originally, nothing. But I guess I've gotten you involved now... How do you think Boss Lin would think if he knows that you were aware of this but refused to send anyone to find Joseph?"
“…”
Even if he really disliked Joseph, a fellow who wasn't purely devoted to Boss Lin, perhaps it was precisely this that Boss Lin was rather passionate about changing him.
In other words, if the bookstore owner could turn Joseph from being a noble, righteous, selfless knight and finally bow down to beco a devout believer, it would indeed be worthy of killing ti.
This was probably sothing that would bring joy to him. And for an existence like Boss Lin, finding joy was probably the most important thing in his life.
Perhaps this was Boss Lin's sadistic hobby?
Alright… Though he really disliked Joseph, as a follower and believer of the Lord, anything that could make the Lord happy was Andrew's first priority.
He let out a sigh and said slowly, "Fine. I'll send soone to search the battlefield. But it would only be limited to just a search."
On the other end, Winston seed to heave a sigh of relief. After what seed like a long pause, he gave an awkward thanks and hung up the communications device.
Andrew glanced at the communications device in his hand and imagined the image of the burly armored knight, Winston. Goosebumps ford all over his body and he switched off the communications device in disgust.
"Secret Rite Tower is quite bold to even willingly give up a Supre-rank seed. But based on my current sense, even if Joseph is truly alive, I'm afraid things would develop as they think," comnted Raziel.
Andrew nodded and activated his communications device again.
He didn't care if Joseph could really survive, but that old knight's life was, to a certain extent, related to Boss Lin's inclinations. Andrew couldn't be as perfunctory as before and had to send forth soone reliable.
He scrolled through his address book—
Prima Sandra.
This young lady was the new Head of dicine that Andrew had personally promoted. She had replaced her older sister, who had just been recently sent out from here and was temporarily in a vegetative state. At the sa ti, she had been blessed by the bookstore owner as well.
In terms of ability, or status, this was entirely foolproof.
He imdiately dialed the number.
Prima was in the laboratory, busy making adjustnts to her elixirs.
She was deeply engrossed and was biting the tip of her pen as she tried her best to calculate the ratio formula and the possible consequences of adopting the special characteristics of the ingredients. Her expression was one of extre focus.
The laboratory, located near the surface, had the highest level of clearance. No one except Prima herself, Andrew, and Hood were allowed to enter and disturb her.
Fluctuations from the battlefield many miles away didn’t catch her attention, nor did the several underground and ear-piercing alarms that were closer. It was only when the loud and shrill ringtone sounded from the communications device did she manage to peel herself away from her elixirs.
—Having witnessed what Prima was like in her laboratory for the first ti, Andrew had forced the young lady to set this ringtone on her communications device to allow her to break free from her experints when she was deeply engrossed.
"Ah!" Prima looked up with a start, dropping the pen in her hand from fright as she fumbled to connect the call.
She was rather anxious upon realizing it was a call from her superior and she stamred hurriedly, "Vi-Vice-Chairman!"
It's Chairman! Andrew grumpily corrected in his heart. Nevermind... Now isn't the ti to harp on it.
Andrew quickly said, "Pick a few doctors and apothecaries from amongst your subordinates. I will also assign so combatants to you. Lead them to the battleground on 67th Avenue and search for survivors. Take note that the Law of 'Eventuality' scattered from the death of a Supre-rank covers that place. Equip protective gear and take safeguard asures."
While it was said to be a search for survivors, in truth, no ordinary transcendent being could have survived being in the middle of the battlefield.
But for the sake of Secret Rite Tower's face, he absolutely couldn't say that it was just to find Joseph.
Alright! Prima thought to herself as she nodded vigorously.
T-This is probably my first assignnt since taking up the post, right?
Then, as she recalled that Andrew had asked everyone to pay attention to A16 Manor, a strange hunch stirred within her. "Is this mission related to Boss Lin?" she asked cautiously.
Andrew's reply was succinct. "Yes. So you have to do your best, understand?"
Prima's heart skipped a beat, and she turned to look at the book that Boss Lin had given her—Primordial To of Potions.
Boss Lin had once said that the study of dicine was to create one's own value!
She took a few deep breaths to adjust her ntal state… This isn't just my first mission as Head of dicine but one related to my savior, the great existence, Mr. Lin. That ans to say, it's ti to prove my worth to Boss Lin!
"I'll give my all!" said Prima as she pumped herself up.
On the other end, a question had popped up in Andrew's mind after he ended the call.
Co to think of it, though the Lord personally judged it to be Joseph's victory, is Wilde, that conniving black magician that terrifies so many, really dead?
Raziel suddenly answered, "Dead."
Andrew turned around, only to hear Raziel add on, "But not dead."
“…”
Andrew had a complex look on his face at this mont. Gazing through the hole in Raziel's head, he really wondered what exactly was going through the latter's mind.
Raziel, however, wasn't bothered by Andrew's nacing gaze. He just looked toward the horizon and muttered, "Augustus...
"The Giant King that even the Path of Flaming Sword couldn't make bow down. Yet now you are finally forced to answer the calling of fate and step into the vortex of strife. It's probably only a matter of ti before you walk down from the throne, right?"
Andrew couldn't understand these murmurings, but at this mont, when he looked into Raziel’s eyes, he didn't seem like a praise bot whose head had been hollowed out but the true 'Ethereal Wisdom' that had created the entirety of Norzin.
When death approached…
Wilde fell on his back. A sensation of being burned alive by a raging inferno engulfed his body. Such pain almost exceeded his limits until he began to forget this pain.
While resisting Joseph's final attack, his physical body had disintegrated bit by bit, and at this point, it was nearly completely gone.
The black magician had tried to sacrifice himself to Boss Lin once more at this mont, trying to use this move to escape one more ti. However, he suddenly recalled the last ti he had done this.
Boss Lin's response to him sacrificing his own life was… rejection!
That's right. Only by refusing would the sacrificed life be separated from samsara and resurrected in the human world.
At the sa ti, this ant that Boss Lin had rejected Wilde's act of sacrificing himself, which was, in a sense, refusing Wilde to be a subject of his divine kingdom. It ant that there was a problem with Wilde's loyalty!
"My…my loyalty…How is that possible…"
Wilde's eyes widened, and he suddenly lost his voice.
Indeed, there was an aspect where he hadn't been sufficiently loyal and could in fact be considered an extrely blasphemous act.
And that was, he had sacrificed himself because he wanted Boss Lin to reject him and use this to defeat Joseph.
In this world, how could there be a devout believer that is unwilling to enter the realm of their god and even actively wish to be rejected by their Lord? More so to use this in a bid to fulfill a personal wish?
Oh god, what have I done?!
Wilde belatedly realized why Boss Lin had been on Joseph's side in this battle.
No! Could it be... I wanted… I still wished… No… Could this be Boss Lin's treatnt of …
Wilde struggled internally. Pain and extre regret washed over him as he reached out, hoping to hold onto sothing.
But he no longer had any hands.
In more scientific terms, he was vaporizing. The process ought to be an extrely painful one, but as even his senses disappeared, the pain was irrelevant.
In the final fra of his fading vision, he saw Joseph fall to the ground as well.
The old knight's body was also in tatters, his eyes filled with unwillingness and anger, yet bright like the gleam of a sword in sunlight. Unfortunately, Wilde's vision quickly dimd, and he only saw half of his opponent's body turn into ashes.
Oh well... Is this... my eventuality?
Wilde was powerless to change anything. Though extrely unwilling, he gradually let go and sank into the suffocating darkness of death. His vision was pitch-black, and all that surrounded him was silence...
Suddenly—
"Wilde."
A familiar voice pierced through the nothingness of death and entered his ears as if were an illusion.
"My disciple."
The voice was clearer now. This voice, as if passing through layers of dreams, crossing over mountains and seas, directly entered Wilde's ears.
It was intimate and all so familiar.
Wilde's eyes jerked wide open. Darkness surrounded him. It was pitch-black in all directions, making it impossible for him to get his bearings.
Wilde couldn't feel his limbs nor any sensation in his hands and feet. It even made him wonder if he truly existed.
Only a circle of ancient characters that seed to be casually written floated around him, blocking the surrounding darkness.
"T-Teacher...?"
Wilde, or what little thought that was left, could barely recognize who was calling him…
'Ancient King of Sacred Sound,' 'Black Emperor,' 'Dragon Linguist,' 'Last Descendant of Giants'... All sorts of titles given to this great transcendent being. He was a living history book as well as the black magician Wilde's teacher—Augustus.
"Teacher..." Wilde was suddenly at a loss when he spotted a green dot of light glowing in the distance that was gradually increasing in brightness. Without even thinking, Wilde ran in that direction. After what seed like an eternity, he arrived and grabbed the latter in this endless dream.
Flap, flap, flap—
The small pair of wings on this letter imdiately retracted, as if it were a docile ssenger pigeon.
This thod of sending ssages… It's indeed Teacher!
As soon as Wilde had this thought, the wings disappeared and the letter lay quietly in his hand—Wilde couldn't be sure if it was his hand.
On top of the letter was a golden jewel in the shape of a scarab.
This is… the ring that Teacher wore?
Before Wilde was able to react, he was sucked into the eyes of the golden beetle as Augustus' voice still echoed in his ears...
"Godspeed, my final disciple."
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