NOVPUBAfter a heartfelt farewell to Rosalinda and Aitio, Lanci and Tata left the magnificent office.
"Tata, change back to your original form."
Lanci said to Talia beside him.
Earlier this afternoon, Talia had been taking the Platinum Level Card Maker exam; once she was recalled, Lanci could slowly recover his mana.
Talia glanced at him but did not speak.
Still, she vanished on the spot, merging into Lanci’s Soul Space.
She felt that this guy seemed to really start treating her as if she was one of his Magic Cards.
After rounding a staircase corner, Lanci was left alone.
He walked along the corridor, with walls on both sides lined with murals of the Lost Empire and ancient plaster niches that stretched for tens of meters; his footsteps were swallowed by the thick carpet, leaving the hallway eerily silent.
"I’m going to rest now, call me if you need anything."
The thought from Talia came.
"Alright, alright, go and rest."
Lanci replied in his mind.
Talia had just had a feast, finishing a whole box of coconut pastries, and now it was time for her to sleep.
"..."
Talia was about to say something but then hesitated.
After hearing what Cat Boss had said, she was somewhat undecided about whether scolding Lanci was a punishment or reward for him.
Though she felt suffocated not teasing Lanci a bit, nonetheless, she decided to try changing her strategy first and see how it went.
Occasionally, the clamor of distant tourists could be heard.
As he reached the end of the path, the thick walnut doors flung open to both sides, revealing a straight staircase that led to the outside of the gallery.
Lanci, now in his guise with brown hair and green eyes, descended the staircase, where the lights of the dim night grew brighter, finally reaching the outdoor plaza of the Sacred Silvervine Coliseum.
He looked around and quickly spotted a figure in black standing there in the square.
The person was dressed in a properly tailored black suit and draped in a lightweight coat. Under the neatly trimmed dark brown hair, the facial features were sharp and the jawline resolute.
He stood slightly to the side, one hand tucked into the pocket of his coat, the other holding a straight-handled black umbrella.
Today’s executioner, Nigel, wasn’t wearing his military uniform but was dressed even more appropriately, as if ready to attend a formal banquet.
Seeing Lanci approaching, he nodded slightly in acknowledgement.
"Where’s Tata?"
Nigel knew that Tata had been in the Sacred Silvervine Coliseum just before.
In the blink of an eye, only Lanci was left, and now he had once again assumed the appearance of Rocky.
"She’s nearby, just invisible to us. She will appear if there’s danger."
Lanci came to stand next to Nigel and answered.
"That’s good."
Nigel was certain of Tata’s strength.
Now he was even starting to suspect that Lanci and Tata might actually be one person; they seemed like two bodies with one soul, or one body with two souls.
"Tonight could be a bit unpredictable; could I entrust you to keep this for the night?"
After a moment’s thought, he handed a Crystal Key pendant to Lanci.
"No problem."
Lanci, holding the Crystal Key, muttered to himself.
He could feel that it was a key-type Magic Device mechanism, able to lock or unlock something, but even as a Magic Artisan, he couldn’t immediately decipher its specific purpose.
Since Nigel didn’t elaborate further on what the key was for, he didn’t want to pry; probably Nigel thought it would be safer to leave it with him, allowing Nigel to fight without reservations if the unpredictable arose.
"That Curse Spreader you mentioned last time, have you encountered him again these past days?"
As the two set off towards the north, into Poson’s Demon World, Lanci asked Nigel.
A few days after the second round of the Platinum Level test, when Nigel had found him and Tata, they had only speculated that the Curse Spreader was likely to act tonight, but seeing Nigel’s solemn expression now, it seemed he was no longer sure of victory.
"There have been more comrades killed in Poson’s Demon World; he is very strong, extremely adept at curses and disguise, and that deep blue flame is quite dangerous. Once tainted by it, the accompanying curse is very hard to cleanse." 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
Nigel found it difficult to assess the Curse Spreader’s true strength.
Catching his whereabouts was very challenging because he could disguise himself as anyone: human or demon race, man or woman, old or young, all were possibilities. Only when he took action could one discern his unique magic power.
Each pursuit was accompanied by a great loss.
But the culprit seemed to be mocking them, his taunting gaze as if telling them that a formal confrontation was imminent.
"Do you have any reference point? Like, who do you feel is stronger, him or your mentor?"
Lanci watched Nigel’s clenched fist, feeling the rage Nigel harbored against the Curse Spreader.
"He gives off a sense of pressure that’s quite comparable to my teacher’s... Maybe my teacher could handle him, or let’s say, if even my teacher can’t handle him, then he really has nothing to fear in Poson’s Demon World."
Nigel pondered for a moment and replied.
"How strong are the Lords of Poson’s Demon World?"
For now, Lanci had only met the Lords of the 7th and 9th districts, Astrophel and Aitio.
But regarding Nigel’s mentor, the 10th district Lord Perlman, Lanci had absolutely no idea.
"I’m not sure how exactly to describe or compare their strengths, as I hadn’t reached Seventh-order when I trained with my teacher, and he felt like a deity to me. No matter how many of me there were, it was impossible to contend with him. Moreover, it has been a long time since I have ventured into the depths of Poson’s Demon World. I am only confident that my teacher is strongest, followed by Aitio, then the Lords of the 7th and 8th districts."
Nigel shook his head as he spoke.
