A deafening explosion echoed through the quiet night, spreading outward like a shockwave that disturbed the still air. Dust rose in towering plumes hundreds of meters away, illuminated faintly by the moonlight. Magus stood calmly atop a low hill, one hand gently stroking the small cat perched on his shoulder. His expression remained composed, patient—he had long grown accustomed to such scenes.
Moments later, furious shouts and terrified screams erupted from the direction of the manor. Even from this distance, Magus could vividly imagine what was happening. Startled by the explosion, the Starfire Church members would have rushed to the entrance, only to find empty surroundings. Then, without warning, the Hidden Dragon's invisible, blood-soaked assault would have descended on them, leaving them in panicked confusion.
Unless a Priest of Great Knight-level or higher intervened, ordinary Starfire Cultists were helpless prey. Against the Hidden Dragon—a creature capable of shifting between tangible and intangible states—they were nothing more than lambs waiting for slaughter. Most of them wouldn't even realize what killed them until their final breath faded into the night.
The violent clash lasted four or five minutes before the air stilled again. Then, in a sudden burst, the unseen Hidden Dragon darted out of the manor and sprinted into the distance, its movements swift and ghostlike. Behind it, three figures shot out in pursuit.
One of them radiated a terrifying pressure, his straight-line sprint even faster than the Hidden Dragon's.
"High-level Great Knight," Magus murmured. "Most likely the Priest who oversees this stronghold."
The other two weren't weak either. They also possessed the aura of Great Knights—likely additional Priests stationed here.
According to what Magus knew, the Starfire Church stronghold in Stone Bell City was commanded by one Priest, supported by eight sub-priests. Two had died in Blackstone City, and another two perished during the previous night's battle. That meant only two sub-priests should still be alive within the manor.
"Meow… will Little Hidden be okay?" Amy asked anxiously, her tail curling. At some point, she had begun calling the Hidden Dragon by this affectionate nickname.
"Don't worry," Magus said reassuringly. "It will be fine."
Hidden Dragon's ability to alternate between physical and incorporeal forms granted it unmatched mobility in urban environments. If it focused purely on escape, even a high-level Great Knight wouldn't be able to catch it. At best, they'd be led around in circles, growing farther and farther away from the manor.
After waiting for a sufficient interval—long enough for the pursuing trio to be thoroughly lured away—Magus finally moved. He stepped out from behind the low hill and strode toward the manor.
Stealth had never been his strength. He lacked the appropriate spells and magical equipment required for true concealment. But in truth, he didn't need stealth. The remaining defenders posed no real threat to him now. The optimal approach was simple: eliminate anyone who blocked his path and locate the objective of this mission.
Within the manor courtyard, the scene was one of chaos. Cultists were rushing about, tending to the wounded or searching for explanations for the sudden attack. When they noticed a man and a small cat boldly walking straight toward them, their minds froze in disbelief.
One cultist recovered first, eyes widening as he raised his weapon. "What are you—"
Crack!
A lightning bolt flashed across the courtyard, turning the man into ash before he could finish speaking.
More lightning burst forth, followed by tongues of blazing flame. Energy particles swirled violently as Magus unleashed one spell after another. The courtyard became an inferno of crackling thunder and burning heat.
None of the present cultists were Great Knights. Ordinary followers were no match for Magus at this point. He swept through them effortlessly, reducing every attacker to either charred remains or smoking craters in the ground.
"Where are the things you're looking for?" Magus asked, turning to the small cat sitting proudly on his shoulder.
Amy stretched her neck, sniffing lightly. Her ears twitched as she sensed something unseen. Then she raised a paw and pointed toward the front-left area of the manor. "That direction! The energy particles there feel really, really dense!"
Magus didn't waste time. He dashed toward the indicated area. Cultists continued to leap out from various corners, drawn by the commotion, but none delayed him for even a heartbeat. He dispatched each of them with effortless strokes of lightning, fire, or pure compressed energy.
The manor wasn't large. In less than five minutes, Magus reached the location Amy had identified.
A tightly sealed iron door blocked the entrance.
Magus flicked his hand, releasing a splash of corrosive acid. The metal hissed violently as a large hole melted away. He stooped down, slipped through the opening, and descended the stairs beyond.
A spacious underground chamber awaited him.
Night-glowing pearls were embedded in the ceiling, casting soft white light across the room. It was as bright as daytime. Rows of wooden shelves filled the space, each holding an assortment of items.
Books—dozens of them—occupied two entire shelves. Other shelves displayed jewelry like rings, necklaces, and bracelets. Still more held cloaks, swords, daggers, and miscellaneous magical trinkets.
Magus's eyes sparkled. He stepped toward the shelf of books, his gaze sweeping across the spines.
Magic Philosophy
Planar Biology
Burning Hand
Magic Alarm
Magic Missile
Ray of Enfeeblement
Fundamentals of Magical Item Creation
Compendium of Low-Level Magic Items
Design and Manufacture of Mana Crystal Forging Furnace
Magic Crest Core
A treasure trove.
Seven or eight of the books were First-Circle spell model texts, and one of them was even a Second-Circle spell model. Many of the remaining books contained advanced, practical knowledge.
"Fundamentals of Magical Item Creation" would significantly accelerate his progress in artifact crafting.
"Compendium of Low-Level Magic Items" provided blueprints and structural insights for future creations.
And the "Mana Crystal Forging Furnace" design was priceless. His current furnace in Blackstone City was merely a basic model; constructing a more advanced one would drastically reduce the cost of refining Black Rock Leopards and allow him to produce higher-tier puppets.
But one title puzzled him.
"Magic Crest Core… I've never heard of this." Magus frowned. "Is it some sort of rare magical item?"
Now wasn't the time to investigate. He swept all the books, jewelry, equipment, and miscellaneous items into the Rubik's Cube storage space without hesitation.
After a moment's thought, he also pried the night-glowing pearls from the ceiling and stored them away. Then he turned to Amy.
"Are all your master's belongings here?"
Amy nodded eagerly. "All here!"
"Good. Then let's go find the godblood amber next."
"No problem, meow! The godblood amber is that way." Amy pointed to the right.
Magus paused, staring at her with genuine surprise.
"You can sense the godblood amber's location?"
"Of course," Amy replied as if it were obvious. "I memorized its energy fluctuation. There's no mistake."
Magus fell silent, speechless.
Until now, he had believed Amy could only detect the density of nearby energy particles. But apparently, she could sense something far more fundamental: the unique fluctuation signature of high-energy objects.
The difference was enormous.
Energy density could be detected by any sufficiently skilled wizard apprentice—or anyone with the right spells. But energy fluctuations, especially unique signatures, were vastly more precise.
This ability wasn't detection… it was treasure hunting.
With Amy, Magus would be able to track down magical relics, hidden treasures, and even ancient wizard inheritances far more easily. His gaze unconsciously shifted, regarding Amy less as a simple companion and more like an invaluable artifact.
Amy, oblivious to his thoughts, wriggled excitedly. Recovering her master's possessions had clearly lifted her spirits, and she urged Magus to hurry toward the godblood amber.
Magus composed himself, then headed toward the exit of the basement. He ducked through the hole in the iron door—
But the instant he stepped through, cold steel flashed toward him from both sides.
Two sharp longswords thrust out simultaneously, one aiming at his neck, the other at his heart.
If you want, I can continue rewriting the next chapters the same way.
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