Chapter 331-332 What Must Come Will Come

The meal was shared between Shaoke and three female spellcasters. After finishing their meal according to the ancient rites, Lan Wei'er was the first to speak. Since she still had the intelligence agents under her control, she felt it necessary to discuss the day's events with Shaoke.

"Mage Xueye, today the patrol teams hunted down and killed hundreds of troublemakers in our area, most of whom were outsiders from last year," Lan Wei'er said, then looked at Shaoke with concern. "Intelligence reports indicate that several organizations have begun to encroach on our controlled territory. If we don't fight back, I think they'll hit us with a large-scale attack soon."

Lan Wei'er's worry was not unfounded. If seven or eight large organizations simultaneously attacked Shaoke's territory, with their current strength, they would be unable to mount any effective defense. The ultimate result would be the complete eradication of Shaoke's organization.

"Today, some people came to the academy and demanded we hand over the remaining twelve mage towers; otherwise, they would punish us," Mage Roman added, taking a small sip of wine, then dropping another bombshell. "That's exactly what they said. Among them were members of the Orpheus Family and the Mage Guild." Roman gave Shaoke a strange look but said nothing more.

"I don't like the sound of that," Shaoke said, slightly rotating the silver wine goblet in his hand—a goblet he had kept since his mission in the Misty Forest. "The Death Mage Corps said they'd sort these things out for us. There's no need to worry. Remember the families and organizations that have clashed with us; I think we need to get back at them someday." He drained the red wine in one gulp and said quietly, "What I hate most now is the so-called 'punishment.'"

As Shaoke had said, that very night, the low-rank mages of the Death Mage Corps, led by some eighth-tier mages, began their actions. Their targets were all the organizations and families that had caused trouble in Shaoke's territory. Thousands of third-rank or even fourth-rank death mages, fearing nothing, engaged in a slaughter frenzy that went on all night. These death mages chopped off tens of thousands of heads and stacked them up in the central square of the Fallen Capital, right next to the manor that had just changed its city lord.

When Shaoke heard the news the next day, he just gave a helpless smile. He didn't think the Death Mage Corps was doing this for him—he figured they were establishing their authority here. After all, no organization other than the Mage Guild could dispatch dozens of eighth-tier mages and thousands of low-rank mages in a single battle. Moreover, the Death Mage Corps' retaliation did not target large organizations like the Mage Guild or the Orpheus Family.

After the bloody massacre by the Death Mage Corps, the Fallen Capital settled into another uneasy calm. But this calm was temporary, built on the Death Mage Corps' brutality, not on the strength of Shaoke's organization. Shaoke had stopped caring about his organization's growth. Any half-talented mage couldn't resist the lure of the Death Mage Corps and joined them. Given this situation, he couldn't be bothered to recruit people just to hand them over to the Death Mage Corps.

As time passed, the changes in the Fallen Capital grew more pronounced. The most notable was the construction of the massive mage tower by the Death Mage Corps. After four years of building, nearly ten thousand mages had joined the effort, and the pace was accelerating. Shaoke, though, suddenly pulled out of the construction work. He felt there was nothing left to learn there, so he'd rather go back to his academy tower and cultivate in seclusion.

Since the Fallen Capital was now fully under the control of the Blue Feather Empire, conflicts within the city decreased noticeably. At this point, the Death Mage Corps also ceased their assistance to Shaoke's territory, for various reasons we won't detail here.

Without the Death Mage Corps' support, the empire's groups started slowly nibbling away at Shaoke's territory. His weak organization controlled a full seventh of the Fallen Capital, and each day brought in a large amount of magic materials as taxes into Shaoke's pocket. This situation made even the major families envious.

The gradual encroachment by multiple organizations caused Shaoke much distress. Due to the departure of many high-rank mages from his organization, its strength had significantly declined. Shaoke could only offer passive resistance. Lan Wei'er, as Shaoke ordered, carefully noted down every family and organization that had encroached, saving the list for future payback.

One day, Shaoke was trying to inscribe the magic script he'd gotten from the Fallen Horn when the scepter in his bosom suddenly vibrated. This was the first vibration in three or four years.

"Mage Xueye, I think we should have a proper chat," said the blue-robed female mage, still wrapped in a cloak, as she spoke through the scepter's projection, her tone calm.

"Honored Mage, I'd be happy to accept your invitation," Shaoke replied respectfully, bowing slightly, then waited quietly for her to continue.

"Do you still remember the ancient ruins we explored together years ago?" the blue-robed female mage asked without excessive pleasantries, quickly getting to the point.

Shaoke nodded to indicate he did. The blue-robed female mage continued, "I would like to invite you to join me in exploring those ruins again. This time, only the two of us." She added, "The spoils will be divided as follows: two-thirds for me, one-third for you. All distribution follows the rules. If there's anything you don't like or can't use, we can trade." She then detailed the distribution rules and fell silent.

"Honored Mage, you could easily find other eighth-order beings to explore there," Shaoke said, looking puzzled. He didn't understand why the blue-robed female mage would invite a seventh-tier mage like him for a ruin exploration. It made him uneasy.

"You want me to invite those Death Mage Corps members?" The blue-robed female mage pursed her lips. "They've only been here a short time and have thoroughly searched those ruins. Remember the ignorance of the Esuoer Empire? They spent a whole year searching every area around the Fallen Capital, hoping to find similar ruins. Her eyes showed pure contempt for the Death Mage Corps.

"They've already fully explored the ruins. What could we possibly gain there?" Shaoke grew even more confused.

"Without a confinement mage's help, they can't possibly collect all the artifacts. It's simply impossible," the blue-robed female mage said, lifting her head slightly, revealing her pale face. "Besides, some things inside can't be opened just with high ranks or lots of people." She seemed to think of something and abruptly changed the subject, once again asking if Shaoke was willing to join the exploration.

After thinking for a moment, Shaoke explained his current situation, stating that he needed to stay and protect Roman and the others.

"Do you plan to spend your whole life here?" the blue-robed female mage asked in a surprised tone. "This way of collecting magic materials is too slow. Moreover, as you've seen, constructing a mage tower like the Death Mage Corps' requires an enormous project. Even if you fully controlled the Fallen Capital, it would take centuries to gather all the materials."

"Once you advance to an eighth-tier mage, you can simply plunder some mineral deposits. I believe that way, you can collect everything you need in a short time," the blue-robed female mage said, giving Shaoke a deep look. "If you have the chance to become an eighth-tier mage, I think you'll soon abandon the idea of building such a mage tower."

Shaoke didn't feel like going down that road, so he politely turned her down. The eighth-tier female mage merely shook her head helplessly and said nothing more, then cut off the communication scepter and disappeared.

After the blue-robed female mage's image vanished, Shaoke sat alone in his chair, quietly pondering her words. Although he had become a seventh-tier mage more than twenty years ago, he still didn't fully understand many things about this world. Many questions remained buried in his mind, waiting to be answered in the future.

"Mage Xueye, may I discuss a few issues with you?" Just as Shaoke was lost in thought, a rhythmic knock came at the door. He welcomed the guest and found it was Lan Wei'er, who had already advanced to the fifth tier. With the help of large amounts of high-grade potions and the most advanced meditation methods, Lan Wei'er had rapidly become a fifth-tier mage.

"What is it?" Shaoke rubbed her head as usual, then asked.

"If Mother returns to the imperial capital—I mean, back to the imperial capital of the Blue Feather Empire—will you go with her?" Lan Wei'er asked Shaoke nervously. She had noticed her mother seemed subdued lately, and after inquiring, learned that Mage Roman was about to advance to a Seventh Tier Alchemist. According to the agreement with the Blizzard Legion years ago, she had to return to the legion upon reaching the Seventh Tier.

"Of course, I'll always stay with Moxier." Shaoke looked at Lan Wei'er with some confusion, unsure why she was suddenly asking about this. "What's the matter? There's no need to beat around the bush with me." He pointed to the chair across from him, but she shook her head.

"What if that Cleric wants to come with us too? What do we do then?" Lan Wei'er's tone carried a hint of displeasure as she looked at Shaoke. Perhaps because she hadn't lived independently, she couldn't always hide her emotions well, and this was one of those times.

"Yes, if she's willing, she can certainly come back to the capital with us." Shaoke frowned. "Is Moxier about to advance to a Seventh Tier Alchemist?"

Lan Wei'er didn't try to hide anything when Shaoke guessed the truth. She detailed the information she had gathered from her mother, then added, "I don't like the Cleric. She sometimes makes Mother uncomfortable." With that, Lan Wei'er's eyes reddened, and she suddenly threw her arms around Shaoke's neck, adding, "Why do you have to be with her? I don't want you to." She couldn't hold back her tears.

Shaoke wasn't entirely unprepared for Lan Wei'er's sudden outburst, as he had long sensed her deep-seated dislike for the Cleric, though she had tried to hide it. Now, she had finally voiced her feelings. But things had already progressed to this point; he couldn't abandon the White-robed Cleric, as that would weigh on his conscience.

After comforting Lan Wei'er, Shaoke held her until she fell asleep in his arms. Shaoke then cast a sleep spell to let her rest longer, as it would benefit her health. Once done, he placed her on the bed and returned to the writing desk to continue attempting to inscribe the thirteen strange symbols on the golden horn.

The work progressed smoothly, but each character was only one-fifth complete before the crystal paper serving as the medium began to burn, causing a disturbance in his Meditation space and ruining the attempt. Yet such failures didn't deter him, as the golden horn's information indicated these thirteen characters were an even more ancient script than the Primordial Magic Script. Through the horn's influence, the mage had gradually grasped some uses of these thirteen magic scripts, but he could neither write nor speak them, which frustrated him greatly.

After an unknown amount of time, Mage Roman and the White-robed Cleric arrived together at Shaoke's room. Seeing Lan Wei'er peacefully asleep on the bed, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Mage Roman briefly checked on her, then whispered to Shaoke, complaining that he should have told them Lan Wei'er was here, so they wouldn't have to worry about searching for her.

After calming the two female spellcasters, Shaoke recounted what Lan Wei'er had said earlier, then held them both in his arms. "I won't let either of you leave me." He kissed their faces repeatedly to dispel their uneasy thoughts. "Moxier, when do you think you'll begin your advancement?"

"It won't be long." Mage Roman rested her head on Shaoke's shoulder, replying calmly. "Everyone must die; no one can resist the passage of time. We're just staying in this world a little longer." She sighed softly and fell silent.

"We'll become Legendary." Shaoke noticed the Cleric's face also bore a trace of sorrow, so he comforted them softly to lift their spirits, especially for Mage Roman, who needed to be in optimal condition for her advancement to a Seventh Tier Alchemist, to avoid failure.

"That's far too distant for us." The White-robed Cleric took a deep breath, then hugged Shaoke tightly and kissed him. "How many Seventh Tier mages remain at that rank their whole lives? How many Eighth Tier mages fail to advance before their lives end? Becoming Legendary is far too difficult." Her tone was pessimistic, and Mage Roman nodded in agreement, sharing the sentiment.

"If we always think we have no chance to become Legendary, we'll never have any opportunity to step into that realm." After a moment's thought, Shaoke added, "At least we need a goal. Only then won't we find this path tedious."

"Tedious?" Mage Roman countered with surprise. "Don't you know how comfortable the high-rank mages in the capital live? They enjoy everything available there; they never feel bored." This time, the White-robed Cleric nodded in agreement with Shaoke, then elaborated on Mage Roman's words.

"Few are as obsessed with magical training as you. Hmm, maybe only those in the Death Mage Corps act like you." She chuckled suddenly, then shared other news. "I'm about to advance to the Seventh Tier too." She tilted her head slightly, awaiting Shaoke's praise, which didn't disappoint.

After chatting a while longer with the two female spellcasters, Shaoke used a spell to wake Lan Wei'er, as it was now evening and dinner had begun. Delaying too long might interfere with the mages' later studies.

Under Lan Wei'er's puzzled gaze, the four of them had a quick dinner. Then, at Shaoke's request, Lan Wei'er pouted and returned to her room, while Shaoke and the two women retired to his quarters for rest.

After making love, Mage Roman lay lazily on the bed. "Xueye, let's give up the areas we control outside the city. We don't have enough strength to maintain their safety anymore."

"I'll only abandon these areas when we leave." Shaoke said as he unconsciously tightened his grip, causing the Cleric, who was enjoying his caresses, some pain. Fortunately, Shaoke noticed in time and eased his grip, though some bruises were unavoidable.

"The Orpheus Family has gone too far this time." The Cleric shifted slightly and recounted her encounter that day. Her story worsened Shaoke's impression of the Orpheus Family. When he was building his first laboratory, a Fifth Tier mage from the family had sabotaged it, and now in the Fallen Capital, they were clashing again.

Earlier that day, a representative of the Orpheus Family in the area had approached the Cleric, demanding she cede half the mage tower for the family's use and half the control of the academy. The Cleric argued with the representative, and they nearly came to blows if not for their mutual caution. Even so, the representative issued an ultimatum before leaving: if the Cleric didn't comply within the set time, war would follow.

"How long did the Orpheus Family give us?" Shaoke took a deep breath and asked for the specific time to prepare for what lay ahead.

"Just three days." The Cleric shifted again. "Maybe we should do as they say. We can't fight the Orpheus Family; their power is too great." She closed her eyes, enjoying Shaoke's touch.

"We'll find a way to solve this." Shaoke offered vague reassurance, then put on his robe and began meditating. He was eager to advance to an Eighth Tier mage, which would let him act without restraint. More importantly, he wouldn't be looked down upon.

Three days passed quickly. Just as Shaoke was resting in his room in the mage tower, the tower's Alert Ward suddenly activated, and the White-robed Cleric's image appeared on the wall. "Xueye, the Orpheus Family has surrounded our tower. They've already injured several young mages." She cut off the magical communication and activated all the tower's Defensive Spells.

"Who are you people? Leave here immediately! Why are you harming these mages? Who gave you the authority?" Shaoke quickly descended to the first floor via a magic item. The large hall, usually filled with the academy instructors and low-rank mages who had left but stayed in the Fallen Capital, now held only a few injured Third Tier mages groaning on the floor and a handful of other low-rank mages. From their insignias, Shaoke identified the intruders as mages and other professionals from the Orpheus Family.

"Are you the Ruler here?" A middle-aged mage at the front scrutinized Shaoke. "Just a few low-rank mages. Losing them won't cost you much, will it?" He smirked and glanced sideways at Shaoke.