Chapter 52
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Even while hiding inside the Amethyst Band, Linda could still feel the violent tremors from the outside world. The shockwaves reached into the ring and affected her as well.
Emmett quickly pulled himself free from the stone, steadying the Dream–Weaver Fens
The old man entered the space, and only then did he notice the Lucent Mere.
“You really managed to claim the Dream–Weaver Fens?” the old than blurted out.
Linda said calmly, “I thought you would have figured it out when you heard Emmett speaking up.”
The old man took a deep breath, then chuckled. “Guess I do have an eye for talent. Looks like I made the right call this time.”
Linda frowned. “So, this is the first time anyone’s ever stepped foot inside Cloudveil Cave, isn’t it?”
The old man stayed silent.
Linda pressed, “Did you even have a choice?”
The old man remained silent.
Linda scoffed.
The old man wiped his face, not bothering to argue. He knew Linda was giving him attitude, and he understood exactly what she was hinting at.
He’d used the legacy memories to infuse his experiences into her mind.
He had to admit that it wasn’t the most honorable thing he’d ever done.
But the old man also knew that if he hadn’t done it, Linda never would have agreed to receive the legacy.
In theory, the old man could have chosen someone else.
After all, anyone who got the chance to hear the insights of a mage in the Zenith Magnitude Phase would want it, no matter what strings it might be attached to.
But the old man couldn’t trust someone like that.
Linda’s refusal was exactly the answer he was looking for.
It was precisely because she didn’t want it, that he became determined to make her want it.
Suddenly, the Veil started spinning out of control, and a wave of intense vertigo slammed into everything inside the Amethyst Band.
It was like something outside was gripping the ring and refusing to let go.
Emmett yelled, “Something out there is draining all the mana. I can’t hold it together much longer.”
Linda asked, “Can I see what’s happening outside?”
Emmett replied, “I’ll open a water mirror for you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a water mirror opened up in front of them.
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Linda watched as the passageway crumbled, and at its end, a massive vortex spun into existence. The whirlpool kept growing, swallowing up the dust that the Amethyst Band had turned into.
It even dragged in the Star Maze Enchantment Linda had set up, along with the nearby stone chambers.
The whirlpool’s reach just kept spreading wider.
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As the suction intensified, Linda spotted Laura, Craig, and the rest of their group at the entrance of the Hermit’s Sanctum, struggling to fight against the pull.
But the force of the collapsing space was simply overwhelming.
In the end, all three of them were swept right in.
Matthew and the others were dragged in right along with them.
Linda’s eyes narrowed in alarm.
She didn’t have a second to spare to help them because Emmett was shouting, “I can’t hold it together anymore. Grab onto something.”
In the blink of an eye, everything inside the Amethyst Band flipped upside down.
Linda felt like she was being tossed around in a giant hamster ball, but she managed to latch onto the Alchemical Arbor and keep herself from being thrown around.
Emmett perched on a branch with an apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m just not strong enough yet.”
Emmett might be a companion spirit, but he was only born after Dream Weaver passed on.
For a companion spirit, he was still just in his infancy.
Linda glanced at the mess around her. “Will things get any better if I step outside?”
Emmett nodded, then hesitated. “If you do, you’ll have to face all the pressure out there on your own.”
Linda said, “I’m going out.”
Without hesitation, Linda slipped out of the Amethyst Band.
The ring settled back onto her hand. Emmett called out to her, “Be careful out there.”
Linda said, “Yeah.”
Linda didn’t resist as the force yanked her into the heart of the vortex. The swirling darkness swallowed everything, but she surrendered herself to the pull, letting it take her wherever it led
The dark corridor was swallowed by silence.
There was not a single soul in sight.
Even Laura, Craig, and the others who had been there just moments ago were nowhere to be found now.
Linda stayed perfectly still, taking in the silence around her.
Then, a sharp clang echoed through the darkness.
It was the unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed. “Charge!”
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Chapter 52
Linda’s eyes snapped open, locking onto the scene ahead.
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A lavish estate was festooned with decorations for a celebration, but a mob of mages, their auras brimming with murderous intent, stormed straight through the gates.
A person said, “Kill the demon spawn and save the world.
“The Gonzales family is hiding the demon spawn. They must be wiped out.”
The mages flooded into the manor, cutting down anyone in their path. If not for their traditional mage robes, it was possible to think that they were demons.
The scene shifted. The manor was plunged into darkness. Every candle was snuffed out.
A three–year–old boy crawled out from the well, lost and bewildered as he gazed at the bodies strewn across the floor.
He wandered forward, calling for his family. But no one could answer him anymore.
The front door creaked open. The boy trembled, but he didn’t run or hide. He just stood there, rooted to the spot, staring blankly ahead.
From this angle, it was impossible to see who stood outside the door.
But Linda heard someone speak.
“This is just too much.” Someone let out a quiet sigh, and a swirl of smoke whisked the boy away.
When the memory flickered back, it was still that same place on the top of a mountain, with nothing but ruins after the
massacre.
“The First Unity Coven is sheltering the demon spawn. Are they picking a fight with every righteous organization out there?” someone shouted.
“Light and darkness can’t mix. If the First Unity Coven wants to shield that freak, then they can all go down together.” another voice roared.
The mountain was swallowed by blazing wildfire.
From deep within the mountains, a boy’s anguished scream echoed, “Come at me. If you want blood, take mine.”
Old men in their mage robes stood firm, their faces kind and filled with compassion as they looked upon the masses, embracing death with serene acceptance.
The boy wailed, “Come back!”
An old man spoke softly, “This world is far too cruel for a kid like you to shoulder alone.”
“Mentor!” the boy cried out.
The old man said, “Well, you never wanted to call me that before but now you finally did. Just for that, kid, I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got.”
But the scene shifted once more.
Two people were digging up corpses on the mountainside. The sound of someone wailing in despair made Linda’s blood run cold. It was Rafael.
Rafael cried out, “Everyone!”
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Chapter 52
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Rafael’s sobs were torn apart by grief, but another boy stood firm his face set in stone. He said quietly. “TII make them pay. We’ll make them pay!”
The scene shifted again. Linda found herself watching the great war between immortals and demons from her previous life.
In the midst of the demon horde, there was a man who, with a casual wave of his hand, snuffed out tens of thousands of
mages.
That was the Warlock of the Void.
He looked exactly like Claudio Gonzales.
She saw herself on the outskirts of the crowd, run through by seven swords, held by Coleman and the others.
Her eyes blazed crimson. She was filled with killing intention.
But just then, the Trial of Conscience trembled in her grasp, sending a chill of sword mana surging through Linda’s mind, jolting her awake.
Her eyes snapped open, cold and piercing, slicing straight through the illusion like an arrow.
The vision shattered, breaking apart before her eyes.
Linda found herself face to face with the figure standing at the heart of the dreamscape.
A young man stood quietly, dressed in blue. The deadly pressure he’d wielded in the illusion was gone. At that moment, his eyes held only a quiet calm as he looked at Linda.
His voice was cold as ice. “How did you get into my dream?”
Linda’s face turned ghostly pale as she locked eyes with Claudio. Staring at him, she thought to herself, ‘Was my previous life really nothing but a dream?‘
‘No, it wasn’t.‘
She walked up to Claudio, meeting his gaze head–on.
“Who are you?” she asked quietly.
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