Myths Reawakened

“Out. There’s nothing for you to do here.”

Bishop Sean dismissed the guard with a wave. The guard left submissively with his eyes lowered.

Wayne gripped his gun. The atmosphere in the dim prison suddenly grew tense.

Bishop Sean chuckled and said slowly, “It was quite a surprise that you thought to come save me and succeed in infiltrating the place.”

Wayne frowned, looking in amazement as the bishop pulled off his hood and revealed his forehead... There was a mushroom there, with a red cap and a white stem.

What kind of magic is this? Do followers of Nature have a grudge against mushrooms?

He swallowed his comments and put two and two together. Isabella had infiltrated the cave system and assumed control over Bishop Sean, one of the four Bishops. His master was right. Isabella was lying low for a chance to make a fatal strike.

He pursed his lips, feeling somewhat conflicted. Although it was good that Isabella was safe, and he could lie down in peace while she took care of everything, he felt hollow. He would be a damn fool if he ever went against his conscience to save someone and actively put himself in danger again.

Bishop Sean continued, “You’ve come at just the right time. I was trying to make contact with you. Come with me. I have something to give you.”

“What about them?” Wayne asked, pointing to the prisoners. The dozen or so unlucky souls would be sacrificed tonight. Since he was already here, he might as well save them.

He hadn’t gotten out of his way to save them, so it didn’t count as violating the resolution he just made.

“I’ll arrange for you to leave with them shortly.”

Sean led Wayne out of the prison, through the underground plaza, and into his private office. As soon as the door closed, the Bishop froze like a disconnected robot, and Isabella emerged from the inner room, saying coldly, “You shouldn’t have come.”

But I’m already here!

“High Reverend told me that you’re cautious by nature. I hope today was only an exception. Please continue to exercise caution. Being easily intimidated isn’t shameful. The timid mages are the ones who get to enjoy a long life.” Isabella spoke at length with an impassive face.

She was grateful that Wayne had risked his life to come rescue her. Regardless of whether he had succeeded or if it was necessary, she was warmed by the attempt. And the High Reverend had not misjudged. Her apprentice was willing to make a sacrifice for a noble cause, proving his character. He would make a worthy disciple of Nature.

She took out a file folder, entrusting Wayne to get it out of Enrod. The documents inside were encrypted and could only be opened by a follower of Nature with power exceeding hers.

Since she infiltrated the Geocentrism Sect five days ago, she had learned of a great deal of the sect’s secrets through Bishop Sean and her investigation. A great threat was brewing. The intelligence had to be brought to Londan.

Wayne looked troubled. The task was simple, and he would happily get away from danger. However, he couldn’t leave with his master’s magic grounding him to the fifty-mile radius of the manor. He couldn’t make it to Londan.

Isabella fell silent after his explanation. She didn’t challenge the High Reverend’s power by attempting to undo the magic. It would be a waste of energy. She knew when something could not be done.

“Give the documents to someone you trust most and have them make the delivery.”

In all of Enrod, Wayne was the only one Isabella trusted. His being Silvia’s apprentice alone was enough for her to trust him without reservation. She was willing to trust someone he trusted.

Wayne nodded. The image of Veryl’s monocle flashed through his mind. Without a doubt, the butler was the most trustworthy person around him. But first, he needed to confirm something: would people fall under the control of the Underground King after eating its eggs?

He explained his concerns. In addition to the butler and maids, he had very likely eaten the free eggs. It would be a potential risk.

“Did you eat raw eggs?”

“Cooked ones. Fried eggs.”

“Then you’ll be fine.”

“Goddess blesses me, that’s the best news I’ve heard today...” He sighed in relief before asking curiously, “What is the Underground King anyway? Is it a magical creature cultivated by the Geocentrism Sect, or a pet of the Lord of the Void?”

“Neither. The Underground King isn’t a life form from the Chosen Land, but the Astral Plane, also known as the Void World or the Greater Universe. It’s both a forbidden zone for life and an ocean of truth. Some mad mages wander within, along with magical life forms and familiars created by gods. But these are all outsiders. The Astral Plane’s natives are called Astral Beasts.”

“Astral Beasts come in various bizarre forms, with strange appearances and abilities beyond human imagination. The magical world hasn’t made a complete catalog of them. It’s unknown how many species exist, why they exist, and who created them.”

“We only know that any life staying in the Astral Plane for an extended period will be found and devoured by Astral Beasts.”

“The only commonality the Astral Beasts shared was their massive size. The Underground King, for example, is what we call a Blue Spine Parasite. It has a great reproductive capacity, and the incomplete form summoned by the Geocentrism Sect isn’t even one thousandth of the whole creature...”

She briefly explained what the Underground King was, broadening Wayne’s horizon. Then she said, “Processed Blue Spine Parasite’s eggs can be consumed as food, but if raw eggs sense their mother’s call, they’ll hatch in an instant and enter the nearest life form as a host.”

“So the mother worm is going to call their children tonight to parasitize the entire town?” Wayne asked with widened eyes.

“It’s only part of the Geocentrism Sect’s plan. After parasitizing the entire town, Archbishop Ivor will complete the sacrificial ritual, summoning a complete Blue Spine Parasite, using it to spread its eggs throughout the entire continent.”

What, they wanna distribute free eggs worldwide?

Wayne was shocked. With the answers came more questions. “What’s the Geocentrism Sect going to all this trouble for? To please the Lord of the Void and thereby gain their power?”

“No, the Lord of the Void isn’t a god. He’s a legendary mage who has lost his sanity. All his actions may serve a purpose, or they may be nothing but his whims.”

Isabella dropped a bombshell casually. “Mages who lose their sanity become puppets of desires, legendary mages being no exception. The statue in the center of the courtyard is made after the legendary mage’s visage. His body and mind have both been corrupted by desire. It’s hard to call him human anymore.”

Wayne wasn’t sure he fully understood, but he understood enough to ask the key question, “Is the legendary mage in Enrod?”

Isabella shook her head. “He’s gone mad. The flame of his life may extinguish at any moment like a candle in the wind.”

Once they lost their sanity, legendary mages would instinctively leave the Chosen Land to roam the greater universe of the Astral Plane. They would gain knowledge they most craved while accelerating their demise.

According to her speculation, Archbishop Ivor had obtained the statue somewhere and gained great power from it. With his mind contaminated, he fabricated the lies about the underground world and single-handedly established the current Geocentrism Sect.

She had dealt with similar cases where some poor souls thought they had received divine protection and thus got lost in their sudden power, foolishly believing in their invincibility. The result was predictable: they followed their mad faith and ultimately became mad themselves, until their emotions quieted in death.

“Take those prisoners and leave. Hide in a safe place and don’t enter the town until the sun comes out. Things will be chaotic tonight. After I complete my mission, I’ll find you after dawn.”

Sis, that’s equivalent to ‘after this battle, I’m going home to get married.’ Don’t set up a death flag!

Wayne’s eyes twitched, already picturing Isabella’s funeral with lanterns being released in tribute. He hurriedly offered a reverse jinx for her longevity, “Hypothetically speaking, what if you fail to complete your mission and don’t come to me after dawn?”

Isabella met his gaze and said icily, “I’ll find you in a different form!”

...Please don’t.