Chapter 141: The Increasingly Apparent Divide

Although I could immediately discern various details from the sketch due to my familiarity, Miss Vilyric still pretended to examine it for a long time before handing it back to Min Chen, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, but the details are too vague for an accurate judgment. To be honest, I’ve seen quite a few armored warriors in this world; this alone doesn’t tell me much.”

This was indeed true. Just like how Lucas is also a Guardian of Heaven, his armor style and weaponry, even his appearance, are entirely different from other guardians. Even if standing in front of Min Chen, one might not guess they were summoned by the same skill.

After nodding regretfully, Min Chen put the sketch and pen back into the ring-shaped storage item.

“That’s true. It’s been quite a while; my memory is a bit fuzzy too. I can remember those I’ve seen in person easily, but for a summon I’ve barely encountered, it’s hard to recall clearly. It would’ve been nice to see the actual thing; unfortunately, Mofuman…”

Seeing Min Chen’s expression, Miss Vilyric understood it wasn’t the right time to ask about what happened to “Mofuman,” so she deliberately changed the topic.

“By the way, I am also a Priestess and have some common companions from that world. I wonder how independent this Miss Mofuman’s summon can act?”

“Independent action?”

At this, Min Chen couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

“What does Miss Vilyric think summoning magic is? Except for those who are contracted beforehand, aren’t summons usually just puppets made from magic? Even understanding and executing the master’s commands is quite a task; how can we expect independent action?”

“Oh, really? Then…”

Forcing the word “pet,” which almost slipped out, down her throat, Miss Vilyric ultimately restrained the impulse.

Continuing would seem a bit too deliberate.

To be honest, even though she was mostly sure Min Chen was a traveler and a player, the feeling he gave off was far too different from the illusion of being a Priestess.

He didn’t use a player’s spatial bag but wore storage items like a native creature of this world, didn’t recognize the artifact 【Feather Cloak of Glaria】, and most importantly… it seemed from his words that Min Chen and his companions’ summons hadn’t gained true life here like Little Dragon Daughter or Lucas?

Even the 7th-tier Light Element Spirit that Miss Vilyric summoned casually, which was merely used as a scout and cannon fodder in the game, acquired a considerable degree of intelligence upon arriving in this world and could communicate and complete complex instructions to a certain extent—like the one previously sent to protect Tilysha. Yet, Min Chen said…

Something felt off… there must be some problem.

“Then… let’s talk about the 【Phantom Realm】 and issues related to the Source of Magic first.”

Indeed, priorities matter. While information about travelers is important, it isn’t urgent at the moment. Considering Min Chen’s many oddities, Miss Vilyric decided to spend some time observing before discussing more.

Thus, it was better to focus on the main issue concerning the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, as this was one of the primary reasons for her visit.

Upon hearing this, the Gatekeeper Min Chen exchanged a glance with Vanessa, the clan leader of Moonshadow, and nodded slightly. Min Chen then gestured towards Barta Lingmu sitting on the other side, and this treant mage responded with a simple “Yes,” standing up and walking out the door.

From the sound of footsteps, she probably positioned herself at the door, keeping watch. It seemed they were about to discuss something very important to both the Moonshadow Clan and the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons.

After arranging for his apprentice, Min Chen took out an item from his ring and placed it on the table. An invisible magic began to radiate from it, forming something akin to a barrier.

“What?”

Surprised, Miss Vilyric stared at the small female statue that was neither gold nor jade, eyes closed, in a double-handed embrace pose, taking a few more glances. She felt a stirring in her heart but maintained her composure outwardly.

She actually recognized this item—this was a classic piece of equipment from the 【Phantom World】. Its appearance and the effect felt exactly as she remembered; in fact, she had an identical one in her backpack.

Spirit Artifact — 【Statue of the Silent Mother】

As described by its name, this equipment could automatically seal off the paths for various information, including sound, from spreading outside within a certain range and had good resistance against most detection skills. Though it was of lower quality, it was easy to obtain and versatile; many players carried it for emergencies.

Min Chen was now at level 80, which was indeed the stage for utilizing spirit artifacts and holy weapons. After all, even if he had a semi-artifact, he couldn’t use it; you needed at least level 81 for that.

Speaking of which… had he just so happened to hit that level? Could it be that players also face limitations in this world… no, that didn’t make sense since Miss Vilyric herself had clearly been copied over at level 110 from the game.

…What’s going on?

Of course, no one could discern the Priestess’s inner thoughts. After making all these preparations, Min Chen finally smiled and explained to her.

“Sorry for the wait. The content we’re discussing is quite confidential, and it has been said that there are some shady characters planning something, so we’ve taken extra precautions. Now, let’s begin.”

“I’m not sure how much Tiyelu has told you, so I’ll start from the beginning. First, it’s about Noviya Moonshadow and the connection to the 【Source of Magic】. Before explaining this, I need to start with what the 【Source of Magic】 is…”

…

The secret conversation among the three continued for quite some time, and by the time Miss Vilyric emerged, the sky had entirely darkened.

Afterward, Vanessa, concerned about Noviya’s situation, intended to check on her personally and temporarily bid farewell to the Priestess, while Gatekeeper Min Chen accompanied his disciple Barta, heading straight to the banquet hall with Miss Vilyric, looking for the other companions who had separated earlier.

“Hmm? Looks like it’s going to rain again…”

Stepping out the door and standing on the high slope where she had previously overlooked the square and temple, the black-haired girl gazed at the sky. She noticed the clouds that had barely dispersed were once again piling up thickly, making the air feel oppressive and heavy. Though the heavy rain hadn’t actually started, it seemed only a matter of time.

“Yes, the weather here is quite strange.”

A handsome young man in plain clothes approached Miss Vilyric’s side, his clear yet weathered black eyes also gazing at the cloud-covered night sky. His gray short hair swayed slightly in the murky wind, wearing a smile.

“The Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons is a place where magic converges. The weather here is often influenced by the flow of magic in the earth and air, so having such strange, persistent rain…”

“Seems like something interesting is about to happen.”

   

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