Chapter 171: Pursuit

After Aibus, this was Vilyric’s second time arriving in another new world. However, this time, unlike the previous one, she had teleported in as her true self.

Rather than rushing ahead, Vilyric first tried to turn around and take a few steps back, quickly bumping into an invisible barrier that felt like an air wall but was clearly impassable. This was evidently the so-called world barrier.

She was currently positioned at the very edge of the Illusion Realm.

“The Door to the Illusion Realm… Min Chen must be on the other side of the door, right? Pfft… Step aside, I’m about to show off! Hahahahaha! No, I’m dying from laughter, hahahaha!!”

Cough cough! Now was not the time to mock others; I needed to quickly assess the situation.

The Door to the Illusion Realm was not easy to open. The passage on Spirit Butterfly Peak allowed entry to the intertwined 【Holy Land】 of the Illusion Realm, but it was a closed one-way street—enter only, no exit.

Of course, nothing is absolute. If one possessed certain powerful space-related treasures, or if Tiyelu, the manager of the Holy Land, was willing, it should still be operable, just like over three hundred years ago when she opened the door for several explorers.

It was because she had this backing that Vilyric dared to come here boldly.

Having experienced the painful events recorded in that notebook, along with the warning sent by Xi Fu Lin not long ago, Vilyric wasn’t foolish enough to act recklessly. She didn’t immediately deploy a large-scale scan like Aibus had done previously; instead, she limited her range to a certain area to better grasp her surroundings.

Nothing at all.

Within a few kilometers, there were no living beings, nor any signs of Sylvester. As for that mountain that was probably the 【Holy Land】…

It was completely sealed off. Unlike the mist on Spirit Butterfly Peak that caused interference, this was entirely locked down, forming a barrier similar to those world barriers, preventing both entry and exit, and not even spiritual energy could penetrate inside.

“Well… this really is just as Tiyelu described.”

That explained why Min Chen had lost contact.

The power of strong beings within the Illusion Realm was fearsome. It was said there were many even beyond Tiyelu, but for some reason, they usually stuck to their own territories, avoiding interference with the Holy Land.

However, recently, especially after Noviya, the Source of Magic, went missing, some powerful entities had become restless, frequently appearing near the Holy Land that guarded the gateways between the Illusion Realm and the real world, launching attacks.

At first, Tiyelu could handle it easily, but as more monsters gathered and their strength grew, even the Holy Ancestor began to struggle under the unrelenting assault, and reluctantly had to choose to seal off the Holy Land to fend off the enemies.

The closure of the Holy Land was a world-level power. No matter how strong the monsters in the Illusion Realm were, they couldn’t break it. But as a cost, Tiyelu herself would also be temporarily sealed inside.

In the past millennia, similar rampages by Illusion Realm creatures had been resolved this way by Tiyelu.

But this time, it was clearly different.

Noviya’s disappearance alerted the Holy Ancestor to some unusual signs. While investigating outside, she had discovered several clues, so during this forced self-sealing, without a flexible grip on the outside situation…

Miss Butterfly thought of asking Vilyric for help.

With the ability of 【Spirit Seeking】 aiding her, she was well aware that the Priestess was neither a planner nor a participant in a series of conspiracies; she was fundamentally good-natured and possessed a rather mysterious and powerful ability, making cooperation a distinct possibility.

Thus, “Lulu” ultimately came knocking, just as she said—she and Tiyelu were two separate individuals—accurately speaking, with the Holy Land sealed, the Holy Ancestor unable to interfere with the outside world, she was just an ordinary Spirit Butterfly possessing Tiyelu’s memories and some powers.

This was one of Tiyelu’s backup plans.

As for the reasons and situations inside and out, at least the part that Lulu knew, she had already explained clearly to the Priestess, so Vilyric felt no surprise.

Since the seal of the Holy Land hadn’t been broken and Sylvester was not here, there remained but one explanation.

He really was aiming for “that thing,” just as Tiyelu had feared most.

Everything was calculated—from directing the Ghost Thieves to kidnap Noviya to even earlier preparations; this guy had been planning all along. Even forcing Tiyelu into self-sealing was likely part of his plan, just so that this Holy Ancestor wouldn’t interfere. Heh…

Sylvester Burwell, he wanted to become—God.

…

“Swish~”

The space rippled like water as two figures suddenly appeared in a hellish dark red world.

All around them was a tempest of violent fire elements that almost seemed to be exploding continuously, with rolling magma occasionally surging from the ground, generating alarming heat waves. Even the large rocks beneath their feet were transformed into a bizarre crimson by the intense heat. There was no doubt about it; this was a desperate death zone forbidden to the living.

And as they stepped out into this place, the two were protected by a layer of gossamer-like pale blue shell, seeming unaffected by the surrounding hundreds or even thousands of degrees of heat.

“Well, it seems this is the fire element domain recorded, where the pioneers once tread. So this is what it looks like. Over three hundred years later, the spatial anchor points they left behind still actually work. They truly deserve their reputation as great figures who created such a glorious history. Heh…”

With a somewhat disdainful chuckle, Sylvester casually tossed the silver-grey item in his hand into the magma, which was immediately swallowed by the swirling flames and vanished without a trace.

“Are you okay, Aileen? Though we have the 【Water Blue Cloak】 protecting us, the environment here is indeed too harsh for you. If you feel uncomfortable, you must tell me immediately.”

Hearing this, the gray-haired girl beside him smiled and shook her head, but her eyes couldn’t hide the heat and marvel.

“I’m fine, it’s just so amazing… Even though I’ve seen related records in literature, seeing it in person is truly a different feeling. It’s a pity this method of traversal can only be used this once; any more and we’d be leaving.”

“One time is enough. Let’s go, even though I don’t know what kind of backup Tiyelu left us, she must never have imagined we would use the spatial shuttle set up by the predecessors to instantly traverse tens of thousands of kilometers and directly arrive at the depths of the Illusion Realm. Even if pursuers arrive, we will have enough time to finish everything.”

A fleeting moment of excitement flashed in Aileen’s eyes, but it quickly turned into a sense of loss.

“Siehl, after this, the world will be destroyed… right?”

Observing the surroundings while answering, Sylvester did not turn his head.

“That is certain. The Illusion Realm itself is a fissure world created by the powers of the God of Magic, which was supposed to collapse after the fall of the God of Magic; it’s only because the magical beasts didn’t want to part with this blessing that they forcefully maintained the situation. As long as we succeed, this place will undoubtedly cease to exist.”

“Alright, let’s hurry, the energy of 【Water Blue Cloak】 is limited; we need to leave this place quickly. Before officially starting, we must first meet Him, after all… it is, in a way, a temporary cooperative relationship.”

   

---