Chapter 1326: Maya’s Mission

The scene he witnessed was simply hard to believe...

The Chaos Sovereign had effortlessly slaughtered dozens of Chaos Arts Practitioners before consuming every inhabitant of Blackthorn. It had then annihilated a force composed of Arcanists from three different factions, including a Grand Arcanist.

The creature hadn’t even appeared to struggle.

If the Chaos Sovereign possessed such overwhelming power while recovering from a prolonged absence, nobody could say how dangerous it would become once it regained its former strength.

"Do you think the Grand Arcanist managed to send a distress signal before he died?" the second Holy Knight asked.

The Masked Archon operative shook his head.

"I cannot say for certain. The Chaos Sovereign’s power interfered with the surrounding space, and I couldn’t detect any clear transmission. Even if a signal was sent, I doubt it contained enough information to explain what happened here."

The Holy Knight frowned.

"Then the other factions might not realize what they’re dealing with until it’s too late."

"That is precisely why we cannot afford to delay our report."

The operative paused before continuing.

"Fortunately, Lady Maya warned us in advance. Otherwise, we might have entered Blackthorn alongside those Arcanists and suffered the same fate."

The two Holy Knights exchanged a glance.

They had initially been skeptical when the Church of the Lord of the Secrets requested their cooperation. Although Maya’s warning had been taken seriously, neither church had expected to encounter an existence capable of annihilating an entire town and overwhelming a Grand Arcanist with such ease.

Now, however, they understood why the matter had been treated as an emergency.

"Lady Maya is still within your church, correct?" one of them asked.

"Yes. She is currently staying at the Holy Land of the Church of the Lord of the Secrets while we investigate the information she provided."

The operative’s expression remained hidden behind his mask, but his tone grew more serious.

"She is the Chaos Alchemist and one of the successors of a Paragon. Her knowledge of Chaos-related matters is far beyond that of ordinary investigators..."

He had personally participated in the arrangements for this mission. The Masked Archons had supplied intelligence and covert support, while the Church of the Fortune Goddess had dispatched the two Holy Knights to assist with the investigation.

Their objective had initially been to verify Maya’s warning and determine whether an entity associated with Chaos had truly appeared in the region.

They had never expected to witness the destruction of Blackthorn firsthand.

"At least the blessing of your Goddess has kept us concealed," the first Holy Knight remarked. "Otherwise, that creature might have noticed us."

The operative nodded.

Indeed, the blessing of the Goddess of Concealment hid their presence and movements. It had also helped them remain undetected while observing the battle.

However, they wouldn’t dare assume that the Chaos Sovereign was incapable of seeing through it. They had to maintain a distance to ensure that they remained unseen.

Well, the blessing had concealed them from the creature’s perception so far, but they had no way of knowing whether it had truly failed to notice them or had simply chosen to ignore their presence.

After witnessing what the Chaos Sovereign had done, the operative wasn’t willing to take that risk.

"We’ve seen enough," he said. "We need to return and report everything we witnessed. The churches must be informed immediately."

"And what about Blackthorn?" the second Holy Knight asked. "Should we investigate the ruins after the creature leaves?"

"No."

The operative answered without hesitation.

"We have neither the authority nor the strength to confront that being. There might be some other entity hiding there... Also, if it remains in the area, approaching the town would be little more than suicide. Our priority is to deliver this information to our superiors and let them decide how to proceed."

Neither knight objected.

They had witnessed the deaths of First-Class Arcanists and a Grand Arcanist in a matter of moments. Even if they possessed powerful divine blessings, there was no guarantee that those blessings would protect them against the Chaos Sovereign.

The three figures began retreating from the cliff, carefully keeping their distance from Blackthorn.

Before leaving, the Masked Archon operative glanced back one last time.

The Chaos Sovereign was still standing among the ruins, its dark silhouette barely visible through the lingering fog.

For a fleeting moment, the operative felt as though the creature had turned its attention toward his hiding place.

He immediately stopped moving.

The two Holy Knights noticed his reaction and froze as well.

For several agonizing seconds, none of them dared to move.

Then the Chaos Sovereign turned away, seemingly losing interest in its surroundings.

The operative silently exhaled.

’Was that a coincidence, or did it actually sense us?’

He had no intention of finding out.

With the blessing of the Goddess of Concealment still protecting their retreat, the three observers disappeared into the forest.

Their mission had changed completely.

They were no longer investigating a possible supernatural disturbance. They had confirmed the return of an existence capable of threatening the entire continent.

And now, the churches needed to know.

The Chaos Sovereign had returned, and Blackthorn was only the beginning.

***

Inside the Holy Land of the Church of the Lord of the Secrets, Maya was overseeing the completion of another batch of Philosopher’s Elixir.

The spacious alchemy chamber was filled with the faint fragrance of medicinal herbs and the subtle fluctuations of concentrated mana. At its center stood a massive cauldron, its surface covered in intricate alchemical runes...

Within it, the remaining liquid glowed with molten gold as the final stage of the refining process came to an end.

Maya stood beside the cauldron, her long blonde hair cascading down her back.

Despite having spent hours refining the elixir, she showed no signs of fatigue.

Her skin remained smooth, and her beautiful features made her appear to be younger than her real age...

She was the Chaos Alchemist, a title that carried considerable weight among those who understood the mysteries of alchemy. As one of the successors of a Paragon, her knowledge and accomplishments far surpassed those of ordinary Alchemists.

Even the Philosopher’s Elixir, a potion that countless Alchemists could only dream of producing, was something she could refine with a sufficient supply of materials and a properly prepared cauldron.

"Carefully transfer the remaining elixir into the bottles. Make sure none of it spills, and inspect each bottle before sealing it," Maya instructed as she knew that her task was done for the day...

"Yes, Lady Maya!"

Her assistants immediately set to work.

Then, as she thought of leaving the laboratory, she noticed the presence of one of the Masked Archons rushing to her location...

"They’re already back?"