Chapter 1607: Sighs

The three Archmages were accustomed to dealing with vast amounts of Magic energy and all kinds of Magical phenomena. After all, they were Archmages who stood at the highest pinnacle of Magic mastery in their respective worlds.

They understood many aspects of Magic, from the benevolent applications to its darkest and most sinister forms.

Lysander was still somewhat behind them because he was still an apprentice to Adrius, but even he already reached a level of mastery that few Mages achieved.

However, the Magic in this place was different.

At first glance it resembled a dark curse filled with immense amounts of evil energy, the usual kind they know.

But a curse should not have been this dense. The oppressive presence felt far too substantial to be just a collection of lingering Magical power.

It was almost as though an actual body surrounded the entire city, forming a massive veil that covered everything beneath it and separated the city from the outside world.

The three Archmages exchanged glances. They didn’t need to say anything to understand that they had all sensed the same thing. The expressions on their faces were enough to tell Erend that their findings were far from reassuring.

Erend studied them for a moment before asking, "What is it? Is it really that bad?"

He looked from one Archmage to another and immediately felt a sense of foreboding. They didn’t seem particularly optimistic and their silence only made the situation feel worse.

Adrius sighed before answering. "Yes."

It was a simple answer, but Erend didn’t need to hear anything more to understand that solving this problem would not be easy. But he already expected that, hasn’t he?

Before he could ask anything else, six people approached them from the front.

One of them was Erebus, while Erend thinks that the other five as the members of the council Erebus had told him about.

During the past few days, Erend and Erebus had occasionally exchanged important information despite their limited communication.

One of the subjects they discussed was the three Archmages Erend brought with him, and Erebus had also explained about the council that governed this city.

The five council members looked like exhausted old men, Erend thought, although he couldn’t blame them for it. Anyone who spent their days trying to maintain the balance and security of a city trapped beneath such a terrible curse would probably end up looking the same.

The constant pressure of protecting its inhabitants while dealing with a threat they couldn’t fully understand must have taken a considerable toll on them.

Erend offered them a polite smile, and the three Archmages beside him did the same as the group approached.

The council members returned their greetings with tired smiling expressions, their faces carrying the weariness of people who had spent far too long struggling against a problem that refused to go.

"Welcome to our city. My name is Aldric," said the man who appeared to be the leader among them.

He didn’t extend his hand for a handshake. Erend suspected that Aldric still harbored some reservations about them as newcomers from another world, which was understandable given the circumstances.

They had only just arrived, and the council had little reason to place their trust in strangers without first seeing what they could accomplish.

"Thank you," Erend replied.

He felt slightly awkward about the exchange because he couldn’t think of any suitable pleasantries to offer. Calling the city beautiful would have felt terribly inappropriate when its inhabitants were suffering beneath a curse that had twisted so many of them into something monstrous.

"Then I think we should get straight to the point and avoid wasting any time. We know why you’ve come here, and we appreciate your willingness to help. We..." Aldric paused and released a tired sigh before continuing, "We’re already getting desperate."

Despite his weary expression, he managed another faint smile as he gestured for them to follow.

"Please, come with me."

They wasted no time on further introductions. The six visitors had come to welcome Erend and his companions, and now they led the group directly into the city.

Their destination was immediately the section where the most severely mutated citizens lived, separated from the rest of the population for their own safety and the protection of everyone outside.

As they approached the entrance, Erend once again saw the gates and pillars covered in spells that were arranged together in intricate patterns.

Adrius, Lysander, and Sylmira immediately studied the structures with furrowed brows, their gazes moving across the Magical inscriptions as they examined the way the spells connected to one another.

Erend suspected that they had already begun their investigation, observing every detail that might help them understand the curse.

The other council members watched the three Mages warily as they walked, though Aldric soon began explaining the situation.

Much of what he said was familiar to Erend because Erebus had already provided him with an account of the severely mutated citizens and the reasons they needed to remain isolated from the rest of the population.

Even so, Aldric explained the circumstances in greater detail, describing the measures the council took to keep the affected people contained and prevent the situation from endangering the entire city.

When he finally finished, Aldric turned toward the three Archmages with an expectant expression. "So, what can you tell us about what you’ve seen?"

The other council members also looked at them eagerly. Their eyes followed every movement of the Archmages as they waited for an answer, clearly hoping that these newcomers possessed the knowledge and power they desperately needed.

Adrius met Aldric’s gaze with a solemn expression. "This will not be easy."

Aldric sighed, and the other council members lowered their eyes in disappointment.

For a moment, they seemed to believe that the Archmages would offer little more help than what they already tried and failed to solve the problem.

"But," Adrius continued, prompting them to look up again, "it’s not something impossible to unravel."

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