Chapter 1608: Observing

"But it is not something impossible to unravel."

Adrius’s words immediately lifted the heads of the other council members.

They looked at him with renewed attention as hope returned to their tired faces.

It didn’t take much to rekindle their hope under these circumstances. They had struggled with the curse for so long that even the slightest possibility of finding a solution was enough to encourage them to this degree.

"What do you mean?" one of the council members asked eagerly.

He seemed too impatient to wait for Aldric to speak first and immediately voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

He was Valerian, the same man who had supported Erebus’s decision to invade another world in search of a solution.

"This curse is far more complex than anything we’ve encountered before," Adrius explained. "However, after spending all this time fighting alongside Erend and the others, we’ve witnessed and studied many unusual things. Our encounters with creatures from other worlds have greatly expanded our knowledge and given us new ways to understand Magic."

Erend nodded in understanding. Over the years, he and the three Mages had fought countless battles against creatures and forces that didn’t belong to their worlds.

Many of those encounters had introduced them to unfamiliar phenomena that even experienced Mages struggled to comprehend.

The battles had often pushed them beyond their limits, but those hardships had also brought unexpected benefits.

Through their encounters with these unnatural creatures and anomalous forces, the Archmages had gained valuable experience and knowledge that their own worlds could never have provided.

Now, that knowledge was proving useful once again.

Erebus glanced at Erend, wondering what kind of life the Dragonborn had experienced and how many battles he had faced only to emerge victorious.

He had already known that Erend had extraordinary strength, but hearing Adrius explain how their experiences had expanded the Archmages’ understanding of Magic gave him a new perspective on the man.

His estimation of Erend rose a little higher.

"So, what can you see so far?" Aldric asked. "Believe me, we can use Magic too, and we’ve tried everything we know. Yet despite all our efforts we still haven’t found a way to dispel this curse."

"We can’t give you a definite answer yet," Adrius replied. "We need a little more time to observe it. As you can see, this isn’t a simple matter, and I hope you understand that we can’t reach a conclusion without examining it properly."

Despite their eagerness for answers, Erebus and the five council members understood that the problem wouldn’t give them a quick solution.

They had already spent a long time searching for a way to dispel the curse without success, so they knew better than to expect the three Archmages to solve everything immediately.

"I understand. In that case, we’ll leave you to your observations," Aldric said.

He and the other council members then departed, leaving Erend and the three Mages to examine the affected district. Erebus, however, remained behind with them.

"Are you staying?" Erend asked.

"I can’t allow a group of people from another world to wander around on their own," Erebus replied evenly, his expression as evenly as ever.

Erend, Adrius, Sylmira, and Lysander understood what he really meant. Erebus still didn’t trust them enough to let them investigate without supervision, so he intended to keep an eye on their activities and make sure they didn’t do anything suspicious.

None of them took offense at his decision, since they understood why the council remained cautious about outsiders who had suddenly arrived in their city.

Lysander was the only one who frowned slightly at Erebus’s words. As the youngest among them, he found the lack of trust somewhat irritating, but he kept his thoughts to himself because Adrius showed no sign of being bothered.

He had learned that when his master chose to remain silent, it was often better for him to do the same.

The three Mages then turned their attention to their surroundings. After examining the district for a moment, Adrius decided that they should split up to cover more ground, and Sylmira and Lysander readily agreed.

"Is that all right with you?" Adrius asked Erebus.

Erebus nodded. "I can watch you from above."

He spread his wings and rose into the air to gain a clear view of the district from overhead.

"I’ll go with him. Just do your best, guys," Erend said with a smile before following Erebus into the sky.

With that, the three Mages went their separate ways.

Adrius headed toward the northern side of the district, where he carefully examined the ground, the surrounding buildings, and the people hiding inside their homes.

The deeper he looked into the area, the more unsettling the situation became.

The curse wasn’t just lingering in the air or clinging to the buildings. Its presence seemed to have reached the inhabitants themselves, affecting them all in ways he couldn’t understand.

"It has seeped into all of them," Adrius muttered, his voice heavy.

Adrius continued through the district, his eyes carefully examining everything around him while his Magic senses reached deeper into his surroundings.

Something about this place felt strange, and the more he focused on the Magic energy permeating the area, the more he became convinced that there was something unusual hidden beneath the curse’s oppressive presence.

Suddenly, one of the mutated citizens charged at him with a piercing shriek.

The man rushed forward with wild movements and a distorted expression, seemingly intent on tearing him apart.

However, Adrius was already prepared for such an attack. Erend had warned him about the aggressive nature of the mutated inhabitants, so he reacted without hesitation and summoned several golden threads of Magic that swiftly wrapped around the creature’s body, restraining it in place.

Once the threat was under control, Adrius continued his examination almost without pausing, leaving the struggling creature bound behind him.

He walked a few more meters. At that moment he noticed something unexpected in the sky.

Tiny points of light appeared high above the district, blinking rapidly before vanishing as though they had never existed.

They were so small and fleeting that anyone who wasn’t paying close attention would have easily missed them, but Adrius caught the brief disturbance while his senses focused on the surrounding Magic.

He narrowed his eyes and studied the sky more carefully, trying to determine whether the strange lights were connected to the curse.

He couldn’t be certain yet, but their sudden appearance seemed too unusual to dismiss. It might be an important clue.

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