Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

“On behalf of the Royal Family?”

Old Gayle’s expression shifted at Stephen’s words, suspicion creeping into his heart.

Not long ago, when tensions between Sirius Academy and Lioncrest Academy escalated, it had been the former King—Emperor Denken—who personally stepped forward to mediate.

At the time, he made it clear that the Kingdom would stand firmly behind Sirius Academy.

And now, here was the Kingdom—once again—sending someone from Lioncrest to issue an official command?

What exactly were they playing at?

As Gayle’s face grew increasingly grim, Stephen offered a calm, mocking chuckle.

“Don’t be so tense. The Kingdom has no intention of getting involved in our little academy grudge match,” he said. “I’m truly here today for something else.”

With that, Stephen reached into his robe and pulled out a rolled-up scroll.

He handed it to Gayle with practiced ease.

Gayle’s sharp eyes never left Stephen, scanning every movement for the slightest hint of treachery. Slowly and carefully, he unfurled the map.

But instead of alarm, his expression shifted into confusion.

“This is… a map of the Kent Kingdom. What are you showing me this for?”

Stephen didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he tapped a spot on the map—an area marked by three jagged mountain ridges forming a loose triangle.

“Do you know what lies here?”

Gayle narrowed his eyes, trying to recall.

“Hmm… I believe that’s the Jadewind Range, isn’t it? Somewhere deep in Kent’s borders.”

Stephen nodded.

“Correct. It was Jadewind Range. But it’s not the forgotten, barren wasteland it used to be. According to reports from the Kingdom’s spies stationed in Kent, something… significant has been discovered.”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.

“An abandoned micro world, left behind by none other than Jacob.”

The name struck Gayle like lightning.

His face stiffened with shock. “Jacob? You mean the Jacob—the legendary prodigy of Kent, once the youngest and most gifted Legendary mage in the world?!”

Stephen’s smirk widened. “Who else could I mean?”

“Come now, old man. You know as well as I do: a micro world left behind by a genius of that caliber is bound to be overflowing with spell scrolls, arcane relics, magical tools—priceless resources for any mage.”

“But just like we do here in Charlie, Kent Kingdom has made its rules clear: entry into this newly-discovered micro world is open to the public. However, only mages who are under thirty and at or above the tier-silver level are eligible to enter.”

Stephen looked at Gayle meaningfully.

“So—how about it? Since your little Sirius students are so powerful, why not take part in the expedition? Naturally, I’m extending this invitation on behalf of the Royal Family—don’t get the wrong idea.”

Gayle’s face darkened, his jaw clenched.

“Stephen,” he snapped, “don’t think for a second that you can pressure me with the Royal Family’s name!”

“Even if my students could take on ten of yours blindfolded, we’re not so brainless that we’d blindly march into some foreign death trap just because you say so.”

“You can tell whoever sent you this: no matter what the reason, no one from Sirius Academy is stepping a foot outside the capital. Not unless every last one of you Lioncrest bastards is dead. Then maybe—just maybe—I’ll consider it.”

Stephen let out a chilling chuckle.

“No need to be so hasty.”

Without warning, dozens of miniature mana-forged stars materialized behind him, blazing with energy.

They surged toward Gayle like a celestial barrage.

But Gayle had sensed this coming.

He instantly countered with a vast surge of mana, launching a retaliatory wave that clashed mid-air with Stephen’s attack.

BOOM!

A low, thunderous shockwave of mana rippled across Sirius Academy.

Alan and the other students, having returned to their quarters, immediately felt the eerie tremor. Instincts sharpened, they all rushed toward the academy gates.

What they saw was a scene straight from a nightmare.

Old Gayle and Stephen floated in mid-air, mana flaring violently around them.

But what truly caught everyone’s attention was the girl suspended behind Stephen.

She was tightly bound by layers upon layers of thick mana chains, her face contorted in pain.

Standing next to her, shrouded in a white cloak, was a mysterious woman whose features remained hidden.

Gayle’s eyes went wide in fury the moment he spotted the bound girl.

“You bastard!” he roared. “A duel’s a duel. Why the hell are you dragging an innocent girl into this?! What kind of filth is Lioncrest breeding these days?! Cowards who only know how to bully the weak?!”

Stephen’s smile turned twisted and cruel.

“Don’t be so emotional. This is just a necessary tactic to achieve my goal. After all… isn’t that girl the most precious person in Alan’s heart?”

As he spoke, he gestured for the white-robed woman to step forward.

Then, in a voice dripping with malice, he said,

“Tell your precious student Alan this: if he wants his dear sister to live, he must participate in the micro world expedition. Otherwise…”

“Let him prepare her funeral.”

With that, Stephen raised his hand. A glowing teleportation array took shape in front of him, and he began to activate it, preparing to leave with the hostages.

But before he could escape, a flash of light shot upward from the ground—

A light sword, blazing with radiant mana, pierced into the heart of the array, disrupting its energy flow.

The teleportation halted instantly.

Then came a deafening shout.

“YOU BASTARD! LET GO OF MY SISTER!”

Alan surged into the sky like a storm, wielding Lumen Sancta in hand, his entire body radiating righteous fury.

He charged straight at Stephen.

Stephen didn’t flinch.

Instead, he altered the mana pattern of the teleportation array, converting it into a gravitational formation.

In an instant, the previously jammed light sword was pulled by a sudden magnetic force—

And with terrifying velocity, it spun around and shot back—straight at Alan!

Alan was caught off guard by the reversal.

The attack was too sudden, too cunning.

But Gayle was faster.

He dashed forward, shoved Alan aside with one hand, and caught the flying sword barehanded with the other.

With a thunderous crack, he crushed it—reducing the weapon into its raw elemental particles.

Alan scrambled to his feet, rage and anguish painted across his face.

He tried to lunge again, but Gayle blocked his path.

“Don’t be reckless! You can’t defeat him yet!” the headmaster barked.

Tears streamed from Alan’s eyes. His voice was raw and desperate.

“I don’t care! That’s my sister! MY sister! If anything happens to her, I’d rather die right here!”

Gayle’s face fell dark, his expression filled with wrath.

He turned his gaze to Stephen, then to the veiled woman beside him.

And he hissed,

“You despicable monster. You even called in a Legendary mage just to capture a child?”

“All just to force Alan into this trap? Are you even human anymore?!”

Stephen sneered.

“Human? Construct? What difference does it make?”

“I’ll use whatever means I have to achieve my goals. Morality? Ethics? Loyalty? They mean nothing to me.”

He stepped forward boldly, voice rising.

“Still don’t get it, Gayle?”

“It was precisely because of your pathetic adherence to ‘virtue’ that Sirius lost Robert back then!”

Gayle’s teeth clenched in rage.

“Don’t you dare bring him up! I’ll never regret what I did!”

“But you—if you so much as harm a single hair on that girl’s head, I swear I’ll bury all of Lioncrest Academy along with her!”

Stephen’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t back down.

“I’d like to see you try. Take even one step toward me, and I’ll end her life this instant. Do you believe me?”