Chapter 470: Can’t Come Back for Now? Then You Should Have Said So, I Would Have Just Attacked

Elemental Master Nieren couldn’t figure out what to make of the slightly odd-looking man before him.

The Profound Mechanism Wind King had told him through the wind that this person would be his most powerful ally.

Yet, in the Elemental Master’s eyes, the man had no fluctuations of Magic Power, nor even a hint of wind’s aura.

’His physique might be decent, but to a Mage, a brute like him is utterly worthless.’

’He could think of countless ways to create distance and use Elemental Magic to obliterate the man.’

However, he didn’t show any disrespect or voice his doubts. Instead, he warmly ushered the man into his tent and offered him a hot drink.

As a Holy Sanctuary Mage, his power and status were of the highest tier, so he wouldn’t stoop to deliberately making things difficult or being passive-aggressive in his dealings with others.

On the contrary, he was exceptionally magnanimous and humble. Even if someone insulted or offended him, he would only display forbearance in public, never losing his composure.

"My Lord, you haven’t brought your domain with you, and I sense no power of wind from you. I am quite curious, then, why the Wind King said you would be able to help us?"

The Elemental Master finally posed the question after a round of pleasantries.

He had noticed that this strange man before him was intensely curious about their Magic, constantly steering the conversation to that topic.

That was why they had been talking for some time; otherwise, he would have asked his question much earlier.

"I’m a rather special Lord of Wind," Qi Suian said, spinning a lie with ease. "As you know, my domain is within the Wind King, so I’m more focused on logistics."

The Elemental Master found this quite reasonable. In fact, he suspected the man was being modest—it wasn’t just a focus, but a specialization.

"As for the help I can offer," Qi Suian began, then paused. "I’m almost ashamed to say it, but I can’t really do much. The Wind King is just singing my praises."

The more Qi Suian downplayed his abilities, the more reliable the Elemental Master thought he was.

He dreaded meeting braggarts who talked a big game but had no real substance when it came time to act.

A low-key, humble person like this, even if their abilities were lacking, could still provide them with solid support.

"No, no," the Elemental Master said. "The Wind King must have had his reasons for sending you, my Lord. We have faith in your strength."

In their original world, powerful beings like the Wind King were akin to gods, far above the Holy Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, due to the absence of certain fundamental laws, they were capped at the Holy Sanctuary level.

It was said that in the Ancient Era, there were other professions besides Mages, such as Warriors and Rangers. But after some great cataclysm, only Mages were left.

Furthermore, Mages’ Magic now required incantations and gestures, and their path to godhood had been severed.

Over time, the glories of the Ancient Era were forgotten.

But now, with the advent of the Doomsday Game, the Mages seemed to have reconnected with that lost path to godhood.

Especially after witnessing the Wind King’s power firsthand, the world’s three remaining Holy Sanctuary Mages naturally began to harbor ambitions of their own.

Besides, the Wind King wasn’t even the most powerful being out there. The yet-unborn Thunder God’s strength surpassed that of all the Wind Kings combined. With such titans paving the way, they naturally understood the importance of humility.

Qi Suian found the Elemental Master’s attitude surprising. ’He hasn’t developed a supremely arrogant personality?’

’Then again,’ he mused, ’this man is the type who’d have to be secretive even while devouring someone, so of course he wouldn’t show any impropriety on the surface.’

He could perceive the Elemental Master’s true thoughts. The man’s humility was just a mask, a classic case of feigned deference before a power grab.

’He simply isn’t strong enough to afford arrogance.’

One could see it in the way the three Holy Sanctuary Mages exploited the survivors under their rule. They were more bloodthirsty than the Blood Race itself.

"In truth, I just helped the Wind King with a small favor, and that’s why he sent me."

"I’m just here to tag along for some credit. The real work will fall to the three of you Holy Sanctuary Mages," Qi Suian said, looking perfectly sincere. Then, his tone shifted abruptly. "Speaking of which, where are the other two Holy Sanctuary Mages?"

"What are they up to? Would it be possible for me to meet them?"

Qi Suian hadn’t made a move yet because he could only sense two Holy Sanctuary-level Mages in the entire survivor area.

One was the Elemental Master in front of him, and the other was somewhere in the rear.

One was missing, and driven by the principle of ’catch one, catch them all,’ he had held back.

Otherwise, Qi Suian wouldn’t have bothered with a formal visit at all; he would have simply attacked without a word.

"The Great Arcanist has gone to the front lines to oversee the battle, and the Prophet is slightly injured, so it is inconvenient for him to meet anyone right now."

"Therefore, it falls to me to receive you, my Lord." The Elemental Master’s words were a mix of truth and lies, his reply deliberately vague.

"Then when will His Excellency the Great Arcanist return? Since we’ll be heading to the battlefield together to smite the Thunder God, it would be best to get acquainted beforehand," Qi Suian probed.

This put the Elemental Master more at ease. ’Anyone who knows these secrets must be a true confidant of the Profound Mechanism Wind King.’

’His strength must be beyond question.’

"Well... it will be some time yet. I’m not sure of the specifics myself," the Elemental Master continued evasively.

It was for no other reason than this matter concerned their very survival; of course he wouldn’t reveal the details.

In reality, if things went smoothly, the Great Arcanist would be back tomorrow.

He acknowledged Qi Suian’s legitimacy but chose not to trust him.

"That long?" Qi Suian’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening. "You’re wasting my time."

"Hm?" The Elemental Master was bewildered by Qi Suian’s sudden shift in attitude.

But he received no answer. All he could see was Qi Suian’s hand rapidly growing larger, filling his vision.

At this point, the Elemental Master finally understood he was being attacked.

But Qi Suian was simply too fast. Before he could even begin to cast a spell, his head was caught in Qi Suian’s grip.

"Wait, we’re both—" Before the Elemental Master could finish, an immense force flooded his skull, and he passed out instantly.

’Nine points in Spirit and six in physique.’

’However, he must have a considerable number of talents and passives derived from Magic Power, which boosted him to the point he could barely perceive my attack.’

"Truly not to be underestimated," Qi Suian muttered, swiftly bundling up the Elemental Master.

Then, for good measure, he nabbed the other Holy Sanctuary Mage, the Prophet, as well.

This act, of course, immediately drew the ire of the Profound Mechanism Wind King.

’What are you doing? Why did you attack those two survivors?’ the Profound Mechanism Wind King demanded through the wind at once.

"I’m just going to do some research. I won’t kill them. After all, they still need to complete your mission," Qi Suian said, and this time, he was telling the truth.

He did, in fact, need these three to act as cannon fodder.

’Your actions will not only affect their condition but also create a rift between you,’ the Profound Mechanism Wind King argued, unconvinced.

"Relax. I’ll make sure they’re in perfect condition, and I’ll even delete this memory."

"You can just spin them a little story afterward," Qi Suian said nonchalantly. "Tomorrow. I’ll return them to you tomorrow."

"If they’re damaged in any way, I’ll compensate you."

This last part was a lie. There was no way he would pay compensation; Qi Suian would just weasel out of it.

"What is it you want? You have to at least give me an explanation," the Profound Mechanism Wind King relented once more.

The main reason was that Qi Suian’s combat power was far greater than that of the Holy Sanctuary Mages. If it had to take a side, it would certainly side with Qi Suian.

"I’m very curious about Magic and Magic Power, so I wanted to observe them," Qi Suian said bluntly. With his current strength and abilities, he could decipher their entire Extraordinary system in twenty-four hours at most.

At this, the Profound Mechanism Wind King could only concede again.

’Tomorrow morning. At dawn, at the latest.’ The Profound Mechanism Wind King gave Qi Suian a deadline.

Qi Suian made a quick mental calculation and readily agreed.

’If I’m not finished with my research by then, I’ll just stall. The Profound Mechanism Wind King surely won’t care about an extra hour or two.’

Seeing that Qi Suian had agreed, the wind swirling around him slowly dissipated, evidently too busy to pay him any more mind.

Qi Suian immediately took the Elemental Master and the Prophet to his safe house.

-----------------

’How do I break through to the Holy Sanctuary level?’ Carl’s expression was dark and uncertain. He had hit a bottleneck.

There were only three ways for him to break through. The first was to seek guidance from the Great Arcanist, but that would require him to go on a journey with the man.

The Great Arcanist had promised that if he agreed to accompany him on a mandatory mission, he would even arrange for all the resources needed for the breakthrough.

As for the other two options, one was to kill Thunder Spirits and receive a growth infusion as a reward from the Wind King. The other was to grind his Meditation Method using his proficiency panel.

But no matter which path he chose, it would require resources, risking his life, or an immense amount of time.

The cost was enormous.

"I accept your terms," Carl said, turning to face the Great Arcanist, Georg.

"Excellent. I am delighted you’ve agreed." The Great Arcanist walked over and produced a parchment scroll. "These are my notes on breaking through to the Holy Sanctuary."

"Next, I will procure the notes of the Prophet and the Great Elemental Master for you."

"With those, plus sufficient resources and your high-grade wind elemental affinity, breaking through should not be difficult."

"Thank you." Carl accepted the scroll before asking, "What is it you need me to do?"

"You’ve been hunting Thunder Spirits, so I presume you know about the Thunder God," the Great Arcanist said, not intending to hide anything.

"Yes, though I only know a little," Carl nodded. He did, in fact, know a few scraps of information.

"Knowing is enough. Our objective this time is the Thunder God," the Great Arcanist said. "If we succeed, there won’t just be a generous reward from the Profound Mechanism Wind King, but one from the Doomsday Game as well."

"With both those rewards, you and all of us can reconnect to the Mages’ path to godhood."

"I imagine, Carl, that you have no desire to stop at the Holy Sanctuary."