As the massive black creature flared its wings and hurtled toward them, Luo Wei once again cursed that annoying figure who had just departed.
Were you not supposed to take care of the aftermath? Did you just come to gawk and leave me hanging? You even claimed you'd have my back!
Wait, no!
After a moment of reflection, Luo Wei realized Naya must have known he couldn't handle something like this. Was this her scheme—deliberately pushing him to use the power she'd granted him, forcing him to truly become the Champion of Chaos?
"Our ancestor is out of control..." Ophelia murmured, gazing at the approaching black shadow.
The ground shook. Seeing the situation spiraling further out of control, her expression grew increasingly grim.
"This is bad..."
Not only would she have no way to face her father now...
If they couldn't stop the frenzied Antius, the entire Brugge, or even the southern territories of the entire empire, would plunge into utter chaos...
And she would bear the brunt of the blame.
With a deep breath, she turned to Luo Wei, her gaze resolute.
"I'll talk to our ancestor..."
"What could you possibly talk about?" Luo Wei naturally wasn't about to let her throw her life away.
"Your so-called ancestor has been dead for years. It's not driven by emotions or reason anymore—it's no longer the brave and benevolent Emperor Antius of old!"
Seeing Ophelia's stubborn gaze, Luo Wei's tone turned reprimanding. "Don't be foolish! Do you really think you can reason with it? It's a raging beast now—approaching it is suicide!"
"But I'm a princess of the empire!" Ophelia raised her voice a little.
"Which is precisely why you should value your life!"
When she continued to stubbornly step forward, Luo Wei simply and decisively yanked her back.
Against Luo Wei's emotionless stare, Ophelia's resolve faltered.
"Let me go, you... let me go..."
She tried to break free from Luo Wei's grip, but days of combat had left her utterly exhausted. She couldn't escape his firm grasp.
"Look at yourself..." Luo Wei shook his head. "Still trying to act tough? You don't cherish your life at all—this isn't the behavior of someone suited for that position. Think about your two brothers—how would they act? Both of them would be hiding behind their subordinates, valuing their own lives!"
"Exactly!" Caroline, who had been staying out of the way, nodded vigorously. "Your Highness holds an exalted status—you shouldn't be taking such risks!"
"What are we supposed to do then..." Ophelia's head drooped in defeat.
Suddenly, a gentle yet steady voice emerged.
"Perhaps I can try."
Everyone turned to Tilis.
"As the root of this incident, whether it's the divine plan, the gate, or even the president... all of this stems from our Guild of Arcane Circles."
She gazed slowly at Luo Wei, her eyes brimming with a soft smile.
"So, allow me to end this farce."
Luo Wei frowned. "But didn't you say your magical energy is nearly exhausted?"
If she were at her peak, Luo Wei wouldn't have worried if Tilis volunteered to face Antius—he might even have thought the witch had a higher chance of success.
But now, after so many battles and even casting a costly twelfth-tier spell, she couldn't even muster a ninth-tier killing move. The odds of subduing Antius were slim.
Luo Wei was, by nature, selfish. His kindness only surfaced when he could afford it. In this situation, his best plan was simply to have Tilis lead everyone to escape.
He might talk about building a beautiful new world with Tilis, but if those close to him perished, what would be the meaning of such a world? Luo Wei had a clear hierarchy in his heart.
Tilis smiled comfortingly at Luo Wei. Once again, she pulled out an assortment of magical trinkets, like Doraemon.
"Remember these? They're all gifts from you."
Luo Wei looked at the magical orbs swirling around her—they were indeed his former gifts.
These items held magical power several magnitudes higher than crystal stones, a legacy of the ancient magical empire. The only downside was their inability to be mass-produced, making each one invaluable to a sorcerer.
"With these, and the mages currently present..." She glanced back at the members of the Guild of Arcane Circles quietly. "It should be enough. We'll seal Antius once more, just as we did centuries ago."
Luo Wei silently watched her, realizing Tilis had made up her mind.
"The only thing I'm worried about now is you..." Tilis said, glancing at the hounds lurking on the battlefield's edges.
Luo Wei followed her gaze to the hounds, who, since the president's death, had been lingering ominously outside, their eyes coldly fixed on him.
This was likely due to Naya—for the time being, they dared not approach. But Luo Wei knew their nature too well; they hadn't given up on killing him.
They were merely waiting.
"Don't worry about me," Luo Wei said, smiling faintly at Tilis.
Tilis wasn't like this before.
She used to just wish for this world to perish sooner; what did Antius ravaging the world have to do with her?
But after that year in the Dreamlands, Luo Wei felt she had truly changed.
She began to yearn for a real, beautiful world, rather than abdicating that dream to some illusory otherworld, fleeing reality.
Ah... Luo Wei suddenly felt a paternal pride, as if witnessing his child grow up...
All his efforts had paid off.
So he smiled at her.
"Go, fulfill your mission."
"Don't worry about me; the hounds are afraid of me now."
"And don't fret over those magical trinkets. What's lost can be regained—I'll give you more in the future."
Tilis gazed at him softly.
"I'll be back."
With that, she left with a resolute figure.
"Guild of Arcane Circles!"
"Anyone willing to follow me, come with me!"
Tilis soared into the sky, her robes billowing in the wind.
"Got it!" He Vog Reunsteiter bellowed, immediately following.
Margery hesitated but soon trailed behind.
The entire Guild of Arcane Circles' mages floated in midair, encircling the colossal black creature's figure. Brilliant lights suddenly lit up, drawing Antius's attention.
In fury, sirens echoed through the skies, shaking heaven and prairies land, as great lands.
Everyone drew trembling front sighs, lulling their lot through the bodies' thoughts seeing.
"That just black dragon is getting stronger by the moment..." Evelyn frowned. "Can they pull it off?"
"If it's her... they'll make it," he bore a tuise bondioumy and led to monitoruot she bore, carefully borne bonding of vibor well carved endmanists.
"Because you see..."
"She's this era's strongest sorcerer."