"You're staying here."
However, Roger disagreed.
"If we both leave and Zoltan stays in the temple copying the runes, he'll be in great danger if the warlock's accomplices return. I'll feel safer with you."
Reyn nodded. In fact, as soon as he spoke, he regretted it.
The upper levels of the fortress might hide numerous assassins from the Shadow Blade or followers of Loxi. He needed to avoid encountering them. Unlike Roger, he did not possess Shadow Evasion, and they could easily detect him. If they spotted the Discord Seal on him, he would only hinder Roger.
Endangering everyone just to absorb souls...
Too selfish.
Reyn mentally scolded himself. The desire to absorb souls had nearly clouded his mind. He needed to be more careful from now on.
Roger said nothing more and headed for the temple exit.
"Master Roger, wait!" Reyn suddenly called out to him.
Roger turned, thinking Reyn wanted to add something, but saw him yank the shotgun strapped to his thigh and fire into one of the temple's corners.
Bang!
Amid the gunshot's roar, a semitransparent dark silhouette materialized in the empty corner. The man seemed caught off guard. Small steel pellets embedded in him, spraying blood.
Bang-bang-bang...
Reyn fired several more shots in rapid succession. The dark figure, retreating under the hail of buckshot and desperately dodging bullets, could no longer hide—Shadow Evasion had dissipated, revealing the intruder's true form.
It was a Shadow Warrior with a covered face.
He wore black leather armor and held two daggers. Now he looked quite pathetic: his body was riddled with small holes like a sieve. However, the armor proved quite durable—the bulk of the shotgun's force was absorbed, and the wounds were superficial.
Reyn did not waste ammo and, spinning around, used Charge to block the temple exit.
He would not have to fight this Shadow Warrior—Roger would handle him.
Roger's reaction was lightning-fast. At Reyn's first shot, he had already drawn his steel sword. As soon as Reyn stopped firing, he was already leaping in front of the Shadow Warrior.
Gritting his teeth in pain, the warrior raised his daggers and charged at Roger.
The daggers whistled through the air, clashing. The warrior's hands moved at incredible speed, leaving dozens of thin gleaming streaks in the air like sharp blades weaving into a deadly net.
This was the Shadow Warriors' key offensive technique—Blade Dance.
Roger quickly formed a seal with his left hand. A dull golden shield appeared. Dozens of blades struck it but could not even scratch it—the shield remained intact.
Before the Shadow Warrior could react, Roger's sword flashed twice before his eyes.
Clang-clang!
Irresistible force struck his arms, sending the daggers flying, and the steel sword was already pressed to his throat.
The Shadow Warrior froze as if thunderstruck, not daring to move. Only when the glowing red-hot blade scorched his neck with unbearable pain did he cry out:
"Your Grace, please, don't kill me!"
Roger's face remained impassive, his feline eyes gazing at the Shadow Warrior with icy indifference.
This quick resolution did not surprise Reyn at all.
He had noticed this man the moment he entered the temple. Reyn had pretended not to see him, but his Soul Eye clearly discerned the intruder.
This was a sixth-level Shadow Warrior—a fairly strong opponent, but powerless against a legendary demon hunter like an ordinary man.
Most importantly—this Shadow Warrior was also a follower of Loxi.
An assassin from the Shadow Blade.
Reyn had not wanted to approach him and reveal his Discord Seal, but to warn Roger, he deliberately came closer and asked:
"You're Malish?"
"Yes," the Shadow Warrior nodded hastily.
He wanted to add something, but Reyn was already up close. Sensing the Discord Seal, Malish looked at Reyn and instinctively blurted out:
"Blasphemer..."
"Hm," Reyn feigned a change in expression. "So you're a minion of the Deceiver."
Roger understood instantly.
This Shadow Warrior was a follower of Loxi, which meant the previous warlock had been too. They had infiltrated the fortress, clearly plotting something nefarious.
Roger had no patience for further questioning. He formed a strange gesture with his left hand, passed it before the Shadow Warrior's eyes, and quietly commanded:
"Look at me."
Malish shuddered, his gaze turning blank and fixed.
"Yes," he replied in a wooden voice.
Reyn glanced at Roger. "Looks like he used the Confusion Spell," he thought.
Demon hunters were half-casters. Upon advancing to mid-rank, from fourth to sixth level, they could learn six spells.
These were Kwen Shield for physical defense, Flame Stream, Ice Roar, the third-circle secret Gravity Trap, mental Confusion Spell, and Elemental Armor for magic defense.
Each spell had its unique application.
These six spells derived from four demonic souls. Kwen Shield from the Kwen Bear; Flame Stream and Ice Roar from the Argus Two-Headed Demonic Wolf; Gravity Trap and Confusion Spell from the Earthbinding Serpent Spirit; Elemental Armor from the Helios Radiant Cat.
Compared to other mid-rank demonic souls, these four had fewer elements—one or two.
However, conflicts between them were minimal, allowing a demon hunter to fuse any three without compatibility issues.
The first fused demonic soul determined the hunter's school.
Roger belonged to the Wolf School, so his primary soul at mid-rank was the Argus Two-Headed Demonic Wolf. Thus, he most often used Ice Roar.
Reyn had also seen Roger use Gravity Trap. From this, he inferred Roger had forgone the Helios Radiant Cat soul and did not possess Elemental Armor.
Demon hunters cast spells differently from other casters. They used hand gestures—quick and convenient, but with many limitations and requiring significant effort to master.
Each spell had its gesture name.
For example, demon hunters called the Confusion Spell the Aksiy Sign.
Roger had just used the Aksiy Sign. Given his legendary power level, it was equivalent to a fourth-circle Confusion Spell. Malish fell under its effect instantly, losing control.
"Are there more of your people in the fortress?" Roger began the interrogation.
"Yes," Malish answered.
"How many? Where?" Reyn interjected.
Malish's gaze clouded for a few seconds, then he replied:
"I don't know exactly how many. Lord Harken himself led us to Longsand for this mission. Preparation took several years. At least thirty people are involved, all Shadow Blade elites.
"Warlocks from the Dark Sun, led by Lord Tinos, came too.
"Our people are on the fortress's first level. Moor and I were sent down to scout. Moor is from the Dark Sun; he found the runic knowledge in the temple and accidentally activated the teleportation circle. But you've already killed him."
Malish spilled everything without hiding a thing.
Roger's brows furrowed.
At that moment, Zoltan burst from the temple's rear. Hearing the shots, he thought something had happened and caught Malish's words.
"Harken and Tinos?" he exclaimed in astonishment.
"You know them?" Reyn turned to him. These names seemed widely known.
Zoltan nodded gravely.
"Harken is second-in-command in the Shadow Blade, a legendary mid-rank trickster, incredibly powerful. He leads all Shadow Blade assassins in the Empire. He has countless high-profile crimes, having killed innumerable mages. The bounty on his head in the Empire is five hundred thousand gold!
"Tinos may not be as known in the Empire, but on the Shabukantai subcontinent south of the World Mountains, he controls a vast territory comparable in size to two imperial provinces. He's one of the Dark Sun leaders and openly worships the Deceiver.
"They say Tinos himself is a high-rank legendary warlock with a chance to become a Holy Soul Mage!"
Fear flashed in the dwarf's eyes at these words.
His native Lava Fortress lay on the border of the World Mountains and the Shabukantai subcontinent. Once, the subcontinent had been dwarven sphere of influence, and they still maintained contacts with local races, so Zoltan knew well the terror Tinos's name inspired.
"What's the 'Dark Sun'?"
Reyn had never heard of this organization.
"The Dark Sun, like the Shadow Blade, is an organization of Deceiver followers," Roger explained. "But it mainly consists of casters, mostly warlocks. There are fewer of them than Shadow Blade members; they operate covertly, and their names aren't public. Yet the Deceiver trusts them more. Sometimes they're called the 'Hand of the Deceiver.' Plain warlocks too easily give themselves away, so they rarely act in the Empire."
Reyn's hair stood on end.
He had long known Loxi followers were plotting something serious against the Silver Star Duchess, but he hadn't expected this scale.
A legendary mid-rank trickster at the helm, plus a warlock nearly at Holy Soul Mage level!
Mages below Holy Soul level—high-rank legendaries—had professional levels from sixteen to nineteen. Even in the Empire, such people were highly influential figures.
What had the Silver Star Duchess done? Insulted the Deceiver himself? Otherwise, why had both sinister organizations, Shadow Blade and Dark Sun, joined forces?
Roger, being a legend himself, was unafraid and remained calm.
"What is your mission in Longsand?" he asked.
"Iolla Core," Malish answered immediately. "Someone placed an order with the Shadow Blade to steal the Iolla Core from the Silver Star Duchess and prevent her from creating a floating city."
Roger and Zoltan were extremely surprised.
"The Silver Star Duchess has already created the Iolla Core?" Zoltan could not hold back. "Where did you get that information?"
"The mysterious client told us. The Iolla Core is indeed in the Mage Tower," Malish replied.
"Moradin Allfather!
"So that's what the Silver Star Duchess has achieved," Zoltan exhaled in astonishment. "Will an eighth floating city appear in the Empire?"
Reyn could hardly believe it either, but at the same time, everything clicked in his head.
The Iolla Core was the most crucial part for creating a floating city, its energy center. Without the Iolla Core, there was no floating city.
It was invented by history's greatest Holy Soul Mage—Ogulevi—and might be the world's most valuable alchemical artifact.
Creating a floating city required astronomical costs, over half of which went to crafting the Iolla Core. It was the most complex stage in building a flying citadel.
If the Iolla Core already existed, the floating city's launch was not far off!
Reyn hadn't known the Shadow Blade's plans before, but now the picture was clear.
No wonder the Iolla Core must be hidden in the Silver Star Duchess's Mage Tower. The Shadow Blade was desperately trying to lure the duchess out—this wasn't an assassination attempt but a cunning distraction.
They had a spy in the academy who could freely enter and exit the Mage Tower. They had likely long studied its interior, including the Iolla Core's location.
As soon as the Silver Star Duchess left the tower, they would infiltrate and steal it.
Last time, the Shadow Blade had provoked the fallen incident by opening the Abyss Gate precisely to draw the duchess out, but Reyn had foiled their plans.
What had they devised this time?
Moreover, Reyn noted one detail: the warlock Moor had activated the teleportation circle in the temple. This meant Loxi followers had entered the fortress not through that circle but some other way.
"How did you enter the fortress?" he asked hastily.
"We found a hidden entrance to the dungeon under Brent Street. We dug for over a year and penetrated this dwarven fortress," Malish replied.
"'Oath Sword'?" Reyn realized instantly.
"Yes."
Malish answered confusedly. Under the Confusion Spell, he had no independent thoughts and was not surprised how Reyn knew about the "Oath Sword."
But Roger and Zoltan looked at Reyn in surprise.
Noticing their gazes, Reyn scratched his head and explained:
"Last month, I was tailing a Loxi follower and ended up in that shop called 'Oath Sword.' Lost him there. I had suspicions but didn't check it out."
"You're lucky you didn't go poking around, lad," Zoltan chuckled. "Otherwise, we wouldn't see you again."
Roger nodded slightly too.
Reyn feigned relief. Caution was never amiss. If he had recklessly barged into the "Oath Sword," who knew how it would have ended.
"Why did you dig a tunnel into the fortress?" he continued questioning.
"The Silver Star Duchess hid the Iolla Core on the thirteenth underground level of her tower. Lord Harken's plan is to dig a tunnel from the dwarven fortress under the Mage Tower, infiltrate it, and steal the core. If successful, blow up the upper fortress level and tunnel, triggering an earthquake to collapse the Mage Tower too."
Malish's calm words chilled Reyn, Roger, and Zoltan.
If the Shadow Blade succeeded, the Silver Star Duchess would suffer colossal losses: not only losing the priceless Iolla Core but her Mage Tower as well.
Moreover, the Ironbeard Stronghold lay directly beneath the Silverstar district. An earthquake and collapse would kill countless people.
All of Longsand would descend into chaos.
Reyn finally understood why evil god followers were so hated and hunted. They were worse than terrorists from his past life—utterly ruthless and indifferent to human lives.
He wanted to question Malish for details, but the Confusion Spell's effect ended.
Malish's gaze gradually cleared.
The Confusion Spell did not work continuously. After one use, the target developed resistance, and it could only be reapplied after some time.
"You..."
He backed away in fright. Roger's sword, "Wolf Fang," flashed, and Malish's head rolled across the floor.
Roger heated the blade with soul force, evaporating the blood, sheathed it, and said:
"We must inform the Silver Star Duchess."
"Yes," Zoltan nodded firmly. Both looked at Reyn.
Reyn caught their hint—contact the Demon Extermination Squad via the communicator. He shook his head. Now was not the time to hide secrets.
"There's a Shadow Blade spy in the Demon Extermination Squad. I once secretly tipped them off, but the enemies knew in advance and escaped."
Roger's face darkened.
"What do we do?" Zoltan asked anxiously.
Reyn was silent.
In truth, contacting the squad wouldn't be useless. Even if the Shadow Blade got warned and retreated hastily, it would at least foil the Iolla Core theft.
However, they might vengefully blow the fortress and tunnel anyway before fleeing, causing massive casualties.
Worst of all, Reyn would expose himself and become a Shadow Blade target.
And after the tunnel blast, the three of them would be trapped here.
All three understood this perfectly.
After minutes of silence, Roger broke it first:
"I'll go up. I might slip out unnoticed."
Reyn and Zoltan nodded. For now, it was the best option.
If Roger escaped through the Shadow Blade's tunnel and personally told the Silver Star Duchess everything, all problems would be solved.
"Roger, be careful," Zoltan clapped the hunter's arm.
"Master Roger, if it's too dangerous, come back," Reyn added quietly. "We'll think of something else."
The corners of Roger's mouth twitched slightly upward, his expression as calm as ever.
"You be careful too."
Without wasting a second, he left the temple, his figure dissolving into the darkness.
Once Roger was gone, Zoltan immediately returned to the temple's rear to continue copying the runes. Reyn finally had time to check his phone's interface.
Malish's soul had been absorbed, giving over 40% charge. Since the charge was full, he invested it all in the "Power" element. He had been less than ten progress bars from fifth-level Power. With this charge, he not only reached fifth level but exceeded it!
Reyn felt the surge of fifth-level power, as if his body brimmed with inexhaustible energy.
"Fifth-level Power... even without Dragon Power, that's about fourteen thousand pounds!"
The gain was higher than expected. Clearly, after Power became a rare element, it was harder to upgrade, but each level's boost was much greater.
Reyn focused on the sensation for a moment and quickly adapted to the new strength.
He sat to rest in the temple.
Half a day later, footsteps echoed from afar.
Reyn tensed and stepped out of the temple. A figure emerged from the darkness—Roger.
But his gait was unsteady, face pale, body covered in numerous bleeding wounds. He clutched only one steel sword; the second, silver one, was gone.
"Master Roger," Reyn hurried toward him.