Chapter 269: Fully Prepared, He and the Void

The elders' orders were disseminated with haste, showcasing the legendary efficiency of the Elven race.

Because the elders were the sole representatives of authority, with Elven guards, rangers, and common citizens following in a flat hierarchy, all were, in principle, equals.

Other activities in Liahim ceased as every elf began preparations for the impending World Eater.

The distortion of their perception regarding the living roots and their attitude toward the dwarves was revealed to the entire race.

When the rangers realized their understanding of those living roots had been flawed, the power of the distortion shattered; they discovered that the periphery of the Primordial Forest had long since been riddled with holes, invaded by those roots like a sieve.

Having been nourished by the abundant life force of the lush vegetation on the forest's edge, these living roots had already begun to encroach deeper into the heart of the Primordial Forest by the time the rangers arrived.

Fortunately, Wang Yu and Avia had detected the presence of the devil’s corrupting influence and alerted the elves to this imperceptible power.

"Boom!"

A searing wave of flame erupted from the wand of an elven spellcaster, sweeping across the trench excavated by the War Treants.

Beneath the upturned earth lay living roots, twisting and writhing like fleshy tentacles; the fierce fire clung to them, mercilessly burning the struggling masses into ash.

"I never imagined that a devil—a creature I thought existed only in ancient records—would appear in Liahim, let alone influence us all. The power of these ancient beings is truly bizarre, unfathomable, and inexplicably strong."

The spellcaster watched the roots turn to ash, yet felt no relief. The realization that these disgusting, writhing things had appeared perfectly normal to him only moments ago sent a chill down his spine, and he muttered his lament to his companion.

He was not the only one clearing the roots that threatened to sabotage the battle against the World Eater; numerous squads of rangers had been deployed to purge them entirely.

"Who could have? Can you imagine an entire elven city influenced by this distorted perception, with not a single soul noticing the devil’s hand? I couldn't have conceived of it before. It is truly terrifying."

Another ranger, who was hacking away at roots that had burst from the ground to drag investigators into the depths, replied as he kicked the severed segments into a burning pit.

"Who discovered the devil's presence and our distorted perception? The elders had ordered us to investigate these outer roots earlier."

"But because our perception was warped, the roots looked perfectly normal, leading to no results. Come to think of it, whoever raised the question back then must have noticed something."

A third ranger, having overheard their conversation, walked by and spoke.

His concern was who had uncovered the truth about the elves' distorted cognition in Liahim.

"If I recall correctly, that information was relayed to the elders by Master Alchemist Moira, who stated that the intelligence was provided by her two human disciples."

The spellcaster thought for a moment, sharing this news, which was no longer a secret, with his companions.

"Regardless, our race owes this discoverer a great debt. Given the historical outcomes of events influenced by devils, Liahim would have suffered greatly had they succeeded."

His companion nodded, offering his own perspective.

"Indeed. The elders will likely express our gratitude on our behalf. For now, let us prepare to face the awakening World Eater and finish clearing these roots."

The spellcaster spoke, incinerating the contents of the pit into charred waste before heading toward the next trench dug by the War Treants, continuing his work against the roots that hungered for the life force of the Primordial Forest.

"Roar! Boom!"

A violent tremor and a thunderous roar erupted from the nearby forest. Huge boulders were flung into the sky, and a thick cloud of dust hung in the air for a long time.

The living roots, sensing their safety was under extreme threat, released the byproducts they had used to capture and drain the life force of living creatures.

Berserk, bloodthirsty War Treants, flower-headed monsters with jagged maws, and predatory plants with projectile tongues—creatures that had been hidden by the elves' distorted perception—suddenly emerged, launching an attack on the rangers.

But it was futile. The only reason those entities had been able to harm the rangers before was due to the small size of the squads and their lack of preparation.

Now, the entire elven population of Liahim had mobilized. Half of all ranger squads had been diverted to clear these roots. As the race with the second-highest individual combat prowess among the five, their strength was no laughing matter when numbers were on their side.

Arrows glowing with green light pierced only inches into the bodies of the flower-headed monsters, yet the power contained within them extinguished the plant-based horrors instantly.

A ranger’s scimitar flashed through the air, easily deflecting a barbed tongue shot from the shadows, before a backhanded throw of a slender dagger pinned the predatory plant to a tree trunk.

"Bang!"

A normal War Treant, bolstered by the life magic of an elven druid, slammed a heavy fist into the blood-stained, berserk treant, crushing its massive frame into the earth and causing the ground to shatter and quake.

Seizing the moment while the berserk tree was pinned, several rangers struck in unison, tossing alchemical bombs with pinpoint accuracy into the canopy of the rampaging giant.

As the ally retreated, a deafening explosion tore the core of the berserk tree to shreds, and roaring flames consumed the remains.

To be honest, using alchemical bombs to blow enemies to pieces didn't quite fit the traditional elven aesthetic.

But considering the dwarves were the elves' long-time allies, and Liahim was not far from the dwarven kingdom, it was only logical to take advantage of the proximity to acquire such effective alchemical munitions.

Besides, elven knights were not limited to the ranger profession; most elves possessed physical constitutions superior to other races of the same rank, with agility being their particular specialty.

If those elven knights were to swing their greatswords in a whirlwind, they would carve through enemies with a ferocity that left no room for doubt.

Elves tasked with maintaining the magical arrays moved through the Primordial Forest under the protection of guards, inspecting the mana nodes that sustained the massive mythallar covering Liahim.

Mana was injected into these nodes, and the specialized mages adjusted the state of the mythallar in unison. The increased mana supply caused the power of this living, massive array to surge.

"Hum..."

A low, powerful, and penetrating hum resonated through the elven capital. It was the sign that the mythallar had shifted into a state of war.

Usually, the giant "living" array used to conceal the entire city remained in standby mode.

Only when a true threat emerged, and the mana nodes were filled with sufficient energy, did the branching circuits interlock, shifting the array’s destructive core into position to unleash its terrifying power.

Above the elven capital of Liahim, complex, interlacing tracks of light began to emerge—the manifestation of activated mana circuits. They pulsed in the sky, possessing a unique and haunting beauty.

"Such immense power. The destructive force and precision of a giant array of this scale should be several tiers above the mixed array clusters Alastair set up in the imperial palace."

"If the mythallar's primary purpose weren't to provide concealment and auxiliary functions for Liahim, its destructive potential would be even greater. Even so, the fact that it can manifest mana circuits in the sky simply by filling it with power, without any physical medium, is truly staggering."

In Moira’s treehouse, the girl sat at the table, watching the spectacle in the sky through the window. With her keen knowledge of magitech, she pondered and judged the power, feeling a touch of awe.

"After all, this is Liahim, one of the three great elven cities. I was stunned when I first arrived, though I grew accustomed to it after staying a while. If the World Tree were still here, and the High Elves still existed, that would have been the true golden age of the elven race."

Moira sat opposite the girl, responding to her words.

She understood the strength of the elves well enough. The World Eater was not their concern; it was best left to the elves themselves. If the elves couldn't hold it back, their own intervention would likely be useless. Thus, Moira and Wang Yu continued with their own work.

"Sizzle, crack..."

"Done. The Flame Crystal is processed."

A faint cracking sound accompanied Wang Yu’s words as he pulled the crystal from the solution before him—the very stone he had controlled using the power of the chariot.

The surface of the black crystal was covered in a web of fissures, with a faint red light glowing from within. It looked as though the entire piece had shattered.

But unlike the Lumen Crystal that had crumbled into gray dust when Moira failed, Wang Yu’s processing of the Flame Crystal was a success. The overall structure remained intact, yet the internal energy could now flow out slowly through the cracks. This was the requirement for processing the Flame Crystal: too fragmented or too whole, and it would be ruined.

"Let me see..."

Moira took the processed crystal from Wang Yu and raised an eyebrow. Though she had expected it, she was still surprised by the perfection of the material. The cracks formed a honeycomb pattern with uniform spacing, allowing for stable, even, and continuous energy output.

"Not a single issue. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Moira shook her head, clicking her tongue with an unreadable expression. Her lowered eyes met Avia’s, and both women shared a smile of similar meaning.

"Then, Master, the first step of this potion is basically complete, right?"

Wang Yu asked as he watched Moira walk away with the vial containing the Flame Crystal.

Moira had told him and Avia earlier that the month of processing basic materials and adding over a hundred ingredients to the Starlight Dew was merely the "first step," and that completing this potion required walking "a short distance" further.

“Yes, this is merely the ‘first step,’ nothing more. I still fall quite short of that grandmaster alchemist; these materials are but substitutes I was forced to use, as I lack the peerless treasures he commanded. Consequently, the quality of this ‘base fluid’ is significantly inferior to the original, which will render the subsequent crafting far more arduous.”

Moira spoke, retrieving the base fluid and using tweezers to lift the Flowing Flame Crystal from its solution, dropping it into the mixture.

The Starry Droplets, which had turned a pure, abyssal black after the addition of various components, shimmered once more as the final ingredient was introduced, returning to a kaleidoscopic state, as if the night sky itself had been liquefied.

“Though I could use my age to excuse my shortcomings, the truth remains that without the help of you two, I might have struggled even to complete this base, let alone achieve a quality of this caliber.”

Moira placed the fluid on the table before Wang Yu and Elvia, presenting it to the two disciples to whom she had imparted all her knowledge.

“So, Teacher, what is the second step? Is there anything we can do to help?”

Elvia gazed at the liquid, her eyes alight with the glow of curiosity. As a scholar, the girl possessed a thirst for exploration and knowledge that remained distinct from the morbid desires of someone like Rudolph.

“The second step requires establishing a connection between this base fluid and the Void. You might think of it as this fluid needing to become a ‘wizard.’ It sounds bizarre, I know, but Starry Droplets inherently possess a certain ‘wizarding talent.’”

Moira had no intention of keeping secrets, laying out the requirements for the next phase without reservation.

“How truly marvelous.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled; this strange and unique substance ignited her passion as an alchemist.

“To make this thing a wizard—how should we go about it?”

Wang Yu asked the question that concerned him most.

“That is the most difficult step for me. Only after this is accomplished can the potion petition the Void; otherwise, this base fluid serves only to make you ‘a little luckier.’”

“I must cast this potion into the Void and retrieve it only after it has established a sufficient connection with that realm.”

“But, as you both know, the Void is an entity of such uncontrollable distortion. I truly cannot fathom how that grandmaster alchemist managed to cast it into the Void and retrieve it; I even suspect a god might have intervened to assist him.”

Moira’s tone carried a hint of helplessness. The “short journey” of crafting the Wish-Granting Potion had stalled at this very “second step.”

“A wizard client of mine gave me this runestone as payment for a potion, which can open a temporarily stable rift in the Void, but the remaining steps are beyond my current reach.”

“Had I reached this stage in my youth, I would have spared no cost to scour the continent for a way to complete it, but now… it is perhaps too late.”

Moira shook her head, sighing with an inexplicable regret.

Wang Yu and Elvia exchanged glances. Both had read the biography of Samuel, the God of Knowledge, and it seemed increasingly likely that the creator of the Wish-Granting Potion had indeed borrowed the power of a deity.

Their expressions differed: Wang Yu’s was one of contemplation, while the girl’s was tinged with sorrow.

“It is a pity that this step cannot be completed. If only my wizarding prowess… alas, even if I were to reach the rank of Archmage, I could not intervene with an object that has fallen into the Void.”

Elvia longed to say more. She understood how peculiar and valuable this base fluid was—a masterpiece crafted by Moira through a lifetime of alchemical wisdom. As a scholar, she felt a profound regret at not being able to witness the next stage of the potion.

“Hmm… if you could create a sufficiently stable Void rift, Teacher, perhaps you could let me try.”

Wang Yu’s words interrupted the dialogue and contemplation between Elvia and Moira. He pointed to himself, uttering something that was difficult to comprehend.

Wang Yu was recalling his past experiences: being dragged into the Void by Yale from the Great Library, shattering the material realm Roland had created within the Void, and falling into the abyss itself.

Yet, he had remained unharmed. He had previously attributed this to Roland’s influence, reasoning that since sorcery worked on him, the Void—the very source of sorcerous power—should logically affect him as well.

But upon reflection, Wang Yu realized that by the time Roland’s constructs were shattered, he had been left exposed to the Void, and yet, nothing had happened to him.

When he thought about it, had Void energy ever directly affected him? Every instance where sorcery had acted upon him seemed to occur in the material world; the energy would alter the material world first, which in turn affected him.

Even Elvia’s secret arts, which appeared to be direct Void energy, and his own former power, the “Boiling Blood Technique,” operated by influencing the material world before affecting his body—one by creating matter to mend his wounds, the other by using electricity or hormones to force his organs into overdrive.

Thus, Wang Yu suspected that pure Void energy, the Void itself, might be incapable of affecting him at all. He had never had the chance to test this after leaving Alastair, but now, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“You?”

Moira’s eyes widened as she looked at Wang Yu. It was clear she couldn’t grasp what he could possibly do, but after a moment of shock, she felt a sense of relief. This man had already shocked her enough; trusting him to try would change nothing.

“Yes. I want to know what to do. Is it just a matter of putting the potion into the Void, waiting for it to change, and then taking it out?”

Wang Yu nodded, asking a question that sounded simple but was, in reality, immensely difficult.

“Theoretically, yes. But how would you interfere with an object that has fully entered the Void?”

Moira wanted to know his method.

“I’ll hold it in my hand, stick it into the Void rift, and then… pull it out.”

Wang Yu stated his absurdly straightforward plan with complete seriousness.

Moira was stunned into silence. Reaching into the Void—perhaps a wizard could temporarily maintain their own stability, but holding a potion bottle while doing so was impossible. And Wang Yu, a mere knight—wouldn’t his hand be instantly warped and twisted by the Void’s power the moment it crossed the threshold?

But… as she had just thought, there was no harm in trusting him. After all, if Wang Yu couldn’t do it, it was nearly impossible for her, at her age, to ever complete this “second step.”

Glancing at Elvia, Moira saw the same trust reflected in the girl’s eyes. Very well, then—let them try.

“Be careful. Do not let yourself be harmed.”

Moira hesitated no longer. She handed the base fluid to Wang Yu and offered a word of caution.

Retrieving the runestone from her secure cabinet, she sat beside Elvia, facing Wang Yu, who held the vial of base fluid.

The runestone was activated, and a small, thirty-centimeter-long rift in the Void appeared in the air above the table. The runestone suppressed the Void’s aura, preventing it from leaking out; beyond the rift lay the chaotic, endless Void.

Wang Yu held the vial, listened to Moira’s instructions, and slowly extended his hand into the temporarily stabilized rift.

Hmm… he truly felt nothing at all.