Chapter 281: Single Soldier Penetrating into the Void!

"Clang!"

The Black Knight watched the giant eagle descending from the distance and took a step forward, his heavy, pitch-black armor clashing with a metallic ring.

A magical beast of such immense size was surely formidable, at the very least a peak-tier formal knight in strength; as a guardian, he had to ensure this giant eagle approaching the Spellbinder Wizard Tower would bring no harm.

However, the giant eagle veered away once it reached a certain perimeter of the tower, and two figures descended from its back.

Air currents converged, forming a cushion that allowed Wang Yu, who was cradling Avia, to land steadily from the high altitude, immediately sprinting toward the wizard tower without a pause.

"We are here to see Wizard Lilia Swain. I am her niece, Avia Dofin. Please, pass on the message for us!"

The girl’s voice, amplified by a spell, carried toward the tower and was caught by the Black Knight.

"Hng, hmph..."

A sound of indeterminate meaning emanated from beneath the dark armor. The Black Knight raised a gauntlet-covered arm, palm facing the rushing Wang Yu to signal a halt, while nodding once to show he understood.

The arrivals did not seem to harbor malice; he would simply do what was required of him.

Wang Yu and Avia stopped after the Black Knight’s gesture. The devils had set a tight deadline; thirteen of the fifteen days had already passed, and that was assuming the giant eagle Angora had flown without rest, relying on its innate talent.

There was no need to incite a conflict out of mere impatience now. The necessary preparations had already been made while traveling on the eagle's back.

The Black Knight turned and walked into the wizard tower; he did not worry that these two would force their way in. Ultimately, the tower itself was the greatest defense.

"Hng, huff, hmm..."

The Black Knight grabbed a wizard hurrying past, emitting a dull sound. It seemed everyone in the tower understood what these non-verbal syllables meant.

"Someone is here to visit? But the situation is so urgent right now. Wait, they are looking for Wizard Lilia? If I recall correctly, she does have a niece named Avia Dofin. Coming at a time like this? I will go tell her."

The wizard he had grabbed looked troubled at first, clearly intending to refuse, but upon hearing who the visitors were seeking, he thought better of it and quickly ran upstairs.

At this moment, Lilia was using her void energy with a grim expression to scan the space in her room, which resembled a starry cosmos. The void energy that should have obeyed her lost control the moment it entered the "void well" centered around her sister, rendering it impossible to command.

The three figures in suits standing beside Mira, their faces obscured, occasionally uttered mocking, inflammatory remarks that made a nameless fire burn in Lilia’s chest.

"Compared to us, humans can do so little when it comes to the void. Hahaha, seeing you try so hard to borrow the void's power only to be ruthlessly rejected makes me want to laugh. I suggest you stop wasting your breath."

One of the devils removed his hat, waving it at Lilia while jeering at the pathetic sight of her void energy becoming useless the moment it entered the "void well."

"What exactly are you people..."

Mira’s brows were tightly knit as she coldly questioned them. She was not the only wizard analyzing this unprecedented "void well."

The surrounding members of the Spellbinder Wizard Tower were all attempting to analyze and influence this stable yet bizarre phenomenon, yet within their fields of expertise, there had been no substantive progress.

"You must have some guesses in your mind already. Though it is hard to accept, we are what you call devils. It seems incredible to you that three devils would gather together, right? But it cannot be helped; this matter is just too much fun."

"Let me think, what did 'Four' say? Ah, you are her younger sister, Lilia Swain, right? Hmm, feeling helpless while just watching is quite something, isn't it? Wonderful!"

"But then again, you are not our target. Just wait quietly. Yes, just keep watching; there is nothing you can do anyway."

The devil spoke with a smile, his words piercing Lilia’s heart like daggers. She knew that in the face of such entities, they, as wizards, were at an absolute disadvantage.

They were the true darlings of the void; what wizards called "manipulating void energy" was as simple as breathing to these devils. Attempting to use wizardry against them was nearly impossible.

"..., Garcia, strike."

Lilia remained silent for several seconds before tapping Garcia, signaling him to use his battle aura to directly destroy the space.

"Boom!"

Battle aura circulated through his body, converging into the longsword he used for combat. He stomped the ground, shattering the stone, and lunged with a fierce slash. A massive blade of aura was hurled into Lilia’s room by Garcia without a moment's hesitation.

"Pfft..."

A faint, almost imperceptible sound followed. As the aura blade entered the room, it seemed to pass through a thin film of nothingness. Once through, the once-solid and sharp blade gradually turned transparent, disappearing into thin air before it could fly a few meters or touch anything in the room.

"Oh my, that was too careless. Aren't you afraid of hurting Miss Lilia’s sister? Quick, push her in a bit. How violent."

The devil known as "Five" feigned panic, patting the other devil beside him and urging him to push the rocking chair where the head-bowed Mira sat further into the room, as if genuinely worried that the aura blade—which could never have hit her—might cause harm.

"Damn it, why did these devils come here? How did Mira get involved with them? Why didn't she tell me? No, if it’s devils, she probably couldn't even speak of it."

Lilia’s anger gave way to a sense of powerlessness. This "void well" had reached its final stage, effectively a portal to the void. Any attack from the material world, like Garcia’s aura blade, would fall into the void and be neutralized upon entering.

The presence of these devils caused the void to reject the wizards present. They could not use magic to interfere with Mira or the three devils. As "Five" had said, all they could do was watch.

No one could blame them for their helplessness. Three devils gathered together—a phenomenon bordering on legend, where even a single one could trigger a catastrophe—perhaps this impotence could only be attributed to ill fortune.

"Damn it..."

Lilia’s usual playful demeanor had vanished. Few knew the situation better than she did as a Grand Wizard. There was no way to break the deadlock unless a miracle occurred, but for wizards who did not believe in deities, such a thing might not be seen in a lifetime.

"Cannot give up. How can I give up? These devils didn't come here just for fun. I must find out what they really want."

Smashing her fist against her forehead, Lilia forced her chaotic thoughts to calm down. If wizardry was ineffective, she would have to use the most primitive method: negotiation...

"Wizard Lilia, someone is here to see you... they say they are your niece."

Just as Lilia was about to initiate a dialogue with the devils, the wizard who had run up to deliver the message arrived.

"Hm?! Avia?"

Lilia’s thoughts had been focused entirely on the void well and the devils; she hadn't intended to pay attention to anyone, but the word "niece" instantly shifted her focus.

"Coming here at this time, along with these suddenly appearing devils... Garcia, go bring Avia here immediately."

Lilia instantly linked the sudden crisis involving Mira with the unexpected arrival of Avia. She did not hesitate to send Garcia; regardless of why Avia had come, this situation of total helplessness required a variable.

Garcia’s figure blurred as he rushed down the tower. Upon stepping outside and seeing Wang Yu and Avia, he shouted, "Wang Yu, Avia, come!"

"Bang!"

Cradling the girl and having received permission to enter, Wang Yu sprinted at full speed toward the Spellbinder Wizard Tower, following Garcia’s lead all the way up until they reached the door to Lilia’s room, where the void well had manifested.

"Oh my... you arrived quite timely. It seems you are quite sincere; I should also be a bit more frank and honest."

The words of the devil "Five" rang out the moment Wang Yu and Avia arrived, before they could even speak to Lilia.

"Speak. What do you want?"

Wang Yu asked the three devils in the room coldly and directly, matching the "honesty and frankness" the devil had mentioned.

"Oh, don't make us sound like such terrible beings. In a sense, we are merely fulfilling a contract. The one who breached it might even be your mother, no?"

"Five" clapped his hands, defending his "reputation" before turning his attention to Avia.

"What do you want? How will you release my mother?"

Avia did not take the bait, simply asking her question.

"Don't be so impatient. You can only watch anyway, right?"

He responded with a malicious sneer, showing not a shred of the frankness or sincerity he had claimed.

"This is a contract I signed with your ancestors, embedded in the souls of your family members, providing them and their descendants with extra void affinity, allowing..."

"The 'key' left behind by Roland chose them."

"The dual void-born talents of the devil and the key are enough to grant every generation of the Dove family immense sorcerous potential; even ascending to legend is not beyond the realm of possibility. You know your own family history, do you not? Once upon a time, the Dove family was at the very heart of the kingdom's power."

Beside "Five," the devil known as "Four" drifted toward Mira. From the void behind her, he drew forth a parchment-like object—clearly, the contract he spoke of.

"And what is the price? I assume devils are not so benevolent without cause," Wang Yu asked, his tone indifferent.

"Heh, heh, heh. You disgusting creature actually asked a useful question. Yes, the price. It is quite simple: upon their death, their souls shall belong to me. Their void affinity, their memories, everything—it shall all be mine."

"Four" let out a sharp, mocking laugh, revealing the dark underside of the contract that lay hidden beneath its promised benefits.

Like all of his kind, the devil "Four" possessed a unique ability: "Contract." When both parties reach an agreement, he can draw directly upon the power of the void to seal a pact, one that, bound by the void itself, will endure for eternity.

In truth, the descriptions found in unofficial histories—that devils "toy with human hearts, employ trap-laden contracts, and set snares that lead to utter ruin"—were merely narrow observations of the deeds committed by this very devil, "Four."

"Impossible. Our family's sorcerous talent waned generations ago. By your logic, our gifts should only have grown stronger."

Lylia interrupted him in a rage, pointing out the flaw in his words.

"Ah... that is hardly my fault. Just as you failed to inherit 'me' and the key like your sister Mira, it is merely a matter of luck and your own doing."

"While not a breach of contract, some fool in your lineage decided the pact was unfair and sought to sever the connection to the void. That is why the void affinity of your successors has withered so severely."

"Sigh, to sever the connection to the void—what a foolish endeavor. Such futile resistance did not free you from the contract; it merely left you without sufficient sorcerous talent even while you lived."

"Four" spoke casually, clearly satisfied by Lylia’s fury.

"She was the same, though not regarding herself. She exhausted every means to help her successor escape the devil's shackles. Oh, my heavens, do you know what she did?"

The devil "Four" gestured toward Mira beside him, feigning a dramatic tone.

"She sacrificed half her soul to summon an evil god in an attempt to kill me. It was madness, though I suppose she partially succeeded, heh, heh, heh. Otherwise, I would not be trapped in this rotting husk, but rather inhabiting her daughter's body."

"And that key, too—she managed to tear it away from me. It is with you now, is it not...? That, too, was meant to be mine."

The devil stared at Avia, recounting the lengths to which her mother, Mira, had gone for her sake.

Avia’s pupils trembled. Recalling the events of her past, she realized that her mother’s presence had been woven into her life far more deeply than she had ever remembered.

"Hmph, hmph. But it was not without its gains. A damaged soul left a vacancy for me... Come, Lady Mira, look at your daughter, Miss Avia. Behold the mother who has labored so tirelessly for you."

With a snap of his fingers, the form of the devil "Four" vanished abruptly. Mira, who had been sitting motionless in her rocking chair with her head bowed, lifted her face, looking around with a mixture of confusion and urgency.

"Avia...!?"

The moment she caught sight of Avia standing outside the door, she murmured her name, then her expression shifted violently. A fireball manifested in her left palm, which she pressed directly against her own head.

"Sigh, even back at the manor, you thought of suicide to keep your daughter away. Did it work? You are even weaker now than you were then. I control the majority of this vessel. Still thinking of killing yourself to prevent being used as a threat against your daughter?"

He reached out with his right hand, seizing her left and extinguishing the fireball.

"Mira" wore a grotesque smile, mocking her futile efforts in a self-deprecating tone.

Avia watched that smile on her "mother’s" face—it was the exact same expression her mother had worn when she returned to the room after Avia had finished speaking with Wang Yu about leaving for the capital.

It had been like that since then... No wonder she had insisted that she follow Wang Yu and leave.

"What moving affection. Now, let us discuss how you might be reunited. Though I would love to watch you wallow in your helplessness, I require something more tangible."

The devil "Five" took over the conversation, finally revealing their ultimate objective.

"I need you, Miss Avia, to sign a new contract with 'Four.' This one is tailored for you, not your family."

"You, who managed to slip outside the contract's reach through your mother's efforts, possess a void affinity beyond our expectations. Honestly, 'Four' once claimed this power could not possibly be your own, but it seems this affinity truly belongs to you."

"This talent is too tempting. The world is truly unfair; how could a human possess such potent void affinity? Even with the key's augmentation, the foundation itself must be formidable to reach such heights."

"We want this talent of yours—or rather, your void affinity. Upon your death, your soul shall belong to us. Of course, in life, you may walk your path and ascend to the legend you are destined for."

"You simply must not break this contract. We shall add more restrictions to this new pact, so that 'Four,' who was too naive back then, cannot be outmaneuvered again."

"What do you say? Live a magnificent life, and then, after death—when it no longer matters—surrender that which is already fading."

The devil "Five" finished his proposal and looked at Avia, waiting for the girl to respond.

He was in no hurry. Based on the description he had received from "Four" about this girl who valued emotions so highly, she would never abandon the only kin Mira had left in this world.

Whether she signed or not was of little consequence to him. If she signed, she would inevitably step into this space controlled by the three devils, and they would simply drag both the girl and her mother into the void.

Even if she defied expectations and refused, it mattered not; they would simply devour Mira’s soul completely, though they would have to wait for her physical body to wither away naturally.

The contract signed by "Four’s" power still provided a sliver of protection to the Swain family. Once Mira died, that contract would dissolve due to the generational gap Avia had already created.

Having devoured Mira’s soul and gained more information about Avia, the devils, with their endless lifespans and semi-immortal nature, would have ample time and opportunity to seize Avia’s void affinity.

With the attitude of one admiring his spoils, the devil watched the silent Avia. The aura of void affinity radiating from her was enough to earn his genuine admiration.

The girl’s soul was truly one of the most brilliant and dazzling to emerge from the countless random births in this world. Compared to the souls of the great beings seen throughout history, it was, at the very least, their equal.

This soul would eventually belong to them. Their schemes were devoid of risk or the possibility of failure.

Either she would be dragged into the void while signing the contract to save her mother, or she would watch her mother be dragged into the void, suffering the agony of losing her only kin, while Mira’s devoured soul would only serve to aid their future machinations against the girl.

Anything else? There was nothing else. This was the nature of devils: smiling as they toyed with a material world that was virtually helpless against them.

"BOOM!"

Then, he heard a thunderous explosion. A figure surged into the room—it was the knight, Wang Yu.

To the devil "Five," this fellow was utterly repulsive. For reasons unknown, under his observation, the knight appeared no different from those soulless mechanical golems.

Power swept across this space, which already bordered the void, and in an instant, it dragged the charging knight into the void. The devil "Five" watched the incoming Wang Yu with a smile.

A foolish attempt. Without a soul, one cannot be eroded by the chaos of the void. It mattered not; such purely material existences could not even touch them.

"SNAP!"

Yet, the entity that he believed could not even touch them reached out and pressed firmly against Mira, who was already almost entirely merged with the void, making tangible contact with those who belonged only to the void.

"Hm!?"

Unfathomable shock struck the hearts of all three devils simultaneously. Of course, this same shock rippled through the members of the Cursed Wizard Tower outside, who had only just realized what was happening.

What had they seen? A man had charged directly into the void and, while fully integrated into that void, had touched something within it with his own physical body!?

The idle chatter with the devils had merely been to gather more information. No matter how many twists the devils devised, no matter what traps they laid, his course of action remained the same.

He would make no compromises and accept no threats. He could not be certain if this would save Avia’s mother, but it was infinitely better than being shackled and allowing the devils to take even more.

Ultimately, it was a matter of insufficient power. Thus, this was the only solution for him and Avia to counter the devils' schemes.

Charge into the void, beat these damned devils to death with the very things they had prepared, and save Mira to the best of his ability. Even if the result was failure after giving his all, there would be no room for regret.

The power of the Chariot extended outward, seizing Mira’s body along with the two devils who had been caught off guard. Dragging them along, Wang Yu smashed through the passage opened by the Void Well and plunged into the void.

A lone soldier charges in!