Fire Mage-Chapter 651: Tension

Chapter 651: Tension

Vital? Charles thought. Their strength isn’t even that impressive. Even the Order Church could crush them. Wouldn’t it make more sense to send stronger heroes instead? And what about those Corpse Devourers Jade mentioned?

He couldn’t hold back. "Your Majesty, may we know more about the outer world and what the Celestial Guards are truly protecting us from?"

The Divine King’s smile faded. He turned his gaze slowly to Charles.

"Curiosity is a fine thing, young Karr," he said. "The outer world exists beyond our reach. It holds possibilities... and great risks. Knowledge, yes—but also danger."

He paused, and an unspoken weight filled the hall.

"The Celestial Guards were created to bridge the gap between realms—to maintain balance and shield us from what lies beyond."

The Sage Heroes exchanged glances. The king’s words had truth in them, yet they felt incomplete.

Charles smiled faintly. "If the Celestial Guards can travel there, why can’t we? Aren’t the Sage Heroes and Guardians far stronger?"

"No!" the Divine King roared, slamming his scepter to the ground.

The entire hall fell into a stunned silence.

"Why, Your Majesty? It’s not that we don’t trust you," Elre said after a brief silence, "but we want to share the burden with you."

The Sage Heroes and the three remaining Guardians nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on Divine King Phoebe, waiting for his response.

Phoebe let out a long sigh.

"It seems someone has influenced your mind," he said quietly.

His words startled Elre, the Sage Heroes, and even Charles.

He figured it out just from the Sage Heroes’ reaction? This guy is sharp. Charles thought. His gaze met Phoebe’s for the briefest moment, and in that second, the Divine King seemed to sense something. His attention quickly shifted to Esim, then returned to Charles with a faint, curious smile.

"Interesting. I see a trace of Esim’s wisdom in your eyes. Did you inherit his knowledge? Who are you really—an outsider?"

"Inheritance? I never even had a personal disciple, Your Majesty," Esim replied.

Phoebe snorted coldly.

He turned to the others in the room.

"We’ll discuss this later. For now, the audience is over. Everyone except young Karr, Esim, and Elre may leave."

The order confused many, but no one dared question the King. One by one, they began turning to leave.

Before they could, Charles stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said, "I’m the real Vesryn. I found a way out of this confined dimension... and I saw the truth with my own eyes."

Phoebe’s brow furrowed. He shook his head. "It’s impossible. No one can leave this dimension. And your lies won’t work on me."

I know that. But this isn’t for you—it’s for them.

Charles gripped his sword’s hilt and continued. "I did inherit knowledge from the Shadowed Sage Esim. But not from the one standing beside you. That one’s a clone. The real Esim died long ago—poisoned."

"What are you talking about, Vesryn?" Elre asked, stepping back in confusion. A sense of doubt crept into his heart.

The others—Sage Heroes, Guardians, disciples—also backed away, staring between Charles and the King with uncertain eyes.

Instead of replying, Charles calmly pulled a black robe from his space ring and draped it over his gown.

"This was a gift from Esim as well," he said, locking eyes with the clone. "Familiar, isn’t it? In fact, it’s more refined than the one you’re wearing."

"I... I can sense my shadow and wisdom essences in that robe," Esim muttered, visibly confused.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot and reappeared before Charles.

"Where did you get this, young Karr?"

"You should be asking your King," Charles said with a thin smile.

All eyes turned to Phoebe.

A heavy silence filled the room.

Then, Phoebe slowly rose to his feet. He gripped his scepter, his gaze sharpening.

Just as he raised his spiritual power, Esim stepped forward and blocked him, releasing his own aura to shield Charles.

"You’re protecting him?" Phoebe asked coldly. "He could be an intruder."

"Even if he is, I want to know how he got that robe and my inheritance. Let me speak to him. We don’t need to resort to violence."

Elre stepped up beside them. "Guardian Esim is right, Your Majesty."

The Sage Heroes also moved closer to Charles, preparing for a confrontation.

Phoebe’s face finally showed a hint of surprise.

"Never in history has a single Sage Hero spoken against me. Yet here you are, standing with an outsider instead of your King."

"I’m not an outsider," Charles replied, taking a few steps back. "But after hearing what you said earlier, I’m starting to think you might be the one."

A ripple of uncertainty spread through the throne hall. Doubt settled like a weight in the air.

Just one more push, and everything will fall into place.

Phoebe’s expression twisted in fury. "Celestial Guards! Arrest them all! Kill that puppet before he says anything else!"

In an instant, more than fifty silver-armored guards appeared and surrounded them.

"If it has come to this," Phoebe said grimly, "then I have no choice but to erase everything and start over. I won’t let things spiral out of control like before."

The words struck a chord. People began to question whether the man before them was truly their King.

"W-Where is our Divine King? What did you do to him?" Elre demanded.

"I am your Divine King!" Phoebe roared, signaling the guards to attack.

Meanwhile, Charles activated his [Phantasmal Analysis] and quickly scanned the area.

Only 25 are real. The rest are illusions... but they’re strong. Strong enough to match a Legendary Rank.

He scanned Phoebe next.

Six dream-related skills, two unique abilities, three divine skills... and that artifact on his wrist—it’s the same energy I felt in the Graveyard of Sinners. I can’t analyze it. That’s not good.

As Esim and Elre prepared for battle, Charles decided to leave the confrontation to them.

"You handle the guards," Elre ordered the others. "We’ll deal with this imposter."

He raised his silver staff. A moment later, a rush of wind essence filled the hall, wrapping around everyone—boosting their speed and strength.

Then Elre cast another spell—Airlock—and sealed Phoebe’s movement. A moment later, he forcefully teleported the imposter King somewhere else and vanished himself.

Esim cast [Shadow Veil] and disappeared as well.

He teleported him 30 kilometers away. Smart. Charles released his wisdom power and began observing the others.

Despite the King’s disappearance, no one lost focus. The Sage Heroes, Guardians, and disciples unleashed a barrage of magic spells on the Celestial Guards. Walls cracked, pillars crumbled, the ceiling began to collapse.

But Charles quickly noticed something disturbing—the disciples fought like children. Their spells missed. Their eyes lacked resolve.

Only the Sage Heroes are holding their ground.

The Celestial Guards, in contrast, were ruthless. In seconds, three disciples were dead. One Sage Hero was wounded.

They won’t last at this rate.

Charles focused on a nearby Celestial Guard locked in combat. He cast [Burning Thoughts] on the enemy, wiping out his immediate thoughts.

The guard froze for a split second—just long enough for a [Fire Tendrils] spell to catch him. Then came [Fire Storm], engulfing him in flames. He died screaming.

It works on Corpse Devourers. Charles nodded to himself. He cast [Shadow Veil] and slipped into the darkness, combining it with his Shadow Stealth.

One by one, he picked off the guards from the shadows. Within a minute, they were all gone.

Now... time to focus on the real battle.

He vanished into the shadows once again.

A second later, Charles reappeared 25 kilometers from the city and slipped into stealth once more.

After flying for a while, he finally spotted Divine King Phoebe battling the silver-haired Elre mid-air.

Unlike the other battle, this one looked like a clash between a Wind Mage and a Summoner.

Sinister nightmare creatures appeared out of thin air, lashing out at Elre with brutal force. At the same time, Divine King Phoebe unleashed eerie dream-based spells that attacked Elre’s mind.

But Elre stood firm, deflecting each assault. Even when backed into a corner, an eclipse-shaped shield flared around him, absorbing the brunt of the magic.

Still, minute by minute, the strain began to show on Elre’s face.

"You can’t win, Elre. Give up," Phoebe said coldly and raised his hand for the next spell.

A wave of dizziness hit Elre like a sudden storm. His focus slipped for a brief moment.

"Wind Resonance!" he shouted, instantly heightening his senses and perception to staggering levels.

As if anticipating the move, Phoebe cast another spell. A crack formed in the space above them, and a massive pillar of swirling, greyish light descended. It pulsed with chaotic dream energy, slowly enclosing Elre within its otherworldly glow.

Esim reacted quickly. He raised both hands and cast the powerful [Eclipse Shield]. But even the shimmering barrier couldn’t withstand the sheer force of the dream pillar.

As the light lingered, Elre’s composure shattered. He screamed—raw, visceral cries of agony and terror. The alien energies dug into him, flooding his mind with nightmarish visions and unbearable pain.

When the pillar finally vanished, Elre hovered in place, trembling violently. His eyes darted around in panic. His limbs wouldn’t stop shaking.

"D-Demon! W-Who the hell are you?" he rasped, face pale.

"What did you see, Elre?" came Esim’s voice from his left.

"That boy was right, Esim," Elre said, breathing hard. "This... this isn’t the Divine King we once knew. He just used taboo magic on me—invaded my memories. I saw nightmare creatures devouring me alive."