Fire Mage-Chapter 666: Reunion

Chapter 666: Reunion

"Then, I’ll take my leave," Charles said, rising from his seat. He walked to the wooden door, then paused as if recalling something.

"Don’t delay too long. Five days."

With that, he quietly opened the door and left, leaving the winged demon behind in heavy silence.

"Five days? Is he serious? How are we supposed to come up with a plan in just five days?"

But the demon soon cast those thoughts aside and prepared to relay everything to the Lord of Chaos and his master.

Meanwhile, Charles exited the pub and made his way toward the War Castle’s gate along a paved road. He soon left the castle behind and entered the Ancient Trinket Forest. After a moment, he cast [Fallen Angel’s Wings] and soared southward, toward the Human Settlement.

Another day passed as he flew at breakneck speed.

At noon the next day, a massive fortress came into view, rising from the center of a vast plain.

"Finally, some fresh air," he muttered, breathing deeply.

His body began to shift. His blue skin faded to olive. Emerald replaced his eye color. His bluish-green hair turned blonde, and his height adjusted to 160 cm. A sixteen-year-old boy now stood in his place.

He pulled a black robe over his fur clothing and gently descended onto the barren ground. Though a few green plants sprouted here and there—thanks to traces of pure mana—they bore the marks of chaotic corruption, twisted and mutated.

Taking another breath, Charles started walking toward Baston Fort.

As he neared the gate, two figures flew down from the fortress wall and landed in front of him.

One was a burly blond man with a rugged build. The other wore a robe and carried a staff—a mage.

"Welcome to Baston Fort, Mage Charles from Earth," the robed man greeted him with a polite smile.

"You know me?" Charles raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.

"A day ago, your friend Alistair returned to the fort and asked us to keep an eye out for you. He also asked that we guide you if you showed up. I can tell you where he’s staying." The man paused before introducing himself.

"By the way, I’m Maverick of the Holem Family—one of Edhen’s major Mage families. We’ve got a Demi-God backing us," he added with a hint of pride.

"I’m Charles. From Earth," he replied. "Mr. Maverick, could you take me to Alistair? I also need to speak with the base commander about something important."

"Commander Erwin isn’t someone just anyone can meet," the muscular man interrupted gruffly.

"Don’t mind him," Maverick said, waving it off. "I’ll get you an appointment soon and send someone to notify you."

A moment later, the tall metallic gate before them groaned open.

Charles stepped inside—and paused.

A sky of pure blue stretched overhead, studded with countless stars. Greenery sprawled across the landscape. Distant mountains loomed on the horizon.

There were no tents or temporary shelters. Instead, rows of well-built homes—single and double-storied—lined the streets. Some even resembled mansions. Strange human-like beings without souls wandered about.

"Lord Erwin is both an Alchemist and a Rune Mage," Maverick explained. "After establishing this base, he turned his pocket dimension into a sanctuary. People can buy homes here. He even created homunculi to assist us, renting them out in exchange for elemental crystals."

"Impressive," Charles muttered, taking in the surreal scene.

"So, where is Alistair staying? Just give me the address—I’ll find him myself," Charles said, noting the layout of five long streets within the dimension.

"He bought a house on Fourth Street," Maverick replied, pointing. "Door number 24C."

Charles nodded and followed the indicated path.

He walked along the smooth concrete road, glancing at the houses lining either side, until he reached a single-storied home with a small front lawn. Two large trees shaded the entrance porch, swaying gently in the wind as if welcoming him.

Opening the gate, Charles stepped onto the grass-covered path and walked up to the front door. He knocked twice.

Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a short, broad-shouldered man with blue hair.

"Good to see you again, Charles," Alistair greeted him with a warm smile.

"What happened to you, Mr. Alistair?" Charles asked, eyes fixed on the claw scar slashing across Alistair’s bare chest. Though the wounds had been healed with potions, the jagged mark still stood out starkly against his skin.

Alistair offered a bitter smile, turned his back to Charles, and gestured him inside.

As the two stepped in, he began to speak.

"After we parted, we headed south, following clues we’d gathered over the years. But instead of reaching Baston Fort, we kept going—ended up in a strange mountain cavern. It looked eerily similar to the second floor’s boss area."

He paused, his expression tightening.

"That’s where we met our nightmare. The Devil Crow."

He swallowed hard, the memory clearly rattling him. Fear flickered in his eyes.

"It was a hundred-meter-tall, shadow-like bird. One moment, the sky was clear; the next, everything was covered in darkness. That thing’s shadow engulfed us before we even knew what was happening. I saw it strike down Evander in a single blow... he didn’t even get to scream. We tried to fight back, but it turned into a massacre. Only I survived, thanks to a teleportation scroll. Or... maybe that monster let me go on purpose."

A tremor ran through him.

"I felt it watching me—all the way from that cavern back to Baston Fort."

Charles’s eyes widened. "Your entire team... they all died?"

"I’m really sorry for your loss, Mister." His voice softened as he stepped into the living room and sat on the nearby sofa. "So, what are you planning to do next?"

Alistair sat opposite, a shadow lingering in his gaze.

"What can I do? This expedition to the fourth floor was a failure—but a necessary one. At least I’ve seen what kind of horrors lurk here. Once I return to Edhen World, I’ll report everything to the family. We’ll be better prepared for the next expedition. I’m certain that next time... we’ll succeed."

He leaned back, then suddenly asked, "Did you take the Sacred Oath yet?"

"Not yet," Charles replied, shaking his head.

"Me neither. I’m still debating... Should I leave without making the oath or commit to it? Speaking of which, did you meet your companions yet?"

"I don’t think we can leave this layer without making the Sacred Oath," Charles answered calmly. "As for my companions, I did meet someone. Thanks to him, I found the human settlement quickly." He lied without hesitation.

Alistair nodded, then poured wine into two glasses from a nearby bottle. "So, what now? Will you join your companions and head to the fifth floor? Or return to your home world?"

Charles took the offered glass, swirling it thoughtfully before sipping.

"Before that, I’m planning to explore a ruined temple about 200 kilometers from this settlement," he said. "Thanks to my companion, I might be able to get help from the Commander—maybe even borrow a few people for support. Would you like to come?"

Alistair blinked, surprised by the invitation.

"Consider it a way to repay what you did for me on the last floor," Charles added.

"Hm..." Alistair rubbed his chin, thinking. "Can you tell me more about this place we’re headed to?"

Charles nodded. "It’s called the Fortress of Soul Graves. Our goal is to enter the temple at the center and retrieve a strange coffin. Once we find it, we end the expedition and return. Anything else you find on the way is yours. Same goes for all participants."

Alistair frowned. "You make it sound simple. How dangerous is this mission, really? How many Legend Rank beasts might we encounter? And how many people are going?"

After facing the Devil Crow, he wasn’t about to leap into another death trap.

’I can’t blame him,’ Charles thought. ’If I had faced the Devil Crow myself, I’d probably have been forced to use Grace’s Void ability—or worse.’

"To be honest," he said aloud, "this area is one of the five great forest regions—like Ancient Trinket. It’s been unexplored for millennia. Even though the ruin isn’t in the deep zone, it’s still dangerous. Moving in large numbers will take at least three days."

’And I’m not even certain we’ll find the sealed coffin.’

But he knew one thing for sure: Soul Graves was the only name that directly implied death.

Alistair closed his eyes for a moment, then let out a long breath.

"I want to go. We lost so many elite members on this floor, and recovering something valuable would ease that pain. But if I die before reporting back, the Truelords will lose even more—maybe everything. Then they’ll just send more geniuses to their deaths. It’s not worth the risk."

"I understand." Charles didn’t push further and nodded in agreement.

"It might feel awkward," Alistair added, "but you can stay here until your preparations are complete."

"Alright," Charles agreed without argument.

They continued chatting for a while until a knock echoed from the front door. Alistair went to answer and returned a minute later.

"It’s Maverick’s homunculus," he said. "She’s here to escort you to the Commander’s residence."

"Oh?" Charles raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t expect an appointment so quickly."

"Of course, you got one. After I told Maverick how you handled the third-floor battle, his interest in you spiked. And since you’re from a completely unknown world, even Commander Erwin will want to learn about your customs and knowledge. The more interworld connections someone has, the more doors they can open."

Charles said nothing. These so-called connections didn’t interest him. The story he spun came from his past life memories anyway.