Fire Mage-Chapter 670: Steal

Chapter 670: Steal

Noticing the silence, Charles chuckled.

"I don’t really care about people from different races here. As long as you promise to help me capture a being called Devil Crow, I’ll help you with whatever you want."

"You! Aren’t you worried that releasing this Evil God will hurt your comrades?" Thera asked, surprised.

"Comrades? Except for a little friend, none of those guys matter much to me." Charles shook his head and pressed on.

"So, what must I do now?"

"Move to the center of this town and enter the Temple of Souls. From there, find the Sacrum Sanctorum and look for the hidden door. It leads directly to the Chamber of the Dead. At the chamber’s end, you’ll find a Black Coffin—and my original body in the real world. But be careful: once you enter the real world, you risk corruption from the chaos power the Evil God released."

Charles nodded.

He looked around at the long, crumbled buildings covered with vines and plants.

More startling were the fallen leaves, birds, and even magical beasts frozen in time by the ’Time Stop’ seal.

This place has been frozen for over 15,000 years... but how has no one noticed?

Nearby, Charles spotted a group of humans wearing robes adorned with eye symbols, frozen in place against a stone wall. One man was suspended mid-air—clearly caught mid-leap, likely trying to reach a nearby building but trapped within the seal’s range.

Shaking his head, Charles continued down the ruined path.

After some time, he passed buildings two or even three stories tall, perfectly preserved. There must be magical formations preserving them.

Fifteen minutes later, he reached a conical building topped with a scythe symbol. Unlike the others, it was surrounded by three-meter-tall walls adorned with strange statues—animals, birds, humans, and other races.

Charles slipped quietly through the compound door like a ghost.

Beyond the entrance lay a large empty courtyard overgrown with weeds. Without hesitation, he stepped forward toward the temple. Soon, he stood before the temple’s entrance and passed inside just as silently.

"I spent three days opening that magical array-enforced door," Thera grumbled, trying to gather information about him.

"Yet here you are, moving this far without any physical strain?"

Charles didn’t even glance back. He ignored her question and pressed on through the gloomy temple hall. Multiple stone pillars supported the structure, lending a grand, ancient feel to the interior.

Carefully, Charles made his way to the temple’s center and stood before the Sanctum Sanctorum.

"This is it."

He passed through the door and found himself before a strange statue of a six-armed woman. Each hand wielded a different weapon—a sword, spear, scythe, and more—projecting an intimidating aura.

"This was the Goddess of Death, who once ruled this divine realm long ago. Though she fell from the divine Throne, I don’t think her soul perished or crossed into the Eternal River of Life. When I released the Evil God from that coffin, I felt an eerie gaze from this statue—no, an icy stare that sent shivers down my spine."

"Even fallen, she can sense things from so far away?" Charles couldn’t help but ask.

Although he could glean some information when others mentioned his name, he was still far from that level of awareness.

"That’s why I used my trump card to stop the Evil God from escaping, fearing the Goddess’s hunt. But now, staying here feels more painful than that fear."

This Sun Titan sure is an unfortunate one, Charles thought.

He activated his [Enigmatic Unraveling] skill and quickly located the hidden door.

Without lingering in the Sanctum Sanctorum, he hurried toward the door adorned with magical patterns. Instead of unlocking it conventionally, he passed through it directly.

A gloomy staircase appeared before him.

Thanks to his ’Night Vision’ skill, he descended easily. Soon, he reached a vast underground chamber supported by rows of iron pillars. Strange murals and carvings decorated the walls, revealing deep history behind the temple and this fourth layer.

If I had time, I could use ’Mythos Decoding’ to uncover many secrets about this temple and the Goddess of Death herself.

But time wasn’t on his side.

I don’t know how the Disaster will unfold, but I must escape before I get caught in the destruction.

He pressed forward until he stopped before a large elevated platform.

Just as in his vision, an ominous black coffin sat at the center. Nearby, a golden-haired woman twice his size sat in a meditative pose, holding a disk-like glass artifact.

...

A few hours earlier

A goat-horned Winged-Demon stood atop a solitary hill, gazing solemnly at the distant mountain range. Beside him, a towering dragon with black and reddish scales shifted nervously, clearly ready to flee.

"Are you really going into the Devil Crow’s lair now, Azgan?" Mirigon’s voice was stiff, betraying his unease.

"This is the right moment, my friend. And even if I’m captured, nothing will change for everyone." Azgan’s tone was calm as he began reciting an ancient chant in an abyssal tongue, activating a powerful Concealing ability.

"Chaos Veil."

He then pulled a pendant from his spatial ring and slipped it over his neck, triggering its effect.

This was Occult Nullification — a rare power that nullified any attempts to detect the demon’s presence, leaving behind an occult void that swallowed all inquiries.

Next, Azgan tore a unique abyssal scroll from his spatial ring and tossed a dark elemental crystal into the magical formation that appeared beneath his feet.

Moments later, Mirigon’s eyes betrayed a strange confusion: Azgan’s existence began to fade, then vanish entirely from sight.

No — it was worse. Mirigon suddenly forgot Azgan altogether, a dumbfounded expression spreading across his face.

"Why am I here? I feel like I’ve forgotten someone important..." He clutched his head, the blurry image of the forgotten figure flickering at the edge of his memory.

But as his mind cleared, the face of Azgan—and all their previous conversations—slowly returned.

"What a terrifying spell! If I hadn’t known him for so long, I might have lost all memory of his existence. I’d better alert the Human Mage Commander. The big show’s about to begin."

Mirigon, the Chaos Dragon, turned back to fulfill his part of the plan as Azgan descended from the summit, flying toward the Devil Crow’s lair.

...

The wind whispered past Azgan as he soared through darkened skies, shrouded in the twin veils of Chaos Veil and Occult Nullification.

His flight took him through treacherous mountain passes and shadowed valleys, where the landscape itself seemed to warp and blur, responding to the enigmatic concealment that cloaked him.

Ahead, the Devil Crow’s lair yawned at the base of a massive mountain — more a gaping maw to the abyss than an entrance.

Azgan slowed, sensing the eerie stillness that hung like a heavy shroud. Darkness and Chaos power radiated from the entrance, a tangible tension prickling his skin.

I have to be careful. Even a flicker of my wisdom power—or a single breath—could betray me.

Holding his breath, he stepped lightly onto the rough ground, treading as softly as a feather.

Inside, the lair twisted into labyrinthine corridors. Guided only by his mystical intuition, Azgan pressed deeper, the Occult Nullification shielding his presence from even the sharpest demonic senses.

Minutes stretched into over half an hour as he wound through the cavern’s eerie depths, until finally, he reached its heart.

...

In the forbidden chamber, pulsating with otherworldly energy, the colossal figure of the Devil Crow rested upon a nest woven from bones and skulls.

Its eyes, glowing with infernal intelligence, remained fixed on the cavern’s entrance.

Or so it seemed.

A chill ran through the chamber as a surge of powerful wisdom energy swept from afar, intensifying the Devil Crow’s vigilance.

That familiar power made Azgan’s lips curl into a sly smile.

The Lord of Chaos has finally revealed himself. Now, what will you do, Devil Crow?

He stood silently, waiting.

As expected, the Devil Crow screeched in fury, beating its vast, dark wings as it shot toward the cavern’s mouth. It tore through hanging stalagmites without hesitation.

Reaching the entrance, it unleashed another piercing cry, scattering wisdom power in every direction before flying toward the source of that distant energy.

I can finally do my part.

Azgan stepped toward the nest, spotting a strange, egg-shaped object.

That human irregular was telling the truth.

Though no larger than his head, the egg pulsed with a strange life essence.

Hastily, he scooped it up with his demonic hands.

Suddenly, a prickling sensation of prying awareness blossomed around him.

A thunderous shout rang out, filled with raw wisdom power, echoing through the Fourth Layer.

"You dare steal my egg?"

Azgan’s heart skipped a beat as the Devil Crow’s voice, heavy with authority, shook the cavern. The beast halted mid-flight, searching desperately.

"I knew it wouldn’t be easy," Azgan muttered, clutching the egg tighter. The invasive sensation grew stronger. The egg and Devil Crow were linked.

With precision, Azgan activated another hidden power — Ephemeral Eclipse. Darkness swallowed the chamber, distorting reality and severing the strange connection for a moment.

I need to get out—fast.

He retraced his steps through the twisting corridors, the stolen egg’s pulse growing restless, as if conscious, struggling against the dark shroud that masked it.

As I thought, this egg is the Devil Crow’s trump card.