Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!-Chapter 606 - 162-The Ceasefire

As soon as Ares's voice fell, the air trembled—subtly at first, then with increasing intensity—as ripples like those on the surface of a disturbed lake spread outward in all directions.

Then, with a deep, resonant tearing sound, the sky itself split open.

A rift, wide enough for a grown adult to walk through, tore across the heavens. From within the gleaming crevice descended a woman—elderly, kindly in appearance, yet exuding a presence that made time itself seem to hold its breath. She walked on air as if gravity held no dominion over her, slowly, gracefully descending toward the battlefield.

And throughout her descent, Alan felt nothing.

No tremor in the surrounding mana. No shift in magical pressure. Not even a flicker of spell formation.

Exactly like when Emperor Denken had appeared.

That could only mean one thing.

This woman didn't use magic in the conventional sense. She simply rewrote reality to suit her will.

She didn't bend the rules—she authored them.

Such was the terrifying nature of a Legendary mage.

Upon touching down, she wasted no time. Her eyes briefly swept across the frozen forms of Francis and Blanche, whose bodies were still locked in the aftermath of Snow's earlier attack—covered head-to-toe in a biting layer of frost.

She raised a hand slightly.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the frost vanished.

No melting. No dripping. It was as if the freezing assault had never happened.

Next, with a flicker of movement that defied the eye, she appeared behind the white-haired female mage—Snow—and seized her by the collar, lifting her effortlessly off the ground like a scolded schoolgirl.

"I taught you magic," the old woman growled, her voice suddenly sharp, "so you could protect others, not terrorize them!"

Snow said nothing. Her head hung low, too ashamed to meet her mentor's eyes. freeweɓnøvel.com

After berating her female disciple, the woman turned her stern gaze toward Ares.

"And you!" she barked, "You're not exactly young anymore. Is bullying children really how you spend your time these days?"

"But what truly embarrasses me," she added, voice rising, "is that you still lost. Shadow magic—taught to a blockhead like you—what a complete waste!"

Ares scratched his cheek awkwardly, clearly humiliated. He had known full well what would happen when he called her out—this outcome was inevitable. Still, it had been the only way to prove to Alan that he was serious about a ceasefire.

After thoroughly chastising both of her students, the woman let out a long breath and visibly calmed herself. With a softer demeanor, she turned to face Alan and the others, her tone now gentle.

"I must apologize," she said sincerely. "These two students of mine have caused quite a mess. I'm very sorry for the trouble."

None of the group dared respond with anything but deference.

Francis was the first to react. He rotated his previously frozen limbs and gave an awkward laugh.

"Trouble? No, no, not at all! We're… grateful, really! For the, uh… guidance from Senior Ares and this lady mage here. It was… educational!"

Blanche nodded furiously beside him, echoing his sentiment, her expression stiff with nervous politeness.

The old woman smiled faintly and nodded. She didn't pursue the topic further, instead turning her attention to Alan—who still stood on guard, shoulders tense and teeth clenched, his wariness undimmed.

She chuckled softly.

With unhurried steps, she walked over and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Young man, you don't have to be so tense," she said with warm reassurance. "I give you my word—Ares won't raise a hand against you again. You may not trust him… but surely you can trust me? After all, I am a Legendary mage."

And she wasn't lying.

Though Alan had proven capable of holding his own—even against a tier-platinum powerhouse—in front of a Legendary-level opponent, he was no more than a leaf in a hurricane.

If she wanted him dead, it would be done before he could even blink.

Yet here she stood, unthreatening, amicable.

Alan took a deep breath, finally easing the tension in his chest. "Fine," he said quietly. "As long as you're willing to leave now, I'll treat what happened earlier as water under the bridge."

The woman smiled—but shook her head. "Not yet. I'd like to ask you a few questions first."

Her expression turned serious. She looked directly into Alan's eyes.

"Word is," she began, "you weren't originally a student at Sirius Academy. When you first arrived in the Imperial Capital… wasn't it Lioncrest Academy you wanted to join?"

Alan froze. Then he slowly nodded. "That's true, Senior. My sister and I… we're from the countryside—Snowguard City. I'd hoped to join Lioncrest Academy mainly so I could find a way to cure her illness…"

The old woman clicked her tongue and sighed. "Every family has its burdens, I see… Then why did you end up at Sirius instead?"

At that, Alan clenched his fists.

Without hesitation, he told her—summarizing the events that transpired at Lioncrest Academy. The rejection, the humiliation, the contempt he'd suffered simply for daring to apply without wealth or noble blood.

The woman's brows furrowed deeper with every word.

"What a bunch of imbeciles," she muttered. "So much for the pride of the Imperial Capital. They've disgraced us all."

She then turned toward Ares and Snow again, but spoke to Alan.

"So, your name's Alan, is it? Forget what that fool Stephen said. You made the right call. Lioncrest is overrated. You'll thrive far better at Sirius—more freedom, more room to grow."

She smiled, placing her hands on her hips.

"If anyone dares mess with you again, just tell them you've got my backing! My name is—"

"Teacher!" Ares suddenly shouted, sprinting over and waving his arms frantically. "Please don't! Don't you remember the agreement with His Majesty? You can't go throwing your name around in public!"

"Oh… right," she muttered, scratching her head. "That was a thing, wasn't it?"

Turning back to Alan, she gave an apologetic grin. "Well, no worries. I might not be able to back you personally… but Ares here—he's my final disciple. Inherits the most of my magic. From now on, he's your big brother. He'll watch your back!"

She gave Ares a gentle push toward Alan.

Ares stared at her in exasperation. "Teacher… must you always improvise everything? Besides, Alan might not even want that! We literally just—"

He trailed off.

Alan—and everyone else—were still visibly unhappy.

Their faces spoke volumes. No one was ready to let the earlier battle go just yet.

The old woman noticed the lingering distrust immediately.

She cleared her throat and stepped toward Francis and Blanche. Then, to everyone's surprise—she bowed deeply.

"I offer my sincerest apologies for Snow's conduct earlier," she said solemnly. "As her teacher, I take full responsibility."

Francis nearly fainted. "Please don't! You're a Legendary mage! We can't possibly accept such a gesture!"

Blanche, too, was flustered. While her uncle, the Legendary mage Gayle, also carried that title, he was family—and often acted more like an eccentric elder than a terrifying powerhouse.

But this woman was different. Despite her occasional jokes, her aura was undeniable.

None of them dared treat her lightly.

"Hmph. Never liked ceremonial stuff anyway," the woman muttered. "Let's do something practical instead."

She reached into her robes and pulled out two small vials—glass containers filled with swirling liquid.

She handed them to Francis and Blanche, then began forming intricate illusions before their eyes.

Before Francis, an illusion of a giant apple shimmered into view. Before Blanche, a long, slender pair of scissors materialized.

Both of them stared in confusion.

The old woman quickly explained, "These are mana amplification potions. Not many exist. I wouldn't sell them to nobles even if they begged."

She winked. "But you two? You get them for free. Lucky you."

She then pointed to the illusions.

"That apple?" she said to Francis. "It was gifted to me recently by a man who dozed off under a tree. Said it boosts gravity magic. I haven't tested it. Good luck."

"And those scissors?" she turned to Blanche. "Actually a pair of mithril daggers. Once owned by the famous assassin mage, Nox. They look harmless, but they're lethal—and excellent at mana conduction."