Chapter 24: The Lantern-Bearing Elder and the Duke of Veilfire!

In the dim and silent secret chamber, candlelight flickered.

Although Zorn had completed the inheritance of the [Evil Spirit Wizard], the ritual was far from over. The [Evil Spirit Wizard] was the main course of this rite, the core of the ceremony, but Zorn had yet to choose the delicious side dish—the guardian of the Evil Spirit Wizard.

Now was the time to choose his own guardian.

Chanting the ancient secret incantations in the Tythian tongue, Zorn’s spiritual consciousness plummeted deep into a hazy, hidden expanse of black mist. As he touched the viscous fog, a dense, needle-like pain permeated his soul.

"It is painful at the start, but this is a tempering of the Evil Wizard’s soul, constantly strengthening its spiritual intensity through the agony," Zorn mused. "Besides... I possess the Pugilist sequence, which is particularly adept at growing through hardship. The combination of these two sequences might yield unexpected results."

As his Evil Wizard spirit descended, sinking into the depths of the black mist, the surroundings fell completely silent. Vaguely, Zorn could sense that within the depths of the darkness, hidden and profound gazes were observing him. When Zorn looked back, he saw only murky darkness; even if he reached that region, he would find nothingness waiting for him.

Zorn understood that in these depths, he could not see others, and they could not see him. He was alone here, yet he was not the only one.

He turned his gaze toward the [Origin of Calamity]. Dozens of fragments of the Evil God [Egunus]—some large, some small, with varying degrees of spiritual power—floated silently in the deep mist. As a former [Player], Zorn knew the situation well. The [Evil Spirit Wizard] sequence he had acquired was the largest and most complete fragment of [Egunus]. The dozen or so fragments displayed here were only a portion of the whole. Some were sealed away, some were buried, and others had been obtained by secret sects, hidden cults, or the Church, where they were being crafted into powerful, special sequences that were growing in silence.

Those present here were simply waiting—waiting for the right time, waiting for the right vessel. Whether it was Zorn or the other "Evil Spirits" who had obtained fragments of the Evil God, they had all learned the [True Name] of this deity upon receiving the shards. At the same time, they had already become a part of the great Evil God.

As parts of the Evil God, "Evil Spirits" like Zorn were destined to collect the other pieces and eventually... fulfill the role of the terrifying deity. This was fate; this was their final destination.

Of course, Zorn could choose to do nothing, living out the rest of his life as a quiet aristocrat, eating, drinking, and playing. But... that day would eventually come. An Evil Spirit far more powerful than Zorn would appear—perhaps in the twilight of an evening, or through a window during dinner, or even in the midst of his dreams. He would appear, grip Zorn’s throat, and watch as Zorn choked to death, a mocking smile on his lips. The other would gladly savor Zorn—a delicious cake that possessed a huge advantage but chose to give it up. If the other were kind-hearted, perhaps he would spare Zorn’s relatives, friends, or children. But... would someone who had collected so many Evil God fragments be kind-hearted?

Clearly not.

Everything that the former Great Boss, the Evil Spirit Wizard "Zorn Corrick," had done upon ascending to the Evil Wizard Temple would be replicated upon Zorn by another rising Great Boss.

If Zorn did not want to become a part of someone else, then... he had to eliminate all the individuals and factions that had obtained fragments of the Evil God [Egunus]. He had to devour every other [Evil Spirit].

The process might be arduous, but Zorn was prepared. He was willing to pay the price of his life for this thorny journey toward becoming an Evil God. He had long since steeled his resolve.

Scanning the dozen or so fragments in the [Origin of Calamity] region, Zorn arrived at the location of his own previous fragment. He pushed aside the murky, black mist. Four vaguely visible, phantom silhouettes gradually emerged and became clear. These were the four guardians of the Evil Spirit Wizard. However, Zorn could only activate one for now; only as his strength grew would he be able to awaken the others.

Shadow Assassin, Calmness!
Merciful Witch, Compassion!
Calamity Knight, Courage!
Lantern Elder, Wisdom!

In the original timeline, Zorn Corrick had primarily chosen the "Calamity Knight." On many occasions, the Calamity Knight had helped "Zorn Corrick" block attacks and escape danger. If Zorn were purely an [Evil Spirit Wizard], his choice would likely have been the "Shadow Assassin," as it could help him perform "dirty work" while, more importantly, ensuring his safety. But with the [Star Mark: Pugilist], the need for a Shadow Assassin had diminished significantly.

"The Lantern Elder."

Zorn’s gaze fell upon the Lantern Elder, who was most suited to play the role of "partner," "strategist," and "advisor" among the four guardians. Zorn lightly tapped the silhouette of the Lantern Elder. A stooped old man with white hair, carrying an aged lantern, gradually took shape. The Lantern Elder’s pupils were deep, calm, and heavy, as if they could pierce through the fog and witness the truth.

"My master, I wish to reach a place I need to be, to become more deeply familiar with this world," the Elder whispered. "The world outside is roaring and noisy. Many eyes are fixed on our place of origin. Some of us have even been imprisoned, enslaved, and controlled by them. I need to explore and understand this world from your location. When the time is right, I will appear where I am needed."

Zorn nodded slightly. The advantage of choosing the Lantern Elder was that this wise old man always managed to move forward in his own way. After "Zorn Corrick" had activated all four knights in the past, the other three fell in the final epic of his downfall. Only the Lantern Elder survived. In later chapters, as a key Boss, the Lantern Elder had made "Zorn Corrick" pay dearly for his vengeance. Even many experienced [Players] had fallen at the hands of the Lantern Elder, being refined into lamp oil. It was a pity that this old man, who used the faint light of his lantern to break through the fog and had once illuminated the path for "Zorn Corrick," ultimately died at the hands of the second Great World Boss.

Studying the Lantern Elder closely, Zorn slowly withdrew his gaze. He, too, had fallen at the hands of the Lantern Elder in the past and had become a part of the lamp oil. He knew the Elder's methods well.

"You may act independently, but I need you to use your lantern to anchor that fragment," Zorn said, pointing to a small, inconspicuous piece among the many remains.

The Lantern Elder looked at the fragment, then at his master. He didn't ask why; instead, he tapped the lantern in his hand. A flame the size of a candle flickered out, submerged into the writhing, blood-red fragment, and vanished.

"Can you sense its presence?" Zorn asked.

"I can," the Lantern Elder nodded slightly.

"Good," Zorn said softly. "At the right time, your flame will illuminate his path to death."

The Lantern Elder paused, then narrowed his eyes and looked deeply at his master. "Master, your gaze is sharper than the light of the lantern."

After bowing to Zorn, the Lantern Elder transformed into a brilliant flicker of light, streaking through the black mist like a shooting star and landing on the silent, blood-red earth.

Having finished this, Zorn’s gaze returned to the deep, heavy black mist. He took a deep breath, suppressing the restlessness in his heart. This "Origin of Calamity" held a massive secret, but in the current era, it would not be perceived by anyone else. He was the perfect master of this intelligence. He hesitated for a moment in the black mist, then shook his head.

"Now... is not the time. Once I make a move, the other Evil Spirits will notice. I am only at level one; I pose no threat to them. Not until I promote to the mid-tier, reaching level seven or eight, and possess the ability to craft [Miraculous Creations], will it be time to utilize these resources. Before then, I need to help the Blood-Shadow Rose open the path to that hidden place. For the next period, raising my level will be the main priority."

Zorn’s gaze lingered once more on the fragment marked by the Lantern Elder, and he stood still. The entire Origin of Calamity fell back into a deathly silence, save for the writhing remains that brought death, pain, calamity, and loss of control to the world.

Time ticked away, second by second, until the blood moon climbed to the center of the firmament, overlooking the earth like a cold, bloodshot eye. At this moment, the Origin of Calamity, shrouded in death, disaster, and black mist, began to shift.

One by one, hazy, phantom shadows emerged. These... were all Evil Spirits. They were all parts of the great Evil God. They were Zorn’s fellow Bosses. Although they were not as formidable as Zorn, they were no easy prey. Especially those nurtured by the powers of secret sects and hidden organizations—many of them were higher in level and stronger than Zorn.

The arrival of the blood moon brought them all here, coincidentally. They could only vaguely sense each other, unable to truly see one another or know each other's identities. But they knew one thing: Evil Spirits do not need friends. Evil Spirits only need food. They were food for one another.

As the silhouettes grew more solid, the fragment previously marked by the Lantern Elder suddenly rose into the air. Then, in the hazy blood-colored moonlight, it plummeted into the depths of the twilight earth.

Watching the fragment drift away from the "Origin of Calamity," Zorn narrowed his eyes. Others did not know into whose hands this fragment would fall, but he knew perfectly well.

The [Duke of Curtain Fire]—that terrifying figure with immense power, status, and the backing of the Church—had taken advantage of the blood moon to steal another fragment of the Evil God. As a fellow Boss, Zorn Corrick, the Evil Spirit Wizard, had been hunted by the Church specifically because of the machinations of this [Duke of Curtain Fire]. When Zorn Corrick was dismembered, a portion of him had been devoured by the Duke. Even the internal chaos that later plagued the Church was inseparable from this figure.

Undoubtedly, the [Duke of Curtain Fire] was one of the trendsetters in the waves of this era. But this time, Zorn had marked him in advance! When the catastrophe erupted in Ogran City, he would become the target of many Evil Spirits. In the original trajectory, that position had belonged to "Zorn Corrick."

***

On the towering mountain peak, the recorder in the high tower also caught a glimpse of the birth of a warped calamity through his special instruments and his observation of the [Origin Magic Pool]. He quickly recorded everything on parchment. Before this, he and his companions had already documented many similar anomalies.

In another gray tower, a young wizard draped in gray robes furrowed his brows. With the blood moon today, many powers could not suppress their agitation. The ripples within the [Origin Magic Pool] had not stopped for a moment, whereas in the past, it was hard to see even one or two ripples in a year.

"Woo..."

The wind blowing down from the snow-capped mountains was mixed with low, murmuring whispers, as if telling stories of the past!

"The era of great turmoil... is coming."

The young gray-robed wizard looked up, gazing at the snow-capped mountain peaks he longed to reach. "I fear it will be hard to climb this year."

A squad of knights climbed up the stairs, panting as they reported, "Lord Francis, a... a batch of sheep have escaped."

"Escaped?" The young gray-robed wizard called Francis was stunned. "How many?"

The knight hesitated, stumbling over his words before saying, "Many!"

"Many?" Francis, with his handsome face and neat, short hair, couldn't help but rub his temples. Those shackled sheep were each one of them vicious, wicked individuals. Among them were many powerful extraordinary beings. Originally, he had wanted to use them as material to produce wool while acting as [Elemental Factors] to suppress the terrifying superiors in the prison. The arrival of the blood moon, however, had brought change—and even disaster.

"Blood moon!" Francis looked up, the blood moon perfectly reflected in his pupils. "This is truly a terrible night!"