Chapter 210 - 182: Miracle
"But I’ve heard of a city that can float in the sky." Vivian stared intently at Arcane Grandmaster Affif, hoping for a different answer.
Affif smiled faintly and turned to Victor. "That fantasy travelogue?"
"Mhm," Grand Mage Victor nodded. "She’s become a bit obsessed."
"You know about that travelogue?" Vivian asked, pleasantly surprised. Then she remembered something, and the joyful expression on her face faded.
"I was the one who gave him that book," Affif said, jerking his chin toward his "old rival" Victor. The pink bow in his beard bobbed with the motion. "I never expected this old codger to resist its charms, but you, on the other hand, seem completely taken with it."
"I’m just curious," Vivian said, pulling *Spencer’s Fantasy Travelogue* from a pouch under her cloak and placing it on the table. "I just want to know if there’s a fast way to master Arcane Magic in the Heaven-Reaching Tower."
"Give it up, child," Affif said, glancing at the book on the table. He reached for it and stroked the cover. "In the Magic Federation’s thousands of years of history, there’s never been a single record of a Great Mage with such travel experiences. Besides, do you have any idea how much energy it would take to keep a city floating in the air?"
"If a city like that truly existed, I’d be more inclined to call it..." Affif trailed off, his eyes on the title on the cover.
"A Sky City?" Vivian immediately supplied.
"No. A city of the gods. Or perhaps," Affif said, placing the book back in front of Vivian without opening it, "it would be a divine miracle in itself."
"A divine miracle?" Vivian raised an eyebrow. The answer was not what she’d expected. She had heard the Four Gods Church preach about the Main God’s miracles before, but those were all tales of the dead being resurrected or the weak slaying Demons. Frankly, after reading so many Magic Books, she knew there was a hint of "cheating" behind such feats. For instance, a weakling slaying a Demon was just the result of a powerful magical infusion that altered their physical constitution, allowing them to defeat the powerful Demon. But for Arcane Grandmaster Affif to call a Floating City a divine miracle... that truly surprised her.
"You’re right. To make a city float in the air without it falling or breaking apart... that would be akin to a divine miracle." After a few seconds of thought, Vivian understood his point. She had never considered the problem from that angle before. Now, it seemed the account in the travelogue might truly be just a work of fiction.
"Alright, Little Vivian, put it away," Affif said, gesturing to the book on the table. "These kinds of fantasy books can still be somewhat helpful for a Mage when it comes to constructing Magic Models."
"Yes, thank you." Vivian tucked the travelogue back into the leather pouch at her waist.
"Don’t thank me. If you really want to thank me, you can sell me that bag of ’Red Bull’," Affif said with a hearty laugh, his eyes glancing at the brown burlap sack on the table.
"Ahem," Grand Mage Victor, who had been silent, deliberately coughed. Affif shot him a look and said, "What are you coughing for? It’s not yours, it’s Vivian’s."
He then turned to Vivian, a kindly smile on his face. "Little Vivian, could you please ask your friend to get some more of this? If possible, I’d be willing to personally meet with whoever cultivates it."
"I’ll pass on the message for you." Vivian quickly restrained her teacher, who was fuming beside her.
"You and Anna really were..." the old Mage Victor muttered resentfully. Affif just smirked and drained the last of the "Red Bull" from his cup.
...
「Nightmare Forest, south of Darren Lake」
In a vast, verdant forest, a five-story stone building jutted out abruptly from the sea of trees.
It was a square "stone tower" with a wide base, each successive floor smaller than the one below. Its surface was covered in all sorts of vines and greenery; there were even a few small saplings that had taken root in the massive stone blocks.
On the south face of the tower, a huge opening led into its interior. A green-skinned goblin, clad in a gray robe and wearing a headdress adorned with bone fragments, shuffled inside.
His steps were slow, and the white Bone Staff in his hand went TAP, TAP, TAP against the stone blocks. Behind him, a few other goblins remained outside the stone entrance, their faces etched with panic, as if something dangerous lurked within the cavern.
The goblin descended slowly, step by step, the surrounding torchlight illuminating his wizened face. If Shire were here, he would have been astonished, as it was rare to see an old goblin in the forest. Or rather, very few goblins lived to such an age.
To the sound of his Bone Staff tapping on the stone, the old goblin descended deep into the tower’s underground section. He forced his head up, opening his somewhat cloudy eyes. Before him lay a vast subterranean space. From the depths of a pitch-black cavern in the distance came the scraping sound of scales.
"Great Feathered Serpent God, your offerings are ready," the old goblin shouted, his voice echoing through the subterranean space. His only response was a pair of yellow "lights" that suddenly flared to life in the darkness.
"HISSS..." The sound of an animal’s exhalation echoed out. Then, the two "yellow lamps" swayed closer. As the lights grew brighter and larger, they were finally revealed to be a pair of enormous eyes.
"Why are you so late this time?" a cold voice boomed through the subterranean space. The owner of the enormous eyes came to a stop before the old goblin. It reared its head, revealing a massive, green-scaled serpent’s head in the light of the nearby torches.
"Please forgive me," the old goblin said, clutching his Bone Staff and bowing low. "There were some problems during the selection, but they have been resolved. Your offerings are just outside."
The Feathered Serpent kept its head high, staring down at the still-bowed goblin. Its enormous yellow pupils alone were taller than the goblin himself. "HISSS..." It flicked its tongue, as if tasting the air around the old goblin, or perhaps threatening him, asserting its superior status.
In the end, the Feathered Serpent did nothing. It slithered forward, its massive body passing by the goblin, its scales scraping against the ground with a SHHHH sound.
"I’ll spare your life this time." The cold voice echoed once more, causing the old goblin to bow slightly again. He gripped the Bone Staff in his hand, the knuckles on the back of his gaunt hand standing out sharply.