Chapter 209 - 181: The Dangerous Forest
"What’s an Evil God?" Vivian asked with a frown. She’d heard of such things before, but only in fantasy books.
"They’re higher-level beings who possess a certain amount of power and are worshiped by very weak Races," Grand Mage Victor explained to his apprentice. "Their power is second only to the Gods and the Six Great Demon Lords. A powerful Evil God can even rival a Giant Dragon in strength."
After hearing her teacher’s explanation, Vivian’s eyes widened in shock. "I thought they were just things written in books to add a sense of mystery. I can’t believe they actually exist."
"Yes, they truly exist, but only in the Nightmare Forest," Affif spoke up. "The humans on the continent all believe in the Four Gods; no one would worship an Evil God. So they can only lure those weaker Races. The moment they dare to leave the forest, the Four Gods Church would immediately brand them as heretical false gods and eliminate them without hesitation."
"So, the Evil Gods have always been hiding in the Nightmare Forest." After listening to the two Great Mages’ explanations, Vivian understood the terrifying power of the Evil Gods. They were powerful enemies she could never hope to challenge; even a strong human army might not be able to deal with them. However, her thoughts immediately turned to her brother. "But my brother might be working as an Adventurer right now. Is it possible he might run into an Evil God?"
"Not necessarily," Grand Mage Victor said immediately. "Evil Gods usually reside deep within the Nightmare Forest. Shire is just an ordinary Adventurer who only wanders the outskirts. He won’t venture deep inside, so it’s unlikely he’ll encounter one."
"That’s a relief." Vivian let out a long breath. Her teacher’s analysis had reassured her greatly.
"Don’t worry, Little Vivian. As soon as I’ve recovered, I’ll help you," Arcane Grandmaster Affif said with a smile.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Affif." Vivian nodded earnestly again.
"Oh, still ’Mr. Affif’?" Affif said, raising his left hand and wagging his index finger. "When will you finally call me Teacher Affif?"
Vivian didn’t reply, just gave an apologetic smile while stealing a glance at her own teacher. She saw Grand Mage Victor calmly looking at the objects arranged around them, but the smug satisfaction in his eyes was completely undisguised.
’Teacher clearly brought me here on purpose,’ Vivian thought. She knew her teacher could have just sent a letter instead of bringing her to Plantagenet City, or he could have invited Affif to the undersea Magic Tower like before. But now that she had made some progress in Arcane Magic—even if it was just a little—it had made her teacher very happy. He’d even taken the initiative to bring her to see Arcane Grandmaster Affif.
It felt a lot like when her father used to take her to meet nobles when she was little. Back then, her father would always say, "This is my daughter, isn’t she beautiful?" And her brother, Shire, would tell her, "Just let him show off. After all, when you have such a beautiful daughter, it’d be a crime not to parade her around."
"You just mentioned that Count Valentine had someone haul those giant Magical Beasts to Plantagenet City." Grand Mage Victor put down his cup and looked at Affif, his expression calm. The look of a parent showing off their child was gone, replaced by the seriousness of someone discussing an important matter.
Hearing her teacher’s words, Vivian realized they were about to discuss something important. She sat up straight, clearing her mind of idle thoughts.
"Yes," Affif said, his smile vanishing as he looked at his "old rival." "I’m guessing you thought of him, too."
"So Cunningham is still conducting his horrifying experiments after all." Victor sighed softly.
"He’ll never give up. Even after being expelled from the Magic Federation and becoming a fugitive wanted across the continent, he’ll continue his experiments with life." Affif shook his head slightly.
"Who is Cunningham?" Vivian asked, turning to look at the two Great Mages.
"A brilliant but paranoid man. He has a high level of magical skill and is a powerful Dark Grand Mage, with abilities on par with our own." Grand Mage Victor raised his hand slightly. A line of frost shot from his palm, rapidly sketching a human figure in the air. "Unfortunately, he was willing to sacrifice hundreds of lives for an illusory goal."
"Hundreds?" Vivian covered her mouth, but a shocked gasp still escaped.
"That’s just the official number. I imagine they were trying to save face for the Magic Federation. Based on the real situation, the death toll is probably closer to a thousand by now," Affif said calmly, glancing at Vivian. "After all, he’s been researching the Demon Plague for decades. He needs a lot of ’test subjects’."
"The Demon Plague?" Vivian looked at Affif, her eyes full of questions.
"He wants to conquer the Demon Plague. He wants to free all Magic Professionals from its torment and suffering," Grand Mage Victor said, shaking his head and sighing. "But for thousands of years, no one has ever been immune to the Demon Plague. Countless people have tried to eliminate its effects, and every single one of them has failed. The Demon Plague is incurable."
"No one knows where he’s hiding now. High Level Mage Hunters are searching for him all over the world," Affif also sighed lightly. "But he brought this on himself. After taking so many lives, he has a price to pay."
"When I heard about those giant spiders and Burrow Bees earlier, my gut told me it had to be his handiwork," Victor said, lightly patting his thigh a few times. Opposite him, Arcane Grandmaster Affif nodded, clearly thinking the same thing.
"Those giant Magical Beasts?" Vivian asked doubtfully. "Don’t those things live in the Nightmare Forest?"
"Some Great Mages have ways of transforming creatures from the forest into Magical Beasts," Affif explained, glancing at Vivian.
Then he slapped his thigh and stood up, dropping the subject. "Let’s not talk about this anymore. For now, you can both stay here in my floating Magic Tower. As soon as my Magic Power has recovered, I’ll help you right away, Little Vivian."
Vivian smiled gratefully again, then took a sip of the "Red Bull" beverage in her hand, which had grown a little cold.
Then, as if remembering something, she looked up at Arcane Grandmaster Affif. "Mr. Affif, your Magic Tower is floating in the air. That must be difficult, right?"
"HAHAHA," Affif laughed heartily. "It is indeed very difficult. It requires a very powerful Arcane Rune Array, and it needs to be frequently supplied with Magic Crystal Stones."
"Then," Vivian paused for a few seconds, "have you ever heard of a city that floats in the sky?"
Affif just smiled and said:
"That is absolutely impossible."