Chapter 256: Lady Calyra All Along
Ruvian studied every line of his status screen in silence.
If an ordinary magus from this world were to compare these statistics with Julian’s, they would probably think he had gone insane for even considering a fight.
There was no combination of logic, experience, or common sense that could convince anyone these attributes were capable of overcoming Julian’s. Not one in a million outcomes.
And perhaps not even one in a billion.
After all, what was there to compare?
The disparity already spoke for itself!
Ruvian had only just crossed the halfway mark toward becoming a Second-Class Magus. Julian, meanwhile, stood halfway to the realm of a Grand Magus. Against such an overwhelming gulf, everything was practically meaningless — be it courage, or hope.
By every standard this world recognized, the result had already been decided all along. Even any veteran magus would arrive at the same verdict and call it unwinnable.
And yet...
Why wasn’t he worried?
Why did his heartbeat remain steady instead of racing? More importantly, why did these overwhelming odds fail to stir even the slightest trace of despair?
It almost seemed contradictory.
But then again, why would he be intimidated by a difference in strength he had already factored into his plans weeks ago?
By ordinary means, there was no way in hell he could ever close such a gap. But Ruvian had already found a way around that.
To put it simply, there were three cards he intended to play, each capable of pushing his attributes high enough to stand on equal footing with Julian before Julian decided to come looking for him.
The first was the most straightforward. Break through his Spellcore and reach Tier 3. That alone would grant him a noticeable increase in his overall attributes while unlocking access to stronger spells.
After all, he only needed another 250 Mana Resonances. At his current pace, he could probably achieve it within a few days.
The second was to raise his Relevancy Tier. Doing so would earn him more Plot Points and, if fortune favored him, perhaps even unlock stronger Editorial Skills. The higher his Relevancy Rank climbed, the greater his chances of receiving larger Plot Point rewards from even the most ordinary events.
The last card, however, was by far the most uncertain.
It was also the boldest.
Contacting the powerful spirit that even Zian had failed to recruit.
Whether he could actually succeed was anyone’s guess. Ruvian himself wasn’t confident, which was precisely why he treated it as nothing more than a possibility, a wildcard.
Even so, it hardly mattered.
If it worked, all the better.
If it didn’t, he still had a backup plan waiting in reserve. In fact, regardless of how events unfolded, he intended to use that backup plan either way. It wasn’t merely a contingency for failure, but another piece of the strategy he had been constructing from the very beginning.
’Well, let’s focus on one thing at a time.’
Those were concerns for the future, events that likely wouldn’t unfold until after the sixth day. There was no point burdening himself with them just yet.
Tomorrow, however...
...was different.
Ruvian was far more concerned about how the coming day would unfold. Based on the information relayed by both Calyra and Vanessa through [Farscribe], together with [Bookmarks], which allowed him to track their locations across the island, one conclusion was inevitable.
Calyra and Rosalin would undoubtedly cross paths.
’I just hope that... making them clash earlier was the right decision.’
Ruvian sighed.
Then, after two hours had passed, Ruvian and Arlok swapped their night watch with Yerin and Shima. With his shift finally over, Ruvian took the opportunity to rest.
*****
That morning, they departed from C5 and made their way toward C4.
Along the journey, Horren spotted another flag within Region C4. Much like the previous one, it had been left completely exposed, almost as if it was waiting to be claimed.
They also ran into 3 Lesser Voidspawns and 1 Wretched. But the battle ended swiftly — probably because they had grown noticeably more coordinated, improving collectively as a squad.
And so, with nothing much blocking their path afterwards, they continued, marching towards the small river in C4.
’Well, looks like we are close. I can see the river from here already.’
Ruvian then looked at the sky above.
It was still early in the morning.
The sun remained concealed behind a blanket of dark, overcast clouds, casting a dim light over the island.
But judging by the sky, and the experience he had already gained from being on the island, Ruvian estimated it was around ten o’clock.
Ruvian quietly activated [Bookmarks] and searched for a few familiar names. A small map appeared before him, and three glowing dots slowly came into view.
They were all gathered in the same region.
[E8]
’Ah, it’s about to begin now.’
"Hey, Ruvian!" Shima called from up ahead, waving both hands at him. "What are you doing back there? Are you coming or not?"
Ruvian looked up and dismissed the map with a thought. He slipped his hands into his pockets and started walking toward the group.
"Yeah, I’m coming now."
’Ah, dammit... let’s quickly arrive there so I can peacefully keep tabs on their fight!’
*****
[Vanessa’s POV]
The morning mist still clung to Region E8 as Rosalin’s squad entered from the south. A thin white veil drifted between the scattered rocks and rolling hills, hiding the distance and blurring everything beyond a few dozen meters.
Rosalin walked at the front with her sword resting at her side, her sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. The damp air left tiny drops of water on her hair and cloak.
Behind her, the rest of the squad kept their formation as they moved through the mist without lowering their guard.
Vanessa glanced around as she walked.
Her eyes swept across the endless field of white, but all she saw were vague outlines of rocks and trees. The fog made the entire region feel even larger than it actually was.
’Alright, I’ve managed to bring Rosalin to E8...’
Vanessa thought, her brows drawing together.
’But... how exactly are Calyra and Rosalin supposed to clash?’
She bit the inside of her cheek and looked deeper into the mist.
’I mean... even if Ruvian contacted Calyra the same way he contacted me... a single region is still enormous. And not to mention with this thick mist too!’
The thought refused to leave her mind.
There were countless paths through E8, and a squad could easily spend hours searching without ever crossing another group. The chances of two squads meeting by pure coincidence were simply too low.
However, the thought never had the chance to leave Vanessa’s mind.
Because...
Out of nowhere...
A strange, immense pressure suddenly spread across the region, swallowing everything, pressing against them and making them choke on their own breath.
Vanessa’s steps came to an abrupt halt, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints.
’W...what the hell is this overwhelming pressure?’
Cold sweat immediately beaded across everyone’s faces. An involuntary response triggered by their bodies the moment they sensed overwhelming danger.
"Rosalin... is it a Voidspawn?" one of her teammates muttered, his voice trembling.
Rosalin remained rooted in place, calm and undeterred. Her expression gradually hardened as her golden-amber eyes fixed on the mist ahead.
"No. It isn’t..."
Rosalin said grimly.
Without exchanging a single word, everyone instinctively turned toward the same direction. The fog drifted silently, while something hidden within it subtly warped the surrounding space.
They didn’t know what was within that mist, but the very air around them seemed to herald the arrival of something immensely powerful. Whatever the hell that was, Vanessa was on the verge of panicking.
Then, just as she forced her leg to move...
A pair of azure lights quietly emerged from within the white mist.
Vanessa shuddered.
She recognized the scent, as well as the elegant white-haired figure that slowly emerging from the mist.
’Ah... I couldn’t even tell...’
That immense pressure...
It was....
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[Chapter 256: Lady Calyra All Along]