Wizards begin with Occlumency.

"Nonsense."

Link remained unfazed and replied directly, "I don't believe rumors, and I don't spread rumors."

It wasn't done, it just wasn't done.

They are very confident and not at all guilty.

If the dream-stealing magic was used back then and something unexpected happened, then they wouldn't dare to respond directly.

"Hehehe..."

Jasmine sneered.

But in her heart, she believed Link's words.

She had always known that Link's heart was hard to warm, and that there was no romantic feeling between Link and Iris.

However, when men and women spend a lot of time together, things that weren't there before will start to develop.

It's hard to say.

Therefore, for whatever reason, Jasmine had to assert her presence.

Although the two were still completely unfamiliar with each other, they had developed an extraordinary tacit understanding.

After a brief exchange, they suddenly stopped talking and just stared at each other in silence.

Finally, Jasmine broke the silence, ending the standoff, and asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine."

Link cooperated by standing up, stretching his arms out to both sides, and turning around in front of the screen.

Let Jasmine see more clearly so that she can better understand her physical condition and dispel her worries.

Then, Link asked, "How have you been lately? How's your progress in the cultivation realm?"

Upon hearing this, Jasmine fell silent.

The pain I suffered in those secret cultivation realms still lingers when I recall them.

The silkworm chirped a few times, apologizing to Jasmine.

"It's none of your business."

Jasmine reached out and took the silkworm, gently stroking it a few times and softly comforting it.

Once the silkworm stopped feeling guilty and relaxed, Jasmine took it back into her sea of ​​consciousness.

"This is?"

Link witnessed the whole thing and became curious.

Before he sent Jasmine into the cultivation realm, he had never heard Jasmine mention any plans to keep a pet.

"We'll talk about it when you get back."

Jasmine did not answer Link's question directly.

Even if this cross-border communication is encrypted, who can guarantee that it won't be eavesdropped on?

The young silkworms, known as "God-Eating Insects," are not yet suitable for excessive exposure.

It would be even more effective as a trump card.

"Um."

Link agreed, pondered for a moment, and made a promise, "I'll go back as soon as the portal is built."

"No need to rush, I'm not in a hurry."

Jasmine said this with a calm expression, seemingly not in a hurry at all.

However, without anyone noticing, a pair of small hands behind her back had already been twisted into a knot.

Anyone who has just finished suffering and then suddenly hears that their lover has "eloped" with another woman would find it hard to remain calm.

In particular, they encountered an extremely fatal crisis during their "elopement".

For more than a month, Jasmine didn't cry her eyes out, but she still lived in fear and anxiety.

If it weren't for the precognitive abilities shared with her by the "God Eater" cubs, which gave Jasmine the intuition that Link was still alive.

Jasmine may have already broken down.

Now that we're out of danger and completely safe, that's good.

Sizzle, sizzle.

The encrypted cross-border communicator suddenly emitted static.

Without a portal to act as a relay, relying solely on emergency communication channels, the quality of cross-border communication is highly questionable.

"Let's leave it at that for now, we'll talk about it when we get back."

Jasmine was understanding and very considerate; she proactively hung up the call.

Link breathed a sigh of relief and put away the communicator.

Then, turning to Flandre, who had automatically appeared early in the morning, hands on her hips, urging Link to contact her master and mistress like a supervisor, she said, "Are you satisfied now?"

"snort."

Flandre didn't answer directly, but simply raised her chin.

Then, without waiting for Link to make a move, she went back to the "little world" that had already calmed down.

The task of post-disaster reconstruction is extremely arduous. Link, the World Lord, only knows how to reap the benefits without sowing, while Flandre, the "World Spirit," has to work much harder.

Just as Link was feeling relieved and finally had some peace and quiet, a guest arrived.

"Please come in."

Upon arriving at the reception area, they welcomed Sage Paro, and the two sat facing each other.

A moment later, Sage Paro said, "The portal will be completed tomorrow. When are you going back to the mainland?"

"Then tomorrow."

Link immediately understood, knowing what the Sage Paro needed him to do.

"Um."

Sage Paro simply nodded and did not continue speaking.

"Is there anything I need to do?"

Link immediately took the initiative to ask, offering a way out.

"Um."

Sage Paro nodded again, hesitated for a moment, then took out a small box from his robes and placed it on the table. "Could you give this box to Celine for me?"

The box is long and narrow, about the same size as a gift box for fountain pens.

Based on my perception, it doesn't resemble a spatial storage artifact.

The contents inside won't be large.

"No problem, it will definitely be delivered."

Link immediately put away the long box, made a promise, and then asked, "Is there anything you need me to convey?"

He finally realized that something must have happened between Sage Paro and Wizard Celine.

This has led to the current rather conflicted state of mind of the Sage Paro.

"Well……"

Sage Paro pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved his hand to cast an anti-eavesdropping spell. He then asked earnestly, "If a man, for security reasons, never directly responds to a woman, and suddenly one day, for some unknown reason, the woman completely cuts ties with him in terms of connections, resources, and business, she may still accept his communication requests, but she's no longer as enthusiastic as before. What's going on?"

After hearing this, Link bit his lower lip tightly and used his "Brain Occupation Technique" to control his emotions.

He's not a professional psychologist; if he didn't do that, he would definitely burst out laughing.

After hearing what the Sage Paro said, how could one not understand what had happened?

It's unclear why the Sage Paro would have thought of seeking his opinion.

Does he seem like a relationship expert?

Instead of offering direct advice, Link asked, "What exactly are Sage Paro's feelings towards Wizard Celine?"

"I wasn't talking about me and Celine."

Sage Paro subconsciously denied it, then emphasized, "To be honest, this man loves this woman very much. But the reality is that they can't stay together for long, otherwise the probability of them both having an accident would be very high."

"I see."

Link thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps Sage Paro should ask Wizard Celine what she wants, instead of assuming that his decision is the best for her. Often, women are willing to go through hardships with men and are not afraid of danger. What they think about more is that if they love each other, they should stay together forever."

"Is that so?"

Sage Paro seemed thoughtful, then emphasized, "I'm not talking about me and Celine!"

Link bit his lower lip again.

Once this opportunity is gone, it's gone forever.

If I want to see the Sage Paro make such a blunder again, I guess I won't have the chance.

After adjusting his mindset, Sage Paro changed the subject and asked, "What are your plans after you return to your homeland? After the spacetime turbulence and the opening of the passage, you and Iris are the talk of the entire wizarding world. After you go back, you should keep a low profile to avoid any accidents."

Link answered his plans frankly: "I plan to study at the main campus of the academy for two years."

"Further studies? That's a good option."

Sage Paro greatly agreed with Link's plan.

The academy's main campus has two Great Sages, four Level Six Sages, and six Sage Legions stationed there, making it the safest place within the entire territory of the Rivosos Academy.

Let alone an eighth-level Great Sage like Michelle, even a ninth-level Great Sage like Tudor would not be able to conquer the main campus of the academy in a short time.

Without at least eight or ten years, they probably won't even be able to break through the interstellar defense line.

After agreeing, the clearly distracted Sage Paro finally realized, "You've advanced to a level two wizard?"

"Um."

Link deliberately released the mental pressure belonging to a level two wizard.

After being struck by lightning, "Little World" completed its fourth evolution, helping Link to liquefy his mental energy and giving him another feedback that allowed him to better control his mental energy.

Therefore, after the Sage Paro entered the tent, he did not detect the mental fluctuations that would inevitably occur in a newly promoted wizard.

It wasn't until Link revealed it that they learned he had advanced to the second level of wizardry.

"So fast? It's only been a few years?"

Sage Paro found Link's promotion somewhat unbelievable.

In four years, less than five, he went from an ignorant mortal to a second-level wizard.

He's still that kind of extraordinary second-level wizard whose combat power is off the charts, perhaps even capable of facing off against a third-level wizard head-on!

That's absolutely outrageous.

Looking back on myself, who was also hailed as a super genius, it took me nearly eight years to complete this journey.

Indeed, this is a major change unprecedented in thousands of years; promotions at all levels are no longer as difficult as before.

Sage Paro suddenly fixed his gaze on Link's eyes and earnestly instructed, "After you return, do nothing else but go directly to Dean Forrest. Understand?"

"clear."

Link solemnly agreed, "Go directly to Dean Forrest when you get back."

"Um."

Sage Paro got up and walked out. "I'll let the Dean know in advance."

Link got up and walked to the curtain, watching the Sage Paro leave. He then sat back on the cushion and fell into thought.

Clearly, Sage Paro had thought of something, which was why he had instructed him to go back and find Dean Forrest.

This is because they are worried that if his advancement to a second-level wizard is exposed, some people or forces will disregard their reputation and forcibly kidnap Link.

Then, they seized the initiative in the matter of parallel universe channels.

"The tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease."

Link sighed deeply. He just wanted to develop in peace, so why was it so difficult?

A day passed in the blink of an eye.

The portal has been successfully built.

The first group to pass through the portal, transit through the rear camp of the desolate world, and return to the Wizarding World's homeland were the wounded and the bodies of the fallen members of the Paro Sage Legion.

In the battle against the army of abyssal demons, the Palo Sage Legion's servants and fairy troops suffered heavy casualties, almost to the point of being decimated.

The servants were no longer of any use and were sent back to their respective worlds. The fairy army disbanded on the spot after receiving their rewards.

On the wizarding side, 13 first-level wizards tragically perished.

This happened after the battle entered the final, deadly phase. A starship with a maximum crew of 15 was struck by a Shadow Blade from a level 4 Shadow Fiend, which shattered its engine and rendered it powerless.

Then it was swarmed by countless low- and mid-level demons and completely destroyed.

The legion's rescue attempt was too late; in the end, they only managed to save the captain and vice-captain, two level-two wizards, and then collect the bodies of the 13 level-one wizards.

This is the only permanent loss of the Paro Sage Legion since its expedition began, and also its largest loss.

Thirteen first-level wizards traded one level 6 rock demon, one level 5 fire demon, one level 5 shadow demon, and millions of mid- and low-level abyssal demons. This battle loss ratio and this result are nothing short of astonishing.

However, the number of magic stones and resources consumed by the Paro Sage Legion was countless, completely draining the Paro Sages' decades of accumulated wealth.

The second group to pass through the portal were Link, Asander, and Renee Clark.

"goodbye."

At the interdimensional portal, Link bid farewell to Asander and Renee, then drove his Ring 1 spare vehicle toward the lakeside villa.

This time, Link informed Jasmine in advance.

I don't want to get bitten again.

It doesn't hurt.

But Link doesn't have a masochistic tendency.

"You're back?"

"I'm back!"

Back at the villa, after getting out of the car, there were two extremely bland lines of dialogue.

"Have some tea and some snacks."

Jasmine turned and walked towards the restaurant, saying as she went, "I made this myself, I hope it doesn't taste bad."

"Really? Then I'll have to give it a try."

Link's eyes lit up, looking very expectant.

The tableware and refreshments on the restaurant tables have been carefully arranged.

"sit."

Jasmine proactively pulled out a chair for Linkla, which was very thoughtful and considerate.

"So polite?"

Link was flattered and his heart suddenly jumped. He sat in the chair "trembling with fear".

"Let's eat! Try my cooking."

Jasmine sat down opposite Link, laid out her napkin, said something, and then began to eat her own tea and snacks.

"Well……"

Link glanced at the two different tea snacks in front of him as the butler Hamid lifted the lid, revealing them, and remained silent.

The tea and snacks on the left are brown sugar deer ball milk tea and cream puffs and tiramisu.

The tea and snacks on the right are green tea and filled glutinous rice balls.

The tea and snack set on the left is Iris's favorite.

The tea and snack set on the right: tea is Link's favorite, and the snacks have another meaning.

Link once joked with Jasmine, saying that she was like this glutinous rice ball, smooth and pure on the outside, but black and shiny on the inside.

Is this clearly a tea snack?

This is a damn trap!

If Link had chosen the tea set on the left, would he have been ripped off today?

Women who throw tantrums are indeed naturally gifted; their skills are frighteningly high.

Link glanced at the tea and snacks on his left and pretended to complain, "Why did you prepare such sweet and cloying tea and snacks for me? You know I've never liked these."

As he spoke, Link picked up his green tea, took a sip, and then ate a piping hot glutinous rice ball: "These are still the ones that suit my taste the best."

Their will to survive was at its peak.

"Yeah?"

Jasmine smiled, a hint of amusement in her eyes, and asked, "I thought you were tired of it and wanted to try something different. Or...?"

He deliberately dragged out his words, speaking in a sarcastic tone: "Or you could want to eat both, alternating between them. If you get tired of one flavor, you can try another, rotating them. When you get tired of both, you can find a new flavor to eat. Men are all like that, always looking for something new! It's normal, no need to hide it, I can accept it."

"That's not true."

Lin Keyi emphasized emphatically, "I have never forgotten my original aspiration and have always adhered to my preferences."

"snort."

Jasmine chuckled and gave a cold snort, "You pass."

Jasmine waved to Hamid, signaling him to remove the brown sugar deer milk tea, cream puffs, and tiramisu, and chose to let Link go.

This relieved Link.

We finally made it through; it was more tiring than fighting a battle.

Jasmine then launched a surprise attack, saying abruptly, "I've been promoted to a level two wizard, and there's something I need your help with."

Upon hearing this, Link showed no surprise; instead, his brows furrowed deeply: "What happened?"

Jasmine summoned the "God-Devouring Insect" cub and pointed to the silkworm that was as smooth as white jade: "This is my companion spirit beast, the 'God-Devouring Insect,' the natural enemy of the gods in the world of gods, a species created by the royal family of the insect world."

After a pause, Jasmine said, "'Bone-Splitting Worms' are the degenerated 'God-Devouring Worms'."

"Is that so?"

Link seemed thoughtful, then asked, "How do you know all this?"

As the owner of the "Bone-Spitting Worm," the witch Celine was clearly unaware of this.

Otherwise, they would never have developed a program to improve wizards' aptitude based on the "Bone-Spitting Worm".

Jasmine, on the other hand, knew all about these things, which meant that something had happened that Link was unaware of.

Jasmine said softly, "Luckily you sent me to the cultivation secret realm, otherwise I wouldn't even know how I died."

If it doesn't enter the cultivation secret realm, the "God-Devouring Insect" will indeed not hatch so early.

But there will always come a day when it absorbs enough magic and is born.

At that time, there won't be a single top-tier level six sage who sits idly waiting to die and enjoys having fun to lend a hand.

Link instantly recalled the unknown help he had received in the cultivation realm.

My feelings instantly became incredibly complicated.

After all these events, Link has come to understand one thing.

Although the wizarding world does not believe in fate, fate does exist.

To gain something, you must give something in return.

Both he and Jasmine received help from an unknown high-level being, and they would have to repay an equivalent "reward" or pay an equivalent "price" at some unknown time.

All the gifts given by fate have been secretly priced.

I just hope the price isn't outrageously high.

Otherwise... (End of Chapter)