Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Lyle emerges from the bath.

"Don't hold onto the edge of the pot, come out quickly, Lyle the bear."

Lyle emerges from the bath.

He was grabbed by Nia's tentacles and brought before Beatrice, a macaw with skewed eyes that looked like it wasn't thinking straight.

Lyle the parrot nestled in Beatrice's arms, its claws outstretched like a dead chicken, slumped on its antennae, and screeching in a strange voice.

"The game! The game! We're going to lose! We're going to lose!"

Beatrice finally accepted Lyle's suggestion after she had had her fill of fun. Holding Lyle, whose body had been transformed into a stitched-together creature resembling a miniature chimera due to the mixture of various potions, Beatrice approached a cauldron of golden-yellow potions.

"Apart from the change in color, the taste of this medicine hasn't changed at all," Beatrice muttered to herself as Lyle tossed it into the pot to rinse.

Ignoring the potion's effects, Beatrice grabbed the contents of the pot, spread her blood wings, and continued flying.

Lyle felt terrible. His body was changing in the air like putty. Some parts of his body were swelling up, while others were curling up into layers of skin folds. After a dozen seconds, Lyle returned to his original form.

The potion residue on his body hadn't dried; instead, it had stuck to his entire body like a thick, amber-colored glue.

“Now I finally understand why Ariana refused to help you.” Ignoring Beatrice’s reply, Lyle continued, “I feel like I’m coated in syrup, the kind that’s cloyingly sweet and sticky. Not to mention the overwhelmingly nauseating smell, I feel like a wet rag hanging out to dry in the sky.”

"Hahahaha..." The laughter seemed to fuel Beatrice's flight, which accelerated with each laugh. The sharp wind scraped off Lyle's surface, removing a small amount of the sticky potion.

Even more amazingly, the detached potions didn't fall directly to the ground, but instead dissolved in the air, eventually turning into a shiny, golden dust that left a beautiful trail behind Lyle.

"Alright, I've had enough fun. Now it's time to speed things up and catch up."

Beatrice folded her blood wings and flew forward like a bullet.

As the city blocks receded into the distance, the remaining areas of the Dark City—the Ghost Inn, the Sinful Slums, the Black Abyss Tower, the Soul Theater—revealed a fantastical part of this mysterious world to Lyle.

But this contact was merely a brief encounter, as if the entire world revolved around Beatrice. When Beatrice resolved to overtake the contestants ahead and charged forward relentlessly, the attacks from the various interfering forces seemed to have eyes, brushing past this destined heroine.

Illusory shocks, soul screams, catapults, hellfire—none of them ever entered within ten meters of Beatrice, as distinctly as a school of sardines and a shark.

"How did you do that? Was it a vampire's special power? Or was it charm?" Lyle couldn't help but ask curiously.

Beatrice smiled slightly, "It's connections."

"..." You're actually a networking warrior.

Beatrice didn't care about the slight contempt in Lyle's eyes; she was even a little smug.

“Helena is renowned in the realm of souls, Ariana is a beautiful and talented singer on the Chaos Side, and I am the largest liquor merchant in the City of Wanderers. What do you think they would do, disregarding their past friendship with the Naslan family, and attack a beautiful lady just because of a celebration? Even disregarding the pettiness of the Naslan daughters, do you think everyone's emotional intelligence is as low as Andrei's madness?” Beatrice even curled her nose, displaying a proud profile in front of Lyle. “I am proud to be a daughter of Naslan, and of course I will proudly enjoy the benefits my family gives me.”

Beatrice's words made perfect sense, leaving Lyle speechless.

Is this the strength of a five-time champion in flight competitions?

A mysterious world in reality.

Chapter 424 Prince Dorgit?

The buildings in the Dark City provided Lyle with a rather novel experience. Thanks to a certain smiling, well-connected warrior, Lyle had a rather pleasant sightseeing experience, ignoring the fireballs flying everywhere and the various strange magical powers.

Almost every town he passed through was a sight to behold for Lyle. His slow process of absorbing new architecture often led him to mistakenly believe that his thinking was rigid and inflexible. But only the scenery before him could turn Lyle's mind into an excited wild boar, crashing straight into the wall.

Lyle's mind went blank, leaving only shock...

Behind the twisted wood courtyard outside the Soul Theater in Dark Zone 1, the strange tree, which resembled a demonic claw, withdrew its hand, revealing a tall, white building behind it.

A cobblestone path winds its way upwards, flanked by white-walled buildings with purplish-red pointed roofs. The roof tiles, gleaming like jade, are neatly arranged, each nearly identical in size, shimmering like rippling water in the sunlight. The tall, elegant white walls are spotless, yet the differently colored nameplates hanging under the eaves subtly reveal their shared characteristics. Violets and lavender are the most common flowers under these eaves, filling the small gaps between the houses and transforming those insignificant spaces into delightful little surprises.

As you climb the steps, you might get lost in the similar scenery around you, though they are indeed charming enough to make you linger. When the fragrance of flowers and the dazzling, jewel-like brick walls lose their way, the silver castle at the very top will occupy your entire heart.

Purple banners, like bangs, hang on the ivory-white inner city walls. The fragrance of incense and the sound of drums carried by the gentle breeze fill your ears, just as the magnificent castle fills your eyes.

If this weren't the capital of some great nation, you might even wonder if something was wrong with the world.

The honor guard stood beneath the two men, playing music to celebrate the lost glory of the past for the participants.

Beatrice unconsciously slowed down, and like Lyle, she was looking down at the treasures on this Earth model.

"This is the royal city, the former royal city of the arcane sorcerers."

“It’s so beautiful, I mean, it’s more exquisite than the most beautiful Chapel of the Sunrise at Cassandra I’ve ever seen.”

"Of course, this place has always been a forbidden area of ​​the City of Wanderers. It is only open to us for large-scale celebrations such as the Flying Competition. Normally, we can only watch its splendor stirring up the clouds from afar. In fact, you can barely catch a glimpse of its glory from the top floor of the Soul Theater."

"But what you see is only one in ten. I think I saw it once when I was watching Ariana Grande's concert, but at the time I thought it was just a beautiful oil painting hanging on the windowsill."

"Is that so? Mr. Carlos will certainly appreciate your high praise, and perhaps he will even treat you to a glass of his favorite Baro wine."

"Mr. Carlos?"

“One of the arcane men who frequents my bar, you probably don’t know, is actually the lord of the City of Wandering.”

"The lord of the City of Wanderings? You mean that uncle who likes to flirt with waitresses and tell lame jokes when he's drunk? Wait, he seems to be William's benefactor; he's the one who made William a sorcerer."

"Yes, Mr. Carlos is a humorous gentleman, even when he's not telling jokes."

Lyle shrank back, the surprise and the cold wind having some effect on his body.

"It's unbelievable that the city lord actually built such a magnificent royal city."

“That city lord was once a king. If you have a deep conversation with Mr. Carlos, you will be spontaneously captivated by his noble aura. Oh, it might not have much effect on you. The scholar’s ​​refinement hasn’t changed you much either.” Beatrice muttered the scholar’s ​​name while secretly glancing around. This vampire lady was the bad student who had been singled out.

"Was Mr. Carlos once a king?"

"Yes, the monarch of the arcane arts, the inheritor of the Dorgit royal bloodline. Because of this bloodline, the spellcasters in this family are all extremely talented."

Dorgit? Lyle suddenly coughed violently, a strange idea forming in his mind.

"Beatles, are you sure this magical family's surname is Dorgit?"

"Of course, this is not a secret in the City of Wanderings. It's just that Mr. Carlos doesn't like others to see him as a noble king, so he has kept himself hidden. If I remember correctly, after all, there is only one legendary figure who has run away with the kingdom's capital."

"The Dorgit royal family... the king who fled with the entire city..." Lyle's breathing gradually slowed, his pupils shrinking to the limit of a normal human. "Beatles, um... do you think that if this country were relocated, would it leave behind a scene of devastation similar to a natural disaster..."

"I don't know, I haven't tried it. Naslan Castle doesn't have such a strong magical reserve. Although I once fantasized about moving my castle to the clouds, I even foolishly begged the scholar for help. He said that moving a country requires energy and skills far beyond imagination, which is not something I can do."

"..."

"Beatles, do you know William's full name?"

"Full name? No, I'm not interested. The Blood Rose Bar is a mixed bag; as long as they're not malicious, I'll take them in. If you hadn't mentioned his name was William, I'd still be calling him by that made-up pseudonym." Beatrice paused for a moment. "Hey, hey, hey, why are you suddenly bringing this up here? It's not like..."

"No, it's just my guess for now..." Lyle didn't voice his thoughts, even though this surprising idea gradually became clearer as the clues in his memory became the only viewpoint in his mind.

Beatrice smiled. "Isn't that great? I was unhappy with how Grelia was treated, but now it seems she might be a lucky silly girl."

"It's a wonderful thing to get everything you want without even realizing it."

The vampire lady's smile was simple and pure, a straightforward expression of reassurance and blessing. In those beautiful blood-red eyes, Lyle could only see the reflection of the beautiful fireworks blooming in the sky.

Beatrice wrapped her arms around Lyle's head, and the two watched the dazzling fireworks above the Silver Castle, silently flying and becoming a part of the splendor.

Chapter 425 Creeping

After flying over the Silver Royal City, we arrived at the other side of the Wandering City, the Dawn District.

Aside from the warm-toned architectural colors, the residents of the Dawn District clearly have a deeper understanding of the word "celebration."

The residents on the orderly side posed almost no obstacles to the participants in the flying competition. They were completely immersed in the joyous atmosphere of their own celebration, welcoming the flying participants with lively performances from various ethnic groups.

The wine festival in the dwarven district was nearing its end. The dwarves, fast asleep and snoring on the ground, perfectly depicted another post-war world. Overturned wooden goblets spilled wine, its liquid flowing like blood. The intense heat of the hearths sent the pungent aroma high into the air, turning into the smoke of alcohol. A few surviving, drunken warriors, "covered in wounds," brandished their hammers, battling the ghostly monsters in their field of vision, before finally succumbing to their fate.

The bull horn, meant to signal the charge, was used as a funnel by the dwarves. After enduring the beatings of their formidable enemy, the god of wine, even the most dutiful horn bearers, though fallen, still clung to their horns and could still produce a sound. All the dwarves' beards turned a dirty, dark red, losing their usual ruggedness and becoming like waterlogged rags. Some of the hairy dwarves could easily pass for wild boars, because today, all the pigs in the dwarven region were drunk from feed mixed with wine.

Beatrice was breathing in the smoky air above, a blush spreading across her face as she smiled broadly. If it weren't for the dwarven howls being so gruff, Lyle might have seen Beatrice sing. She had originally intended to, but then realized she couldn't keep the pitch down and could only hum along.

"Even Ariana couldn't possibly sing dwarven songs. Some people have mistaken dwarven songs for the sounds of brown bears and wild boars mating, so don't look at me like that!"

Annoyed by Lyle's blatant stare, Beatrice angrily shook her arms, jolting Lyle's brains and giving him a dizzy feeling from his drunkenness.

"I understand, I understand!"

The tranquility of the Elf District and the hustle and bustle of the Dwarf District were all taken in by Lyle.

The final sprint of the flying competition has arrived. Like Lyle, other contestants who have been tainted by magic potions and left trails of flame have come into view. In the redwood forest of the winged people, the streaks of light from their flight startle the colorful feathers, and a chase begins.

A single move can have far-reaching consequences. The winged people, who already loved to fly, formed a colorful torrent of feathers, following these flying contestants as they danced in the air until they reached the edge of the redwood forest. There, they flapped their wings, let out satisfied cries, and returned to their nests.

Lyle paid no attention to the fully-fledged winged people, because the real competition of the flying race had already begun.

As part of the crew, Lyle also needs to perform both defensive and offensive tasks.

Nia curled up in a fluid form around Beatrice and Lyle, only extending her tentacles to block attacks from others. The once infallible tentacle attacks had become a hindrance, while Lyle's curse attacks proved highly effective.

Nia had never felt so wronged. Her usual fighting style involved fully extending her body and using intimidation as her first attack. And it was fun; Nia was quite satisfied with her ever-growing body.

But this time it didn't work, because when Nia completely unleashed her body and transformed into a terrifying tentacle monster, her long, flat tentacles acted like a deceleration parachute, causing Beatrice's speed to drop drastically.

Nia was scolded for the first time. The sad baby hung her true form under Lyle's chin and comforted herself by stroking and corroding Lyle's stubble with her tentacles.

The mystical eye, hanging atop the City of Wanderings and replacing the sun and moon, was growing ever larger in sight.

Beatrice returned to the first group, making a final competition with a few outstanding pilots. Lyle was held in her arms, as this was the most energy-efficient position. They were climbing, entering the radiance of the Arcane Eye.

Almost everyone was ascending in parallel, and in that dazzling, Raymond-like radiance, Lyle could not see the location of the Condensed Heart.

"Where is it, and how do we get it?"

As his vision was completely swallowed by a white expanse, Lyle felt Beatrice's lips pressed against his ear.

"Remember to look down."

That was the last sound they heard, and then Lyle was thrown out.

Lyle was thrown straight into the Eye of Arcane Power.

The heatwave from the magic counteracted the high-speed impact, and Lyle felt himself slowly approaching that gleaming eye. The temperature gradually rose, and the sticky magic potion on his body continuously crumbled into gold foil. Finally, with a pop, Lyle entered the ball of light, leaving only a fallen golden spark in his wake.

The potions in the Witch Quarter are the passport to the Eye of Arcane Power.

The inner space of the Eye of Arcane Arts.

Lyle blinked, his body floating in the air, tiny, shimmering stars suspended in a milky white halo, but the light was not dazzling.