177 Unlucky Mage Part 2 (2/2)

Daniel had not expected the death flames that he had purchased to be top-tier ones, and within the short span of three years, he had risen from a disciple to a grade-3 mage. Under normal circumstances, death magic was always easier at the start but more difficult towards the end. However, at the rate with which he was advancing, so long as he continued working on it, he could become a sorcerer before he died.

Death sorcerer could extend their lives as well, and Daniel began to work hard. Just as he had begun to grow complacent, the Holy See announced his death sentence: all death mages were heretics.

He immediately donated a large part of his fortune and bribed a local grade-2 high priest. Under the protection of the high priest, Daniel escaped his hometown, but the high priest later betrayed him and the people from the tribunal began chasing after him.

Daniel escaped and took a ship to the Cloudflow Empire. Using the contacts he had gained while running the business, he managed to raise some money and decided to start anew in Cloudflow. However, he accidentally found out that the Holy See already had a large number of people that had infiltrated the Cloudflow Empire who had given his location to the tribunal.

If these people had risked exposing their identity to catch him, Daniel would have been dead long ago. Death mages were extremely rare, and the Holy See would gladly have him be the first death mage to be burned to death on the Glorious Square.

This time, Daniel ran even faster and did not dare to keep in contact with anyone he knew. He joined some mercenaries and set off on a ship that went on missions.

There were countless islands in the vast ocean south of Cloudflow, and the powers of the Holy See had not extended to those regions. However, Daniel seemed to have been cursed. The mercenaries he had joined discovered a large island with many rare magic beasts on it. The expanse of land had been incredibly vast.

Just a map of the area alone would have fetched an astronomical price. It was a pity that there were people on the island. This mainland-like island had been occupied by the Gauss family, who were operating secretly. The family had two barons and four relatives in the royal family. They were certainly extremely powerful and wealthy. However, the length of the island was over one thousand miles, and if it was discovered, it would belong to the royal family. The Gauss family definitely did not want anyone to spread the news that they were secretly hoarding the place for themselves.

Poor Daniel had no choice but to run for his life again. The mercenaries he had been together with were completely exterminated, and the only undead soldier he had left with him was this winged skeleton. During battle, the wings of this skeleton had been broken, leaving Daniel penniless. He could not afford any magic nuclei, and with his death flames, he had no idea when he would be able to fix this skeleton, much less train.

After returning to Cloudflow, he was afraid of being found by the Gauss family and did not dare move around near the sea. He decided to make his way to Titan Duchy, but midway through his journey, he encountered people from the tribunal, causing him to turn in the opposite direction and escape to the Qin Empire.

Saleen did not know if Daniel was lucky or unlucky. He could not be considered unlucky, given that he was still alive despite having been pursued for so long. He could not be considered lucky either, seeing how he had been targeted by both the Holy See and the Gauss family.

”Daniel, don’t worry. In the Qin Empire, mages are safe,” Saleen comforted him.

”Safe? The people from the tribunal have followed me here. Do you think I want to hide in the mountains? The winged skeleton doesn’t have its wings anymore and it moves very slowly. The prey killed using death magic cannot be eaten and I have been filling my stomach with ants that I have caught these past few days…”

Ants!

Saleen now understood why a death mage like Daniel had been living in an abandoned village. There were wooden houses everywhere and there were probably a large number of termites.

Daniel’s circumstances could no longer be described as unlucky.

”You said the people from the tribunal have entered the Qin Empire?” Lex suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Daniel from afar.

”Yes, those lunatics…” Daniel thought about the people from the tribunal he had encountered while being chased, and a cold chill went down his spine. A normal person would have been terrified of a death mage. However, Daniel felt that the disciples of the tribunal were the scariest people in the world.

”Are they the black deacons or the dark oracles?” Lex asked coldly. She did not have anything against Daniel, but she was angry. With her father’s passing, the people from the Holy See had gotten out of hand. Her brother had ascended the throne, but in reality, Safilos was the one controlling the capital. Safilos was not willing to dispatch any new troops, showing the cracks that had begun to appear within the Qin’s wealthy.

”It was the black deacon. If the dark oracles had come after me, I would have died long ago.”

”Then you’re pretty good yourself. Black deacon…” Saleen began to think. If it were only the black deacon, he would not be afraid. They were equivalent to grade-5 mages. However, the fighting abilities of the deacons who had come from the tribunal were much better and would require Lex to deal with. To chase after a death mage, the tribunal must have reassigned quite a few people. They were still hiding from the people who had wanted to kill the dragon, and with everything coming together, their true problems were just beginning.

Saleen took out a pen and paper and drew a simple map from his memory before saying to Daniel, ”Which direction are they in?”

Daniel pointed at three points and said, ”Here and here… there are probably less than thirty people split between three teams. I intend to go to Red Copper Fort tomorrow to find a group of merchants and go north towards Pompeii City. The people from the tribunal will not dare cause trouble there.”

”Looks like you won’t need to go to Pompeii. In that direction are a large number of Cloudflow people in ambush. They seem to be looking for someone,” Saleen said.

”Ah?” Daniel was stunned. Had the people in the Gauss family gone crazy as well? They had actually sent so many people to the Qin Empire over a small grade-3 mage. Were they not afraid of angering the Qin Empire?

Saleen, of course, would not tell Daniel that these people were searching for the giant dragon. He looked pitifully at Daniel and said, ”We are all mages. I sympathize with your situation, and if you wouldn’t mind, I can help you take out the people from the tribunal.”

Daniel was still in a daze. It took him a while before he said, ”Then, Master, what price would I need to pay?”