Chapter 116 (1/2)

Chapter 116: The World’s Greatest Illusion

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Bale had a nightmare.

He dreamed that he was transported to an extremely dark place, so dark that he could not even see his fingers. He also felt cold, a bitter and painful cold that penetrated through the thick fabric of his magic robe. He shivered uncontrollably. There was a howling blizzard all around him. This blizzard seemed to be alive, entering his body through his nose, ears and mouth, robbing him of his body heat.

Bale instinctively tried to create some sources of heat. However, he could not find his staff nor his magic equipment. When he attempted to cast spells using his bare hands, he realized that the Mana in his body had completely disappeared. It seemed that his magic had abandoned him.

“What exactly happened? Where am I?” Bale panicked.

In this desolate land, Bale resisted the pain of the bitter cold and braved the brewing snowstorm, losing track of time. It seemed like an eternity before Bale realized that he no longer felt the cold. The sinister aura continued to enter his body, though the uncomfortable sensation of cold air inside him seemed to have dissipated. He even felt more energetic than before.

“What happened? Am I going to die?” Bale was unable to understand the situation.

As time passed, Bale gradually realized that his state of vigor was not fading away and he was instead feeling more energetic by the minute. The piercing cold in his body now felt like a cool breeze. It had been a long time since he felt this level of energy.

How can it be? I am almost 70 years old, in my twilight years. Why do I feel like I am back in my twenties? Bale was puzzled. Suddenly, Bale was hit by a flashback.

Undead magic…immortality…Shade…I remember now, I was in Shade’s Mage Tower and going through the transformation process in the pool. Does this mean that I have already succeeded? Bale thought with glee.

He slowly accustomed to his new body. His body was numb and far less sensitive than before, especially his sense of touch. The only thing that was clear was the cool breeze that surrounded him. Under the effect of this power, he became increasingly energetic.

Is this the power of darkness, it’s not as scary as it seems, Bale thought.

Bale felt extremely comfortable in this state and relaxed his body as he waited for his transformation to be complete. However, things did not go as smoothly as he thought. Bale was rudely awakened by a loud bang.

What happened? Isn’t Shade protecting the pool? What is the commotion about?

In an instant, Bale felt a tight squeeze on his body by a powerful force that pulled him out of the embrace of the cooling breeze.

What is going on! Bale felt his body being exposed to the air. When he tried to open his eyes, he realized that he could not see anything. He then heard the voice of a young man.

“Master Bale, you look even more revolting now than the rotting corpses I’ve seen along the way.”

It was a familiar voice. Bale had definitely head this voice somewhere. He searched his memory frantically for the owner of the voice. At that moment, another voice appeared, “Bale, you still took this path in the end.”

It was an extremely clear and pleasing female voice. In Bale’s memory, there was only one woman he knew who possessed this voice—it was Anthony’s most cherished disciple, Moira.

The moment he identified Moira, he could slowly piece the puzzle together. He spoke in shock, “Moira and Link? How is this possible? Where is Shade?”

A weak and raspy voice could be heard, “Bale, I have failed.”

“Just how many Magicians did the East Cove Higher Magic Academy send? How long has it been since the transformation started?” Bale was bewildered.

Even if the six-man council was present, it was not possible to defeat Shade in a short time if he had utilized the power of his Mage Tower. He was a Level-5 Necromancer!

Shade smiled forcefully, “It’s just the both of them, and it’s only been 40 minutes.”

“But you have the Mage Tower…” Bale could not believe his ears.

Shade was prepared to answer but was interrupted by Herrera, “That is enough, Bale. As a respected master of the academy, you chose to dabble in dark magic and even willingly transformed yourself into this hideous creature. You have betrayed the glorious tradition of our academy. You shall receive judgment for your actions.”

As this involved the secret to Link’s unimaginable power as the Chosen One, Herrera did not want to reveal more information to Bale.

Bale shook this head. “No, please don’t. I did not harm anyone; I only want to live! Moira, please let me go. I promise to disappear from this world forever and not appear in front of anyone from the academy. I will stop my research into dark magic as well.”

He would be finished if he was brought back to the academy. Even if he was spared the death sentence, he would lose his freedom forever or even have his magic sealed. He would rather be dead.

“I’m sorry but that is not a decision I can make,” Herrera refused.

Bale was not going to give up easily, “Moira, please, I do not wish to die. There is still so much I want to know about magic and dying now will leave me with too many regrets. Let me go just this once, give me a second chance to make amendments.”