While Adam was finding his way in the mystical lands of Yen-Lu, the wheels of fate turned relentlessly on the far side of the world.

Vulwin Preskian, one of the Councilors of the Twilight Brotherhood, who was sent to Ulier in order to find Berger and convince him to take Gerald Acadia's seat at the Council of Dawn, had met his untimely demise.

In a secluded grassy plain somewhere in the Southern Federation, the elderly elven man lay on the ground, blood pooling underneath him.

Everything had happened too quickly for him to realize, much less defend against the ambush. His green eyes slowly dimmed as he gazed at his killer looming above him.

"…Nyle," The elf managed to muster a few words. "Why?"

The assassin was none other than a fellow Councilor from the Twilight Brotherhood. He was the leader of the Shadowblades faction, a powerful Mana Core Magus, Nyle Damon!

"What do you mean 'why'?" Nyle muttered coldly, his lips curling into a smirk. "I'm not the one who killed you."

He paused for a moment, his smirk widening. "Berger did."

At last, the lights in Vulwin's eyes gradually dimmed. Just like that, a mighty Mana Core Magus, Councilor of the Twilight Brotherhood, leader of the Wild Watchers faction, was assassinated.

Nyle coldly looked at his fellow Councilor's corpse, his eyes devoid of any remorse. Then, he weaved a simple hand seal. Following that, his body dissipated into wisps of shadows until he completely disappeared.

Under the starlit sky, Vulwin's corpse lay on the blood-stained ground, unmoving. It wouldn't be long before savage beasts were drawn by the smell and dig through the elf's remains.

The Council of Dawn, the governing body of the Twilight Brotherhood, was secretly divided into two. Four of the eight councilors were Cult spies.

Through despicable schemes, the Cult spies ensured that no reinforcements were sent to the Battle of Ravenfell, thus resulting in Gerald Acadia's death.

Furthermore, with the death of Vulwin Preskian, the Cult spies would now hold complete control over the Twilight Brotherhood.

As for Berger, who was supposed to succeed his mentor at the Council of Dawn?

The Cult spies in the Brotherhood would naturally blame him for Vulwin's death. They would spare no effort to "avenge" Vulwin and bring Berger to "justice". This had been their plan all along.

With Gerald and Vulwin dead, and Berger out of the picture, the Cult spies' plans had advanced to the next step. They had tremendously increased their power within the organization.

Now, only one final piece of the puzzle remained in the Cult Leader's grand plan…

Adam Constantine.

However, the Cult spies in the Brotherhood did not make a move on the Dark King yet. For they knew that Marden Benton's arrangement would compel Adam to move towards the Cult Leader of his own accord.

With less than ninety years remaining until the planetary alignment, everything was finally beginning to fall in place.

The Acadian Empire would soon fall.

And so would the mystical lands of Yen-Lu!

***

Somewhere in the Galestine Ocean…

The night sea raged beneath a sky torn by lightning. Waves the size of mountains crashed and folded themselves, devouring anything in their path.

Thunder roared without pause, shaking the heavens as if the world itself was breaking apart. The wind screamed across the black waters, carrying sheets of rain that cut like shards of glass.

For a moment, each flash of lightning revealed the chaos, churning abyss of foam and fury, stretching endlessly into the darkness.

The ocean no longer seemed alive, but vengeful.

Yet, this phenomenon wasn't natural at all.

This was the result of a battle among Mana Core Magi!

Hovering above the waves, surrounded by a halo of golden light, Lucian Acadia seemed no different than a celestial figure. A wrathful god swallowing the night whole.

Standing on the surface of the violent waves beneath were a few figures, all of them Mana Core Magi. These beings were not human. No, they weren't beings who lived above the surface of the water. They were the dwellers of the depths!

They rose from the black waters, shapes that defied form and reason. Glimpses of glistening scales, tendrils that writhed like smoke, and eyes that shimmered faintly in the dark… too many to count.

When lightning flashed, their silhouettes warped. Elongated limbs, gaping maws, outlines that vanished the instant one tried to understand them.

The storm raged, yet it was their presence that made the night truly monstrous.

Yet, despite the horror, Lucian stood undaunted. His golden eyes blazed with strength and confidence, with not a shred of fear in them.

"So, do you agree to my proposal?" The Acadian Emperor asked, flying towards the ocean and then gently landing on its surface.

One of the Mana Core Magi of the deep pointed its trident at the Lucian and snarled:

"Hast thou forgotten the covenant forged by our ancestors?! Thou step into our domain and presume to bid us! Such insolence deserves nothing less than death!"

"You all have been trying to kill me for the past month, yet here I am." The Emperor smirked.

The deep-sea dwellers grimaced. It was true. They had been fighting non-stop for the past month, and most of the time the battlefield had been in their own domain—the depths. Yet, they still had not been able to defeat the Emperor, despite outnumbering him.

This was to be expected, of course. Lucian Acadia was one of the most powerful beings on this planet, someone who even the Cult Leader was wary of!

"I am here precisely because of the truce formed by our ancestors," Lucian began, his words dignified.

His expression grew grave as he continued, "Our world is under threat from entities beyond the stars. There are vile Magi maong us who would bring ruin upon this world, offering its people as sacrifice to those extraterrestrial entities. If we do not unite, our world is destined for doom!"

"And why should we place faith in the words of a human?" Another Mana Core-level deep dweller hissed.

"I have no reason to scheme and lie to win your assistance. You know very well I could have forced you all to bow before me," said the Emperor, his words cold and blunt.

He paused for a moment, then continued, his words ringing like judgment in their ears:

"After all… you are weak."

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