"This is a lot more complicated than I thought…" Vale muttered as he thought that the enemies that he just needed to be wary of were the Chaos Immortals, the Void Immortals, and the mysterious supporters of the Order of Fatality that made them capable of summoning Immortal-Level Evil Entities.

However, it seemed that he was completely wrong…

'That's definitely Dark Arts… But…' Vale mused as he was trying to understand the identity of that figure.

He knew that they weren't Kaela or the others. He had already familiarized himself with their Divinity and Aura Signature, and he'd never mistake their identity.

'Still, that's definitely an Immortal from the Dark Path.' Vale mused.

Although there were no longer traces of Divinity or Aura left behind, Vale could still recall the energy in his mind.

He had walked the Dark Path himself, chosen the way of shadow, and earned the title of Shadow Immortal.

His path of Darkness leaned towards silence, concealment, and a hint of control. It was never chaotic or uncontrolled.

However, even if the other immortal used quite similar Dark Spells, its presence was different.

He began to recall the other branches of Dark Path that could lead to immortality…

There was the Corruption Immortal, whose power could rot spirit and flesh from within. That kind of energy felt like a disease and despair or a creeping poison that could turn loyal soldiers into mindless ones…

Then the Immortal of Malice. This path thrived on hatred itself. Their Divinity would always be strengthened by resentment, feeding on grudges until their enemies tore themselves apart.

Vale remembered that uncontrolled Malice could twist even allies into betraying one another. This path was definitely a powerful one when dealing with a large number of enemies.

There was also the Blood Immortals. It was a branch of the Dark Path that fed on sacrifice and blood essence. Their Divinity was violent, often accompanied by rituals that bound souls into servitude.

And then there were the Nightmare Immortals… Vale didn't know much about them, but they were Immortals who could probably enter someone's dream… He wasn't sure.

Compared to them, Shane's own path, the Shadow Path, was a lot simpler…

Nonetheless, the intruder's aura, was not pure shadow. It lacked the restraint, the silence. It was heavier, more oppressive, and even hints of corruption were present.

Shane's instincts told him this was not one of his kind, but another Immortal of the Dark Path, perhaps a Corruption Immortal, or one of the lesser branches that thrived on decay or destruction that he wasn't aware of.

The Dark Path was vast, and its Immortals were definitely a lot…

Each one was dangerous and one of them had probably stepped into his world without his knowledge.

Then, it was at this time that Vale turned to the infuriated Alchemist.

Ilya's face twisted with rage.

He slammed his fist into the scorched earth, cursing loudly.

"Damn it! Damn it all! Four expeditions, years of preparation, and again it slips away!"

His frustration could be felt by everyone... The mercenaries and hired Arcanists, including the other Alchemists, felt that they had just lost a huge reward.

After all, even if they found another Fire Core here, the quality wouldn't be as great as the one protected by the Ember King.

As for Vale, he had already lost his interest. If the finest Fire Core was already stolen by this mysterious Immortal, he couldn't find the reason to continue following Ilya's path.

Still, Vale sent his Shadow Soldier to Ilya's shadow secretly, to ensure that the man wasn't part of the Order of Fatality.

'He seemed to know a lot about this place that's perfect for a hidden base of those cultists… It's better to observe him for now.' Vale mused.

***

After a few moments, Vale finally disappeared and left the Forbidden Lands.

Initially, he had intended to head for the Obsidian Caverns, yet duty pulled him back here. Tomorrow, he had a meeting with the Arcanists, who would teach Alchemy Arts, and it could not be delayed.

Well, since they had just obtained four new Fire Cores through the trade that Professor Zeno did, they also needed better Alchemy Instructors for that…

Then, on the next day, as he entered the courtyard where he should meet these applicants, his senses noticed a familiar aura…

Indeed, they were all familiar, but not in the way he expected.

Before him stood eight figures in human form radiating enormous power…

Vale froze. "Veyrith… Arin… Zerel… Lylia… All of you… What happened? Did you not like your new territory?"

There was a mix of confusion and suspicion as he saw the human form of these Dragons.

He had entrusted them with territory, with freedom after helping them fight against the Chaos Immortals, and yet here they were…

The tallest among them, Veyrith, stepped forward.

His human form seemed to have gotten a little bit bulkier, but Vale just thought that he had gotten used to this realm that lacks Divinity already.

"Lord Vale… We did not abandon the lands you gave us. We came after meeting with Orden and Ryzoir. We just thought that contributing a little to your Academy is not a bad thing. It can also help us pass the time and challenge ourselves to change."

"Whoa… Those two convinced you all?" Vale couldn't help but smile after hearing that. After all, they weren't really required to help in the Academy…

"Well… We also felt that there's going to be a huge change soon. Maybe five years, ten years, or maybe a century. We don't know. However, we can tell that something is coming and it will change not just Arcanists or the Shadow Domain but the whole Continent."

Vale paused…

He had been hearing similar things, and he couldn't help but worry a little.

After all, the Seers of the various Factions had all said that his Academy's fate was something that must be closely watched. Then, the cultists that shouldn't have had the power to summon Immortals were suddenly capable of doing so.

Then, the Seven Sins seemed to be acting up… There was also the mysterious Dark Path Immortal a day ago… Furthermore, he could tell that the seal that the Timeless King had placed had most likely weakened already.

'Seriously… What is this big change?'

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