"...A phantom beyond imagination..."
Compared to the previous notes, these two lines of dark gray text were written with heavy strokes and a frantic scrawl, as if the very spaces between the words seeped with palpable fear and bewilderment.
"What kind of monster could reduce a legendary mage to such terror? And if he had the time, why didn't he leave? They should have all mastered the laws of the coordinate shifts here..." Lucian's expression showed not a single change, but inwardly, he was analyzing the string of anomalies.
The fact that the Magic Notes could endure years without decay in the absence of a guardian, and that a unique chamber had been specifically carved out within the gray hall to serve as a laboratory—Lucian was certain the writer was a legendary mage. Yet even such a figure encountering a quasi-deity would not be reduced to this state. At most, they would feel despair and dejection, even submit and beg for mercy, but not this mixture of vacant bewilderment and horror, like a child terrified by ghosts.
Just what kind of phantom was this?
Faintly, Lucian felt the strange, creeping dread inspired by this message was somewhat familiar, but he searched his memory and found no corresponding experience.
Rhein held the puppet's arm, examining it as one might appreciate a jewel. "This method of crafting a substitute puppet is unique. As far as I know, only McLeod knew it. This must be his relic."
He placed a subtle emphasis on the word "relic."
"McLeod? The alchemist king of the ancient Arcane Empire, a third-tier legendary mage?" Lucian repeated.
According to the data from Venken and Adoul, McLeod was one of the eight or nine legendary mages who explored the Netherworld, along with Maskelyn and the others. It seemed they had indeed "disappeared" here in the end.
Lucian used an approximate number rather than an exact figure because Venken hadn't recorded every member, and Adoul only knew the more famous ones; the rest could only be inferred. Moreover, not all the legendary mages "missing" from the ancient Arcane Empire were necessarily due to exploring the Netherworld.
"From what I know, it's very likely him." Rhein's slender fingers stroked the pale green puppet arm, which was covered in strange patterns.
Lucian smiled. "You are the Observer. Your judgment is more accurate than mine."
Rhein chuckled softly, his fingers tapping lightly on the puppet as if playing a piano. "This substitute puppet is a rare, single-use legendary item. It doesn't appear damaged. Instead, McLeod deliberately dismantled it into several parts. If they are all found, it should be possible to reassemble it completely."
"Deliberately dismantled? Perhaps once reassembled, we could obtain important information left by McLeod." Lucian mused. This was indeed a method to evade divination in the field of astrology.
"There are who knows how many doors here, how many gray halls. We don't know the specific coordinates where McLeod stored the different parts of the puppet. It could take thousands or tens of thousands of years and we might still not find them." Rhein smiled and held out the puppet. "I have no use for it. Take it as a reference for analysis."
Lucian had been interested in the special alchemy method for the "substitute puppet" mentioned in the Magic Notes, and this was an incomplete, unusable item, so he didn't stand on ceremony and reached out to take it.
His right hand's five fingers settled on the puppet. He applied a bit of force, but it didn't budge; Rhein's right hand, holding the puppet arm, was clenched tightly.
Lucian looked up at Rhein in confusion. Hadn't he said he was giving it to him?
Seeing Lucian's bewildered expression, Rhein's mouth curved upward. He said with dry humor, "You're not even going to say thank you before taking it?"
As he spoke, Lucian saw his silver, clear eyes grow misty, like the cool, dreamy silver moon of a deep night, drawing every soul irresistibly into them.
A sudden wave of fatigue washed over Lucian, and he wanted nothing more than to fall into a quiet sleep.
*Not good!*
*The vampire's innate charm!*
Why was Mr. Rhein attacking without warning?
The sound of his mental barrier shattering like illusion echoed within Lucian's soul, jolting him slightly awake. But those eyes, like a night sky under the full silver moon, made it impossible to look away.
The faint glow of "Short-Range Teleportation" lit up. "Spell Trigger," under the assault on his soul, activated automatically.
At that very moment, Rhein's right hand holding the puppet gave a light flick. Faint black ripples spread from the puppet onto Lucian's hand, neutralizing the magic fluctuation and preventing Lucian from teleporting away.
"Spell Sequencing," "Spell Sequencer"—these triggered in succession, but were all counteracted by Rhein's strange methods. He opened his crimson mouth, two sharp fangs extending, and bit elegantly toward Lucian like a gentleman:
"Not saying thank you is very impolite."