"Look, I'd love to go in too! But could you at least explain why the only runes I can see in this magic circle are ones for attack and restraint, and not a single one designed to block energy systems?"
A flash of blue light flickered through Leilin Farell's eyes as he halted right at the edge of the magical array, addressing the Black Fog Wizard.
"I didn't expect you to notice after all!"
The Black Fog Wizard let out a bitter laugh, and even the voice suddenly softened—into that of a young woman.
There was something faintly familiar about the voice in Leilin's ears.
"There was really no other way. I mean, I've barely ever deceived anyone in my entire life!"
The woman gave another bitter smile, then dispelled the layer of black mist she had been using as a disguise.
The mist dissipated, revealing an ordinary-looking woman's face—not particularly beautiful, but with a pair of extremely gentle eyes that seemed to hold rippling waves of water, unforgettable to anyone who had ever seen them.
Around this female wizard's neck hung a massive necklace made of gemstones and pearls, radiating multicolored light.
"Jenna?! It's you?" Leilin immediately recognized the wizard.
As the first wizard he had met upon arriving in Evernight City, this girl named Jenna had left him with a rather favorable impression.
But now it seemed that the seemingly innocent girl from back then had clearly been hiding something from him.
"It's been so long, Leilin!"
The girl—who seemed to have come from some great family—flashed him a brilliant smile.
"Spare me the reunion talk. Maybe you should first explain what's going on with this magic array!"
Leilin pointed at the circle beside him, his expression turning grave.
His itinerary had always been kept strictly confidential. For someone who had managed to track him here and disguise herself so well, he was genuinely on guard, uncertain what other tricks she might have up her sleeve.
"As for that…"
Jenna lowered her head, looking almost ashamed. "It's just…"
In that instant, the necklace around Jenna's neck suddenly erupted with a burst of five-colored light, surging toward Leilin.
Leilin, who had been maintaining his vigilance all along, activated several acceleration spells he had prepped on his legs. His figure blurred into several dark shadows, and he vanished from his spot in the blink of an eye.
BOOM!
The five-colored light blanketed the ground, forming the shape of a magical rune. Under its glow, everything—soil, sand, plants—withered at a terrifying rate.
"Got you!" A smile appeared on Jenna's face at the sight.
Leilin's heart lurched.
At the same time, beneath his feet, a faintly glowing magical array suddenly materialized.
Countless white pillars of light surged upward, forming something like a cage that locked Leilin inside.
"Prediction? No—something more advanced!"
Inside the cage, Leilin shook his sleeve and launched several black fireballs at the bars. Black flames began to rage and burn.
But the white pillars proved incredibly sturdy. Even the flames of the Shadow Fireballs could only make them tremble slightly—nowhere near enough to break through this magical array.
And a wizard capable of setting up such an array was definitely no simple character.
Leilin stared intently at the female wizard before him, suddenly feeling he had perhaps underestimated her.
Whether it was the ruse of using that obvious rubble magic array as bait to draw his attention, or the decisiveness of seizing the perfect moment to strike—neither was something an ordinary white wizard should be capable of.
Especially this last one: the ability to predict where Leilin would land. That was what truly made him wary.
If it was some kind of precognitive ability, then for a low-ranking wizard, it was virtually an unsolvable threat.
"Why?" Leilin asked from within the white-pillar cage.
He and this female wizard named Jenna had only met a handful of times before entering the city, and after that they had rarely even communicated through secret seals. There didn't seem to be any reason for a life-or-death struggle like this.
"I'm sorry, but according to the prophecy, you are the catalyst that will bring war and bloodshed to the entire South Coast. To preserve peace along the South Coast, I have no choice but to sacrifice you…"
Tears the size of beans rolled down Jenna's cheeks one by one, and even Leilin couldn't tell whether she was faking it or being sincere.
"So you're saying that based on some vague, ethereal prophecy claiming I'll be a threat to the South Coast, you've decided to preemptively eliminate me?"
Leilin's expression darkened instantly. Anyone faced with such a reason would be driven half-mad with frustration.
Leilin had imagined countless possibilities beforehand—was it a vendetta? A conflict over interests? But this particular reason had never once crossed his mind.
However, this indirectly confirmed that what Jenna had used was indeed a form of precognitive ability.
"Don't bother struggling. This cage was specially prepared for you, constructed from fragments I extracted from the future. It's made entirely of Light-system energy particles, and I've incorporated several high-level fire-resistant sigils! With your current maximum attack power, you cannot break through!"
Jenna's eyes suddenly closed, then snapped open again—her pupils were now pure white.
"For the peace of the entire world, please depart quietly!"
Jenna spoke in a calm, even tone, and on her otherwise ordinary face there appeared an almost sacred quality.