Arthur let out a bitter laugh, his voice carrying an undercurrent of fear.
"Even if I reached the 50% threshold of rule comprehension, I'm afraid I wouldn't dare attempt the dormant metamorphosis — it's too much of a gamble!"
"Why? Because of the failure rate?"
Leilin Farell's expression turned thoughtful.
"Yes, my lord!"
Arthur's eyes held unmistakable terror. "Wizards who enter the dormant metamorphosis period — if they can't fully comprehend the power of rules, they'll gradually die in their slumber... And since the final war of antiquity, I have never heard of a single success among those who underwent this process..."
"So you're saying that since the ancient war, no new seventh-rank rule Wizards have emerged in the entire Wizard World?"
Leilin Farell stroked his chin, a sudden flicker of relief passing through him. His own advancement process had been different from ordinary Wizards, carried out in another world entirely — it seemed he had sidestepped certain troubles.
"That's right!" Arthur nodded, his face grim.
"As far as I know, the only rule-level existences are the Earth Core Mother, the Necromancer King, and other sovereigns from the age of antiquity. They've been deep beneath the seventh layer of the Underground World all this time, rarely appearing..."
"Indeed. It's not that the Wizard World lacks powerful guardians — they've simply been staying in the Underground World the whole time."
Leilin Farell nodded, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.
He had long suspected this. Given the Wizard World's former status, even after the final war of antiquity, there should have been some eighth-level existences that survived.
Otherwise, the world's sleeping will alone would not have been enough to deter the probing gazes of rule-level existences from other worlds.
"So in the eyes of those rule-level beings, the depths beneath the Wizard World are more valuable than the surface? To them, the Central Continent is like what the Central Continent now thinks of the South Coast — something to dismiss without a second thought..."
Leilin Farell suddenly grasped the thinking of those rule-level existences.
Only this explanation made sense. Otherwise, with their power, the entirety of the Central Continent would have no choice but to grovel at their feet, trembling.
"Is the Underground World's... resources that rich?"
Leilin Farell suddenly looked at Arthur.
The question clearly caught Arthur off guard. From what he had seen in the Astral Laboratory, this Lord Leilin was clearly from the surface — did he now have designs on the Underground World as well?
Though a hint of bitterness rose in his heart, Arthur dared not conceal anything. "The developed portions of the Underground World's seven layers are indeed far richer in elemental concentration and Wizard resources than the Central Continent. With each descending layer, this disparity only increases — there are even treasures that would drive countless Dawn Wizards into a frenzy. As for what lies beneath the seventh layer... I'm not too certain, but rumor has it that the world down there is far stranger and more bizarre, yet enormously beneficial to rule-level existences..."
"Enormously beneficial?" Leilin Farell stroked his chin. "For rule-level existences, the resources of the surface world are already utterly negligible. What they need is comprehension of rules and guidance for the path ahead..."
"Could it be... that in the Underground World, there are places more conducive to comprehending rules?"
At the thought, Leilin Farell's eyes lit up.
"Perhaps... I should find an opportunity to explore the deeper levels of the Underground World. After all, I am now considered part of the Wizard World's upper echelon of power. It would be easier to progress through exchange with the other existences there..."
Leilin Farell began forming plans in his mind, though he had no intention of voicing them aloud.
"Arthur, you came here because of them?" Leilin Farell gestured toward Belinda and the other two.
"Yes!" Only now did Arthur spare Belinda and the others a glance, and the look in his eyes held no trace of the condescension he once had. "Ensuring the safety of this district was my responsibility to begin on. But with Lord Leilin here, there was naturally no need for me to do anything..."
One had to admit — Arthur knew when to read the room.
Or perhaps, having witnessed Leilin Farell's power, he had lost every last shred of the will to resist.
"You did well! As it happens, I'm going to visit an old friend — you'll come along!"
Leilin Farell nodded and headed toward the Iaias Family estate first. Arthur followed with a bitter smile, head bowed low like a servant trailing behind.
...
This was the territory of the Iaias Family. Steep, metallic-sheened hills rose everywhere, and at the very center stood the Iaias Family's manor.
Massive Thunderbolt Bluebirds periodically swooped down, accompanied by the roar of lightning.
A death trap for outsiders — yet in Leilin Farell's eyes, it posed not the slightest danger.
"Im! An old friend has come!"
Solidified soul power swept outward. In an instant, Leilin Farell shattered through the Iaias Family's layered defenses and located Im, who was in a secret chamber.