Chapter 145: A Chance Encounter

"Yes!" These were all deployments Samuel had made well in advance, all for the sake of this very day.

"And what shall we do now?" the three-eyed merman asked, looking at Samuel with reverence.

Originally, these creatures had possessed no intelligence. It was Samuel who had given them the potion that awakened their minds, granting them their existence today. Moreover, the soul essence of every creature within the secret realm was held in Samuel's grasp; they found it impossible not to be submissive.

"Let us remain here for the time being. I can sense the aura of that deep-sea magic whale. Once it arrives, we shall make our preparations!" Through Minnie's memories, Samuel was well-acquainted with the current state of the Lost Domain and knew the location of Holy Circle City like the back of his hand. He intended to strike Holy Circle City first; once that was taken, the entire Lost Domain would effectively be in his grasp.

"Understood!" Upon receiving the order, the three-eyed merman immediately relayed the message throughout the sea, and the surface of the water seemed to return to its usual calm.

"Faster, go faster!" Hugh’s face was deathly pale as he urged the venom wyvern beneath him. The aura released by the magic-disc octopus just moments ago had affected him even from such a great distance. Hugh felt wave after wave of dizziness, and it was only due to the wyvern’s steady flight that he hadn't fallen off.

"Mavis, can you sense your former master's aura?" Hugh fought to keep himself conscious; he did not want to return to Holy Circle City only to have others notice something amiss.

"I cannot, but I can conclude that this secret realm was indeed a contingency left behind by Samuel!" Mavis was also suffering. Though she was within the spatial storage, that surge of energy had directly touched her soul, leading her to suspect that the magic-disc octopus might have already detected her.

"What do you mean?" Hugh rubbed his throbbing temples and checked behind him. Seeing nothing unusual, he finally relaxed a little.

"That magic-disc octopus has reached the third rank. A mature specimen of its kind only reaches the second rank at most. It seems this was Samuel’s backup plan. Given the circumstances, it is highly likely that Samuel has occupied the body of that creature!" Mavis knew her former master’s personality well; such a thing was entirely within his capabilities.

"Damn it!" Hugh cursed under his breath. He had only just settled into Holy Circle City when he encountered this. It seemed he could not stay there for much longer.

"Tell me the general situation in the Lost Domain. If things go south, I will have no choice but to leave," Mavis said. She could not be sure if Samuel was unable to track her, but based on this piece of spatial equipment alone, the man would certainly not let the matter rest.

Hugh then recounted the general state of the Lost Domain to Mavis. He knew that leaving the domain alone was nearly impossible, and he hoped Mavis might have a solution.

"Holy Circle City..." Mavis fell silent after hearing Hugh’s description. Everything as he described was completely different from how it had been in her time.

"If it comes to the worst, we will head for the Frost-Scar Rift!" After a moment of thought, Mavis suggested this location.

"Frost-Scar Rift?" This was the first time Hugh had heard of such a place, despite having been in the Lost Domain for quite some time.

"Yes. Based on what you’ve said, aside from Holy Circle City, the only other place in the Lost Domain capable of opposing Samuel is the Frost-Scar Rift," Mavis said, while trying hard to recall its location.

"I have never heard of this place. Could it have vanished?" Hugh speculated, considering the thousands of years that separated him from Mavis.

"Impossible! To be precise, the Frost-Scar Rift is located beneath the Lost Domain, where a large number of ice elves reside!" Mavis was certain it could not have vanished; in fact, the rift was the final line of defense for the entire domain.

"Ice elves..." Hugh wondered if there was also an Eternal Ancient Tree within that rift.

"You are in Holy Circle City now. If Samuel truly attacks, it would be best for you to leave early. Oh, that’s right—the ice elves in the Frost-Scar Rift guard a teleportation array that leads to Alkeri!" Mavis slowly recalled more details.

"What is the relationship between the elves here and those in Alkeri?" Hugh suspected that the destination of this teleportation array might well be the Eternal Forest.

"I am not entirely sure, but it is said that the first generation of elves was born from the Tree of Life. The relationship should not be poor."

"And how do you know there is a teleportation array there?" Hugh suspected that Mavis had once entered the Eternal Forest with Samuel.

"Well... it was because we teleported from the Eternal Forest in Alkeri!" Mavis replied evasively.

"Wait? The elves allow outsiders to enter their territory?" Hugh found this strange, given the long history and unknown depth of the elven race.

"Well, er, the truth is that Samuel tried to steal the elven meditation technique, was discovered by that thing called the Eternal Ancient Tree, and then we ended up here!" Mavis explained her past experience with some embarrassment.

"So you were exiled!" Hugh ruthlessly exposed her lie.

"You..." Mavis wanted to retort, but realized that what Hugh said was the truth. Her arrival here was indeed little more than an exile.

"But it is strange; there is also an Eternal Ancient Tree in the Frost-Scar Rift, exactly the same as the one in Alkeri!" Recalling the strength of the Eternal Ancient Tree, Mavis still felt a lingering fear.

"How strong is it?" Hugh had never seen one in action, and historical texts did not record the power of the Tree of Life, describing it only as the origin of all life.

"At least fifth rank. And I suspect the legends about the Tree of Life are true—it likely splintered into these Eternal Ancient Trees," Mavis said with a grave tone. After she and Samuel arrived here, they had investigated many things and had indeed found some clues.

"Fifth rank... splintered." Hugh had not expected that a place like Alkeri hid such a fifth-rank existence.

"Since I cannot stay in Holy Circle City, we shall go to the Frost-Scar Rift. But will they let us in?" Hugh worried, as he was a human—though his bloodline suggested otherwise.

"I don't know!" Mavis was unsure if Hugh could gain entry.

"You don't know!? Are you playing with me?" Hugh was stunned. He hadn't expected such an answer.

"Oh, don't be so impatient! Back then, the elves in the Frost-Scar Rift gave us a leaf from the Eternal Ancient Tree. It should be inside this spatial storage; just look for it!" Seeing Hugh’s agitation, Mavis quickly explained.

Hugh ignored her and focused on his next steps. He couldn't stay in Holy Circle City for long; if Samuel really came looking, he had to be prepared.

"ROAR!" A deafening sound swept over Hugh's head as a dark red dragon, twice the size of his venom wyvern, flew in the opposite direction.

A masked man riding the dragon glanced back at Hugh, who had been left in the wake, before continuing toward the sea area Hugh had just departed.

"Was that someone?" Hugh hadn't seen the rider clearly, only a dark shadow passing by.

"Never mind, it has nothing to do with me. Better to get back to Holy Circle City first!" Hugh didn't overthink it, assuming it was just a passing wizard.

"Such an aura... interesting!" Samuel, who had just finished absorbing the soul essence of Minnie and the others, suddenly sensed the aura radiating from the phantom, and it felt very familiar.

At noon, Hugh returned to Holy Circle City. After calmly letting the guards check his identity, he had someone return the venom wyvern, avoiding any suspicion that he was the only one returning from the expedition with Gutt's group.

Back in his villa, Hugh finally let out a long breath. He checked the time; he had been out for less than three days. He had never expected that exploring a secret realm would stir up so much trouble.

"So, this is where you live! Not bad!" Seeing that no one was around, Mavis emerged from the guiding pendant and wandered around the villa, perhaps having been stifled in the secret realm for too long.

"No, I cannot stay here for too long!" Hugh felt that something ominous was about to happen in Holy Circle City, though he could not say exactly what.