Arcane Journey

After listening to Hathaway's story, Brian roughly understood some of the details of the plan.

  He withdrew his thoughts and his eyes fell on the elf in front of him. Her beautiful eyes were bright, like the brightest stars in the deep night sky, but there was an imperceptible sadness in her expression, as if she was carrying endless secrets and sorrow.

  "I see." Brian nodded thoughtfully and expressed his opinion on the plan:

"That is to say, in order to allow Goddess Angris to achieve the almost impossible feat of fusion in the most perfect manner, Ms. Jinxin and the other two goddesses not only devoted themselves wholeheartedly and cooperated closely with this grand plan, but were also willing to give up part of their own divine power as a catalyst for fusion, right?"

Hathaway didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, sighed softly, and then lowered her eyes.

Then, she sat on the cold rocky ground with her knees bent, hugging her knees with her hands, looking a bit lonely and desolate, with elusive light and shadow flashing in her deep eyes, making it impossible to guess what kind of thoughts were surging in her heart at this moment.

Although Brian was very interested in this matter, seeing that the other party obviously didn't want to continue talking, he naturally didn't bother to continue asking.

Then, after a brief consideration, Brian brought the topic back to the point and said to Hathaway, "So what? Miss Hathaway said so much, so what does this matter have to do with the Illusion Demon King?"

After thinking for a while, he continued to ask, "Also, you haven't told me how you were corrupted by the Illusion Demon King."

"This..." Hathaway, who had gradually come to her senses after hearing Brian's question, showed obvious hesitation on her face. She hesitated for a long time, but couldn't think of the words she wanted to say.

Seeing Hathaway's strange expression, Brian immediately realized that there might be something else going on.

Unfortunately, Ali could tell from the expression of the female elf that she obviously didn't want to talk about these things, otherwise she wouldn't have deliberately shifted the topic to Goddess Angris.

There may really be a certain connection between the two. In Brian's opinion, Hathaway has some unspeakable secret.

In this case, Brian naturally would not force the other party.

If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. It's as if you really want to hear it.

No matter what, the Abyss is definitely involved in this matter. Once he knows too much, he might be involved with other demon lords, or even involved in the plans of the elven gods.

Right now, Brian still has the unfinished business of resolving the chaos in the Underdark. It would be troublesome if he wasted a lot of time here and delayed his important work.

So, he withdrew his gaze from Hathaway, smiled and said, "It's me who is abrupt. Since Miss Hathaway doesn't want to say anything, I won't force you to do anything. You don't have to apologize for this. If there's nothing else, I'll leave first. After all, although I have destroyed a fragment of the incarnation of the Illusion Demon King, the real incarnation is still hidden in the Underdark. In short, Miss Hathaway, be careful and don't fall into the trap of the Illusion Demon King again."

After saying that, he shook his head gently, turned around and was about to leave the cave.

"Wait a moment!"

As soon as Brian took a step, Hathaway beside him quickly stood up and called out to him as he was about to leave.

Seeing Hathaway calling him, Brian frowned unconsciously, and his expression was somewhat dissatisfied.

After all, he had been kind enough to rescue her from the demon lord and ask her questions, wanting to find out about the Phantom Demon King, but she didn't cooperate at all and was evasive, and even deliberately kept people in suspense with the matter of Angris.

Brian was not angry at the moment, which could be considered as having a good temper.

He turned around and said nothing, but looked at Hathaway who stood up and walked over with a slightly cold look.

Hathaway obviously also noticed Brian's dissatisfaction, and a complex emotion flashed in her deep eyes.

After hesitating for a moment, she looked at Brian with a slightly apologetic look, as if she wanted to condense all her apologies in this final look.

Then, Hathaway slowly told Brian the truth in a soft and low voice: "I'm sorry, Mr. Brian."

"There are some truths... It's not that I don't want to tell you." Hathaway stood in front of Brian, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, "I'm just wondering if it's appropriate to involve you in this dispute with the Abyss. After all, you are a rare and talented arcanist, shouldering the great mission of restoring the glory of the Arcane Empire. Every choice you make may affect the direction of your future. If you encounter any unexpected events because of this incident, I will definitely be to blame."

She paused for a moment, her eyes revealing deep worry and uneasiness, but she quickly continued, "Besides, Mr. Brian is a half-elf with elven blood, and has even received blessings from the Kingdom of Arvandor... Your life not only belongs to you, but is also closely connected to this land and this starry sky."

"Since Miss Hathaway doesn't want me to be involved in this dispute, why did you tell me this?" Brian still had a stern face and said unhappily.

"That's why I hesitated." Hathaway didn't care about Brian's attitude, and said softly, "I don't want Mr. Brian to be involved in this dispute. It's my own intention, but..." Seeing Hathaway's hesitation and inability to continue, Brian frowned, thought for a while, and suddenly realized something.

He asked tentatively, "But the others are eager for me to get involved, aren't they, Miss Hathaway?"

Her inner thoughts were suddenly revealed. Hathaway raised her head, eyes widened in surprise, and looked at Brian with a complicated expression.

She was silent for a long time before she sighed and said slowly, "Yes, since Mr. Brian has already guessed it, he must also know who the mastermind behind the scenes is."

"My identity has been exposed, and I have even been tainted with the aura of the Abyss." She continued, "Mr. Brian is different. You are a person who is beyond fate. It is perfect for you to help us accomplish this."

"Besides..." Hathaway said, "This incident is closely related to the riot in the Underdark. It will not affect any of your subsequent actions at all. In fact, I can even provide you with the greatest assistance in your subsequent actions."

"In short, this matter is like a double-edged sword for you," she said. "If used properly, the benefits will be unimaginable."

"Sure enough."

Hearing Hathaway's words, Brian nodded slightly, and a look of realization flashed across his face.

He pondered in his heart that obviously, there must be a master behind the clever words of this female elf.

As for who is behind this, the answer is almost obvious.

Who else could have such a profound influence except Corellon Larethian, the chief god of the elven pantheon and the leader of the City of Refugees?

Although Brian could not sense the existence of this true God, and could not even catch a trace of his breath, he could not help but have an illusion that his conversation with Hathaway might also be quietly listened to and observed in the dark.

  Otherwise, why is Hathaway's attitude so subtle and complex?

Taking this into consideration, Brian felt that it might be a wise choice to participate in this operation without affecting his next plans.

From Hathaway's words, he vaguely felt that the next plan was undoubtedly closely related to the Abyss.

At this time, he had reached an agreement with the Radiant Sister Jelina of the Succubus Queen.

After solving the problem in the Underdark, he will go to the Abyss with Jelena to fight against Demogorgon together.

If the forces of the elven pantheon could provide strong support, the chances of success would naturally be greatly increased.

After all, he was helping the elven pantheon, and they should give him some substantial support.

Thinking of this, Brian's eyes became firm, and he slowly turned to Hathaway: "Since the secrets in your hearts are as I expected, there is no need to apologize for any possible hesitation. I can participate in your actions, but I also hope that you can understand one thing: behind any gift from fate, there is a price tag in secret."

"This is the immutable law of the universe," he emphasized.

Hathaway smiled gently upon hearing this, and she had obviously anticipated Brian's reaction. "Sir, you always hit the nail on the head, which makes people admire you."

After saying that, she raised her hand lightly, and a magic power like starlight brewed from her fingertips and pointed at Brian.

At this moment, the brightest star in the night sky seemed to respond to some kind of call. A beam of extremely bright starlight broke through the air and silently enveloped Brian. The light gradually merged with Brian's body, like the first light of dawn, warm and sacred.

Brian's heart was throbbing as he clearly felt the supernatural gift 'Avandor's Blessing' in his system panel rising from the lowest level of 'weak' to mild, moderate and even strong, and finally reaching the highest level of perfection!

What was even more incredible to Brian was that this supernatural gift did not stop there.

With a glimmer of light, the eye-catching "perfect" level quietly transformed into a "demigod" that shone with a light golden divine glow.

Then, Brian suddenly realized that an unreachable passage seemed to have opened up in the deep void, and an extremely surging and powerful energy suddenly poured out.

This energy was like a surging tide, with an irresistible pressure that completely submerged Brian. (End of this chapter)