Chapter 182: The Returning Lise, Awakening the Core Magic: Collapse Echo

Twilight City entrance.

"Finally here!"

Lise lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the magnificent giant city in front of her. While happy, she was also somewhat uneasy.

That person she hadn't seen for a long time, the one she admired, what kind of attitude would he use to face her?

However, the slowly moving carriage would not stop because of her uneasiness.

After confirming Lise's identity as a member of the Hughes family from both the wolf head mark on the carriage and the attendant blessing of the coachman, Knight Solin, the Transcendent Knight Mailin, who was guarding the gate, chose to let them pass very simply.

After all, this was the family of the now-famous "Howling Wolf" Karon Hughes, who was also the son-in-law of the City Lord!

"So many people."

As the carriage drove into the city-state, Lise looked at the prosperous scene of bustling traffic and surging crowds outside the window, and her beautiful heterochromatic eyes couldn't help but reveal deep curiosity.

For a "homebody" who had spent the past ten years or so in the castle library reading books, the thrill brought by this lively scene even temporarily overwhelmed the uneasiness in her heart.

It was like a depressed Icelandic youth who, after sitting in a train station during the Dragon Country's Spring Festival travel rush for a whole night, had their depression miraculously cured.

People, in the end, are social animals.

The carriage drove smoothly all the way to the front of the Red Fox Castle, the core of Twilight City, and was immediately allowed to pass.

The first to hear the news and rush over was her father.

After verbally commending and thanking Knight Solin for his escort, Karon looked at his daughter whom he hadn't seen for a long time, and was so excited that tears even flowed down his heroic face.

"My daughter, after separating from you, I worried about your safety every moment. Fortunately, you are still safe and sound."

"Father, I was also worried about you. Being able to see you again is one of the happiest things in the world for me."

After this pair of father and daughter confided their hearts to each other for a long time, Karon asked about the reason for Lise's visit this time.

"It was Lady Danielle's suggestion. After the war to attack Night Shadow Castle ended, my magic power revolted many times..." Lise told the truth.

Listening and listening, Karon's expression became solemn.

And after hearing his daughter's account, hesitation, struggle, guilt, pain... all kinds of emotions flashed across the man's face like a revolving lantern.

Finally, with a face full of guilt, not even daring to look at the girl in front of him, he closed his eyes and said slowly:

"The Hughes family owes His Highness too much..."

"This kindness, even if the entire family tried their best to be loyal to His Highness for a hundred years, might not be enough to repay. How can we add new kindness?"

"We are His Highness's servants, not creditors, and even less can we be a group of fools who only know how to cause trouble."

"Therefore, I cannot ask His Highness for even a word or a glance regarding this matter."

"I can only, as an incompetent father, do my best to defend you against the pursuit of the Storm Church, and even... I cannot sacrifice my life for this, because my life has long belonged to His Highness."

"My daughter, I'm sorry..."

Karon even bent down and wanted to kneel on one knee to apologize to his daughter, but was hugged tightly around the neck by Lise with her slender hands.

"That's enough, it's already enough."

"Mr. Karon, you are already the best father in the world." The silver-haired girl said softly in a gentle voice.

"Please let me walk the path ahead by myself."

"Whether His Highness bestows upon me shelter or exile, I will gratefully accept it."

"Because as you said, what His Highness has bestowed upon Hughes, or rather, upon me personally, is already too much."

The library.

"Sigh."

Xia Mingyu looked at the cumbersome and profound magic diagram on the magic book in his hand, sighing and shaking his head while studying hard.

Because of his high-intensity brain use every day during this period, he could even experience the phantom pain of his brain being scorched.

Knock, knock, knock.

At this moment, the library's big door was gently knocked upon.

"Your Highness, Miss Lise of the Hughes family arrived at the castle half an hour ago and wishes to request an audience with you. Do you grant it?"

The respectful voice of the butler, Seris, came from outside the door.

Lise?

She also came to Red Fox Castle!

Xia Mingyu froze for a moment, but soon his expression became pleasantly surprised.

"Quick, please invite her over."

"Yes."

When Lise pushed open the oak door of the library under the guidance of the kind old butler and saw the black-haired young man standing in the sunlight filtering in from the window, smiling and looking at her with open arms...

Her brain was still thinking about the wording of her speech, but her body had already moved first.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of heels hitting the wooden floor was exceptionally crisp in the quiet library.

Bang.

The silver-haired girl almost crashed into the black-haired young man's arms. Her snow-white arms, like lotus roots, hugged the young man's waist tightly, and her cheeks pressed against the young man's chest.

"Your Highness, I missed you very much." The girl's voice was slightly trembling. She had thought of countless words to say when they reunited, but in the end... it turned into the purest longing in her heart.

Xia Mingyu, who was impacted by this unexpected scene, was a bit dazed. After reacting, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and a gentle smile appeared on his handsome face.

"I... missed you too." He stroked the girl's long hair, which cascaded down like a silver waterfall, and said in as gentle a voice as possible.

"Welcome back, Lise."

Sniffing the faint fragrance from her hair, the two hugged for a long time before gradually separating.

"Let's go. Whatever you have to say, wait until after dinner. Anliya should also miss you very much."

Xia Mingyu looked at the pitch-black sky outside the window and stopped Lise, who was hesitant and wanted to say something, and said.

"Good." The girl nodded obediently, thinking that it wouldn't be too late to accept His Highness's judgment after eating a meal.

The dining room.

The crystal chandelier on the ceiling radiated soft light downward.

"Long time no see, Miss Lise. How have you been lately?"

Anliya, wearing an apron, asked happily while putting down the dishes she had carefully prepared on the dining table.

"Sister Anliya, I am doing well. Thank you for your delicious food." Lise stood up and nodded politely to thank her.

What Anliya made tonight was her specialty—honey-pan-fried pork ribs, plus a glass of freshly squeezed red fruit juice.

Looking at the meat ribs on the plate, which were caramel-colored on the surface and tender and juicy, Xia Mingyu's appetite was opened. He couldn't wait to cut a piece of meat with a knife and fork and put it in his mouth.

The moment he bit down, the crispy sugar coating made a slight cracking sound between his teeth, like stepping on a thin piece of ice, and the rich honey fragrance immediately exploded in his mouth, carrying the faint fragrance of burnt bay leaves.

At the same time, an inexplicable magic power rose from his body, and his whole body felt as comfortable as if he were soaking in a hot spring, so much so that Xia Mingyu narrowed his eyes.

"Anliya, the ability effect attached to the food you made this time should be to improve magic power..."

After savoring it for a long time, Xia Mingyu opened his eyes and was about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by a surging shockwave.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Strange magic power, intertwined with bright red and pale white, erupted from the silver-haired girl's petite body like a surging tide. The shockwave she stirred up toward the surroundings caused the doors, windows, and chandeliers of the entire restaurant to rattle.

Under the surprised gazes of Xia Mingyu and Anliya, a line of deep purple text gradually appeared above the girl's head—Magician.

This girl, who was hailed by her teacher as an "uncommon genius" in the magic world for her magic talent, finally advanced to a magician in her seventeenth year after suppressing her magic power for many years.

"Lise, congratulations on taking the most crucial step on the path of magic."

Xia Mingyu walked over to offer his blessings, but saw that the silver-haired girl, who should have been happy, now had a smile on her pretty face that was uglier than crying.

In an instant, he remembered that Lise had mentioned before that once she advanced to a magician and awakened dual-colored magic power, she would be immediately captured by people from the Storm Church...

Xia Mingyu's expression gradually became severe. He suddenly realized why Lise had suddenly come to Red Fox Castle.

"Lise, can you go to the library with me to talk?" he said softly.

"Mm." Lise nodded heavily. She lowered her head, tugging gently at Xia Mingyu's clothes, following closely behind him like a puppy afraid of being abandoned.

The library.

Xia Mingyu sat on the floor, while Lise lowered her head and knelt on the floor, her fingers gripping her skirt tightly.

"So, after multiple magic power revolts, it was Lady Danielle's suggestion that made you come to find me?"

After quietly listening to her account, Xia Mingyu asked.

"Mm." The girl's voice was minimal, and she just nodded heavily again.

Hearing this, Xia Mingyu fell into deep thought. His fingers tapped gently on the wooden board, making a tap-tap-tap sound.

And Lise only felt her heart beating along with the rhythm of this sound.

"Lise, can you find a way to hide the news of your breakthrough to a magician from the Storm Church?"

After a long silence, Xia Mingyu finally spoke.

"Almost impossible, because Bishop Lu En previously revealed that in the Storm Church's Holy City, Wind Breath City, there is a divination Luo Pan capable of locating heterochromatic-eyed individuals at the Morning Star Rank. Once the Luo Pan trembles, the Church will send powerful Holy Knights to capture the other party..."

Lise shook her head with a bitter smile. If it weren't for this, how could she, who should have been able to easily break the Morning Star shackles at fourteen, have endured until now?

Xia Mingyu fell into deep thought again, and Lise, feeling this oppressive atmosphere, lowered her head even further.

Her forehead was almost touching her knees, and she curled up into a tiny ball. Her fingers gripping her skirt turned pale white from excessive force.

Even her body trembled slightly.

Xia Mingyu noticed the girl's nervous heart at this moment. He temporarily put aside his thinking about how to deal with the people from the Storm Church and said softly instead:

"Lise, do you know what I will say when I see Lady Danielle again?"

"... Why did you bring me trouble?"

"No, I will tell her, thank you for persuading the girl I cherish, so that she wasn't stupid enough to not ask her friend for help even when she was about to fall into a fire pit," Xia Mingyu said calmly.

Hearing this, the silver-haired girl, whose head was about to touch the floor, raised her head abruptly. The gaze she cast at the black-haired young man in front of her was full of disbelief.

After she came back to her senses, her beautiful eyes were already overflowing with tears.

"Wuwu!"

A sob that had been suppressed for a long time finally spilled from the girl's tightly bitten lips. Like opening some gate, she covered her face and cried.

Drip, drip.

One drop, two drops of crystal-clear teardrops fell onto the hem of her skirt, blooming into dark stains.

"Don't cry. I still remember you telling me that you came to this world because of love, so why did you belittle yourself again?"

Xia Mingyu gently touched Lise's head and said warmly.

"Your mother, your father, they all love you, and even I care about you just the same!"

"My little teacher Lise, do you want another hug?" The black-haired young man opened his arms and smiled.

And welcoming him was another hug that felt like a collision.

"Lise, after advancing to a magician, what is your core magic?"

After the girl's emotions finally stabilized and the tear stains on her pretty face were wiped away by him, Xia Mingyu asked with curiosity.

Because according to the research of magicians, the strength and uniqueness of core magic largely depend on the talent of the magician themselves.

Taking himself as an example, he awakened a disaster magic like Heavenly Punishment Dragon Thunder, which was powerful and even carried special attacks against sinful people.

And Lise, whose talent was only a little weaker than his, should also have awakened a very powerful core magic.

"Your Highness, allow me to sense it."

The silver-haired girl closed her eyes, quietly sensing the information that appeared in her mind after the breakthrough.

Collapse Echo: When touching an object or life, cause it to disintegrate. The harder the material or the higher the rank of the living being, the more magic power is consumed.

"Your Highness, my core magic is Collapse Echo..." Lise told Xia Mingyu the information completely.

It can disintegrate everything just by touching it?!

Xia Mingyu was shocked. Whether in any anime or novel on Blue Star, involving the power of decomposition, none of them were at a very high level in the worldview, except for a certain clown whose name cannot be read backward.

However, the girl who had awakened such powerful core magic was currently in a depressed state.

"Your Highness, are you sure that with my weak body, I can really participate in battle with this magic that requires touch to activate?"

Lise raised her slender wrists, which were like willow branches, and said helplessly.

Xia Mingyu was speechless for a moment. It really seemed to be the case... It was impossible to let the girl wear armor and fight hand-to-hand like a knight in the future!

"Let's try it first."

Xia Mingyu dragged over a wooden table and signaled her to do it.

"Collapse Echo." Lise muttered silently in her heart.

The next moment, magic power intertwined with bright red and pale white erupted from her body and spontaneously outlined countless magic patterns in the air, finally forming a pattern that was extremely cumbersome and dizzying just to look at.

And at this time, Xia Mingyu was surprised to find that the complexity of this pattern was no less than the magic diagram of the Extreme Cold Purgatory.

That magic diagram finally dissipated into rays of white light, gathering on Lise's right hand, causing it to be submerged in dazzling light.

Lise stretched out a finger and gently pressed it against the tabletop of the wooden table.

Afterward, starting from the position she touched, countless cracks spread crazily like a spider web, submerging the entire wooden table in the blink of an eye and rapidly spreading along the table corner to the wooden floor.

"Move your hand away quickly!" Xia Mingyu suddenly realized something and shouted loudly.

Boom!

The next moment, accompanied by a huge cracking sound, the floor under the two collapsed suddenly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 183 =====