Chapter 182: The Return of Elise, the Awakening of the Fated Magic's Collapse

Dusk Gate.

“Finally arrived!”

Elise lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the majestic city before her—her heart swelled with joy, yet also trembled with unease.

How would the man she had longed for, unseen for so long, treat her now?

Yet the carriage, moving slowly forward, did not halt for her unease.

After confirming Elise Hughes’ identity through the wolf emblem on the carriage and the knightly escort of the driver Solin, the gatekeeper, the extraordinary knight Malin, readily granted passage.

After all, this was the family of Karon Hughes, the famed “Howling Wolf,” now the city lord’s son-in-law!

“So many people.”

As the carriage entered the city, Elise watched the bustling streets and surging crowds outside the window; her striking heterochromatic eyes brimmed with deep curiosity.

For a “homebody” who had spent the past decade reading in a castle library, the vibrancy of this scene momentarily drowned out her inner anxiety.

Like a depressed Icelandic youth on the Starry Continent who spent an entire night at a train station during the Spring Rush—and suddenly found his depression miraculously cured.

Humans, after all, are social creatures.

The carriage traveled unimpeded all the way to the heart of Dusk City, before the Crimson Fox Castle, and was immediately granted entry.

First to arrive was her father.

After verbally praising and thanking Knight Solin for his escort, Karon looked at his long-absent daughter, his noble face flushed with emotion—and tears streamed down his cheeks.

“My daughter, since we were parted, I’ve feared for your safety every moment—thank the heavens you’re unharmed.”

“Father, I too have worried for you. To see you again is one of the happiest things in the world to me.”

After exchanging heartfelt words for a long while, Karon finally asked the reason for Elise’s visit.

“It was Lady Danielle’s advice. After the war against Nightshadow Castle ended, my magic surged uncontrollably multiple times,” Elise replied honestly.

As he listened, Karon’s expression grew heavy.

When he finished hearing her account, emotions—hesitation, struggle, guilt, pain—flashed across his face like a spinning lantern.

Finally, his face filled with shame, eyes shut tight as if unable to meet the girl before him, he spoke slowly:

The Hughes family already owes the Prince far too much.

This debt, even if our entire clan devoted ourselves to the Prince for a hundred years, could never be repaid—how could we take on another?

We are the Prince’s servants, not creditors, and certainly not a band of foolish men who only cause trouble.

Therefore, I cannot ask the Prince for even a word or a glance on this matter.

I can only act as a powerless father, doing what I can to shield you from the Storm Church’s pursuit—and even... I cannot sacrifice my life, for my entire existence already belongs to the Prince.

“My daughter, I’m sorry...”

Karon even bent low, preparing to kneel before his daughter in apology—but Elise tightly wrapped her slender arms around his neck.

“Enough. It’s already more than enough.”

“Mr. Karon, you are already the best father in the world,” the silver-haired girl whispered softly.

“Let me walk the path ahead on my own.”

Whether the Prince grants me protection or exile, I will accept it with gratitude.

For as you said, the Prince has already given the Hughes family—or rather, given me—far too much.

Library.

“Sigh.”

Xia Mingyu stared at the intricate, arcane magical diagrams in the spellbook before him, sighing, shaking his head, and struggling to learn.

These past days of intense mental exertion had even made him feel phantom pain—as if his brain were burning.

Knock knock knock.

At that moment, the library door was gently knocked upon.

“Your Majesty, Miss Elise Hughes of the Hughes family arrived at the castle half an hour ago and requests an audience. May I grant her entry?”

Came the respectful voice of the butler, Seris, from outside.

Elise?

She’s come to Crimson Fox Castle too!

Xia Mingyu froze for a moment—then his expression brightened with delight.

“Quick, bring her in.”

“Yes.”

As Elise, guided by the kind old butler, pushed open the library’s oak door and saw the black-haired youth standing in the window’s sunlight, arms spread, smiling at her—

Her mind was still formulating words, but her body moved before her thoughts could catch up.

Tap tap tap.

The sound of her heels striking the wooden floor echoed sharply through the silent library.

Thud.

The silver-haired girl nearly crashed into the black-haired youth’s arms, her snow-white, lotus-like arms wrapping tightly around his waist, her cheek pressed against his chest.

“Your Majesty, I missed you,” the girl’s voice trembled slightly. She had imagined countless ways to speak upon reunion—but in the end, it all dissolved into the purest longing of her heart.

Xia Mingyu, stunned by this sudden embrace, blinked, then smiled gently, a warm expression softening his handsome face.

“I missed you too,” he murmured, stroking her long silver hair like a cascading waterfall, his voice as tender as he could make it.

“Welcome back, Elise.”

Breathing in the faint, sweet scent of her hair, they held each other for a long time before slowly parting.

“Come, let’s talk after dinner. Analia must miss you too.”

Xia Mingyu glanced at the pitch-black sky outside and stopped Elise’s hesitant attempt to speak.

“Yes,” the girl nodded obediently, thinking: better to eat first before facing the Prince’s judgment.

Dining hall.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting soft, luminous light downward.

“It’s been a long time, Miss Elise. How have you been?”

Analia, wearing an apron, placed her carefully prepared dishes on the table, beaming as she greeted her.

“Sister Analia, I’m well. Thank you for your delicious food,” Elise rose and bowed politely in thanks.

Tonight, Analia had prepared her signature dish—honey-glazed pork ribs, paired with a glass of freshly squeezed red juice.

Seeing the succulent, caramelized ribs glistening on the plate, Xia Mingyu’s appetite surged. He eagerly sliced off a piece with his knife and fork and popped it into his mouth.

The moment he bit down, the crisp sugar crust shattered delicately between his teeth, like cracking thin ice—and a rich, honeyed aroma exploded in his mouth, carrying a faint, clean scent of burnt bay leaves.

Simultaneously, an inexplicable surge of magic rose within him, his entire body feeling as if immersed in a warm spring—soothed to the point where he closed his eyes in bliss.

“Analia, the magical effect of this dish must be enhancing magic...”

After savoring it for a long while, Xia Mingyu opened his eyes—only to be abruptly interrupted by a violent gust of wind.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh.

Strange magic, woven from crimson and pale hues, erupted from Elise’s small frame like a surging tide, sending shockwaves through the dining hall that rattled doors, windows, and chandeliers.

Under the astonished gazes of Xia Mingyu and Analia, deep purple text slowly appeared above the girl’s head—Magician.

The girl, once praised by her teacher as a once-in-a-generation genius in magic, had finally, at age seventeen, broken through the barrier and ascended to Magician—after suppressing her power for years.

“Elise, congratulations on taking the most crucial step on your path in magic.”

Xia Mingyu stepped forward to offer his praise—but saw the silver-haired girl’s face twisted into a smile sadder than tears.

In an instant, he remembered: she had told him that once she ascended to Magician and awakened her dual-colored magic, the Storm Church would immediately come to capture her.

Xia Mingyu’s expression darkened. He finally understood why Elise had come to Crimson Fox Castle.

“Elise, could you come with me to the library to talk?” he asked softly.

“Mm,” Elise nodded heavily, head bowed, fingers tugging lightly at Xia Mingyu’s sleeve, clinging to him like a frightened puppy afraid of being abandoned.

Library.

Xia Mingyu sat cross-legged on the floor; Elise knelt before him, head down, fingers gripping her skirt tightly.

“So, after multiple magical surges, it was Lady Danielle’s advice that brought you to me?”

After listening quietly to her account, Xia Mingyu asked.

“Mm.” The girl’s voice was barely audible—she nodded again, firmly.

Xia Mingyu fell into thought, his fingers tapping lightly on the wooden floor—tap tap tap.

Elise felt her heartbeat syncing with the rhythm of those taps.

“Elise, is it possible to conceal your ascension to Magician from the Storm Church?”

After a long silence, Xia Mingyu finally spoke.

“Almost impossible. Before, Bishop Lu En revealed that in the Storm Church’s holy city, Windwhisper, there exists a divination compass capable of locating Starlight-tier heterochromatic individuals. Once the compass trembles, the Church sends powerful Holy Knights to capture them.”

Elise smiled bitterly, shaking her head. If not for this, why would she have suppressed her power for so long—she could have shattered the Starlight chains easily at fourteen.

Xia Mingyu fell silent again. Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Elise lowered her head even further.

Her forehead nearly touched her knees; her entire body curled into a tight ball, her fingers gripping her skirt so tightly they turned pale and blue.

Even her body trembled slightly.

Xia Mingyu noticed her inner tension. He set aside his thoughts on how to deal with the Storm Church’s arrival and spoke gently instead:

“Elise, do you know what I’ll say to Lady Danielle when I see her again?”

“...Why did she give me such trouble?”

“No. I’ll tell her: thank her for convincing my precious girl not to be foolish enough to refuse help from her friends—even when she was about to fall into a fire.” Xia Mingyu said calmly.

At these words, the silver-haired girl, whose head had been nearly pressed to the floor, snapped it up, her gaze fixed on the black-haired youth with utter disbelief.

When she finally came to her senses, her beautiful eyes were already brimming with tears.

“Wu-wu!”

A long-suppressed sob finally spilled from her clenched lips, as if a dam had burst—she covered her face and wept.

Drip. Drip.

One drop, then two glistening tears struck her skirt, spreading dark stains.

“Don’t cry. I still remember you told me you came into this world because of love—so why do you undervalue yourself?”

Xia Mingyu gently stroked Elise’s head and spoke softly.

“Your mother, your father—they all love you. And I care for you too!”

“My little Teacher Elise, would you like another hug?” The black-haired youth opened his arms and smiled.

In response, she embraced him again, like a collision.

“Elise, after your advancement to Magician, what is your innate magic?”

Once the girl’s emotions had steadied and he had wiped the tear tracks from her delicate face, Xia Mingyu asked curiously.

According to Magicians’ research, the power and uniqueness of an innate magic largely depend on the Magician’s own talent.

Take himself as an example—he had awakened a catastrophic magic as potent as Heavenly Punishment Dragon Thunder, one that even targeted the wicked.

Elise’s talent was only slightly weaker than his; her innate magic should be equally formidable.

“Your Highness, allow me to sense it.”

The silver-haired girl closed her eyes and quietly perceived the new information that had appeared in her mind after her advancement.

Collapse Resonance: Upon contact with an object or living being, it causes disintegration. The harder the material or the higher the rank of the lifeform, the more mana is consumed.

“Your Highness, my innate magic is Collapse Resonance.” Elise relayed the information to Xia Mingyu in full.

Just by touching, it causes disintegration?!

Xia Mingyu’s expression darkened with shock. In any anime or novel from Blue Star, powers of decomposition always occupied the highest tiers of their world’s hierarchy—except for that clown whose name couldn’t be spoken backward.

Yet the girl who had awakened such a powerful innate magic now wore a gloomy expression.

“Your Highness, are you certain my frail body can truly engage in battle with a magic that requires direct contact?”

Elise lifted her slender wrist, like a willow branch, her expression resigned.

Xia Mingyu fell silent. It was true—he couldn’t make her wear armor and fight barehanded like a knight!

“Let’s try it first.”

Xia Mingyu dragged over a wooden table and gestured for her to proceed.

“Collapse Resonance.” Elise silently chanted within.

The next instant, crimson and pale mana erupted from her body, spontaneously weaving countless magical runes in the air, finally forming an intricate pattern so complex that merely glancing at it induced dizziness.

At this, Xia Mingyu was astonished—the pattern’s complexity rivaled that of the Frozen Hell’s magical diagram.

The magical diagram dissolved into streams of white light, converging onto Elise’s right hand, engulfing it in blinding radiance.

Elise extended one finger and lightly pressed it against the tabletop.

Immediately, cracks erupted from the point of contact, spreading like a spiderweb across the entire table in an instant, then racing along the legs toward the wooden floor.

“Move your hand!” Xia Mingyu suddenly realized something and shouted.

Boom!

The next moment, with a thunderous crack, the floor beneath their feet collapsed.

(End of Chapter)