Chapter 658: News of the Spirit-absorbing Monster

Reslin's All-Seeing Eye pierced outward and saw two people standing outside the door.

One was the lobby manager of the Golden Gate Inn, accompanied by a young ranger in leather armor, a long and a short sword at his waist, and an enchanted longbow on his back—exactly the Jie Weiske he had been looking for.

He had already successfully advanced to Elemental Archer and reached level six, with a strong chance of becoming a high-rank transcendent before turning thirty.

"Come in."

The guestroom door opened automatically, and Reslin's voice rang out.

"Yes." the lobby manager replied, "Mr. Jie Weiske, please come in." He lingered at the doorway, gesturing politely, yet he dared not step inside; after the nervous Jie Weiske entered, he carefully closed the door and retreated downstairs.

Jie Weiske entered and saw Reslin seated behind the desk, and beyond his nervousness, his eyes filled with baffling confusion.

When the inn staff approached him and said a mysterious wizard of at least Legendary High-rank had invited him to meet, his mind was in a daze.

He heard that the wizard had publicly slain "Bloodblade" Wei Ersen, and Jie Weiske grew even more frantic.

Such a powerful wizard, specifically seeking him?

Not to mention Legendary High-rank; even in Albert Bay he couldn't connect with a single Legendary Low-rank transcendent, and Captain Marino of the Soul Hunt Squad was merely a high-rank transcendent.

The only legendary powerhouse he could possibly be linked to in his life was the Empire‑renowned Earl of Glamorgan. Moreover, before the Earl rose to prominence, he owed him five hundred Gold Shields; he had once hoped to use the repayment to forge a friendship, but missed the chance.

Jie Weiske couldn't figure it out, so he sought the captain and teammates to discuss.

They quickly reached a conclusion: they must go.

The wizard sent a messenger instead of storming the door, so there should be no hostility. Moreover, he called himself "an old acquaintance," and the captain guessed he might be connected to the Earl of Glamorgan, who resides far in the Empire.

Even if the visitor was ill‑intentioned, he couldn't escape the wizard's power.

Jie Weiske dared not keep the wizard waiting, so he forced himself to rush to the Golden Gate Inn, expecting to meet the Earl of Glamorgan, but instead encountered a completely unknown young wizard.

He scanned the luxurious guestroom without a flicker of emotion.

A dashing female warrior was dining on the balcony, a satisfied smile on her beautiful face, the lingering sunset of Albert Bay bathing her in a dazzling glow that made it hard to look directly at her.

Jie Weiske's heartbeat skipped a beat, and he quickly averted his gaze.

Wei Ersen had teased the lady a few times, and his grim fate was known by half of Albert Bay's residents.

"Honored sir," Jie Weiske bowed respectfully, "May I ask how you wish to be addressed?"

"Please sit." Reslin lifted his hand, waited for the other to sit at the desk, and then said plainly, "Mr. Jie Weiske, there's no need for formality; you may call me Reslin. My teacher told me that if I came to Albert Bay, I could find you at the Golden Gate Inn, so I have come."

"Teacher?" Jie Weiske's eyes lit up.

Reslin nodded slightly, "I am a student of Ryan Augustus; you remember him, don't you?"

"Of course, of course I remember!"

Jie Weiske was greatly delighted, finally breathing a sigh of relief, realizing he truly had a connection to the Earl of Glamorgan!

His guard eased, and he flattered, "I haven't returned to the Empire for years, but I've heard of the Earl's heroic deeds on the New Continent; who doesn't know his fame now? To think the Earl has not forgotten me—it's my honor!"

Mid‑sentence, Jie Weiske suddenly thought of a question.

This Reslin claimed to be the Earl's student, yet Albert Bay is now buzzing that Reslin is Legendary High-rank, perhaps even a Holy Soul wizard!

The Earl of Glamorgan hasn't even reached Holy Soul, has he?

His student is younger yet possesses such terrifying power; could he be another once‑in‑a‑generation wizard comparable to the Earl, and why have we never heard of him?

Jie Weiske was uneasy but dared not show it.

The Soul Eye read his thoughts clearly; Reslin produced his Weizelan badge and a letter stamped with the Augustus family crest, personally written by Lei En, and said, "This is a letter my teacher passed on to you."

A Weizelan badge cannot be forged, sufficient proof of identity.

Jie Weiske immediately believed most of it, took the floating letter, skimmed it quickly, and was fully convinced. The letter contained little—just a few simple greetings, a recollection of the purchase of a crystal lizard spirit back then, and a mention of Reslin's journey to the New Continent.

He carefully tucked the letter away, thinking that this connection might someday save his life.

"Lord Reslin, you came to Albert Bay to find me—do you need assistance?" Jie Weiske's heart raced, yet he dared not be presumptuous, "I've roamed the New Continent for over a decade, ashamed to be only a Mid-stage Elemental Archer, but whatever I can do, I will give my all."

In truth, he had already resolved to see Reslin's matter through.

If he couldn't do it, he'd ask the captain to step in.

To be linked with a Legendary High-rank wizard backed by the Earl of Glamorgan—a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance the captain would never miss.

Reslin smiled, "It's not dangerous; I simply wanted to find someone familiar with the New Continent to inquire about a piece of information."

"What information?" Jie Weiske perked up.

"I need to venture into the Dark Realm once, to locate the Spirit-absorbing Monster's city," Reslin said calmly.

Jie Weiske's expression froze.

The Dark Realm! The Spirit-absorbing Monster's city!

He had roamed the New Continent for over a decade, so he knew the Dark Realm—a world deep beneath the continent, composed of countless caves, tunnels, and dark rivers, like a massive maze, divided into many layers like the Abyss.

No one knows how vast the Dark Realm is; it's said its total area rivals the surface of the New Continent.

Countless species inhabit the Dark Realm, both terrifying monsters and intelligent races; having lived underground without sunlight for ages, they have mutated to varying degrees, their temperaments shaped by the environment, naturally harboring extreme hatred toward surface dwellers.

Entering the Dark Realm is extremely perilous; even the Abyssal forces that dominate most of the New Continent refuse to go deep underground.

In terms of danger, the Dark Realm is comparable to the interior of the New Continent.

Each year many Soul Hunt squads get lost in the Dark Realm, never to return to the surface.

Jie Weiske had entered it only once in all those years, and the oppressive feeling still lingered. The danger of the Dark Realm comes half from its treacherous, complex terrain, and half from the evil subterranean races, especially the Dark Elves.

Yet the Spirit-absorbing Monster's notorious ferocity is even more chilling than that of the Dark Elves.

These terrifying beings are innate spellcasters, wielding powerful mental arts; their mysterious origins grant them a unique language, culture, and customs incomprehensible to outsiders.

Moreover, the Spirit-absorbing Monster harbors great malice toward other intelligent races.

Malice, not hostility.

They do not hate surface beings; they simply regard intelligent races as food.

The Spirit-absorbing Monster feeds on brains, especially those of humans, elves, and dwarves; the smarter the brain, the tastier it is.

Killing a victim and immediately siphoning fresh brain‑juice is the Spirit-absorbing Monster's sumptuous feast!

Encountering a Spirit-absorbing Monster in the Dark Region is definitely one of the most terrifying nightmares for the Soul‑hunting team, a near‑death ordeal, and very few can escape its hunt. People avoid the Spirit‑absorbing Monster; there are occasional rumors that they have built hidden cities deep underground, but no one has ever seen them.

Reslin saw Jie Weiske looking troubled and asked, "Are you familiar with the Dark Region?"

"I went there once, but I'm not familiar," Jie Weiske answered honestly, "The Dark Region is too dangerous; that time our Soul‑hunting team didn't dare go deep and returned after a few days."

Reslin nodded.

He wasn't disappointed; Jie Weiske was only a Mid-stage Transcendent, and Reslin hadn't expected to gain anything from him.

"Then do you know anyone familiar with the Dark Region?" Reslin continued, "Preferably someone who knows about the Spirit‑absorbing Monster. If you can provide the location of the monster's city, I can offer a very high reward—well, at least 10,000 Gold Shields."

Jie Weiske's eyes brightened slightly.

Ten thousand Gold Shields is not a small sum; the Soul‑hunting team he belongs to only earns a little over ten thousand Gold Shields a year, so getting that much for information is a great bargain.

"There are a few Soul‑hunters in Albert Bay who have ventured into the Dark Region multiple times, but I can't guarantee they know the Spirit‑absorbing Monster's city," Jie Weiske murmured, "Sir, give me three days and I'll inquire in Albert Bay for you."

"Alright, thank you for your effort; here's your payment."

Reslin produced two gold tickets, each worth 500 Gold Shields; the Empire's gold tickets are accepted throughout the New Continent and are very popular.

Jie Weiske wanted to decline, but seeing that Reslin had no intention of taking them back, he accepted.

Before leaving, Reslin reminded him:

"By the way, don't reveal my identity to anyone."

"Sir, rest assured," Jie Weiske pledged solemnly, then hurried out.

Reslin's gaze pierced the wall of the Gold Gate Inn; downstairs in the lobby, Jie Weiske met up with several Transcendents, presumably members of his Soul‑hunting team. One of them was a tall, muscular man, his face covered in stubble, a bear‑like torso, wearing two layers of thick chainmail and bearing two cross‑long swords on his back.

The Soul Eye showed he was a High-stage Transcendent, a Bear School Demon Hunter.

"Interesting."

The Bear School Demon Hunter, clearly the captain of the Soul‑hunting team, acted very cautiously, asked no questions in the lobby, and immediately led Jie Weiske and the others out of the Gold Gate Inn.

Their lodging wasn't far, a small courtyard at the foot of the great wall about two li away.

The Voice of All Things focused its attention in one direction, just enough to hear their conversation. Reslin listened for a while, confirming that Jie Weiske hadn't leaked his identity, that these people bore no ill intent and were ready to fully help gather information, then shifted his focus elsewhere.

From their exchange, Reslin learned that the Bear School Demon Hunter was named Ma Linuo.

He was only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Legendary High-rank Demon Hunter, seemed to have many contacts in Albert Bay, and exuded confidence that he could handle the matter.

After that, Reslin spent his time meditating in his room, constructing spell models.

He was already fully preparing to ascend to Grand Mage.

The Mage's breakthrough method is the same as the Wizard's: mastering three Nine-ring Techniques, which triggers a Soul Metamorphosis. Wizards fuse Law Seals that contain Arcane Elements, whereas Mages must build their own spell models.

The first three Nine-ring Techniques mastered by a Grand Mage are crucial.

Because during the Soul Metamorphosis, these three spells receive massive enhancements—greater potency, faster casting speed, shorter intervals, and many other benefits—far surpassing the effects of the previous six Soul Transformations; the caster has only this one chance in a lifetime.

These three Nine-ring Techniques determine the future path of magic.

Reslin had already chosen his direction.

He originally intended to use raw energy to upgrade existing Eight-Ring Spells such as "Key of Doors" or "Tim Kainen Disintegrate" directly to Nine‑ring level, triggering the Soul Metamorphosis.

But after trying, he found it didn't work.

The highest‑level spells a Legendary High-rank Grand Mage can master are only Eight‑ring; beneath the element icons on the mobile interface, those Eight‑ring spells have no progress bars, so injecting energy is impossible.

So Reslin could only, like other Mages, construct his own spell models.

His first choice was "Time Stop".

Since witnessing Augulevi Master's terrifying power, his control over time spells has been unparalleled across ages; several Holy Soul Wizards teamed up and were nearly overturned, making him almost invincible among mortals, so Lei En decided to let his own avatar also pursue mastery of time.

Augulevi Master's casting pattern centers on two core spells: Time Stop and Time Jump.

Thus, Reslin's second choice was "Time Jump".

The remaining time‑type spells, such as "Time Replication", "Time Trigger", "Time Expansion", etc., will be learned after he ascends to Grand Mage by upgrading Key of Doors to Nine‑ring, directly from that unnamed great being.

Then came the third choice; Reslin set his sights on "Spatial Barrier".

The fusion of time and space places Augulevi Master in an unbeatable position; Reslin aims to replicate the entire set, becoming the second Augulevi Master.

The models for these three spells are all housed in the Weizelan Grand Library.

Since his last rebirth, Reslin has been experimenting and found the three spell models to be the most complex he has ever seen, as if they contain supreme knowledge, difficult to grasp at once; constructing them is extremely hard. Even with multi‑core crystal cores assisting his thoughts, analyzing day and night, he has only made slight progress so far.

He still doesn't know how long it will take to master "Time Stop".

However, he has at least seen a glimmer of success, progressing countless times faster than other casters who have been stuck at this step for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Reslin meditated in his room, but A Xina couldn't stay still.

After using a magical ring to shapeshift, she left the inn and wandered around Albert Bay, satisfying her curiosity. With A Xina's strength, there was no danger, so Reslin didn't worry and let her go.

Jie Weiske had promised three days, but after only two days he returned.

This time he wasn't alone; he also brought Captain Ma Linuo. After being granted entry, he respectfully said, "Sir, we have already gathered information about the Spirit‑absorbing Monster."

(End of Chapter)