The crack in the shield quickly mended and vanished as if it had never existed, but Albert knew better—the shield was still there, protecting the caster.
Despite the initial surprise, Albert realized that the reality shield Golden Scale had silently cast wasn't as strong as it seemed. If it were, it wouldn't have cracked like glass when struck by an anti-mage bullet.
The anti-mage bullet nullifies mana; if it enters a mage's body, the substance within the bullet infiltrates the mage's mana pathways, rendering them incapable of using or gathering mana.
The crack indicated that the reality shield, which separated the reality in front of and behind the shield, was sustained by the caster's mana rather than by the inherent power of controlling reality itself. This meant that Golden Scale's power was still within a range that Albert could overcome without much trouble.
Golden Scale noticed Albert's eyes analyzing his magic and didn't wait for him to finish. A mage's secrets are their greatest weapon.
Swoosh!
With a wave of his hand, Golden Scale unleashed another reality cut toward Albert. The concrete ground, along with its very essence, was diced into hundreds of precise cuts, extending 100 meters in a straight line.
Albert had no choice but to evade; the attack was impossible to defend against.
He struck the ground with his cane, casting a spell that immediately shattered the earth where Golden Scale stood, but the cracks stopped abruptly one square meter from Golden Scale.
"You're not the first to try and stop me with this useless trick, Lord Worseley," Golden Scale mocked before sending another wave of reality cuts toward Albert.
Slash!
This time, Albert's left arm was severed from the elbow down as the range of the cut expanded in a cone shape, making it difficult for him to evade.
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Blood splattered, but Albert remained ominously calm, as if his arm had not just been severed.
Swoosh! Boom! Swoosh! Boom!
Several more reality cuts were sent toward Albert, and all he could do was run and evade as his blood continued to spill from his wound. His face paled as he lost a significant amount of blood while evading.
But Albert showed no signs of satisfaction in his victory; he knew this was only a temporary triumph. He knew that mages in high positions rarely stayed dead the first time they was killed, especially if that mage was a Grand Councilor. He was certain that Golden Scale would reappear once again.
As for Patriarch Kameni, he observed the battle between Albert and the renowned Golden Scale, though he doubted that the Golden Scale who was just destroyed was the real one. Teleportation is not easily achieved in the modern era where mana is depleted and scarce.
He guessed that the Golden Scale he saw was likely some sort of projection or perhaps a high-quality clone created through a forbidden experiment.
With this in mind, Patriarch Kameni decided to invest a bit more in Daniel's side.
"Mr. Worseley, I have something important to tell you," the Patriarch called out.
Albert turned toward him as the latter continued.
"The Hightower and the Hephaestus Institute have joined forces in research to crack the contract clauses and the lock on the artifacts they purchased from Astral Workshop. They intend to use this against the interests of Astral Workshop."
The news immediately caught Albert's attention. "Do you know how far they've progressed in this project?" Albert asked.
"I don't know the specifics of their progress, but if I had to guess, they've had the first artifact from Astral Workshop and have been working on this project for nearly a year. There should be some significant progress by now," the Patriarch explained.
Hearing this, Albert considered the consequences. Nearly a year... that means they obtained the artifact even before his resurrection. The one responsible for counterintelligence at that time was Maria.
In fact, even if it had been him, he wasn't sure he could have prevented it. Yes, his spies are highly capable, skilled enough to infiltrate nearly any location on Earth. But that's only "nearly," because the most secret places don't even exist on Earth—they're in different pocket dimensions, making them impossible to infiltrate.
Besides, the number of elite infiltrators like Shadow Morph is only about fifty; it's impossible to cover the entire world.
As for the ghosts and spirits working for the Whispering Hall who can cover the entire world, they cannot enter places protected by magical or holy power. For example, Sanctum Sanctorum, churches, holy sites, or even a simple magic barrier.
That's why truly important information often eludes them. Only a stroke of luck or a precise operation could yield information like the kind Patriarch Kameni just shared.
"Thank you, Patriarch. After we confirm this information, you'll be handsomely rewarded," Albert said before excusing himself for the last task.
Albert arrived at a secluded spot somewhere in charred ground near the volcano, after letting his people scout and confirm that there's no one else than him and his people, Albert took out the token Daniel Gave him.
He uses his magic to open a small hole in front of him before tossing the token into that hole and close it.