In the middle of a vast meadow, Leon stood alone with a calm, indifferent expression, his eyes closed.
His new black robe and jet-black hair swayed in the evening breeze, making him look like a prince of the night descending upon the world.
Meanwhile, ten kilometers away, Liliana stood with the Eternal Disaster Magic Staff in her right hand, her beautiful face cold and indifferent.
Despite her composed exterior, a slight frown creased her forehead, and she couldn't hide her confusion as she stared at Leon from afar, her mind inevitably drifting back to their previous conversation.
***
Five minutes ago...
"Liliana, may I ask you for a favor?"
Upon hearing this, Liliana cast him a curious glance and nodded eagerly.
"Of course, Leon; if you need my help, just ask, and I'll assist you with whatever you need," Liliana replied in a tone both indifferent and assertive, devoid of any hesitation.
As someone capable of both fierce hatred and deep love, Liliana wouldn't hesitate when it came to those she cared about, particularly Leon.
Without him even articulating his request, she was ready to agree, a testament to her affection for him.
Witnessing her indifferent demeanor and resolute reply, Leon was deeply moved.
Before he could even articulate his thoughts, Liliana had already assented, prompting a solemn vow from Leon never to inflict harm upon this woman for the entirety of his life!
With a small intake of breath, Leon swiftly shook off his reverie and gazed at Liliana with affection.
"I require your assistance in crafting an illusion magic and detection deterrent spanning a distance of 100 kilometers," Leon stated briskly before inquiring, "Are you capable of such a feat?"
In his endeavor to announce his arrival to the hidden races using his chaos power, Leon grasped the importance of thorough preparation, which included implementing illusion magic and detection deterrence.
These magics would stop anyone from finding or spying on him when he used his chaos power, even the hidden races.
While his aim was to announce his arrival, Leon couldn't blindly trust them.
Seven thousand years had passed, leaving him uncertain about their reception toward 'the fated one' and their loyalty to the plans of Demon Emperor Amon Crimson and the First Hero of Mankind, Luminus Troya.
So, to ensure safety until Miranda woke from her rest, he opted to keep his identity concealed and linger in the shadows.
Upon hearing Leon's request, Liliana was slightly surprised, but having already agreed, she wouldn't go back on her word.
"Of course I can do it, Leon," Liliana replied confidently, though her concealed confusion and curiosity didn't escape Leon's notice.
"I understand you're confused, but I don't have time to explain now. I promise I'll clarify everything later, okay?" Leon reassured her with a gentle smile as he caressed her cheek.
As Liliana listened to this, the confusion and curiosity on her face vanished, replaced by a beautiful smile that bloomed on her lips.
"Um!"
***
"Huft~" Liliana took a small breath as she emerged from her reverie.
Gazing at Leon once more, a faint smile played on her lips before she suddenly disappeared from her spot, reappearing in the sky two kilometers above the ground.
With the Eternal Disaster Magic Staff in her right hand and an indifferent expression on her face, she surveyed the scene below with the air of an empress who underestimates the world.
Pressing her left index and middle fingers together against her forehead, Liliana closed her eyes and whispered in a low tone, "Curse mark, activate!"
*Whoosh!*
Shortly after her whisper, a small dot materialized on Liliana's forehead, quickly spreading into a web-like pattern that enveloped her entire body, drastically altering her appearance from before.
*Boom!*
Suddenly, a pitch-black aura exploded from her, radiating wildly into the sky. This caused the temperature within a ten-kilometer radius to plummet, and the space around Liliana began to warp.
Simultaneously, the once gentle night breeze transformed into a raging storm, encircling Liliana as she floated above the sky.
Ten kilometers away, Leon, who had been closing his eyes, felt a sudden and drastic drop in temperature around him. He also sensed a strong gust of wind behind him, prompting him to involuntarily open his eyes.
Surveying his surroundings, he suddenly discerned Liliana floating above the sky, her body enveloped in a pitch-black aura piercing through the heavens.
As Leon witnessed this scene, he was dumbfounded, particularly by the pitch-black aura emanating from Liliana, which stirred a sense of familiarity within him.
"This is... the power of chaos? How is that possible?" He exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.
As a bearer of chaos power, he sensed a resemblance between the aura emanating from Liliana and the chaos power within him, leaving him bewildered.
However, upon closer observation, his expression turned to a frown as he detected a slight divergence from it.
Although strikingly similar to the chaos power he possessed, the pitch-black aura emitted by Liliana appeared slightly weaker than his own.
Leon continued his observation, attempting to draw conclusions, until suddenly his eyes lit up.
"Aha! I see..." Leon smiled slightly as he gazed at Liliana, who floated above the sky.
As a descendant of Amon Crimson, the former wielder of the Sword of Chaos, it seemed likely that Liliana had inherited a portion of chaos power from him, manifesting in this pitch-black aura.
Of course, this was merely his speculation, and he planned to inquire further with Liliana later.
While Leon was lost in contemplation, Liliana, who floated above the sky, had already opened her eyes and raised the Eternal Disaster Magic Staff high.
"Ancient-level Magic: Illusion of the World!" Liliana exclaimed loudly and indifferently.
*Buzz!*
Suddenly, an enormous, blood-red sphere of light materialized fifty meters above the tip of the Eternal Disaster Magic Staff.
Shortly after, it swiftly split into four pieces, dispersing in the four cardinal directions, each teleporting for a hundred kilometers in an instant.
*Whoosh!*
Following that, four red-colored magic walls materialized from the four cardinal directions, spanning an area of 100 kilometers and towering into the sky to a height of three kilometers.
The appearance of these colossal magic walls, visible even from Leon's vantage point, left him breathless with amazement.
These four massive walls resembled towering mountains rather than mere illusory barriers!
However, before he could marvel at the majesty of Liliana's magic, a sudden explosion in the sky startled him.
*Bang!*
The previously clear night sky, graced by the presence of the two moons Sylvia and Miranda and their accompanying stars, suddenly became clouded over. Dark clouds rolled in, accompanied by deafening explosions of pitch-black lightning.
*Whoosh!*
Shortly after, without warning, the black clouds above swirled rapidly, coalescing into a giant, pitch-black eye.
The sight of this enormous eye in the sky sent shivers down Leon's spine, as if he were being scrutinized by a colossal entity.
"F***! What kind of magic is this?" Leon stood frozen in disbelief.
It was the first time he had witnessed such magic, giving him a newfound appreciation for Liliana's power.
Returning his gaze to Liliana floating above, Leon couldn't help but feel awestruck.
"Leon, you can start."
Suddenly, Liliana's voice echoed in his mind, snapping him out of his reverie in an instant.
Taking a deep breath, Leon slowly closed his eyes, and a purplish-black aura emanated from his body. seaʀᴄh thё NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
*Whoosh!*
Simultaneously, his appearance underwent a drastic transformation—his black hair turned as white as snow, and his fair skin paled to resemble that of a corpse.
Upon opening his eyes, his once-golden irises shimmered with an exquisite sapphire purple.
With a faint smile gracing his lips, Leon raised one hand towards the sky and called out loudly, "Great Sword of Chaos, heed my summoning!"
-----------
A/N: Thank you, stay tuned, and don't forget your support!