Chapter 195: Letter (Part 2)

  "This is because of desire. Once there is desire, even the noble Necromancer Guild will fall into the mortal world, becoming as fragile as ordinary people. The guild now is no longer the guild of the past. Almost everyone has forgotten the true meaning of the Necromancer Guild's existence. This place has become an organization where a group of self-righteous mages gather to seek personal gain. But this is also unavoidable. As long as a person is alive, they will have desires. In the end, no matter who it is, they are just driven by the desires within their own bodies to live in this world. Whatever a person does or thinks, tracing back to the root, it's just two words: desire. That is the source of human motivation, and also the source of pain and fragility."

  "It seems you are not suffering from staying here. I was always worried that you might be in pain because you were trapped here." Marquis looked at the Lich and smiled faintly.

  The Lich's face didn't move at all, only a hoarse voice came from its throat: "From the moment a person is born, what accompanies desire is pain. For me, the concept of pain no longer exists, because I no longer have desires either."

  "Without desires, then what is everything you do for?"

  "Because of belief. I believe in everything I do, and I believe my goal will eventually be realized." The Lich remained motionless like a statue, its unpleasant voice as if it were emitted by this small room itself. "I believe in fate."

  "It's a pity you can't do anything now. Do you still believe?"

  "I believe. What I believe will happen will definitely happen, what is fated will never change." The pair of ghost fires in the Lich's eye sockets flickered and landed on Marquis's face. "And you? What is everything you do for? Sealing me in this place, painstakingly becoming the acting guild master, I know these are not because of your own desires. Tell me, for what?"

  Marquis looked at the Lich. Although his face was over forty, it was still handsome, and the spirit in his eyes could still charm any woman. But Vedenina's face was all withered muscles, and the rolling ghost fires in her eye sockets could make the slightly timid unable to look directly. These two completely different faces and gazes silently met each other, wordless, yet as if there was a strange tacit understanding.

  Marquis gazed at the Lich for a long while before speaking faintly: "The reason I do this is to let you know that everything you believe in is wrong."

  The Lich was also silent for a long while, then let out a burst of unpleasant laughter, saying: "You've really gone through a lot of trouble. But do you know what you are doing? You are not stopping me, you are stopping Lord Archibald's prophecy..."

  "It's a pity that no one but you wishes for that prophecy to truly come true, otherwise you wouldn't have been trapped here by everyone."

  "It's all futile... no matter what you do, it's all futile. I'm not worried at all. The final victory will definitely be mine."

  Marquis sighed deeply: "Why do you always have to look at that unreachable place..."

  "Then why do you always have to look at me?" the Lich retorted.

  After a long silence, Marquis finally spoke: "Because I am lonely."

  When he said this, his voice was no longer that magnetic and vibrant male voice, full of intoxicating charm, that carried the marks of time. It was full of dryness, hoarseness, and weariness, completely inconsistent with his identity as a peerless talent, a dashing figure who moved among countless women and high halls, but like an old farmer who had tilled the dry land for a lifetime, sighing.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Many times, I really envy those simple and honest people, or those driven by desire. In their eyes, the world is always so simple, so simple that it's just a collection of pure symbols. And simplicity is reality, the feeling that it can be completely held in one's hand. Although it's impossible in fact, just that feeling is enough. But I don't have this feeling, I only feel loneliness... until I met you. I saw in you the same thing that is completely incompatible with this world. And you are so beautiful, so intelligent, that you even make me feel inferior. If I don't gaze upon you, who else can I gaze upon?"

  The Lich replied faintly: "That must have been hard for you."

  Marquis smiled bitterly: "But you have never gazed upon me... no, you have never gazed upon anyone or anything. In your eyes, besides that unattainable dream, there is no room for anything else."

  After a moment of silence, the Lich replied faintly: "Because I am not as brave as you, knowing the ugliness and tediousness of this world yet still being able to live in it. Besides transcending this ugly and tedious world, I have nothing to do."

  "Once, my ideal was to pull you down from mid-air as you flew towards your dream, to pull you into my arms, but I failed. When I realized it, you had already flown too high... so... now, besides stopping you, I also have nothing to do. Besides, your dream, for this entire continent, is perhaps a complete catastrophe..."

  A burst of laughter, like a pack of dying wolves whimpering, came from the Lich's throat, the neck, made of bone and withered tendons, trembled from the excessive airflow: "A profligate not recognized by this world, a Necromancer who swore an oath under The Black Star, would actually aim to save this world that has long seen him as a monster. This is the funniest joke I have ever heard..." Her laughter stopped. "But also the least funny. Have you forgotten? As a Necromancer, one who has sworn an oath before The Black Star must follow Lord Archibald's will..."

  "Everyone's understanding of the prophecy left by Archibald is different. As long as The Black Star has not truly broken the soil, every Necromancer has the freedom to act on their own. This is actually the reason those fellows in the guild oppose you."

  "Those fellows who have long been corrupted by benefits and power and have forgotten everything, do they think that trapping me here means everything is fine? It's useless. What is meant to happen will happen eventually. The gears of fate have never stopped. Although I am here, there are naturally others helping me push everything forward outside."

  "Are you talking about that new student you secretly took in? Then do you know that he is actually..."

  "Your son. I knew long ago. Teacher Valthor's craftsmanship is impeccable, but I can sense your scent on him. Especially the feeling of having practiced Meditations on Truth. Do you think I can't even sense this? Sandro would naturally not teach this to him, so you must have stolen it from Sandro. You are quite bold. Even I wouldn't dare to covet this thing, yet you went and stole it."

  A hint of surprise appeared on Marquis's face, and he said: "Then you still accepted him as your disciple? Aren't you afraid that I intentionally sent him to learn from you?"

  "Someone who can enter Diya Valley and is qualified to swear an oath before The Black Star, how could they be someone easily manipulated by others? And if you really wanted to instruct him to learn from me, why would you have him practice the Meditations on Truth stolen from Sandro in advance? I suppose you only found out later that he secretly became my disciple, right?"

  "No, I had the idea of him becoming your student early on. But I was careless for a moment and let him practice the Meditations on Truth I stole from Mr. Sandro first. I was at a loss as to how to conceal this matter, and at the time I was busy with other affairs and forgot to talk to him about you. Later, when I discovered that he was actually secretly entering and leaving this meditation room without the other guild members' knowledge, I was quite surprised, and could only let nature take its course."

  "He is a diligent and good child, with good talent. The key is that I can see in his eyes something that neither of us has—desire. So I taught him everything I have, and then let him help me bring some news and do some things outside. A few days ago, he came to hurriedly report to me that he was going to Ainfast, hehe, this seems like it will be very interesting..."

  "You're treating him as your chess piece?" Marquis's voice was a bit unnatural. "Do you know who his mother is?"

  "It doesn't matter whose child it is, it's none of my business," the Lich replied faintly. "What should happen, will naturally happen."

  "I'll tell you one more time, everything you believe in is wrong. I will go and prove it to you now." Marquis turned and walked towards the passage outside.

  "It doesn't matter. You believe yours, and I'll believe mine..." The Lich's hoarse voice echoed in the meditation room, not dissipating for a long time.

  Not long after walking out of the meditation room, Marquis met Norbolin, who was rushing to find him. He was holding a letter in his hand, which was used by the Necromancers to pass urgent messages to each other.

  "An urgent message from the respected Bishop Javi. It seems he wants us to help..."

  "Oh?" Marquis was taken aback.

  In the capital of Ainfast, at the headquarters of the Paladin Order.

  Rodhart stared dumbfounded as the mysterious guest before him, who was said to have a top-secret military matter to report, took off his mask, revealing that extremely familiar face.

  "It's you? How did you return to the capital?" Rodhart's face was full of surprise and joy. He jumped up from his seat, like a child seeing a long-lost friend.

  "Naturally, it's for something important." Ethan smiled. Just from this child-like innocent expression, one could see that this friend seemed to have not changed at all in front of him. "I have something very important now that needs your help."

  "No problem, just tell me what it is," Rodhart nodded affirmatively.

  Although what he saw now was the innocent side of this friend, Ethan had absolute confidence that he could definitely handle this task, so he said: "This matter is not just very important to me, but also to you, and to the entire Ainfast..."