Fire Mage

Inside the Crystal Dimension, time passed quietly.

Before, it had taken him a month to comprehend a single Wisdom Essence. Now, 28 days had slipped by. Time, once sluggish, now flowed rapidly like clouds racing across the sky.

Charles felt as if he had been trapped here for an eternity.

Though the solitude and pressure weighed heavily on him, tempting him to rest and cool his mind, he forced himself to endure and continued to delve deeper.

Years slipped by—five became ten, ten turned into twenty, twenty stretched to forty, and finally, eighty years passed.

"I should stop and return to the Magic Tower," he muttered. Despite his isolation, he was aware that the next Disaster would strike in an hour or two.

As Charles completed the comprehension of the 1080th Wisdom Essence, his [Causality Manipulation] skill suddenly activated on its own.

His Wisdom Eye transformed—shining with an exquisite beauty as if carved from flawless sapphire.

Immersed in the skill's depths, Charles felt enlightenment surge through his entire being.

Suddenly, a profound connection to 'Genesis' jolted him awake.

An unknown error occurred!

ERROR!!!! ERROR!!! ERROR!!!!!

Host's wisdom comprehension has surpassed mortal limits!

Host's existence has been upgraded from 'Irregular' to 'Pseudo-Taboo Existence!'

Edhen World is observing you with interest!

Edhen World has sent a wisp of its power!

Warning!!! Warning!!!

The Host is temporarily ascending toward a higher existence!

Wisdom Link established with the Host!

As the Wisdom Link merged with his newfound power, an overwhelming flood of information crashed into his consciousness.

Moments later, a powerful surge of wisdom radiated outward from the Crystalline Dimension, sweeping across the lands like a rushing wind.

This wave expanded swiftly—covering the Iron Kingdom, Moon Kingdom, Arc Kingdom, Ember Kingdom, the Unexplored Forest, and in an instant, reaching all the way to the Blood Empire.

Though brief, this strange ripple alerted every legendary figure—Demi-Gods and the Blood Emperor included.

Before anyone could trace the source, the wave vanished, as if it had never existed.

Only four Doomsday Apostles and the Blood Emperor glimpsed the origin—and were left deeply shaken.

"World's Will has finally moved!" Sasha's voice echoed from the balcony of the Griffon Household Mansion. She stared solemnly at the distant Rebirth Tower.

Though she didn't know what had happened inside, one thing was certain.

"There's a dangerous presence inside that Tower. An Ancient Mage?"

She shook her head immediately. "No. Although troublesome, he never meddled in worldly affairs. Always kept a low profile."

If the Fate Professor's words are true, then Charles has returned… I didn't expect him to survive my love curse.

A flicker of anxiety crossed her face.

"But this time, I won't underestimate him."

She clenched her fist, about to turn away—then froze.

Her gaze shot upward, eyes widening.

"What's this strange unease? Is the Chaos Era about to begin?"

Meanwhile, inside Charles's mind, torrents of knowledge surged.

In that fleeting instant, he transcended mortal bounds, ascending to godhood. His senses stretched beyond limits, piercing the very core of truth.

The threads of wisdom intertwined through him, turning him into a living conduit of knowledge.

The room around him blurred as the Wisdom Link bound him to the world's pulse. He perceived every detail—from the simplest villagers to the mighty Demi-God Blood Emperor.

Though he absorbed only fragments, his perception transformed, unveiling the world in a kaleidoscope of insight.

After this strange enlightenment faded, the [Wisdom Link] detached from his soul, restoring him to his original state.

Charles blinked slowly at the giant Chaos Eye before hastily exiting the Crystal Dimension.

Back in the room, Zera stood nearby, watching expectantly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I sensed a powerful wisdom presence from this room and hurried here to check on you, Master." She glanced at the strange red crystal. "Did something happen? Was it your doing?"

Charles closed his eyes, organizing the flood of information in his Inner World.

A glance at the gathered data revealed what everyone was doing within that domain.

"Hmm, Jessie and Noel have returned and are staying at the Royal Palace. Good timing," he said, nodding.

"Send word to Rhea and the others. Tell them we'll meet an important guest at the Tower entrance in two hours."

"Yes, Master," Zera replied instantly, though clueless about who the guest might be.

Charles then asked, pondering, "What day is it today?"

"14th May, Year 6420, Second Arcane Era. What a strange coincidence."

He walked quietly to the bay window, gazing at the Iron Tower with a smirk.

"Archmage Marcus, huh? Though I want to finish him off, Titus should have his revenge personally."

Thanks to the new knowledge, his perception of the world had shifted dramatically.

"I also understand something vital. This Edhen World is selfish—using anyone to achieve its goals. It helped me now because it realized we share the same goal."

There was no worry in his eyes—only a cruel, brutal gleam.

"You helped Sasha kill me once, and now you want my aid to defeat them? Hehe… what a twisted game of fate."

He slowly looked up at the blue sky and activated [Causality Manipulation].

Visions flooded his mind, startling him deeply.

"The time has come."

He kept his gaze fixed on the sky, lost in thought.

...

Crystal Lane, West Borough, Holy See of Order and Justice, Sacred Empire.

A middle-aged man in red armor stood before a single-story house, his face soft and round, framed by wavy blonde hair and silvery eyes.

He was none other than Udnir, the God of Time.

"So this is where Charles has been hiding." His crystalline eyes flickered, revealing countless futures.

"So, he finally decided to come out. This sneaky rat has been playing hide and seek for far too long."

Coldly, Udnir cast [Space-Time Warp] and vanished.

...

Abium's Divine Kingdom.

A blonde Royal Elf rose from his golden throne, slowly raising his hand.

"Let the Chaos Era beings."

Without another word, he vanished.

"I'll be back in a moment, Azolla," he murmured.

...

Suddenly, the sun flared bright red, unleashing a strange solar storm aimed at the Edhen World.

A chaotic force raced through space at light speed, crashing onto strange pillars scattered across Edhen World's surface, destroying them one by one.

As the last rectangular pillar disintegrated under the solar flare's power, a cocoon-like forcefield appeared, enveloping Edhen World and shielding it from further harm.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man in red armor appeared in deep space, just beyond the ruins of the shattered pillars.

He quietly stared toward the sun.

Suddenly, a gigantic flare transformed mid-flight into a serpent of flame, lunging toward him with an open maw.

"Using the Sun's energy to attack me, huh? Are you underestimating me?" Udnir said calmly, raising his hand and snapping his fingers.

An invisible ripple spread from his body at unimaginable speed, enveloping Edhen World, nearby asteroids, red moons, and planets—freezing everything in place.

"It's good to see you, Senior."

A royal elf suddenly appeared, flying out of the mouth of the portal and halting just a few feet from Udnir.

The corner of Udnir's lips twitched as he drew his sword.

"Why are you still hiding in your Divine Kingdom? Instead of sending out your avatar, you should come here yourself," Udnir said coldly.

Abium made a slight bow, his tone apologetic.

"It's not the right time for battle, Senior. I know you're angry I took Itera, but in truth, she chose me."

"You sure talk a lot of nonsense after stealing three of my sacred relics."

Without another word, Udnir vanished from his spot and reappeared right before Abium.

Before the blade could touch Abium's neck, an invisible force suddenly descended and wrapped around Udnir.

His eyes widened instantly. He recognized the power — the Divine Power of Time.

"Itera? You've already managed to control her?" Udnir asked, noticing Abium had shifted more than two meters away.

His grasp of time is far beyond what I imagined. And this is only an avatar. Where is his real body? Without finding that, reclaiming the Core of Itera will be nearly impossible.

Udnir frowned, observing that Abium wasn't ready to fight.

"Although I would love to battle you, Senior, now isn't the time. Until we meet again, stay here and wait for me," Abium said with a smirk, then glanced toward Edhen World.

"Oh, I almost forgot. It seems Edhen World has fully awakened and regained much of her strength. I suggest you avoid entering her domain."

"So that was your real reason for coming. But did you put those void pillars all over the world? What's your plan?" Udnir asked, frowning. He'd never seen so many void pillars before and was curious how Abium had acquired them.

If we had this many void pillars, we could have achieved our goal with far less sacrifice. After all, those ancient monsters were stronger than me too.

"I'm not the one who placed these void pillars. It must be the 'Nine Beings' or someone else," Abium replied just as a portal opened behind him and pulled him inside.

Udnir wanted to follow but held back.

"That guy's trying to lure me into his Divine Kingdom," Udnir muttered, shaking his head as he turned his attention to Edhen World.

"Nine Beings? I'm curious about their scheme as well, but I sense there's more at play." His gaze shifted toward the Adrillon Planet.

"Edhen's children, huh? This entire planet is headed for doom."

He shook his head, withdrew his Time Divine Power, and vanished.