Legacy of the Dark Sage

Kyran's blood ran cold after hearing Mannick's words. But he did not let it get to him and managed to say calmly, "What happened?"

Mannick stood up and took out a golden cube, "First, let's change location."

The cube emitted a blinding light, and in an instant, he and Kyran disappeared.

Kyran barely closed his eyes. But when he reopened them, they were now inside a golden room. Its size was approximately one hundred square meters. A mirror with a diameter of ten meters was embedded in the middle of the room, and currently, it showed a very familiar view.

The Regis Estate.

At that moment, the mirror showed the estate in bird's-eye, and Kyran could see a silver with gold translucent barrier covering the Inner Walls. However, there were visible cracks that snaked around the lower edges of the barrier, and every now and then, the whole image appeared to flicker. Not because the mirror experienced some issues but because the whole estate was bombarded on all sides.

Kyran's heart was suddenly gripped with trepidation. Still, he managed to reign in his emotions and stay calm.

"What you're seeing right now is a live projection of what is currently happening in the Regis Estate," Mannick did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"The other day, those cracks are not yet visible. But just this morning, after a powerful attack, those cracks appeared."

"Who?" Kyran asked.

Mannick did not need him to elaborate on the question. He already understood what he meant and replied, "Ruin."

Kyran shot Mannick an astonished look, "Him? But isn't he out on an errand? Savagery told me he is searching for someone."

He did not mention Cyneah's name, though it was not because he did not trust Mannick. At least he decided to give the latter the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Mannick was Caelan's right-hand man, and True Void even called him the most fateful shield.

Kyran did not tell Mannick because there was still a small possibility that Ruin was not looking for Cyneah, and Kyran did not want to create unnecessary confusion if he was wrong.

Mannick nodded and turned his attention to the projection.

"That's what all of us knows, too. But before the start of the competition, I discovered that Ruin returned the night after Savagery's defeat," he paused before rephrasing his words, "To be specific, I felt Ruin unleashing a powerful magic attack and saw this."

He gestured at the projection with a grim expression.

"As for the errand of searching, Deception left last night and took up the task."

Kyran's mind reeled at Mannick's words. His interest was first piqued after he said 'seeing' Ruin unleashing a powerful magic attack.

Kyran had already guessed that Azaloth's mage level was really high to have an essence at an Exalted level.

An essence's mage level was normally halved by the original's level. A mage could manipulate his essence's level, but he had to have a very high magic sense to do that. As for the maximum difference of level an essence could have from the original, it would be five levels.

Based on this fact and the rumor that Mannick had been stuck as an Exalted for a long time and was looking for a way to break through, it was easy to guess Azaloth's level by simply doing the math.

Exalted. Magus. Arch Magus. Legendary.

Sovereign.

Azaloth is the Human plane's Sovereign.

This also explained True Void's comment about the Sovereign being useless at the moment because Azaloth's original body seemed to be in a deep slumber, and only his essence was keeping watch on the Human plane.

If not for the current situation, this confirmation would have left a bigger impression on Kyran. However, because of what Mannick said about Deception resuming Ruin's task instead of having the latter pick it up after dealing with the Regis's defensive array, Kyran could only take note of the reveal of Azaloth's status.

Kyran's mind went into overdrive as he processed the information Mannick had told him while also taking into account Ruin and Deception's character and magic.

Just like her name suggested, Deception is good at deceiving others. It is not because she is good at lying but because she is an Enchanter and her innate magic is Mind Illusion. She is also someone who hates being asked what to do and also wasting time. That is why, when she makes a move, it is usually because she wants to do it, and it is meant to be easy work.

Ruin is good at reducing everything within his reach into ruins. However, he is not an Elementor; instead, he is a Summoner. What he summons are not Spirits but scourge creatures. These creatures are the remains of the inhabitants of one of the planes Ruin has taken over. As for his character, contrary to the impression he exudes, Ruin is very patient and does not mind doing tedious tasks.

From these facts, Kyran could guess why Haylee initially asked Ruin to do the search. With the help of his scourge creatures, gathering information would become a breeze. After all, these creatures were no ordinary summons. Ruin could connect with them and even see through their eyes. As for Deception, her abilities were not good for searching or even intel gathering.

So why would Ruin return while Deception left to continue his search?

There were two possibilities.

One, since their priority was to destroy the Regis Estate's defensive array and Savagery, who was originally taking care of it, had died, the Crown Princess needed Ruin's destructive power to deal with the Regis's defensive array. Ruin's magic was good at offense compared to Deception, after all.

However, Kyran knew the Crown Princess's search for Cyneah was equally important because the former would not be complete without the latter. Unless the former became complete, she could not fully use her magic.

Which brought Kyran to the second possibility. A possibility that riled him up and tested his control over his emotions.

Ruin had already found Cyneah, and even if he returned and had Deception continue where he left off, with her Illusion magic, it would not be a problem to take Cyneah. As a matter of fact, Deception's magic would be good for accomplishing such a task without raising unwanted attention.

Mannick silently waited for Kyran to digest all this information. Initially, he wanted to buy some time for Kyran. He might only be an Exalted, but the knowledge of his original self remains. He could still help reinforce the Regis's defensive array and ensure it could last another day or two. That was the maximum time Mannick could give Kyran because the level of his Array would still depend on his mage level.

Unfortunately, Ingrid had been keeping a close eye on him lately, so he could not make a move.

Among the Deputy Marshals, Ingrid had personal ties with the Royal Family. Because of this connection, she had always been neutral when it came to the power struggle within the army. Influence and power meant nothing to Ingrid but serving the Royal Family wholeheartedly.

Nevertheless, even if Ingrid was not keeping a close watch on him, Mannick could not make a move without letting Kyran know about the situation first. Kyran definitely had a plan, and Mannick's identity would be revealed if he made a move.

When that happened, would Kyran's plans be disrupted? If it wouldn't, then it would be fine. But if it would, then Mannick would definitely regret it because he would not be able to help Kyran afterward.

Azaloth's identity prohibits him from meddling too much in the 'local' affairs of the Human plane. And at the moment, what the Crown Princess was plotting was still considered a local affair. She might have sought assistance from other Sovereigns, but since the Sovereigns had no intention of 'invading' the Human plane, Mannick could not do anything to them.

This restriction was actually the very reason why Azaloth chose to fall into a deep slumber. He had been disillusioned after what happened a thousand years ago. At that time, when his master needed him the most, he failed to protect him because of his newly acquired identity.

What was the use of becoming the most powerful mage in the Human plane when he could not even protect the one person he wanted to protect the most?

After a few minutes, Kyran closed his eyes. To be honest, Kyran waited for Kairo to unleash his most powerful attack during their match because he wanted to feed True Void as much as possible.

Kyran was prompted to make this decision in preparation for any 'emergency' on what Mannick would tell him. He did not expect what the latter had to say to result in a complete change of plan on his part.

'This is all my fault. All of these are happening because I have been complacent,' he thought.