Fire Mage-Chapter 642: Dream Whisper

Chapter 642: Dream Whisper

’What? I should’ve earned over 200 points.’

He questioned Genesis mentally, not even sparing Victor a glance.

[It’s because of the limited slots in the ’Soul Tricker’ function, Host. I can only capture a maximum of 10 souls at a time. Even if you slay hundreds, the rest pass on to the Astral Plane untouched. That’s why you only received 35 points.]

Charles scowled and exhaled.

’So I have to hunt them slowly.’

He gave the order to convert the Wisdom Points. A subtle warmth stirred in his soul as his wisdom reached 615.5.

Only then did he turn to the Archbishop. Without warning, he cast the [Curse of the Overlord] spell and commanded in a firm tone:

"Go collect all the magical crystals from the corpses."

"Pardon?" Victor blinked, bewildered. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said," Charles repeated coldly, "go and collect the magical crystals."

’Who does this brat think he is?’

"D-Do you know who you’re talking to?" Victor’s voice shook with disbelief.

Charles met his gaze with an unwavering stare. "I know exactly who you are, Archbishop Victor Hawthorne."

"But I don’t care about titles. What I care about are those crystals—they fetch a good price."

Victor’s confusion deepened. A moment ago, he had believed this man might be from another world. But now—

’He’s fluent in Naan Language... He’s a native of the Sacred Empire. But his power... it’s far beyond what I imagined.’

’He’s not a typical Legendary Mage... He might even rival the Patriarch of the Hawthorne family.’

Realizing it would be unwise to test his luck, Victor obeyed.

He approached the scorched battlefield, carefully gathering the black, fist-sized magical crystals. Each one pulsed with raw darkness energy, glowing ominously in his gloved hands.

’114 Perfect Rank Crystals... This much could buy an entire kingdom in the Edhen World...’

Greed pricked at his heart, but he didn’t dare act on it. He knew better.

He returned and offered the large leather bag to Charles, bowing low.

"Excellent work," Charles said with a nod. He reached into the bag, took a few crystals, and handed them back to Victor.

"From now on, you’ll serve as my porter. You’ll receive five percent of the spoils."

Victor’s fingers trembled as he caught the crystals.

’Five percent? That’s almost six Rank-5 Crystals!’

For a man like Charles, it was little. But to Victor, it was enough to purchase a barony.

He bowed again, his voice thick with gratitude. "I am deeply grateful for your boundless generosity, Your Excellency."

Charles waved off the flattery. His gaze drifted toward the ravaged forest.

"You have less power than a single Rank-5 Magical Beast," he said. "So what are you doing here? Lost your way?"

Victor stiffened.

’If I lie... he’ll kill me without blinking.’

He forced a smile. "I’m searching for an ancient artifact known as the Dream Whisper, Your Excellency."

Charles raised an eyebrow. "Dream Whisper?"

"Yes, Your Excellency. It’s hidden within the Second Chamber of the Graveyard of Stealers. During a previous expedition, I stumbled upon an underground pyramid. Inside, I discovered incredible artifacts. I spent 25 days trying to claim one that would help me ascend. But I lacked sufficient wisdom... and understanding of dream power. The Dream Whisper rejected me and expelled me."

Charles nodded slowly. "And now you’ve returned, hoping for a second chance?"

"Yes," Victor replied with newfound confidence. "My wisdom power has doubled. I believe I can tame it now."

"Good. While I explore other areas, head to the second chamber. See if luck favors you."

He paused, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Don’t worry, I won’t steal your artifact. These things tend to choose their owners."

It wasn’t entirely true, of course. Charles had his own methods of making artifacts obey him.

’If it’s useless to me, I’ll let Runeth have it.’

Victor, oblivious to the hidden thoughts, nodded quickly.

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Your Excellency."

Charles simply gestured for him to lead.

Victor obeyed, guiding them deeper into the scorched wilderness. The ruined forest whispered secrets of forgotten powers and ancient civilizations.

They came across shattered ruins and stray Rank-5 Magical Beasts along the way—none of which lasted more than a few seconds against Charles.

Over the next two days, they wandered through lifeless terrain, eventually confronting a Legendary Beast—the Dread Lion.

Though Charles emerged victorious, the battle dragged on for six hours, testing even his strength.

During this time, Charles crafted a fake backstory and subtly began manipulating Victor’s thoughts, bending the Archbishop’s will to his own.

By the end of the second day, Victor spoke more freely.

He revealed that the Dream Whisper was one of three intellectual artifacts hidden in the Graveyard of Stealers.

But what intrigued Charles most was the mention of a vast underground city beneath the pyramid.

"I was chased into the Second Chamber by the inhabitants of that city," Victor confessed. "I still don’t know if they were real... or an illusion."

Charles narrowed his eyes.

’An underground city? Full of people?’

"How much farther?" he asked.

"We’ll reach it tomorrow, Your Excellency. If you spot a small oasis, let me know. The cave entrance is a few kilometers beyond it."

"Oasis?" Charles echoed, raising an eyebrow. He nodded in understanding.

The next morning, as sunlight filtered through the mist, they arrived at a lush, oasis-like glade, encircled by towering trees and vibrant greenery.

Chapter 649: Order Church

As Charles and Victor neared the oasis, both men halted and looked ahead.

Victor’s gaze was instantly drawn to a young woman bathing gracefully in the shimmering water. Though she was over 500 meters away, her presence was impossible to ignore. He paused, stunned by her ethereal beauty.

Gentle ripples lapped against her body, weaving a dance of light and shadow that only enhanced her allure. Her black hair cascaded down her back in waves, catching the sunlight and gleaming like polished obsidian. Her russet eyes—rare and hypnotic—held a quiet mystery, as if they guarded ancient secrets.

A triangular face framed her delicate features, lending an air of nobility. Her skin, pale as porcelain, seemed to glow against the tranquil lake. Victor’s eyes were drawn to her round lips, naturally tinted with a soft hue, their gentle curve both inviting and serene.

She looked no older than twenty, yet her every movement exuded elegance and poise.

"Holy Maiden Zoe of the Order Church?" Victor murmured, shaken from his reverie. "Why is she here?"

"Hmm. Not just her. Some others from the Order Church are here too," Charles said, releasing a wave of wisdom power that rippled through the surroundings.

But if they’re here, why didn’t I get word from Head Deacon Colt? he wondered. Only then did he realize the deacon was nowhere to be seen.

Did they split up? Maybe one group followed Victor...

His thoughts were interrupted as his senses picked up on a group of four people around two hundred meters away, standing casually and chatting while observing a distant hill.

One figure stood out: a tall man, about 190 cm, clad in a majestic golden robe. His long white beard flowed down his chest, and he held a silver staff pulsing with divine energy.

He must be the Cardinal, Charles thought, shifting his gaze.

Next to him stood a woman in her twenties, her black hair gleaming under the sun. She wore a regal, white armor-like dress inlaid with silver patterns and golden embellishments—clearly a high-ranking member of the Church. The dress was both protective and tailored for mobility, resembling a Lady Knight’s attire.

Beside her stood a man in his forties, dressed in a plain black robe. He was short—around 150 cm—with short brown hair, sharp blue eyes, and two daggers hanging at his waist.

Looks like an assassin. Possibly a Head Deacon, like Colt.

But it was the fourth figure who truly caught Charles’s attention—a boy no older than fifteen, with striking red hair and multicolored eyes. He was small, just 140 cm, but something about him radiated power... and danger.

Suddenly, the boy looked up and met Charles’s gaze. For a brief, uncanny moment, their minds seemed to connect—and Charles instinctively scanned the boy’s aura.

A Rank-6 Dual-Class Mystic? 7,420 years old? Charles’s thoughts reeled. He’s an ancient being in the body of a child?

"W-What should we do, Your Excellency?" Victor asked, alarmed. He noticed the group had somehow arrived before them and felt a surge of unease.

Charles lifted his hand calmly and stepped forward. "Don’t panic. No one will harm you while I’m here." Then, more quietly, he added, "Also, act like I’m an otherworldly human. Don’t reveal my identity."

Though confused, Victor nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, the Holy Maiden Zoe noticed their approach. She quickly waded to shore, drying herself with a towel before donning a blue robe. Her damp hair, now wrapped in the towel, framed her porcelain face as she walked swiftly toward her companions.

The Cardinal, Radiant Knight Ruby, the robed deacon, and the red-haired boy—the Holy Son—also turned and began walking in their direction.

Charles and Victor circled the oasis, eventually arriving on the opposite side. But just fifty meters from the group, the Cardinal raised his crozier and barked a command.

"Stop! Take one more step, and we’ll attack."

"W-Wait! Your Eminence, please don’t attack us!" Victor cried, raising his hands in panic. "I’m Victor Hawthorne. We’re not here to cause trouble. We just—"

He froze mid-sentence, realizing he was about to reveal something important.

"I know who you are, Victor," the Cardinal said, a sly smile curling his lips. "And I suspect you already know why we’re here."

Victor’s face paled.

So they did follow me. But how? A face flashed in his mind—an elder from the Hawthorne family.

He must’ve leaked our plans to the Church for revenge... What a troublesome situation. Victor really wanted to avoid confronting them.

After a brief pause, Victor opened his eyes and asked coldly, "What do you want?"

The Cardinal chuckled, stroking his white beard. "What do you think we want from a mere Dream Creator? Tell us everything about the treasure you found here. And..." His eyes narrowed at Charles. "Who’s this young man? Even your helper is only a Rank-5 Mystic? Tsk."

Thanks to Charles’s [Amulet of Mind Blank], his presence was masked, appearing no stronger.

Victor glanced at him and gave a weak smile. "I apologize for his words, Your Excellency," he said stiffly, retrieving a gray, gem-embedded wooden staff from his space ring.