Returning from the lecture hall, Saul entered the inner city where only true wizards of Sky City could reside, and turned into a quiet alley.
The parapets on both sides of the alley were planted with pink and white whisper flowers. They bloomed and withered, withered and bloomed every day, demonstrating their vitality from head to toe.
Saul no longer stayed at the inn but had rented a uniformly-sized two-story building here using his first-rank wizard identity, personally setting up basic magical formations inside and out.
During this time, he had basically confirmed that Sky City was covertly under lockdown.
Although some people could still leave, they had to pass through careful screening. Those not permitted couldnât even take out a single message.
Saul hadnât personally tested whether he could leave Sky City.
He still had important matters and didnât really want to leave Sky City.
Moreover, this was a bottom line.
If he personally tested whether he could leave and was refused, the fragile balance of interests between him and Ophelia could easily be broken.
Even if the other party would still help him connect to the Prismatic World due to causality theoryâs influence, what their relationship would become afterward was uncertain.
Since he couldnât leave Sky City in the short term, Saul couldnât keep staying at the inn. So with Nathanâs introduction, he moved to this small building.
After returning to the building, the first thing Saul did was find the Water God for a chat.
It had been a month since his last communication with the Water God. Now he was confident he could pull the Water God into his consciousness platform again.
And being prepared this time, the consciousness platform would last longer than before.
However, when Saul saw the white cat again, he discovered its mental fluctuations were considerably weaker than during their last meeting.
âWhat happened to you?â
The white cat had originally been lying on the ground but immediately resumed an elegant sitting position when Saul approached.
âNothing much, just that there havenât been any sacrifices these days, so my condition isnât very good.â
Since Saul had taken away the white porcelain catâs main body, Nathan had suspended distribution of the replicas. Lacking souls to help the Water God offset the deep seaâs curse, he could only endure it himself, naturally exhausting his spirit.
Saul hadnât properly examined the Water Godâs condition before, so this time he directly stepped forward to check.
The cat-like Water God was initially somewhat wary, but suddenly remembering Saulâs display of transforming into tangled curves, he ultimately didnât move randomly.
After examining him, Saul stepped back two paces. âThe seal on you is extremely powerful. No wonder it manifests as a deep sea in your consciousness world.â
The Water God shook his head. âActually, this seal was originally more terrifying, but after over a hundred years, itâs been weakened by time. I only gained the ability to sense the outside world a dozen years ago, and only in recent years found ways to offset some of the curse to make the seal break faster.â
Saul simply sat on the circular platform facing the white cat.
âArenât you a water god? Why were you sealed? And with a deep sea of all thingsâŠâ
Using water to seal a being calling itself a water god was quite forceful mockery.
ââŠDonât call me Water God anymore. My real name is Floco.â
Thinking of the reason for his sealing, the white catâs back curved slightly, then straightened instantly.
âActually, I was crossing a stargate when I accidentally offended another fifth-rank. I had just advanced then and was arrogant, so I was directly defeated in a few moves. My main body was destroyed, my spiritual body nearly annihilated. The enemy left my consciousness and sealed it in the deep sea just to humiliate me.â
When Floco spoke of these things, his tone was calm with some sense of release.
These matters had weighed on his heart for hundreds of years. The original anger and excitement had already dissipated. Speaking them to Saul actually brought a touch of relief.
After hearing Flocoâs story, Saul felt chilled. âYouâre both fifth-rank wizards. Are those outside the stargate really that much more powerful than you?â
âThe higher the rank, the greater the power gap between those of the same rank. Youâre not fifth-rank yet so you donât understand. Actually, the minimum requirement for fifth-rank is being able to cross stargates with oneâs own power and travel between worlds. As long as you can do that, youâre fifth-rank. But among fifth-ranks who can achieve this, the power difference might be greater than that between apprentices and fourth-rank wizards. So many people, even with fifth-rank strength, are unwilling to cross stargates for fear of encountering my situation.â
âThe power gap between fifth-rank wizards is actually so large.â Saul suddenly became curious about what requirements reaching sixth-rank would have.
He thought that when Floco was alive, this wizard world probably hadnât been sealed yet, so perhaps he knew what high-rank wizard strength should be like.
So Saul directly asked.
Floco wasnât surprisedâeveryone would be interested in peak power levels.
Wizards were especially curious beings.
âAlthough youâre only third-rank⊠well, thereâs no harm in telling you.â
âA fifth-rank being can advance to sixth-rank once they can completely destroy a world. Noteâcompletely destroy. Killing all humans on continents doesnât count. Itâs said that the most powerful sixth-ranks can directly disintegrate a world just by adjusting a fundamental rule.â
âTsk!â Saul couldnât help clicking his tongue.
âAs for seventh-rank, in my time, they were called Creators. They can independently create a world.â
âThatâs quite similar to popular mythology stories.â
Floco continued: âQuite ironic, isnât it? A sixth-rank must destroy worlds, while a seventh-rank creates them.â
Saul nodded. âBut thereâs logic to follow. Wizards are like thatâpursuing knowledge, learning knowledge, understanding knowledge, mastering knowledge, questioning knowledge, and finally using knowledge to create knowledge.â
Floco stared at Saul in a daze. âYou sound like a wizard when you say that.â
âDidnât I before?â Saul asked with a smile.
âDo I need to say what you seemed like before?â Water God Floco muttered internally, though he didnât want to mention that term again.
Finally having some understanding of power beyond fifth-rank, Saul considered for a moment and brought up another matter.
âFloco, at your previous pace, how long would it take you to break the seal?â
The white catâs tail swayed leisurely from left to right. âProbably several hundred more years. Trying to drain the sea with a small spoonâhow easy could that be? But Iâve been imprisoned for hundreds of years already, so Iâm not anxious anymore. As long as people outside still have thoughts of praying for luck, theyâll naturally send me sacrifices.â
Fourth-rank wizards were basically immortal beings. Hundreds of years meant even less to fifth-rank wizards. But if possible, who would want to be trapped in a catâs body?
Saul leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, revealing a tempting smile.
âFloco, draining seawater is difficult, but causing a tsunami sometimes only requires one big explosion. Have you considered escaping this way?â
Floco looked up at Saul, his cat eyes holding a solemn âfinally hereâ expression.
âOf course Iâve considered it, but where Iâm sealed Iâm just a cat who canât even speak. Besides transmitting some lucky power, I canât do anything else.â
Saul patted his knee. âBut now youâve met me, havenât you?â
The white cat slowly nodded with a slightly ingratiating tone, âYes, after hundreds of years, this lucky ability has finally reflected back on myself.â
(End of Chapter)
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