Chapter 235 – The Torn Scroll

“At this point, do I have any other choice?”

After receiving the message left by Sangus, a crystalline tear traced its way down Trelinka’s cheek.

It was clear Sangus had no idea how dire the situation in Dillon Kingdom had become, nor did he know that Trelinka—the “last remaining royal member of Dillon Kingdom”—had been reduced to a prisoner. Not only had her princess title been unilaterally revoked, but she was also to be handed over to the Church of Dawn as a “pledge of allegiance” by the once-trusted Green Vine Family.

Sangus’s plan couldn’t simply be described as a failure; in some ways, he had grown senile amidst peaceful political struggles. Now, the power of the Church of Dawn had dealt him a harsh blow, and the “Nightwalkers” he had utilized had delivered the final strike to Princess Trelinka, in whom he had placed such high hopes.

Trelinka didn’t wipe away the tear at the corner of her eye. She gently picked up the Alchemy Scroll floating beside the sphere of light, her slender fingers appearing even paler under the scroll’s radiant glow.

The mysterious Alchemy Scroll had a distinct metallic texture, with energy on its surface forming intricate, dizzying mystical runes. Most remarkably, the moment Trelinka touched the scroll, it began channeling a peculiar energy into her. Under the influence of this energy, the sealed Battle Aura within her soul instantly dissipated on its own.

Yet Trelinka felt no joy in this. To her, her own strength was utterly insignificant—it could neither save the nation nor the lives of the Glory Army soldiers. At least when facing the old warrior Beigean, even with her Apprentice-Level power restored, she would remain nothing but an insignificant ant…

“Will this bring terror? It doesn’t matter… If it truly brings catastrophe… then let me perish along with this dying nation…”

Trelinka murmured these bleak words to herself, her gaze lifeless as she stared at the scroll in her hand, then slowly began to unfurl it…

Thanks to the enhanced vision provided by his “Farsight” spell, Punk could clearly see every rune on the scroll. What appeared to Trelinka—whose soul’s comprehension was insufficient—as merely complex and profound magical script, was nothing short of pure Daze to Punk, a level fourteen official mage.

Even with the System’s assistance, Punk couldn’t withstand the impact of this “runic information.” The sheer volume of data was overwhelming and entirely beyond his comprehension. The level of this information was so high that the mere flood of it could inflict mental shocks, and recklessly attempting to perceive it would only result in severe damage to one’s soul.

Punk’s perception was far superior to Trelinka’s, so he received much more information than she did. The sudden influx of incomprehensible data into his mind gave him the sensation of being solidly hit by a “Greater Daze” spell without any defenses.

“Legendary—no, even beyond Legendary. At the very least, ordinary Legendary-level magical runes couldn’t cause harm just by leaking a bit of information!”

Punk quickly reached his conclusion. Because of this, he had no choice but to immediately cease his attempts to perceive the mysterious scroll.However, although the perception was brief, Punk still gleaned considerable information from the scroll. The most crucial discovery was his confirmation that the scroll’s very purpose was to be “torn open.”

Nearly every inch of the scroll was reinforced with dozens of layers of enchantments so powerful that even with Punk’s knowledge, he couldn’t comprehend how to achieve such durability, ensuring the scroll’s near-indestructibility. Yet, along the “central line” of the scroll, not a single reinforcement spell had been applied. Any robust ordinary person could tear it apart with a firm tug.

And indeed, events unfolded exactly as Punk had anticipated…

Rip!

A crisp, decisive sound seemed to declare Trelinka’s resolve, as if heralding the unveiling of the “unknown.” Having regained her Apprentice-Level knight strength, Trelinka tore the scroll in two with almost no effort at all.

From the moment she took hold of the scroll to her decision to tear it, Trelinka barely hesitated. Her fingers didn’t even tremble as she ripped it cleanly along the “central line.”

While Trelinka acted with swift satisfaction, Punk was utterly stunned.

He had originally intended to charge forward and seize the scroll by force without a second thought. However, due to the recent mental shock from the scroll’s runes, Punk had been dazed for about 1.2 seconds. It was precisely during this brief interval that Trelinka decisively tore the scroll open!

Unfortunately, by the time Punk shook off his dizziness, Trelinka had already ripped the mysterious scroll apart. Left with no choice, Punk could only bide his time and watch the extraordinary scene unfold before his eyes.

The instant the scroll was torn, a portal shimmering with nine-colored specks of light abruptly materialized in the small cell. Its appearance was utterly silent—devoid of any sound, light effects, or even the faintest energy fluctuation—as if the portal had always stood there in the cell. Unassuming, yet profoundly mysterious!

But the portal’s entrance was nothing short of breathtaking!

It was so breathtaking that it sent a chill down Punk’s spine, so breathtaking… that it jolted over a dozen deities seated on their thrones from their slumber, and so breathtaking that it startled numerous Legendary old monsters into sudden alarm.

To put it bluntly, the moment this portal appeared, the top-tier powerhouses across the entire Faerûn Plane instantly turned their attention toward it.

In the Divine Kingdom of the Lord of the Dawn, in Tyr’s Divine Kingdom, in Helm’s Divine Kingdom, in Cyric’s Divine Kingdom, in Shar’s Divine Kingdom, in Lolth’s Divine Kingdom… in almost every Divine Kingdom of deities with Intermediate Divine Power or higher, the gods seated upon their thrones opened their eyes simultaneously.

These typically aloof and detached deities now, without exception, abruptly descended their divine consciousness. All their divine senses frantically scanned this obscure, remote minor nation on the Faerûn Plane. Meanwhile, the top experts of various Churches instantly received divine oracles and promptly set out for a remote Kingdom none had ever heard of.

At the same time, within the wandering City of Shade in the Plane of Shadow, a figure cloaked in black robes suddenly halted, lost in thought as they gazed toward a certain direction.

Deep beneath the endless desert, a gaunt old man slowly rose to his feet.

Amidst the mountains of the Bodean Region, a deep and eerie eye abruptly snapped open…At this moment, the entire Dillon Kingdom unprecedentedly became the focus of numerous superpowerful beings. A profound and mysterious name was solemnly uttered by the mighty figures across the Faerûn Plane—some with hoarse and eerie voices, others with clear and distinct tones; some speaking with extreme fury, others with boundless anticipation. Yet in this moment, they all spoke the same name:

“Netheril…”

The Netherese Ruins Arc begins—time to raid the dungeon!~~

(End of Chapter)