Just then, as the elderly man woke up, his first instinct was to reach up and touch his chest.
But he was confused. His chest was perfectly intact. He clearly remembered the sheer force of the man in black's blow, yet the puncture wound from the sword was gone as well.
He stared blankly for a long time.
Then he sat up and saw his Lady kneeling nearby. Her eyes were red, and tear streaks still stained her face.
Standing beside the girl was someone he didn't recognize.
The old man's eyes were filled with nothing but bewilderment.
Seemingly sensing his confusion, the girl quickly pointed to Lilith and explained, “This high-level mage who was passing by saved us!”
The old man’s eyes widened.
A high-level mage?
He looked Lilith over once more.
After a second of silence, the old man suddenly scrambled to his feet, clasped his hands in a formal salute, and bowed deeply.
“Thank you for saving my life, Great One!”
Lilith was startled by this sudden display of grand gratitude and reflexively took half a step back.
“Whoa, hey, hey, there’s no need for that,” she said, reaching out to steady him. “It was just a small favor. Your injuries just healed, so don’t move around so much.”
The old man straightened up, his eyes moist.
“This old man has no way to repay your life-saving grace. If you ever have any commands in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation.”
“Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Lilith quickly interrupted him. “It really isn't necessary. I was just passing through and lent a hand.”
Lilith felt incredibly awkward under such a deep bow and quickly changed the subject.
“By the way,” she looked at the girl, “that Third-Order Magic Crystal they were trying to steal... what exactly is it?”
As soon as she spoke, the bodies of both the old man and the girl stiffened simultaneously.
The air went silent for about three seconds.
Seeing their reaction, Lilith realized she might have asked a very sensitive question.
“I’m just asking out of curiosity,” she added. “It’s fine if you don’t want to say.”
The girl lowered her head and remained silent for a moment.
Then she took a deep breath, as if she had made an important decision.
She raised her hand, and a faint light glowed in her palm.
A personal storage space.
The girl reached inside and pulled out a crystal about the size of a fist.
Lilith’s gaze was immediately drawn to it.
It was a multicolored gemstone.
The girl held the crystal out to Lilith.
“This is a Third-Order Magic Crystal.”
Lilith took it and examined it closely in her hand.
“This thing...” She turned it over and over. “What is it used for? Is it really worth them hunting you down at any cost?”
The girl hesitated and glanced at the old man. The old man was silent for a moment before giving a slight nod.
The girl turned back and explained, “A Third-Order Magic Crystal allows a Rank 2 mage to easily break through to Rank 3.”
Lilith blinked. “What does that mean?”
“It means that under normal cultivation, going from Rank 2 to Rank 3 requires a long period of accumulation and insight. Some people might be stuck at this bottleneck for years or even over a decade. But with a Third-Order Magic Crystal—” the girl pointed to the stone in Lilith's hand, “—one only needs to refine the magic inside to have a high probability of ascending to Rank 3.”
Lilith looked down at the crystal in her hand, and a thought popped into her head.
Isn't this just like a Foundation Establishment Pill from a cultivation novel?
She almost said it out loud but caught herself.
“Then this thing is quite precious,” she said, tossing the magic crystal slightly. “No wonder those three were chasing you so relentlessly.”
The girl lowered her head and whispered, “It was left to me by my father... that’s why I...”
She didn't finish, but Lilith understood.
It was a memento.
Lilith handed the magic crystal back.
“Here.”
The girl looked up at her, somewhat surprised.
“You... don’t want it?”
“What would I want it for?” Lilith said with a look of confusion. “I’m not a Rank 2 mage. Besides, this is something your father left you. Keep it safe.”
The girl froze for a second, her eyes turning red again. She put the magic crystal back into her personal storage space and bowed her head deeply.
“Thank you...”
Lilith waved her hand, signaling her not to worry about it.
Then she suddenly remembered something.
“By the way,” she looked at the girl, “those mage ranks you mentioned—how exactly are they divided? What are the levels?”
The girl was stunned.
“You don’t know the ranks?”
Her tone was full of confusion.
Lilith’s expression froze for a split second.
She realized she had let something slip.
But she reacted quickly.
She raised her hand, the corners of her mouth curling into a profound, mysterious smile.
“I simply haven't been out in the world for a very long time. I have lived for a very, very long time, so I have forgotten some trivial matters.”
The girl looked at her expression and nodded thoughtfully.
A high-level mage who had cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years might naturally forget some basic common knowledge.
“Then let me explain it to you.” The girl cleared her throat and began to explain seriously.
“The ranks for mages and warriors are the same, ranging from Rank 1 to Rank 9.”
She held up one hand and raised a finger.
“Ranks 1 to 3 are the low-ranks. Mages at this stage can use basic magic. Most mages stay at this level—for example, I am at Rank 1.”
She raised another finger.
“Ranks 4 to 6 are the mid-ranks. Once you reach this stage, you can be called a Great Mage. Mages at this level are already quite rare; only two or three might emerge out of a hundred.”
She raised a third finger.
“Ranks 7 to 9 are the high-ranks. Mages at this stage are extremely rare, and every one of them is someone that major powers scramble to recruit.”
Lilith listened, silently taking mental notes.
“Is there anything above Rank 9?” she asked.
The girl's expression changed.
She was silent for a while before she spoke.
“Above Rank 9...”
She paused, thinking hard.
“From what we currently know, existences above Rank 9 are very mysterious and generally do not appear in the world. Every race has at least two powerhouses above Rank 9 guarding them, but who they specifically are and how strong they are is top secret.”
Lilith nodded, signaling for her to continue.
“But if you're talking about the faction with the most beings above Rank 9...”
The girl lowered her voice.
“It's the demon race.”
When those words left her mouth, she instinctively glanced around as if afraid of being overheard.
Lilith’s eyebrows twitched.
The demon race? Wasn't that her home?
“According to intelligence from the various nations of the continent,” the girl continued, “the demon race has the Four Calamities who are openly above Rank 9, but there might be even more in the shadows.”
“The Four Calamities?” Lilith asked curiously.
“Yes.” The girl’s expression became even more solemn. “Those four are the top powerhouses of the demon race. They are the taboos of the continent.”
She took a deep breath.
“Have you heard about what happened recently... when Veen, one of the Four Calamities, descended upon the human world?”
Lilith’s heart skipped a beat.
Veen?
Her butler and guard captain?
The girl didn't notice the subtle change in Lilith's expression and continued.
“He went to a human city. There are many different rumors about the specific reason.”
Her voice became very soft.
“And then, in an instant, Veen caused that city to be wiped out.”
Lilith’s expression froze.
“In an instant?”
“In an instant,” the girl repeated with a certain tone. “All that was left at the scene was a massive crater.”
Lilith’s lips moved slightly.
“...Oh,” Lilith said.
The girl continued, “If the Calamities are already this strong, then there's no need to even mention the Demon King who stands above them.”
Lilith’s attention was pulled back.
Above the Calamities. The Demon King. Wasn't that...
“I’ve heard the Demon King has six arms,” the girl’s expression turned grave. “He’s over three meters tall, and his entire body is covered in black scales. Every time he appears, it is accompanied by cataclysmic phenomena. Just by standing there, he can freeze the surrounding space and drive countless mages to despair.”
Six arms.
Three meters tall.
Black scales.
Cataclysmic phenomena.
Lilith looked down at herself.
Barely over 1.5 meters. Short arms and short legs.
She instinctively pointed a finger at herself and asked with a complicated expression, “Is the Demon King really that terrifying?”
The girl nodded very seriously.
“Of course.”
“It’s said that the Demon King is the most fearsome existence on the entire continent. He has the power to destroy the world, and his strength far exceeds Rank 9. If the Demon King ever truly makes a move, the entire continent will be destroyed—”
“Wait,” Lilith interrupted her, “what’s the name of this Demon King you’re talking about?”
“I don’t know.”
The girl shook her head.
“The Demon King has never personally appeared on the continent, but the Calamities under him all act according to his will.”
Lilith roughly understood. The original owner of this body was just a figurehead in the demon race, possessing power but knowing nothing, while her subordinates went out and got all the blame pinned on her head.
Rate on N.U.
