Beneath a starry sky dancing with phosphorescence, across the Shadow World threshold space woven from countless stars, a deep crimson radiance was the sole dazzling color.
"Black Sun Tyrant Damnation Decree..."
Talia gazed in astonishment at this sealing art, distinct from both Undying Damnation and Chimeric Decree.
It seemed born from Lanclos's lifelong mastery of sealing arts, elevated to an ultimate peak and blended with the legendary aura of his entire life.
"Meow, is this card amazing?"
Boss Cat had seen plenty of the world by now.
It had never encountered such a flawless red card before.
"Lanqi truly has the soul of a mage now," Talia remarked.
A noble spell with zero cooldown could practically be treated as an extra basic attack.
Even if he only knew this one move, repeatedly casting it would make him look like a true mage.
The sealing art dealt no damage whatsoever, but as long as he had enough mana and timed it right, he could repeatedly apply phased healing nullification to enemies with absurd regenerative capabilities like vampires until they lost all capacity to fight.
Correspondingly, it could also lock the health of himself or his teammates.
"I finally have a spell card of my own."
Lanqi stowed away the red legendary card.
He had honestly believed he might go his entire life without possessing a noble spell card of orange epic quality.
Unlike spellcraft prodigies such as Loren and Ivanos, Lanqi had not learned a single spell to this day. Of course, he had not spent much time trying to learn any either, having dedicated himself entirely to developing his career.
His fundamental way of growing stronger lay in being a magical artificer; his spellcasting relied on magic cards. As for the most noble epic-grade spell cards, he had not caught even a glimpse of one in the half-lifetime since his debut.
Vampires were born with authorities comparable to epic spells, while demons could unlock epic spells by tapping into their innate magic. For historical human archmages, spending an entire lifetime to create a single epic spell pushed the absolute limit, and it could not be passed down to successors.
Lanclos's Undying Damnation and Chimeric Decree had likely both been learned from ancient grimoires; Radiant Corona was a passive spell acquired only after undergoing demonification surgery and passing the Great Demon Trial; and Ever-shining Destruction was the sole epic spell Lanclos had comprehended on his own.
Therefore, in Lanqi's eyes, a spell card capable of granting instant mastery over an epic spell was purely the most formidable kind of magic card.
This was also why Lanqi had taught his apprentice Zestira back in the Northern Continent that spell cards were the noblest of the three categories of magic cards, advising her to always pick a spell card whenever one appeared in the Endless Library.
"You truly don't have much chance of owning an orange epic spell card anymore, but you certainly have plenty of red legendary ones," Talia remarked as she listened to Lanqi's train of thought.
Starting from the lower tiers, most of Lanqi's card slots had been occupied by epics, leaving him very little flexibility. Now that he had reached Tier 7 and bound this Black Sun Tyrant Damnation Decree, he barely had any slots left, so he didn't even need to consider binding any more epic cards.
"Meow, meow, meow?"
Boss Cat pondered carefully. With this spell, Lanqi now had the life-saving spell he had lacked for so long.
As long as he didn't deactivate it, was it permanently active?
"Meow? Then am I still useful?"
Boss Cat suddenly realized that granting Lanqi five extra lives seemed virtually meaningless now.
He could simply activate continuous immunity.
In the Shadow World, that extravagant defensive performance where he took the magical poison light of Melogas, the Lord of Blasphemy, right to the face would no longer require its Dawn Storm. Applying Black Sun Tyrant Damnation Decree to himself would be more than enough, exuding the full geezerly poise of the Holy Polant Pope.
"You're useful. No matter what, you're an adorable little cat," Lanqi replied, having already given up on explaining the correct meaning of 'geezer' to Boss Cat.
As long as Boss Cat remained a cat, it would never be laid off.
Who wouldn't want a little loaf of black bread at home?
"That's wonderful, meow."
Boss Cat was relieved.
As an incomparable, one-of-a-kind kitty, it wouldn't be downsized after all.
"The Black Sun Tyrant probably wanted a sealing art like this most of the time—one that could protect his friends," Talia murmured, recalling the final effects of his sealing art.
Yet during his brief life, exhausting all his efforts had only allowed him to master Undying Damnation without advancing it further into a form that could be undone at will.
In the end, to fulfill his final mission, the Black Sun Tyrant had cast the unfinished Undying Damnation on himself, forcibly keeping a man who should have died long ago anchored in this world.
As a price, after his death he turned into an inextinguishable ghost, enduring the punishment of immortality for all eternity.
The cost might have been even steeper than what Lanqi experienced—he also had to lose his memories.
Perhaps it would be for a year, ten thousand years, or even a hundred million years.
He would wander the world, utterly alone and bewildered.
If no one could ever see him, then no one could ever save him.
"Fortunately, many years later, Tamisha appeared," Lanqi said to Talia.
"..."
Talia lifted her head from her daze and looked at Lanqi.
"Master, there's no need for you to dwell on Lord Black Sun's state of mind anymore. Even if the wounds suffered within the Mirror of Tiberius still ache, and that parched throat has yet to be soothed, none of it matters now. Let it all scatter with the wind," Lanqi said with an easy, unlooking-back release, his emerald eyes smiling.
According to the fragmented dreams they had deduced, in the brand-new era following the end of the Blood Moon Ruined World, Tamisha might no longer recognize that the withered wraith in the Headmaster's Office was the phantom demon who had saved her a century earlier.
Yet the blessing Caliera had left on both of them would ultimately guide them to meet again.
That was a story for another era.
"True."
Talia nodded gently.
She raised her hand to look at the Heavenwood Golden Bee Bracelet that matched Lanqi's, still set with the gem they had prayed for at the Church of the Goddess of Fate in the City of Flowers.
Perhaps on some day in the future, they would dream again of past lives.
Yet a dream was just a dream.
Let her be the first to forget it all.
The Blood Moon Ruined World was over.
"By the way, meow, what is that other gift?"
Boss Cat looked toward another orb of light not far from Lanqi.
Its surface shimmered with an interweaving sheen of ocean blue and amber gold like ripples of the deep sea, reminding Boss Cat of the boundless blue waters around Neclis Island.
Faintly, a whisper lingered in the threshold space, resembling the song of ocean waves beneath the clear skies of the Demon Realm.
"Let me see."
Lanqi reached toward the orb. The light dimmed and gradually dispersed, leaving only a letter in his hand.
He looked down at the envelope. Its azure ripples seemed exceptionally enchanting beneath the pure starlight of the threshold space.
A dusky blue magic instantly rose from the paper, swirling in the air to form demonic script.
*—To the Nameless Lord, respectfully:*
*My friend, receiving this letter is like seeing you in person.*
*The season of drifting ice and snow has arrived. Have you been well of late?*
*You may feel increasingly cold and lonely; please take care not to catch a chill.*
Lanqi closed the letter at that point.
He did not read on.
[Caliera's Handwritten Letter]
[Category: Artwork]
[Quality: Epic]
[Tier: 1]
[Anyone who reads this letter will receive a slight increase in resistance to mental magic and illusions, and will feel Caliera's companionship.]
[Remark: There is no reason to fear the night, my child of light. Daybreak comes slowly, but the dawn will arrive at last. After you touch my name, you will not have to wait long.]
"Caliera's letter..."
Talia remembered what it was.
Lanqi evidently knew what followed in the letter as well; they had read it together in the throne room of the Papal Palace in Hersalem.
"Do you still feel regret over this?"
Seeing Lanqi fall silent, Talia softened her tone and asked.
She sensed it was not that Lanqi was unwilling to open it, but rather that he didn't dare read any further.
After experiencing everything firsthand, Lanqi could perhaps accept Lanclos's fate as the Black Sun Tyrant with composure.
Yet regarding Caliera's sacrifice, it weighed on his heart so heavily that he couldn't even pretend to forget.
"Yes," Lanqi answered from his heart.
"I feel Caliera's fate is a pity as well. Her feelings melted away and vanished before they ever had the chance to blossom in full brilliance."
Talia similarly revealed her lingering sorrow.
She looked toward the letter.
"Perhaps Caliera was always a plummet into a land of gentle slumber. Between 'reality' and 'her companionship', one could only ever choose one."
Talia shook her head in lamentation.
"Yeah. Who told her to be such a perfect woman? It makes sense that such a Great Demon doesn't exist in reality," Lanqi sighed, speaking half in jest.
He deeply agreed with Talia's words of comfort.
Coming to terms with the impermanence of the world meant accepting inevitable helplessness.
Love was such a wondrous thing: the harder one tried to grasp it, the more it pulled one into a fall; yet the more one learned to let go, the more it would gradually overflow.
And Caliera surely understood the meaning of plummeting and overflowing better than anyone. That letter was also meant to tell Lanclos that love was not something he needed to seek, but something he already possessed. Even if his dearest friends and companions had passed away, they would remain by his side in another form until he brought an end to this Blood Moon Ruined World.
"Ahem!"
Talia leaned closer to Lanqi, making a noise to catch his attention.
Puffing out her chest, she seemed to be demanding that he look at her.
"Master, what are you doing?" Lanqi asked, looking at her in confusion.
"A perfect woman."
Talia poked her own cheek proudly, giving Lanqi a hint.
She was beautiful and useful now—so wasn't she basically just like Caliera?
"Pfft."
Lanqi couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing on the spot.
Even though he knew Talia was trying to cheer him up, he genuinely couldn't help himself.
"Lanqi, you said I was useful! You said I was useful!"
Talia argued with him, indignant.
She had clearly wanted to make Lanqi feel better, yet here he was, asking for a beating again.
"Master, no matter what, the end result is that you really did make me laugh. Thank you so much."
Lanqi thanked her, unable to stop smiling.
This old hag could be surprisingly cute at times.
"You actually dared call me an old hag again?!" Talia exclaimed in shock.
When had Lanqi become so utterly brazen!
"I wasn't being insolent," Lanqi stated hastily.
In truth, he had been calling her an old hag ever since their days in the South Vantina Territory; she just hadn't known back then, so this wasn't some recent insolence.
"You? I didn't teach you a lesson for one Shadow World, and now you're jumping onto the roof to tear off tiles! Get over here and be my mount! If I don't discipline you today, I'm afraid you'll try to ride me next time!"
Talia pointed at Lanqi, growing angrier the more she thought about it. Holding back only fueled her rage, and stepping back just made her fume even more.
"Wait, Master, calm down."
Lanqi raised a hand in a timeout gesture.
If he accidentally read out Talia's weight, she would scold him again.
"You! You jerk!"
Talia was rapidly turning red with fury.
"Master, exercise restraint. Where is your dignity? Where is your maturity?"
Lanqi gestured for Talia not to act rashly, already backing away.
"I'll capture you first and talk later... I've put up with you for an entire Shadow World, and now I'm venting it all!"
Talia pressed forward step by step, chasing Lanqi down to arrest him.
"Boss Cat, help!"
The two chased each other in circles around the cat, stirring up gusts of wind that left Boss Cat at a total loss, terrified of getting caught in the crossfire.
"You two, stop messing around, meow!"
Boss Cat realized that every time Lanqi's mood dipped even slightly, Tata could always lift his spirits in no time.
Even if the process didn't quite go as intended, they had probably become each other's source of joy.
A few seconds later.
Talia finally pinned Lanqi to the ground as she wished, sitting smugly on his stomach and looking down at him.
"Hmph, that's six captures now. I can draw a full five-stroke tally plus an extra mark on you."
Talia playfully read off her battle record to Lanqi.
"Master, are you a bratty little girl?!" Lanqi asked in shock.
After acting as Lanfu in the Shadow World, Talia's speech had taken on a bit of Lanfu's flavor. It was a classic case of playing too many roles and ending up mentally scrambled, having not yet broken character.
"I'm warning you: if you dare recite any numbers related to my weight in your head, I'll truly write on your face and leave you with some humiliating memories."
Talia leaned down slightly, staring into Lanqi's eyes from above, her tone gentle yet threatening.
"..."
Lanqi kept silent and shook his head.
He found that restraining himself from blurting out that number was sheer torture.
Only then did Talia let Lanqi go and stand up.
Holding Caliera's letter, Lanqi sat on the ground and examined it once more.
"Is there something more to that letter?"
Talia had also sensed Caliera's mana on it earlier.
"It's probably like the material Caliera's Shadow-Weaving Record from last time—it preserves some of Caliera's memories," Lanqi murmured, lowering his eyes.
If triggered with Talia's spell Overflowing Land of Gentle Slumber, which shared the same magical origin as Caliera's power, it might just evoke an illusion carrying Caliera's recollections.
"Let me try."
Hearing this, Talia immediately crouched down to touch the letter.
"Tata, don't use it now. Caliera's mana is full of unknowns," Lanqi told her.
They needed to return to the real Creti Empire as soon as possible.
If they watched the moving images left within Caliera's letter right here, they might fall into a long slumber in this threshold space.
Just like the end of their card-crafting session in Palieu, the City of Flowers, when they used Caliera's Shadow-Weaving Record.
Both of them had fallen into dreams due to Caliera's Tier 9 mana, unable to wake for a very long time.
"..."
Talia hesitated for a moment. Although she was deeply curious about Caliera's memories, now was indeed not the time to experience that dream.
Moreover, she wanted to watch it earnestly, without any distractions.
"Once our business in the Creti Empire is finished, we can watch it together when we return to Palieu, the City of Flowers, or to the Boss Cat Restaurant in Ikerite," Lanqi suggested, extending an invitation.
"Then we'll watch it together after we go back. It's a promise."
Talia thought it over, hesitated briefly, and then extended her pinky toward Lanqi just as Tamisha had.
It gave off the feeling of a private cinema screening.
Watching it with Lanqi wouldn't be bad.
As weekend recreation went, it sounded like a fine plan.
"No problem."
Lanqi hooked pinkies with her.
"Let's go. Time to go home."
Lanqi released Talia's fingertip and spoke to her.
"We still have to heal Miss Iphatia, after all."
He raised both hands in a long, vigorous stretch, as if waking up refreshed and ready to embrace a brand-new day, before walking toward the void gate.
He was already prepared to match wits and courage against the Sixth War God, Violet of the Aquamarine, at Saint Creti Monastery.
Only by doing so could he obtain Violet's Wolf Witch blood and unravel the Blood King Divine Fire bound to Iphatia, giving them an additional quasi-cardinal-grade Great Demon combatant for the assault on Blood Moon City.
Furthermore, as the High Priestess of the Empire's Moon Temple, Violet had access to the imperial palace for various royal affairs; they might even be able to learn something from her regarding the current situation of Third Princess Alexia.
"Thank you..."
Talia's gratitude toward Lanqi for helping her realize so many wishes was beyond words.
Even though she couldn't rush it and rushing wouldn't help anyway, she could hardly wait to heal her younger sister and bring her home to live together.
Then the two sisters wouldn't have to chat through communication magic every day; she could take care of her sister in person and cook for her.
Lanqi had plenty of spare rooms in that large residence at Saint Creti Monastery. Giving Iphatia a guest room on the first floor wouldn't be an issue at all.
"It's nothing. As long as you all live safely and healthily, that matters more than anything."
Lanqi had no real objection to having Iphatia stay over.
His home was now basically a Creti Empire branch of the Boss Cat Restaurant, essentially serving as an apartment dormitory. In the future, the two best places to serve as strongholds would be the second floor of Abigail's Brillda Opera House and his residence as Professor Landry at Saint Creti Monastery.
Still, Lanqi was determined to make Iphatia change how she addressed him; having her call him 'brother' every day was truly a bit too much to bear.
After a brief chat in the threshold space, the one human, one demon, and one cat arrived before the void gate leading back to the mortal realm.
"Lanqi, thank you."
This time, Talia lifted her head and thanked him earnestly, expressing her feelings from the bottom of her heart.
If she could live with her sister every day, life here in Brillda wouldn't fall short of life in Ikerite in the slightest.
Since coming to the Creti Empire, aside from occasional thrilling moments, she had mostly been living everyday life in peace. With Lanqi working outside, she had been quite comfortable.
"What's with the formality between us? There's no need to be polite,"
Lanqi grinned at Talia.
"It's time to begin the second half of our journey in the Creti Empire."
Talking and laughing, they walked forward, bidding a final farewell to this long journey into an era ten thousand years past.
No matter what—
Life at Saint Creti Monastery in Brillda was about to begin anew!
Chapter 804