Chapter 32 – Deities

“What exactly is the Common Language of the Continent?”

“What we’re speaking now is the human language—the Common Language of the Continent was a universal language used among all races before the Dark Age.”

“Then why… did the old man say that without it, one can’t learn true magic?”

“It’s said,” Duan Yu’s expression was indifferent, “that it’s a language created by the gods.”

“Alright…” Hearing the word “god,” Lin Wei couldn’t help but look up at the massive, pristine statue of the goddess wearing a crown and holding a scepter. “Do you think gods truly existed?”

If the benevolent, gentle, and majestic Goddess of Light, Astherea, as depicted in this grand statue, truly possessed so-called “divine power” or still protected humanity, then during the fall of the Floating Sky Capital in his previous life, the outbreak of war—or even during the chaotic Dark Age a thousand years ago—she should have appeared long ago, right?

Moreover, even in the meticulously detailed magical texts, the descriptions of the pantheon were extremely chaotic. Each element had its own deity, and some even had more than one—that was one thing. Additionally, each race had its corresponding guardian deity, such as the God of Dwarves, the God of Elves, and beyond that, there were even more formidable deities like the Creator God, the God of the Undead, the God of Time, and so on. In short, the number of deities was vast, and their categories were not few, yet there was no strict hierarchy among them.

This complex and disorderly system lacked any coherent rules. Lin Wei had pondered this many times before and believed there was only one explanation that made sense.

At the same time, he wanted to know what Duan Yu thought about the existence of “gods”—this man didn’t seem like a devout believer either.

“I used to think it was just a story,” Duan Yu said, “but my perspective changed, especially after seeing our teacher.”

“Oh?”

“There are realms beyond the Archmage. Gods might be one of them.”

Lin Wei stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms as he scrutinized Duan Yu.

His sudden halt naturally caught Duan Yu’s attention, and he also stopped, turning toward Lin Wei. “What is it?”

“Nothing…” Lin Wei grinned. “It’s almost exactly what I thought!”

—If, in the distant past, during the era when myths and legends were born, there truly existed mages whose power transcended the limits of ordinary understanding, revered as “gods,” then everything could be explained. Mages of a particular element became the deities who controlled that element. Since various races with magical talents existed on the continent, they were also revered as the guardian deities of their respective races.

As for deities like the Creator God, they were likely nothing more than ethereal fantasies—humans have always sought to understand the origins of the land they inhabit, but no one could provide a universally convincing explanation for its true beginning, so it was only natural to attribute it to an omnipotent deity.

Duan Yu’s statement made this conjecture even more credible. If the realm of the Archmage was not the ultimate limit, then so-called “deities” were likely mages who had reached an unimaginable level of power!

“By the way, speaking of the old man,” Lin Wei asked curiously, “what did he talk to you about today?”

This gray-robed old man… although he was his teacher, and the stronger he was, the better, Lin Wei privately hoped that this man, whose age was unknown, didn’t possess divine-level power. Just imagine, if the statue standing in the center of the Main City were replaced with the old man’s likeness, it would no longer be the beautiful goddess guarding the Floating Sky Capital—it would look more like a grumpy old village chief overseeing a small hamlet!

However, today’s events once again proved that the old man was definitely no ordinary mage.

Just thinking about the dark gray badge now stored in his spatial ring made Lin Wei feel a bit complicated.

This happened after the old man once again declared that he was going to enjoy a good sleep and would continue teaching his students tomorrow.

Lin Wei helped the old man lie down on the soft chair. “Dear teacher, before you close your eyes, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

The old man’s response was brief: “Speak.”

“It’s like this—I wasn’t born in the Magic World, and in the Empire where I come from, there are some matters I’d like to discuss with the Magic Association. However, the mages guarding the entrance to the Association wouldn’t let me in…”

The old man’s eyes were half-closed, seemingly drowsy, but upon hearing this, he perked up a bit. “You want to enter the Magic Association?”

“Exactly. I thought you might know a way to meet the President or the Elders.”

—The old man had lived for so many years and possessed unfathomable power. Although he stayed in this dilapidated little shop every day, the shop was filled with countless treasures—he must surely be a figure of some influence in the Floating Sky Capital.

The old man let out a cold “hmph” from his nose, and his right hand fumbled in the pocket of his robe, pulling out a heavy, dark gray rhombus-shaped badge. “Take this.”

Lin Wei took the badge. It wasn’t large, but it felt cold to the touch, its gray hue deep, resembling stone that had been buried in the mountains for many years—it could only be stone, as it bore no noteworthy patterns or designs.

The old man continued slowly, “Show this to them… With this in hand, not only will you be able to meet Arkadus, but even if you demand crystals from him, the guy will give them to you without hesitation—the old man’s face still carries some weight.”

Arkadus—the current leader of the Magic World, President of the Association, Water Archmage. Beyond these titles, there was also a rumor circulating in the Magic World: this Leader was an out-and-out miser! Originally, the management of the Trade House was quite lax, but after he took charge of the Magic Association, it became strictly regulated—the Association made a fortune from it!

It was also said that the respectable Mr. Arkadus, who only ever wore one set of magic robes, had almost no expenses except for purchasing materials for his alchemist wife. Even more exaggerated was the claim that when the Leader suffered from insomnia, a stroll through the crystal vault beneath the Trade House would immediately dispel all his worries…

The old man’s tone was very confident when he said this. To make a miser part with his crystals, it was clear that this badge carried significant weight.

This seemed to imply that holding this badge was like holding the Tidis family badge on the continent—one could practically swagger through the Magic World. So, this mysterious old man truly had a formidable background…

After saying all this, the old man seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep at any moment. He waved his hand, indicating that the two could leave and return another day.

He didn’t intend to teach his students every day, only saying that Lin Wei should come back after finishing the Book of Contracts—which would likely be the next time Lin Wei came to the Floating Sky Capital.

Lin Wei and Duan Yu bid farewell to the old man and walked back to the inn. There was nothing urgent to attend to in the morning, and their plan for the afternoon was to head to the training grounds with Haitie for practice. If nothing unexpected happened, most of their time in the Floating Sky Capital would be spent in the training grounds.

For elemental mages born for combat, strength was the most important thing. They often ventured into dangerous places like the depths of the Central Forest and the Valley of Ice, and the training grounds, affiliated with the Magic Association, were specifically designed to hone their combat awareness and skills.

The factors determining an elemental mage’s offensive power roughly included their ability to communicate and sense elements, the degree of their spiritual control, and the speed and accuracy of their incantations. Innate talent played a part, and a teacher’s guidance could also have a significant impact. Another way to enhance one’s power was to accumulate experience through sparring and real combat.

After a brief pause on the street, the two continued forward at a leisurely pace, their casual conversation making the walk feel relaxed and pleasant.

Their figures passed through winding streets and alleys, then through the shadows cast by the sunlight on the goddess statue, before finally disappearing into the emerald-green canopy of the inn.

A gaze followed them, only retracting its focus now.

On the intricate crown of the goddess, in a place difficult to notice, stood a young mage in a blue robe. He hummed a slow, rhythmic tune, like an ancient ballad.

He watched as the two youths returned to the inn before turning toward another direction—directly facing the old man’s small shop. The smile in his eyes gradually faded. This man had an ordinary appearance, with slender brows and light silver pupils, his expression somewhat bland when he wasn’t smiling.

He seemed to sigh, stopping his slow humming as he looked at the old, black wooden door, muttering to himself, “My old friend…”