Chapter 286: Rhodes is Still Alive?!
She looked at Flamme's retreating back, then at Carlo, who was excitedly and carefully guarding the magic books in his arms.
Intuition told her there was an interesting secret between these two.
"Excuse me... Mr. Carlo, right?" Ariel spoke up actively, stopping Carlo as he was about to leave.
Carlo turned around in confusion, looking at the unfamiliar blue-haired female mage. "I am Carlo. May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Ariel. I am a new Second-Class Mage." Ariel revealed a friendly smile. "I accidentally overheard your conversation with Lady Flamme just now. It seems you two are conducting some very interesting research?"
Carlo instantly became vigilant. He hugged the books tighter and shook his head. "It is nothing. Just some personal interests."
It involved Lord Rhodes's discarded draft and magic concerning extending human life. He was on the verge of completion; he dared not reveal it to outsiders casually.
Ariel wasn't discouraged. Her sharp gaze swept over the titles of the top few books in Carlo's arms. They were all related to Life Magic.
Her heart moved, and she probed half-jokingly, "The field Mr. Carlo is researching seems related to Life Magic? Is it the healing direction of human Holy Magic? Do you want to develop new Holy Magic?"
Carlo pursed his lips, neither admitting nor denying it, but the flicker in his eyes was precisely captured by Ariel.
"It seems not." Ariel smiled. Her gaze landed on a rather taboo grimoire about how to manipulate the life force within a human body.
A bold idea—one she had seen countless times in her long life as a demon—surfaced in her mind.
She feigned casualness, speaking in a slightly teasing tone. "Mr. Carlo couldn't be... like those mages in history, researching how to extend human lifespan? Trying to break the limits of mortality?"
"How did you kn—"
Carlo blurted it out almost instantly. Realizing his slip of the tongue, he slammed his hand over his mouth, panic written all over his face.
However, his reaction had thoroughly confirmed Ariel's guess!
The smile on Ariel's face froze instantly.
She had only said it casually; she hadn't expected to be right.
Human pursuit of immortality truly was an immutable desire across the ages.
She even felt a trace of pity and contempt rising in her heart. Another pathetic fool overestimating himself, delusionally attempting to challenge the laws of life.
Ariel sighed softly. Although demons didn't possess so-called human emotions, she was different.
Ariel considered herself quite adept at understanding many human feelings. Now, seeing another pitiful insect reaching beyond its grasp, she felt she ought to dissuade him.
"Mr. Carlo, forgive my bluntness, but from ancient times to the present, no human has ever succeeded on this path."
"The length of life is set by the laws of the world. Forcibly changing it often comes at an unimaginable price, and in the end, only failure awaits."
"I have seen too many examples of failure."
She intended to admonish this naive human mage with the stance of a "senior."
However, Carlo's reaction completely exceeded her expectations.
As if insulted, Carlo suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with unyielding stubbornness. "What do you know! My research is not aimless! I am deducing based on Lord Rhodes's draft!"
"Lord Rhodes?" Ariel was stunned.
"That's right! The great God-slayer, Lord Rhodes!" Carlo's tone carried immense reverence. "With Lord Rhodes's brilliance and understanding of the essence of magic, he must have touched this domain and found a feasible method."
"My research follows the footprints he left behind."
"I believe Lord Rhodes must have invented a magic capable of transferring life force through specific means to achieve the extension of human life."
Carlo's words struck Ariel's mind like bolts of lightning.
Rhodes... researched immortality magic?!
Not simple healing, but transferring life force to extend one's own lifespan?!
The blood drained from Ariel's face instantly.
All her previous relaxation and pity vanished in this moment, replaced by bone-chilling coldness and fear.
If—if what Carlo said was true, if that Rhodes really mastered some kind of immortality magic, then wouldn't it be entirely possible for him to live for a thousand years, existing from the Mythical Era until now?
No wonder! No wonder!
If that were really the case...
Then Shurahat and Grausam weren't killed by Serie, but by the God-slayer Rhodes?!
And the reason Macht went into hiding was also because of him?
Thinking of this, Solitär clenched her fists in secret.
That bastard Macht!
He had countless opportunities to tell her about the God-slayer Rhodes still being alive, but he said nothing.
She had even heard about the deaths of Shurahat and Grausam from other demons.
She had been wondering how Shurahat, with his future-sight magic, could possibly be killed by Serie.
But if the opponent was Rhodes, it wasn't strange at all.
Suddenly, she remembered the man with black hair and black eyes. He looked ordinary yet unfathomable, and he shared the same name as the God-slayer.
Could it be?
That guy is the real deal?!
The original God-slayer who once slew gods, stood shoulder to shoulder with the Elven Saint Serie, and was sung of in countless legends?!
And she had been wandering right under his nose? Running into his base camp to take a magic exam? Even researching the magic he created?
"No... impossible... how is this possible!!!"
Solitär's voice trembled uncontrollably. Her legs went weak, and she could barely stand.
The thought that she had once faced that terrifying existence directly made cold sweat pour down her back.
From birth until now, she had kept her Disguise Magic active at all times, constantly cautious. But she truly never expected to have met the guy legendary for slaughtering countless demons and monsters!
Solitär suddenly regretted taking the exam and entering this Magic Association.
Because by doing so, she had left a record. Once that God-slayer saw her record and remembered the person he had met once...
My brain is trembling!!!
"Doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed!"
Solitär screamed internally. She could no longer care about magical research or human knowledge. She had only one thought now—RUN!
Stay away from this terrible place! Stay as far away from that God-slayer as possible!
Ignoring the confused Carlo, she spun around violently and practically scrambled toward the exit.
Her panicked, retreating figure looked as if the most terrifying existence imaginable were chasing her.
Leaving only Carlo standing there, staring blankly at the Second-Class Mage who had been talking eloquently just moments ago, now fleeing wretchedly as if she had seen a ghost.
"Strange fellow." Carlo pushed up his glasses, muttered a complaint, shook his head, and walked toward his own laboratory, hugging his magic books.
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