White gravel piles up between the black reefs. Day after day, the waves push them up, and the wind carries them away, leaving only a thin layer behind, like fine snow falling on the top of a mountain in early winter, and people stepping on it will leave traces no matter what.

But the mage had no intention of hiding his whereabouts in the first place. He walked among the reefs as if he were walking on the stone-paved streets of the city of Neo. No one could see the uneasiness in him—the inability to cast spells made him feel even more vulnerable than he was as a child who knew nothing about the world.

However, along the way, except for the wind that blew across his cheeks like a knife, nothing stopped him, until he was about to reach his destination, when a dark shadow floated out from between the reefs.

The mage stopped, and beneath the black cloak, found his familiar face.

"Lord Stobel...... What a surprise. The visitor saluted him, behaved respectfully, and looked calm, only a slightly tense voice revealed a hint of nervousness: "Why did you come to this deserted place?"

Stobel couldn't remember his name - there were so many mages coming and going in the archmage tower, and it was already very rare for this middle-aged man with a pale face and slightly high cheekbones to make a slight impression on him.

"I've heard some disturbing rumors on Rainbow Bend Island. "Say that the Gate of the Winds has become a lair for the Black Sail Pirates." ”

“...... How is that possible!" The other party showed a fair amount of surprise and annoyance, "I have been ordered by the master to guard this place, and in the past five years, you are the only person I have ever seen, except for the disciples who have sent me supplies. ”

"Really?" asked Stormbell casually, unable to hide the sarcasm—did he look so stupid?

"I don't really see any pirates. "But since you're already here," he said nonchalantly, "but since you're already here...... How about taking me to see the crack?"

The middle-aged man closed his lips tightly in the sudden anger, and a hint of fierceness flashed in his eyes.

He should not hesitate to agree. He had long known that Stobel would not be so easy to pass, and as long as it took a little time, someone would naturally clean up all the traces......

But perhaps after staying here for too long, he was no longer as patient as he was when he was in the Archmage Tower. He had his own men, in such a no-man's land, dealing with a mage who couldn't cast spells, and when the matter was over, he threw the corpse into the sea...... On the sly.

What if he was a disciple of the Stone Shaper? The Great Stone Shaper was already a dead man after all.

The hands hidden under the long sleeves were clenched and loosened, and the cautious nature overpowered the contemptuous anger - Stobel was not a fool, and he dared to come here alone, and he must have something to rely on.

Stopbell stood there, seemingly oblivious to the changing expression on the other man's face, and unaware of any danger. The wind here was a strange sound, the dreary air had a weight that even a gust of wind could not blow, and some invisible force pressed against it from all directions, and it seemed that it was difficult for the heart to beat and breathe.

He counted the time in silence—it wouldn't be long, as Ed said.

"If you ......," the middle-aged man said thoughtfully, his tone more respectful...... But he didn't finish his sentence.

For a moment, the sound of the wind stopped, time seemed to stand still, and even the sun that was about to disappear seemed to be frozen. As the air began to flow again, Stormel's staff tapped the ground, and the force of the sudden explosion bounced away the mages who stood in front of him, who had not yet come to their senses, and the enemies hiding behind the reef.

Stormbell breathed a long sigh of relief, and was sure once again that no matter what, he couldn't be an enemy of Ed Singh.

.

Things weren't as easy as the mage thought.

When Ed suddenly appeared, only a young mage on the rudimentary stone platform cursed in a low voice, kicking away the piles of rubble—the mages had hastily taken all the tools with them, but they hadn't had time to erase the traces of the ground.

He stared at Ed in shock, but Ed was distracted, and the only thing in his eyes was the slender crack in the fading light of the setting sun.

It is not the same as the Island of the Holy Sepulchre and the Branti Library, which have been carved out of the gap in the basement of Isza. It was not like a deep, bottomless eye, but more like a crack in a rock, just the same black—the black that no light could illuminate.

Ed's palms were already slightly drenched with sweat, and the ruby red of the dragon's blood was so red that the color almost seeped into his skin, making him tremble slightly, feeling indescribable fear and excitement.

His dragon language was a bit stiff, but he was able to pronounce syllables that were difficult for humans to grasp without difficulty. He was so engrossed that he had no time to ...... He couldn't pay attention to the sharp blade that stabbed him in the back of the head.

He listened to the soft sound of the blade as it flicked off, but he didn't move. Gischel's slender figure was as fast as a shadow, firmly behind him, blocking all attacks for a short time.

It wasn't for nothing that Bertram, with Terry's wistful eyes, asked the half-elven warrior who always had a stinky face to protect them.

The moment he finished the spell, Ed turned back to face his enemy, not looking at the vanishing rift in the last rays of the setting sun. He could feel the chaotic air like a bird that had lost its direction, dazed and frozen for a moment. But soon, everything was back to normal.

With the exception of the one who fell at his feet, the other mages were all hiding in the distance, unaware of the anomaly...... Or even if you perceive it, it's hard to believe. The melee fighters had the silence and agility that Ed was familiar with.

Spiders...... He thought. Stretched out his hands forward, huge cobwebs wrapped all his enemies tightly, and the filaments that stretched out were as flexible as tentacles, quickly dragging the mages in the distance closer.

In this "can't cast spells", no one has any defenses against magic.

The eyes of the over-shocked mages widened, but Ed's surprise was Terry's incredible power - in this place where the power of chaotic magic was hidden in the wind, even the most advanced invisibility could be easily torn apart, but Terry was able to solve the problem with a bottle of potion.

It wasn't even an invisibility potion - Ed had noticed that he hadn't left a footprint in the sand...... This is not something he can do on his own.

He felt that he didn't seem to be in this world during that time...... It's hard to describe.

He couldn't wait to ask Terry what kind of spell this was, but he vaguely knew that the answer he could get was probably only "can't say".

“...... Have you had enough of your daze?" Gischelle held out his hand impatiently and shook it in front of his eyes.

Ed blinked, a big smile at her. He didn't know if it was his delusion...... After this brief but successful collaboration, the spikes on the half-elf's body seemed to have been put away a bit.

It's always nice to meet new people.

.