A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 553 The Real Possibility of Deicide - II

The exploration of the Zero Realm Enigma was the fundamental pursuit of adventurers, and the series of exploration rules associated with it had evolved over hundreds of years. From the current perspective, they were quite reasonable.

The young Hydral had no intention of trampling on these rules. In his eyes, doing so for some compelling reason might be understandable, but if it was purely out of a passion for breaking the rules, anyone deriving pleasure from it would be a more dangerous villain than he could ever be.

Yet… this exploration permit reminded Ansel of other matters.

"If Marlina knew that Nerilia had already surpassed her in many ways... she would be both angry and heartbroken."

Ansel's agreement to Marlina's request did not mean he would favor her.

After all, a secretary was just a job. Because Marlina had the capability to excel in it and had shown an admirable ambition, Ansel did not mind giving her the position.

But did this mean Ansel would forcibly order Nerilia or other members of Shadewell to hand over their duties to Marlina?

Of course not. Ultimately, Ansel of Hydral only cared about who could perform the tasks better.

Such unconditional favoritism was reserved for the very few, a gentle partiality devoid of interest and judgment.

Thinking about the conversation between Marlina and Nerilia, Ansel couldn't help but chuckle as he stood before the rift. Shaking his head, he stepped into the void fissure.

Who knows how Marlina will fare by the time I return?

And if Seri knew how I treated her sister, she would certainly be angry enough to bite me.

With these thoughts in mind, as he opened his eyes again, he found himself plummeting from the sky.

Amidst the howling wind, there were also various cries of terror.

"Damn it, this gate's opening is truly impressive! Where's the floating scroll, the floating scroll! And the water prison scroll!"

The adventurers' panicked shouts were not without reason, for below them… stretched an expanse of endless, roiling lava.

"Shoooot! The etheric flux rate here is far more chaotic than predicted! The scrolls' duration is too short!"

Some were cursing, some were screaming in panic, while others, without a second thought, dove straight into the lava.

Experience more on empire

"About 2500 degrees Celsius!"

One of the earlier entrants who had jumped into the lava shouted upwards, "Most of us specialize in the fire essence, right? Just jump in!"

Ansel, having already descended upon the lava after a few flashes, stood upon it and gazed thoughtfully at the distant volcano that seemed to perpetually spew lava.

"The fire essence here... is unnaturally active."

The young Hydral narrowed his eyes slightly. The overly vigorous and active fire essences—[Burning], [High Temperature], [Flame], and so on—did not match the original appearance of this enigma, according to his perception.

Something had catalyzed the fire essence here, and it seemed that Evora had indeed visited this place.

Ansel would not personally venture into just any labyrinth gate. With current enigma detection methods, while it might not be possible to fully understand the world on the other side of a stable gate, determining the dominant essence was not an issue.

The adventurers entering this gate had evidently been selected for their proficiency in the fire essence.

As Ansel pondered how to trace Evora's whereabouts, a bald man swam over to his feet, flailing his arms.

"To control spells freely in such a chaotic etheric flux rate... impressive, my friend." He waved enthusiastically at Ansel. "It's been a long time since I've seen a sorcerer of your caliber."

Why do warriors, a type of extraordinary being, even exist?

Sorcerers analyze the extraordinary and seek the truth, transforming extraordinary power into infinite utility. Most things warriors can do, sorcerers can also achieve, and what sorcerers cannot do, warriors typically cannot either.

So… is there a need for these extraordinary beings who cannot extend ether as part of themselves to manipulate the world, but can only "take care of themselves"?

The answer lies here, within the Zero Realm Enigma.

The infinite labyrinths harbor boundless worlds. While each world surely contains ether, and the labyrinths themselves are saturated with ether, the way ether flows and its oscillation frequency cannot be the same as the prime plane.

Sorcerers' spellcasting abilities are unfathomably weakened within the Zero Realm Enigma. Even alchemical tools, special devices, and spell scrolls are affected. Only warriors, who fortify their bodies and build their inner strength through extraordinary means, remain largely unaffected.

They are the mainstream of the adventurer community, except that, well… They mainly serve as elite enforcers.

Additionally, though not entirely brainless, compared to the talent and aptitude required of a sorcerer, a warrior indeed requires less intellectual effort.

Ansel ignored the bald man, but that did not stop him from continuing his incessant chatter: "I am Riley from City of Dragon Slayer, a fourth-stage Scepter. This temperature is nothing; I could swim to the bottom without any issues, but it's too exhausting to swim continually. In a world so rich in fire elements, there must be..."

His clamor, combined with Ansel's solitary figure floating above the lava, quickly drew the attention of other adventurers. Gradually, more and more people swam over, converging towards Ansel.

A sorcerer who could maintain normal spellcasting in such chaotic etheric flux was a prized asset among adventurers. Who wouldn't want a versatile teammate?

"Hey, hey friend! Give me a hand, pull me up! I can hold out, but my clothes can't, and I have no desire to swim naked in lava!"

"Just make some stones to stand on!"

The gathering adventurers shouted, and some noticed that no one could engage Ansel in conversation. This indicated that the sorcerer was likely a lone wolf.

A lone wolf sorcerer who could cast spells in such chaotic etheric conditions! If they could recruit him, it might be more valuable than anything they could find on this expedition.

Realizing this, some adventurers became even more fervent.

"Hey, handsome, handsome! Let's be friends! You know the Great Puppeteer Ovelika, right?

She's my..."

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