Hill felt that there might originally have been an existence that Styx found useful but did not quite trust.
This is quite normal.
Toril has many of those kinds of characters, who have a bit of a bottom line and are unwilling to commit heinous acts in other worlds, but themselves have possibly cooperated with devils and dealt with demons.
Although All Gods would also cooperate with such characters, entities like Styx would likely be more stringent in their judgnt.
In desperate situations, they might throw a seductive glance, but if there’s another opportunity, they definitely won’t choose to cooperate with them.
Such people, although seemingly special, are actually quite common in Toril... Even figures like the Deepwater City’s Mad Mage don’t have much of a reputation among these people.
Not to ntion Aber’s natives, so strong ones among them are quite willing to wander across the Multiverse.
So people particularly enjoy following the footsteps of Star Spirits... So, while the Toril-Aber Universe has never been particularly bustling, it actually has ties, even indirectly controlling quite a few new worlds.
Mages are just unwilling to benefit the All Gods... Everyone knows the story of how the Mulholland Pantheon reached Toril and how they obliterated a once incredibly powerful Mage Empire. It’s clear that a purely mage governance could not control ordinary people whose hearts lean towards deities... because no one can ensure all their subjects can beco mages.
Without a fair foundation, mortals naturally grow a longing for future offerings.
Even if mages can control such a world for a millennium, a deity born from mortal longings will inevitably appear... Whether or not this newly arisen deity is part of this world’s existence, they will swiftly establish divine presence in human hearts.
Desires cannot be suppressed.
Unless these humans... as per the devil’s thods... are transford into half-puppet beings with altered souls, what’s the point for a mage who possesses these abilities to go through such trendous efforts?
Couldn’t they just make their own puppets?
Which would be simpler than managing a group of semi-humans... At least there’s no need to consider their daily lives, food, drink, and hygiene.
Thus, mages are never willing to completely control those worlds, opting instead to covertly seize so resources.
Hill frowned and thought for a while, unable to co up with anything significant.
A silhouette suddenly flashed swiftly through his mind... Then he quickly shook his head in denial: That utterly neutral character would choose to stay away upon seeing this world, how could they possibly co here seeking trouble?
Despite his deep affection for Teraxil, Draculus is quite unwilling to bear responsibility.
Unlike Hill, who was directly thrown into this world and couldn’t escape so chose to take the risk.
If Draculus really sensed that there’s sothing off in the universe near Teraxil, he’d only inform William and then swiftly depart, seeking worlds closer to his liking.
He probably prefers places like Toril: Absolutely neutral kinds of existence, extrely rare in Teraxil, are abundant in Toril.
While Hill wouldn’t deny Draculus’s love for Teraxil, he believes that once Draculus knows who’s standing behind the Goddess of the Earth in Teraxil, that neutral Archmage definitely wouldn’t waste his ti and energy in a fruitless world playing deceptive gas.
Moreover, it’s quite dangerous.
Hill could perceive danger, Draculus could only see more clearly.
So, even when considering that Mage Guild Leader who hides powers trendously well... whether it’s the God of Nobility on the human side, or the Elven God King on the elven side, including Rose’s Larong Demon can’t see through his realities... Hill still chose to shake his head in denial.
What kind of setback would force a stubborn old turtle, persisting for tens of thousands of years, to suddenly beco a Justice ssenger!
Could it be a righteous kiss by millions of undead tribes pinning him down?
The thought alone is impossible.
Hill still thinks it’s like so old silver coin from a world similar to Toril ca in; his main purpose may not be to aid this world, perhaps it’s due to so discord with the devil, so he ca to try and stir things up.
The interactions between devils and archmages, it’s basically a source of humorous anecdotes in every world, so their sudden surprise for each other in an unexpected world seems quite normal.
But he may also want to appreciate the collapse mont of this world.
Especially those who can’t find their direction forward and are always seeking so enlightennt in the universe, they love observing the birth and destruction of a world.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t follow the footsteps of Star Spirits.
Besides, the destruction of a world, whether it completely collapses or is dragged into hell or the abyss, leaves behind many precious resources in its place.
This is rarer than a half-plane, and taking them causes no after-effects... except maybe discontent from the devil.
Generally, archmages daring to do this wouldn’t care.
Hill pondered for a while, still decided not to seek traces of that person.
After all, their objectives would likely clash.
-----------------
Russell quietly slipped into the underground passage.
Carpenter stood at the entrance on the lower level, her expression sowhat anxious: She really didn’t want Russell to be the one taking risks, since Felis is her own relative, even if she needs to care for him or send resources for recovery, it should be her responsibility after all.
Yet Russell couldn’t let her, still an apprentice, venture into danger.
So protective arrays within the underground passage would only protect him as the Magic Array Controller... And even if Russell agreed to let Carpenter beco a lower-level controller, she hasn’t qualified as a mage yet.
The little girl clenched her right hand into a fist, complicated expressions biting her slender index finger: Though she has been diligently studying, Reading and practicing daily magical exercises and ditations, she does indeed lack that pressing urgency destiny used to chase behind her.
Russell’s existence, Master Gilbert’s shelter, have both given her breathing space... But at this mont, Carpenter finally understood, on the path of a mage, there’s no way forward without continuous progress, no temporary rest.
Russell was always eager for her advancent, yet too wary to rush her excessively, fearing the instability it might cause, not exactly comforting her.
Carpenter gazed steadily ahead: She definitely needs to complete these assignnts thoroughly within a month.
She can actually do it, being a bit tired and suffering a bit is better than watching her brother taking risks, while she doesn’t even have the qualification to follow him.
-----------------
Within the underground passage, Russell seed to sense sothing, he couldn’t help but look up.
Carpenter might be stimulated?
Russell cocked his head slightly, pondering his little sister’s spiritual power wave exposed outwardly, and the already stable mana output during her spell casting, confirming Carpenter could undergo a mad learning phase without undesirable consequences, involuntarily shook his head and smiled.
Due to past experiences, Carpenter lacked confidence in her talents, often discounting her assessnts of her own limits.
It’s beneficial for her to have an all-out effort once, as she would understand the actual extent she could achieve thereafter.
No matter how many tis others praised her talents, including Russell who’s fond of complinting her, it wouldn’t move her deeply.
"Felis, are you still alive?" After managing to find the secret chamber Russell gently knocked on the door’s hidden markings... Amid seemingly chaotic patterns, a wave suddenly lit up, transmitting his words inside, "May I co in?"
"I don’t need to open the door, right?" After a few minutes of silence, Felis’s hoarse voice faintly erged.
"Honestly, you don’t seem well..." Russell touched the wave pattern, slid his index finger down, counting silently from one to five, then quickly drew a circle with his finger.
The door, previously almost rging with the surrounding wall, rely adorned with ssy patterns... but every certain distance in the underground passage these patterns appear, camouflage real array locations... the door slid abruptly into the side wall.
Russell gingerly walked in.
The door silently slipped back to its original position behind him.
Russell standing by the door was genuinely a bit surprised: "What happened to you?"
Inside the deepest part of the secret chamber, Felis was encased within solid ice, with only his head exposed.
"How did you manage this?"
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