Fire Mage-Chapter 647: Unexpected Discovery

Chapter 647: Unexpected Discovery

Charles’s thoughts grew heavier as he reached a dilapidated part of the city, a slum tucked into its farthest edges. There, he searched with purpose.

He needed someone to replace.

And then he found him.

Inside a tiny house made of worn red bricks and a roof thatched with conical palm leaves, an orphaned youth lay asleep on a stone slab. The young man, perhaps 6.5 feet tall, rested peacefully in the dim light.

Perfect.

With a flicker, Charles vanished and reappeared inside the room. He unsheathed his long sword in silence.

But before he could act, Grace pulsed.

A blade of energy shot out like lightning. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The youth’s head flew from his shoulders before Charles could blink. Bluish-green blood sprayed across the slab and onto the floor.

"Why did you kill him?" Charles grumbled, stepping back. "I could’ve tried the ’Burning Thoughts’ spell—maybe erased his memory."

Grace ignored him. A faint gleam passed through the sword as it absorbed a droplet of blood.

Then, a strange monotone echoed in his mind—in the Runal Language.

’Horrible.’

Charles raised a brow. "Oh? You can talk now? I thought you were mu—"

A jolt of pain exploded at his neck, cutting him off.

"Argh—" He clenched his jaw. Blood trickled down his collarbone.

Damn it. This sword is dangerous.

He conjured a soft blue flame and pressed it to the wound, sealing it shut.

Once the pain dulled, Charles sheathed Grace and turned toward the corpse. No turning back now.

He collected a drop of the youth’s blood and let it fall onto his right palm.

The moment the blood made contact, his body began to shift.

His deep-blue hair lightened, then deepened into a luminous emerald green. His muscles stretched, bones lengthened, and he grew taller until he matched the boy’s height—6.5 feet.

His face narrowed into a sharp triangular shape, his brow broad and pronounced.

Then it happened.

A gap opened between his brows. Skin split. A third eyelid formed—followed by the emergence of a bluish eye that pulsed with arcane light.

Charles stared, stunned.

The eye shimmered with secrets, its gaze sweeping the world with eerie precision.

As his transformation settled, Charles took a tentative step. The world around him appeared... different.

His vision stretched unnaturally wide, letting him see the ceiling without tilting his head. Every detail was clearer, sharper.

But the third eye showed it all in black and white.

He frowned.

Why?

His normal sight retained color, but the third eye stripped it away. A strange dissonance filled his mind.

Is this a racial trait? Ten times the range... and monochrome vision?

The realization only deepened his curiosity.

He had successfully taken on the youth’s form—but not just physically. This transformation felt deeper, more profound.

They can mimic even racial traits... not just memories and skills.

He stood in silence, staring at his reflection in a conjured mirror he’d fixed to the wall. His transformed face stared back, foreign yet familiar.

Their shapeshifting is more advanced than mine.

With that unsettling thought, Charles took a deep breath and considered his next move.

The hunt for the bracelet—and the truth behind this secretive city—was far from over.

Chapter 656: Plan

First, I need to gather information about this youth. After that, I’ll head toward the city center and see if I can find any trace of the bracelet called Whisper of Gluttony.

Charles first disposed of the body and carefully erased all the blood traces on the stone slab.

Unfortunately, I can’t rely on Genesis this time.

Shaking his head, he searched the small house for anything useful—books, manuscripts, clues. But all he found were cooking utensils, dry wood, a few vegetables, and some dried meat.

From the looks of it, this young Karr is likely just a mortal. No family, no friends, Charles thought as he peered outside and spotted farming tools—shovel, sickle, axe, rake, and grape hoe—neatly placed near the entrance.

A farmer, huh? Then there must be some land document hidden around here somewhere.

His gaze wandered upward, and soon he noticed a small loft made of plain wood, slightly above head level.

Charles floated upward using his wisdom power. A fabric bag caught his eye. With a wave of his hand, it floated toward him. He gently descended and opened it.

Inside were four manuscripts, aged and almost palm leaf-like in design.

He picked the smallest one, roughly 20 leaves thick, and began reading.

Hmm... an agreement between Poet Tasar Pabella and a Karr named Flinar Miramaris over a song competition?

Charles frowned and read on.

So the kid’s father lost to the poet and ended his life out of shame? Then the mother followed out of grief? What kind of madness is this? Dying over a song?

He let out a silent scoff.

No. No sane person ends their life over a song duel. Something’s off. Definitely suspicious.

He committed Tasar Pabella’s name to memory.

Still... maybe this whole race is just emotionally fragile.

Charles moved on to the other manuscripts. They weren’t land records after all, just pieces of family history.

His name is Vesryn Miramaris. Age, 46. Worked under Poet Tasar for ten years. Got expelled from the school after a minor student fight. Then his father challenged the poet to a song duel.

That was the extent of the information he could extract.

He reached into the bag again and found a small wooden box. Inside were seven square-shaped red metal pieces.

What are these?

He studied them closely. One side bore a crown symbol, the other a leaf.

Currency, perhaps?

He furrowed his brows, folded away his own clothes, and changed into a red thoub robe from a nearby shelf. Then, stepping outside, he walked onto the clay-paved road.

Following the path, he made his way toward the city center.

There, he found a secluded spot, cast his [Shadow Stealth] skill, and melted into invisibility.

For the next twelve hours, Charles stood silently in the same spot, eavesdropping on every passerby.

By the time dusk settled over the city, he had pieced together a wealth of information—about customs, culture, even power structures.

The first thing that struck him was the city’s hierarchy.

Like Edhen World, this place is ruled by a King. Oddly enough, his name is also Phoebe, just like the Dream God. But unlike the traditional noble class, this city is governed by Nine Poets and Four Guardians.

The Nine Poets were known as the "Sage Heroes," with authority so high they could even dethrone the King—yet they were fiercely loyal to him, willing to die just to see him smile.

But what startled Charles more was a peculiar trait of the Karr.

They never lie. They always speak from the heart. They despise violence and resolve conflicts peacefully. Now I understand why Flinar committed suicide after losing a song duel.

Then there were the Four Guardians. Their names echoed through the streets—and one in particular made Charles freeze.

Esim. So this city... it really is a recreation of the past.

He also learned about the currency system—’Athma.’ The red square metals he found were called "Thees" or "Bloods," the lowest denomination. Seven Bloods could pay for a week’s stay at a cheap inn.

Next came "Gatham," or "Emeralds"—worth 10,000 Bloods. The highest tier was "Nikkam," or "Rubies," each equal to 10,000 Emeralds.

If this city is a recreation of the past, then whose doing is it? Dream God Phoebe’s will?

Charles shook his head.

Even the will of a god shouldn’t have the power to construct such a vast and living dimension within a dungeon. No... it must be the bracelet. Whisper of Gluttony. But why? Why turn tens of thousands of Corpse Devourers into Karr beings?

Stepping out from the shadow of a tall building, he turned toward the grand dome-shaped palace that towered in the distance.

If I’m right, Dream God Phoebe’s Corpse Devourer is inside that palace. But how powerful is he?

A flicker of unease passed through him.

If he’s at the level of a Demigod or higher, I’ll have no choice but to flee. One mistake, and I could be surrounded by multiple Legend Rank beings.

He’d already battled two Legend Rank guards. From observation, he’d learned that power levels within the Legend Rank were divided into four: Novice, Intermediate, Expert, and Master.

The guards he fought were Novices, relying on swordplay and divine spells.

Intermediate ranks mastered both weapons and divine spells. They worked as Palace Knights or served under the Sage Heroes and Guardians.

That would place the Holy Maiden of the Order Church, Radiant Knight Ruby, the Assassin, and even Cardinal Luke in the Intermediate tier.

The next rank, Expert, included those who’d comprehended unique laws and mastered divine arts.

From what I’ve gathered, all Nine Sage Heroes and Four Guardians belong here. They’re the city’s backbone. They were Rank-7 or Rank-8 in the past, during Phoebe’s divine kingdom’s fall. Now, their strength likely matches mine... or that boy Jamie.