The maze that Hill set up on the outskirts would normally make this group of brainless fools wander for a day or two before ending up outside... However, these people are not normal.

Of the ten Little Ismaels who entered the kill arrays on the perimeter of the Maze Formation, eight managed to trigger them.

The other two actually managed to bypass the entrance to the inner array that requires a mastery of array knowledge to enter... If they really did go in there, they’d surely die.

Knowing that this bunch of mages from the Heavenly Realm have no sense of order, Hill was still pretty ruthless.

Hill finally understood what the so-called ’offering all luck’ was about. Upon closer observation, these Little Ismaels wouldn’t just trip everywhere they went or bump into walls at every turn.

But any multiple-choice question that required a bit of luck would have them choose wrong... Like the frequent forks in the maze.

Initially, those who went ahead were confident in their abilities, sure that they could crash through this maze... Then, when it came to making decisions, if they couldn’t understand the runes of the arrays, they’d inevitably head in the wrong direction.

This caught Hill a bit off guard, having to adjust the passages himself to prevent those with the most malice from getting out.

Of course, they were bound to trigger the kill arrays, but... Hill wouldn’t hope that these few encounter the least deadly ones.

After all, he wouldn’t actually kill them.

He still had to give the Great Sage Ismael, who finally reacted and desperately rushed to save them, some face!

After all, Hill definitely didn’t want to seem allied with those who enjoyed watching from the sidelines, even though he was neutral.

These brainless Little Ismaels!

Despite them and the other two groups being in an equilateral triangle arrangement, their first reaction was to come find him to establish dominance!

Did they really believe those rumors from Danboro?

Hill wasn’t ignorant of those nonsense rumors... For instance, the Great Sage Ismael had moved on, and Great Sage Belfran was the World Master’s newest patron.

Or that Ismael was placed by the World Master in front of Belfran as a scapegoat, otherwise, why would Gaia only target their family?

Ismael himself surely wouldn’t believe such foolishness. Aesces had informed him of Hill’s background.

But it seems he doesn’t communicate much with this group of idiotic sons of his... These little fools probably believed a bit of it.

So foolish, why study to become a mage! Even studying alchemy!

However, the two Little Ismaels who originally came along hoping to drag back those foolish brothers—who hadn’t stabilized their own territory before causing trouble with the neighbors—actually walked all the way to the Inner Ring... They were determined to get out quickly to fetch their father for help.

Hill thus realized how meticulous the will of Styx was... It only took away the luck that Ismael sacrificed.

Therefore, the people of the Ismael Family couldn’t exactly say they couldn’t survive, it’s just that... going forward, they might only manage to become assembly line technicians; continuing research in alchemy might be out of reach.

Moreover, even if they could still become mages, it would likely be difficult for any to reach high-level.

It’s not just because they can’t use probabilistic spells.

Pre-Fifth Circle spells can actually be learned through rigorous, meticulous repetitive training, but afterward... sometimes a flash of inspiration also requires a bit of luck.

Hundreds and thousands of practices just for that moment of insight, but sadly, that flash will no longer favor the Ismael Family.

Only a natural genius, one whose intelligence directly hits the human limit, might break this restriction... But having a child much like oneself is easy; having one that surpasses genetic limits also requires luck.

Yet, they can never have that.

The future of this family, after Ismael goes to Styx, will slowly descend into mediocrity until it fades away completely.

Hill lightly sighed. Upon receiving Ismael’s apology and plea for help, he swung his Crystal Fan to send the Little Ismaels back to the Ring Mountain—so gentle a breeze, yet someone was still clumsy enough to get seriously injured.

Normally, only one in ten thousand could struggle free from Hill’s storm, but...

It truly left one speechless.

Hill didn’t plan to observe when the Great Sage Ismael would come to realize his vow had come true... So long as Aesces didn’t actively get involved, that was fine.

Sometimes, silence is golden, and leaving things half-said is even more of a crime.

Moreover, did Ismael truly not know his vow might come true?

He simply didn’t care all that much about the so-called family legacy.

After all, his sons weren’t likely to outlive him, and the children after them, he probably couldn’t even recognize them all.

What really caught him off guard was that even he got caught up in this vow.

With such a character, Hill couldn’t possibly believe he’d choose to give up struggling once he knew the truth... So, the hardest lesson in life is parting on good terms. Hopefully, Aesces could be that lucky.

Not wishing to meddle in others’ affairs, Hill silently switched his giant screen to the desert channel, wondering if that couple had any success in conceiving.

By the way, have those two finally gotten together?

-----------------

’Mobi Chenxin’ squatted in a corner, viciously poking at the tablet.

The war mode on his side basically involves the Undead Tribe getting all battle-ready first, then the Chieftain of the Black and White Path pulls out an Energy Baryte to open the Dimensional Gate, and everyone charges onto the randomly activated desert oasis on the other side to raid.

Eosca only has six large oases in the desert, and since there are no external threats thanks to the presence of the Lord of Insects, the Moon Clan rather enjoys the arrival of the Undead Tribe.

Everyone rallies their forces, and whoever gets picked just goes with it... The Moon Clan has directional Portals, so wherever the Undead Tribe ends up is an accident, but their gathering and charge is inevitable.

At most, the original oasis members are taken out a bit faster in a surprise attack, but most of the time, the Undead Tribe is just sent back to the city.

If it were just a matter of continuing this kind of fight, ’Mobi Chenxin’ could still tolerate it... Even though, in trying to attract the Scattered Ones to come, the full cost of the Dimensional Gates was on him.

But actually, the spending by the Scattered Ones and those small families in the underground market barely covers this cost.

Though the subsidies for family members aren’t insignificant, he’s not losing too much.

However, he has a more daunting task: Luciella and her little lover, who is a full five years younger than her.

Even with Zhu Meili, who’s always a sneaky character, helping out, the problem now isn’t how challenging it is for a girl to chase after a boy; rather, it’s that the boy is completely clueless!

How can a sponge produce offspring without absorbing water!

The younger son of Great Sage Ismael out at sea is already over the moon, while he’s still stuck here unable to take the final step!

’Mobi Chenxin’ was pondering whether to employ some sort of stimulating potions in the sales front... but unfortunately, Snow Old Dog stopped him.

Of course, ’Snow Cloud Peak’ didn’t stop him out of ’pure-hearted and virtuous’ reasons, but for an even more compelling reason: ’Gaia has the remnants of that Goddess of Lust; if she’s not using them, then they definitely shouldn’t be used.’

What they want now is the same as Gaia, and if the child born isn’t ’Kloster’, they’d have to start over again.

Litters of cats and dogs take months... Damn it, why isn’t Kloster a rat’s descendant!

"What are you angry about?" a woman’s silhouette slowly appeared in the air.

The squatting ’Mobi Chenxin’ changed direction, sitting directly on the ground: "Ros... Does Miss Ruth have any good suggestions?

How many steps does it take for a boy to become a man?"

"You don’t get it?" ’Rose’ chuckled twice in surprise, "There’s nothing in the Underdark that I don’t know about."

"Ha~" ’Mobi Chenxin’ didn’t care at all about her implications, after all, he was doing everything himself, "I always thought this was a man’s instinct, something they didn’t need to be taught.

A few lingering glances and a sufficiently beautiful appearance should be enough.

However... Really, the bigger the forest, the stranger the birds!"

He propped his hands on the ground, looking up at the sky, humming a peculiar little tune: "Could you give me a few seconds, let that spring bloom again~ let that bitterness become wild fruit~"

’Rose’ blinked; of course she understood what this Undead was singing, but... even knowing long ago about the Undead’s fearlessness, she hadn’t imagined anyone would dare sing such a song to her after knowing who she was.

She couldn’t help feeling a bit dazed, seemingly recalling memories that were completely erased.

Then her face turned into a murderous intent, recalling the only being who had ever been so frivolous with her.

’Mobi Chenxin’ tilted his head, looking at the formidable Evil Goddess, clicking his tongue in his mind: Truly, as Snow Old Dog said, she now sees all beauty as poison.

Completely different from Ambori.

That one never had anything, so Huayu’s compatible personality with Ambori, and his genuine demeanor, managed to enter the heart of the Goddess of the Sea.

But this one, she’s had it all.

Everything now is her own choice... So, Rose will only become increasingly harsh and fearsome, never looking back.

Sigh~

Forget it.

I originally wanted to test if I could somehow connect with Zholar before the Dark Maiden resurrected~ but it seems it’s better not to be so fanciful.

"So, beautiful Miss Rose, is there anything you can teach me?" Abandoning those futile notions, ’Mobi Chenxin’ smiled and asked again.

"Ah~ I don’t teach others." ’Rose’ returned a radiant smile, "But you can wait to see the result."

’Mobi Chenxin’ watched as her figure vanished into the wind, and quietly picked up the tablet to type: ’Old Dog, I’ve followed what you said.

Is Zhu Meili so sure Rose has a way?