On the other side, the continent of Tyre.
At the moment when Linde and Tiolantis engaged in their final battle in an unknowable dimension, all living beings in the world, regardless of their location, race, or strength, felt a violent tremor originating from the depths of their souls and touching the very essence of the world.
That was not a physical earthquake, but a lament and reconstruction of the laws of nature.
The first thing to show signs of abnormality was the magic net.
For countless years, the magic network has flowed steadily like the breathing of a planet. It is formless and intangible, yet omnipresent, and is the fundamental source of power for spellcasters.
But in that instant, this unchanging system was completely shaken!
The sky is no longer the familiar color.
From the permafrost glaciers at the northernmost tip of the continent to the Emerald Isles at the southernmost tip; from the bustling cities of the western human kingdoms to the vast grasslands of the central orcish royal court; even the Elven Valley, the Dwarven dungeons, and the forgotten deep sea and underworld… all living beings who raised their heads witnessed a spectacle worthy of being recorded in history and sung about for eternity—
A magnificent, violent, and boundless torrent of magical energy, like a primordial beast breaking free from its cage, surges and blooms across the sky in an unprecedented manner!
They are no longer the docile energy in the hands of mages, but rather take on the most primitive and unrestrained form.
Fiery arcane purple, deep elemental blue, vibrant emerald green, scorching fiery red, heavy earth yellow... countless colors intertwine, collide, annihilate, and regenerate, as if the palette of the creator god has been overturned, rendering the entire sky into a flowing, crazy, and magnificent abstract painting.
One wave subsides, another rises.
The energy tides spread outward in visible ripples, emitting a deep and majestic hum, as if the whole world were playing a rhapsody celebrating the breaking of shackles.
The clouds were torn apart, the sunlight was refracted into a hazy halo, and the stars displayed an eerie brilliance in the daylight.
Birds flew into the jungle in panic, beasts crouched and growled uneasily, and even the most ordinary people came out of their homes, fields, and workshops, staring in disbelief at this celestial phenomenon that surpassed all myths and legends. Their hearts were filled with awe, bewilderment, and an indescribable sense of lightness, as if they had lost some invisible constraint.
This is just the beginning.
As the celestial anomalies continued, a deeper, more fundamental change began to occur in all intelligent beings, and even in some highly perceptive plants and animals.
Those commoners who had long been tested as "magical immune" and were considered to be forever barred from the mysteries of the universe, were astonished to find faint sparks dancing on their fingertips while wiping their hoes; housewives inadvertently caused the soup to shimmer with a warm glow while stirring it; and tiny specks of luminous light drifted in the wind amidst the laughter and play of children…
Magic is no longer the exclusive privilege of the "masters" and "ladies" in the mage tower who wear robes and hold staffs!
The magic that was originally difficult to communicate and mobilize through rigorous mental meditation, complex incantations, and precise posture guidance has now become more "approachable" and "active" than ever before.
Like spring water that thaws and nourishes the earth, it flows naturally into the air and permeates the breath of every living being.
It was as if an invisible membrane, which had always separated the mortal from the magical, had been completely pierced at this moment.
The absolute authority of the goddess of magic, Tiolantis, which shrouded the magic net and invisibly regulated, restricted, and even "monopolized" the flow of magical power... vanished!
The complex "authority" and "filtering" system He imposed on the Demonic Network collapsed completely with the severe damage to His physical body and the isolation from His divine kingdom.
Magic has been liberated, returned from the hands of the god of magic to all living beings!
"The Magic Network... the Magic Network is boiling! The rules... the rules have changed!"
An old mage, observing the stars from the top of the mage tower, had his crystal ball crack with a snap, but he was oblivious. He just stared blankly at the magnificent yet chaotic sky outside the window, tears streaming down his face, unsure whether they were from joy or fear.
"I...I can feel it! The wind is speaking to me! The elements are cheering for me!"
A young coachman in a border town, excitedly watching the tiny air currents swirling uncontrollably around him, was incoherent with emotion.
"A miracle! This is a miracle!" In front of the Radiant Cathedral, some believers knelt and prayed, but many more were bewildered, because their holy god did not seem to be directly related to this event.
"No! This is not a miracle! This is... revolution! A revolutionary change!"
Inside the Royal Magic Academy of the Kree Empire, Dean Luli forcibly suppressed the turmoil in her heart and shouted loudly to the gathered, panicked lecturers and students. Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"A new era has begun!"
Yes, a new era has arrived.
But this sudden "gift" did not bring immediate universal celebration.
Those who felt the pain first were the traditional mages who relied on the original magic network system for casting spells.
Many complex spells in progress went out of control instantly, and the backlash of magic could cause mental damage to the caster at best, or even trigger a violent explosion at worst.
The internal structure of items such as crystals, scrolls, and wands that store magic has become unstable, and the energy is slowly dissipating.
Many magical theories, spell models, and meditation methods that have been passed down for thousands of years have become inefficient or even completely ineffective overnight!
The status of mages was challenged like never before. When magic was no longer the privilege of a few, when farmers could light campfires with a wave of their hands, and when blacksmiths could quench metal with their minds... the original social structure and power system began to crumble.
Meanwhile, in the wilderness, the monsters and spirits, already intimately connected to the elements of nature, began to grow and mutate at an astonishing rate in this unprecedentedly rich magical environment, even giving birth to new and more powerful beings. Previously safe trade routes became fraught with danger, and some remote villages were destroyed overnight by rampaging magical creatures.
Opportunities and dangers coexist, and hope and chaos intertwine.
This is the current situation facing the continent of Tiol after Tiolantis "disappeared"—a wild new era filled with surging magic but without anyone in charge!
---
Blackrock Territory, Lord's Mansion.
The magnificent aurora borealis and the turbulent energy currents in the sky were reflected on everyone's face.
Alice, Nazra, and Leonis stood close together on the terrace with their children, gazing worriedly at the unusual sky.
They could feel the restlessness of the magic within their bodies, and also the omnipresent magical energy that seemed like a wild horse that had lost its reins.
"Mother... what's wrong with the sky? I feel... something warm inside me, like something's trying to escape..."
Eileen whispered, her fingertips uncontrollably condensing tiny ice crystals and leaping sparks, two completely different elements coexisting harmoniously.
Lillian tried to mobilize her magic, and a ball of light, several times brighter than usual but extremely unstable, appeared in her palm, startling her so much that she immediately dispersed it.
Allen then discovered that the devices in his workshop that relied on the magic network for power were malfunctioning or leaking energy.
"It was Father...did he succeed?" Roy asked, both excited and anxious.
No one could answer him.
Aster and Naraku quickly stabilized the territory and activated an independent defense system based on light veins and crystal technology. Fortunately, these systems were relatively less affected by the upheaval in the magic network.
"My lord... he severed Theolantis's connection to the magic network..."
Astaire stared at the completely out-of-control magical readings on the monitoring circle, his tone heavy and certain, "He did it. But... himself..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the unspoken meaning.
The danger of confronting a god at such a level is unimaginable.
Is Linde alive or dead? Where is he now?
Just then, a vast will, like warm sunlight, dispelled some of the oppressive feeling brought by the strange phenomena in the sky and gently swept across Blackrock Territory.
It is Amazelak.
"No need to worry too much, human beings."
An aged yet peaceful voice echoed in the minds of the core members, "The Child of the Outcast did not perish. He accomplished the act of god-slaying as a mortal. At the last moment, we do not know what the God of Magic did, but they both vanished. However, it now appears that the God of Magic has fallen, but his soul flame still burns, only... his coordinates are temporarily lost."
This news made everyone's hearts tighten, but it also ignited hope.
He's still alive!
"The current upheaval on the continent is an inevitable consequence of the return of magic to nature and the reshaping of rules. Stabilize your territories and make good use of the legacy left by Linde. The new era is both a challenge and an opportunity for your rise."
The dragons' will receded like the tide, leaving behind a solemn silence and a heavy responsibility.
Alice took a deep breath, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and straightened her back.
She is the lord's wife and one of the mistresses of Blackrock Territory.
"Did you hear everything?" Her voice regained its usual calmness, carrying an undeniable firmness. "Linde did what he was supposed to do. Now, it's our turn."
She looked at Astaire:
"Aster, fully activate the 'Spark' independent energy network, prioritizing the core area and defense system. Assess the extent of the impact on all magical facilities within the territory; replace those that can be replaced with light veins and crystal fragment technology immediately."
"Narash, intensify intelligence gathering efforts. I need to know the reactions of every force on the continent to this upheaval, especially those that are hostile to us."
"Lillian, Allen, you assist the mothers in comforting the people and telling them that this is a new era that the Lord has won for us, and that Blackrock Territory will lead this era, not be swallowed up by it!"
Her orders were issued one by one, clearly and swiftly.
Nazra and Leonis immediately sprang into action, one taking charge of coordinating relations between the various tribes and the other overseeing military preparations to deal with potential chaos or attacks.
As the children watched their mothers instantly get into the zone, the confusion in their eyes gradually gave way to determination.
They knew that with their father gone, the responsibility of protecting their home needed to be shared by all of them.
With Linde absent, the sophisticated machine of Blackrock Territory, relying on the foundation he left behind and the abilities of those around him, began to fully cope with this sudden global upheaval.
Beneath that sky, where splendor and chaos coexist, the power structure of the entire continent of Tiel is being reshaped at an unprecedented speed.
The old order is collapsing, and new forces are being born.
Everyone realized that a wild era, belonging to all living beings and where magic was no longer monopolized by the gods, had begun.
And the man who killed a god with a mortal body and started all of this—Lind Truk—his name will surely shake this new era with a completely new meaning.
But where is he now?
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