Cloud Thinking

If a person's life were compiled into a book, some would be as weighty as an epic, while others would be as thin as a short story.

Given Cammod's background, his resume was certainly extraordinary, making him undoubtedly the former.

Helia quickly skimmed the previous chapters, her fingers flying across the pages, until she finally found the part she most wanted to explore—the record about Zhou Ranyi.

The words on the pages seemed to possess a certain magic, gently recounting that hidden past:

"Now that things have come to this, we've finally gotten close to the core of the association."

I followed Justi, the Grand Elder of the Northern Division, to the forbidden area that holds the Association’s greatest secret.

Surprisingly, the defense here was not very tight.

There were almost no people along the way, and no obvious magical fluctuations could be felt, indicating that no defensive magic array had been set up.

Is it because she's not worried about enemies breaking into this place, or is Zhou Ranyi's very presence enough to intimidate everyone, requiring no other protection?

In order to get closer to Zhou Ranyi, I didn't hesitate to wear the shackles that came with it.

The purpose of this trip was both to see Zhou Ranyi's true face and to find a way to break free from her constraints.

I have had many speculations about Zhou Ranyi, but I have always regarded her as an inanimate object, a tool without consciousness and subject to manipulation.

It wasn't until the door to the secret slowly opened and the scene behind it came into view that I realized how terribly wrong I had been.

Zhou Ranyi is not an object, not an inanimate object—

It is a 'person'.

It has a human-like appearance, with long black hair spread out like a spider web, covering its body in layers.

Her pale, almost translucent face made one wonder if she still had any life left. Her slender, tall figure, paired with an androgynous face, made her look like a sleeping elf, waiting for a kiss to awaken her.

Justi told me that this was Zhou Ranyi.

To be precise, this is only a part of Zhou Ranyi.

The association has Zhou Ranyi in its branches in various regions, which means that there may be hundreds of such 'people' all over the mainland.

A normal person cannot split into so many individuals, so it is definitely not human.

So what exactly is it? And how does it control so many magicians?

What is the ultimate purpose of the goddess sending me here?

Seeing me staring intently at the humanoid shell, Justi smiled meaningfully and encouraged me to reach out and touch it, to feel it for myself.

Under the unwavering, smiling gaze of that old fox, I mustered my courage and reached out a finger to touch that skin, so cold it seemed inanimate—

Thump-thump—thump-thump—thump-thump—

I was startled by the strange vibration and pulled my hand back, looking at Justie in disbelief.

This 'person' actually has a heartbeat?!

It's still alive?!

The fleeting excitement in Justie's eyes revealed that he deliberately let me touch him, intending to enjoy my panicked reaction.

He didn't explain, but instead bypassed my bewildered expression, placed his palm on the 'person's' exposed, smooth, yet cold heart, and closed his eyes to chant an obscure incantation.

The moment he raised his hand, countless red lines surged from his heart like a tide, shooting out in all directions.

In an instant, the entire room was filled with crisscrossing red lines.

I could clearly see a red thread rushing straight towards me and piercing my heart.

It's like connecting my heart to that 'person'.

But I don't feel any pain, which means that the thread has been there all along, and it's only now that I can see it.

I also saw the red thread connecting Justie, but he didn't seem to care at all.

He seemed completely at ease about becoming a puppet under the control of this inhuman being.

Justie stared at me intently, and said, word by word:

No one can escape Zhou Ranyi's judgment, not even the gods.

After returning home, my memories of Zhou Ranyi became blurred, as if veiled, and I couldn't muster the desire to investigate the truth.

Only that one sentence echoed in my mind like a constant warning, making me dare not, and unwilling to, betray the association or resist Zhou Ranyi again.

Helia's fingertips trembled slightly as she read this.

The words on the pages seemed to possess a kind of magic, making her feel as if she were there, experiencing Cammod's shock and fear.

She turned her head to look at Julius, who was sitting close beside her, browsing the pages of the book with her.

The moment their eyes met, they both understood the same thoughts in each other's eyes and simultaneously revealed a knowing look.

“It’s probably related to controlling power,” Yuros said in a low voice.

It's truly a case of coincidences.

No sooner had they dealt with the false god Osinotto, who held the power to control souls, than Helia bestowed that power upon Yuros, who also possessed some control over souls.

She then turned the tables and killed the enforcement team sent by the association—which included pawns of the Herris family and the high priestess of the goddess of fate, all of whom were after her.

This easy move not only exposed the assassins sent by the Herris family, but also allowed them to uncover the true identity of the person in power behind the scenes, who they deduced was another demigod who held some authority.

They also obtained clues about Zhou Ranyi from Camord, and deduced that she was very likely also the holder of control.

It is no longer speculation, but certainty that in ancient times a god who held power fell, and his power was divided among various parties and scattered throughout the world.

"It's like mangoes falling from the sky..." Helia stroked her chin, a playful smile playing on her lips. "I didn't even have to look for them; they all just delivered themselves to my doorstep..."

She looked at Yuros, her eyes gleaming with a lively light: "The Herris family is not to be touched for the time being. I suspect that the patriarch is also an ancient monster from ancient times, and his whereabouts are mysterious, making him really difficult to deal with."

“But Zhou Ranyi is different—it’s fixed, and every branch of the association has one.”

Even if each one only contains a portion of the power, a mosquito is still meat, no matter how small.

She clenched her fist and lightly tapped her palm, producing a crisp sound: "The association's strength is unevenly distributed. We'll start from the weakest points and defeat them one by one..."

Yu Ruos immediately understood: "Given time, Zhou Ranyi will surely become ours."

Helia snapped her fingers and gave her a look that said, "You know me best."

“But…” she clicked her tongue, half teasing and half puzzled, “Aren’t gods supposed to reside high in the heavens? How come it feels like I bump into someone related to gods every few steps these days…”

Yuros chuckled: "Sister, you are a favored one, admired by all the gods. Opportunities that are rare in a lifetime for ordinary people are just commonplace for you."

His hand on her shoulder was warm and strong, giving her a sense of security.

"Sigh—" Helia placed her hand on the back of his hand, sighed softly, a hint of amusement in her eyes, "It's just that this good fortune comes too easily, which makes me uneasy..."

When she mentioned "good luck," she couldn't help but think of Sphitenia, the goddess of fortune—the one who once held the power of destiny.

The fact that Cammod, as one of her followers, was taken away by a mysterious force is highly likely her doing.

Does this mean that she was secretly watching everything all along?

Is this series of "coincidences" simply a stroke of luck, or a premeditated scheme?

"Sister?" Yuros grasped her hand, rousing her from her reverie, his eyes filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

Helia subconsciously shook her head: "It's nothing..." But when she met his burning gaze, she couldn't bear to hide it.

"I just feel... that all of this is too coincidental and unsettling. I'm afraid someone has set a trap for me, waiting for me to walk right into it."

“The fact that they only dare to scheme behind your back shows that they dare not confront you head-on.” Waterscissor’s voice was calm yet powerful. “Since the enemy is wary and unwilling to fight to the death, why should you be afraid?”

Helia smiled knowingly, glancing down at her hands: "That's true. It's these rats in the gutter who are afraid of me, not me who's afraid of them."

“Jurass.” The doubt in her eyes dissipated, replaced by a firm and confident light. “The task assigned to you by the Investigation Association and Zhou Ranyi, can you handle it?”

Yuros gracefully bowed in a gentlemanly manner, took her hand, and placed a passionate kiss on the back of it.

When she looked up, her eyes were full of loyalty: "It is my honor to serve my sister."

Yuros needs to recover his strength, so letting him investigate the association while simultaneously seizing Zhou Ranyi's power is a win-win situation.

Moreover, Helia has very few capable men under her command, and she urgently needs to become stronger in Yuros.

He was one of the few people she completely trusted and was willing to give everything for.

“As for me…” Helia gazed out the window, a hint of excitement curving her lips, “Once Hilda’s people arrive, I’ll be the ‘noble assassin’ again…”

The events in the North were just the beginning.

Her purpose in this trip was twofold: first, to resolve the mess left by Osinotto, and second, to fire a second shot at the aristocratic forces.

Among the nobles in the capital, apart from the few in power in the Senate who need to be reformed, most are just honorary nobles with nominal titles.

The truly troublesome ones are those with fiefdoms—they are local tyrants in their own territories, powerful and influential, far more difficult to deal with than those with only titles.

Helia cannot mobilize the imperial army—nor can she.

That was her stronghold, the center of the empire's power, and stability had to be ensured to appease the people.

Moreover, Claude would never give her that power.

Left with no other option, she had to turn to another powerful patron—the Antonio family.

Fortunately, her older siblings are reliable enough.

As long as she is wronged, regardless of whether she is right or wrong, I will never let her suffer a loss.

Helia thought to herself: Having real power means you can do whatever you want without having to worry about anyone else's feelings.

“What about the Herris family…” Yuros reminded him.

Besides the Magic Association and the feudal nobles, the Herese family was also involved in this turmoil, and they were no pushovers.

"I will send someone to investigate secretly, don't worry." Just thinking about that family head gave Helia a headache.

Ignoring warnings and attacking the magic family back then destined them to face endless persecution.

However, the Herris family was more difficult to deal with than she had anticipated.

I wonder how the Morabi family is doing these days, how the Titans are being housed, whether Snow Nightingale is using the money she gave her wisely, and how Judith is doing...

I didn't realize how much I was carrying until I thought about it.

She snapped her fingers, and the book recording Cammod's life vanished into thin air.

My gaze shifted to the door, as if I could see through the thin panel and make out the eavesdropper who had been standing outside for who knows how long.

“Teacher,” she asked softly, “would you be willing to help me with this?”

The room fell into a deathly silence; even the air seemed to freeze.

Yuros blinked, and in an instant, he transformed back into a child, holding her hand tightly just as he had when they first met.

Watersese's figure gradually faded, eventually merging with Helia and returning to her body.

A long silence.

There was no sound outside the door, as if no one was there at all; Helia was just talking to herself.

She waited patiently, neither opening the door nor pretending to be oblivious—this in itself was a form of silent coercion.

"Caw!" Birds flew past the window, their unpleasant cries breaking the silence and ushering in the dawn.

Dawn is breaking; the night is about to end.

"You...you're really determined to kill this old man..."

With the creaking sound of the door hinges turning, a familiar yet weathered figure came into Helia's view.

It was her mentor, Mobius.

Helia smiled broadly, her eyes filled with a sense of relief and joy.

She took small steps forward, transforming back into the mischievous "Belai" from the academy, and said coquettishly, "Good teacher, I knew you wouldn't abandon me."

Looking at Helia, Mobius had a complicated expression.

This is the academy, and Helia is recuperating here, so as her teacher, he naturally has to take extra care of her.

After making such a commotion tonight, it's no longer reasonable for him to pretend to be deaf and dumb.

What truly drove him to come and check was his concern for this troublesome apprentice, fearing that she might injure herself again.

Upon arrival, they stumbled upon a shocking secret: Zhou Ranyi, the High Priest of the Triple Temple of Destiny, the head of the Herris family, and the Magic Association...

Any one of these incidents would be enough to make this old man suffer.

Not to mention the other two in the house—one of whom was a genuine deity whom he had glimpsed from afar before, and whose identity he had guessed through subsequent investigations, but who was unwilling to face it.

He not only saw the other one in person, but also took care of him for many days.

Helia's attack on the academy this time was for his sake.

Standing outside the door, he couldn't help but wonder: What's wrong with this apprentice? He keeps attracting all sorts of troublesome people around him.

While Helia waited for his decision, he pondered deeply and ultimately settled on one sentence—

She is a legendary figure destined to usher in a new era; she was born extraordinary.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little proud: as expected of his disciple Mobius, he was just like him, refusing to succumb to mediocrity, fearless, doing only what he believed was right, and protecting everything he loved.

Like a blazing flame, it warms others and burns away the injustices of the world.

So he pushed open the door, deciding to take another gamble and risk his life once more.

The flame in his heart never went out; a gust of wind would set it ablaze once more.

Nonsense! Who is he? He's a renowned fire mage across the continent! A top-tier mage!

They usually keep a low profile, so people really thought he was a pushover?

They bullied his apprentice time and time again, which clearly showed that they didn't respect him and even dared to trample on his dignity!

Helia half-forced Mobius into her plan, but now she looked worried: "But... teacher, you are still bound by the academy's rules. Won't the academy be against you?"

Mobius glared at her fiercely, then stomped his foot angrily: "This awful place! I've disliked it for a long time! I'd rather not stay here!"

Analia dared to attack Yuros even though she was ahead of him; who knows if she was secretly sabotaging Helia?

Not to mention the injustices Helia suffered during her time at the academy—each time he was held back by those damned academy rules and couldn't get justice for her.

Even his eldest disciple wanted to sever ties with him because of problems at the academy.

Over the years, the factional struggles within the college have intensified. He has seen too many ugly faces and injustices, and his heart has long since turned cold.

He'd had enough! He wanted nothing more than to burn this filthy place to the ground!

A place that should be teaching and nurturing people is instead hiding so many shady dealings.

He's been pretending to be deaf and dumb for so many years, and I've finally reached my breaking point!

I can't bear it anymore, no need to bear it anymore!