The Borderland had no concept of nations.

There weren’t even any large settlements.

The denser the population, the more likely large-scale chaos would erupt.

The most common form of power structure here was a higher-ranked wizard ruling over lower-ranked wizards or apprentices.

Some factions would also keep a group of ordinary people to handle the most basic and inefficient chores.

Those with sufficient strength and resources might instead command magic puppets, spirits, or low-intelligence magic beasts.

At the same time, the leaders of these places would often nominally pledge allegiance to a higher-ranked wizard—paying tributes and fulfilling certain commands in exchange for limited resources and protection during times of crisis.

Of course, there were also those who considered themselves powerful enough and refused to submit to anyone.

They were usually strong lone wanderers, struggling to survive in the Borderland and seeking their own path to advancement.

On the central island of Rhine Lake lived such a man—a First Rank wizard named Dodge.

A First Rank wizard wasn’t considered powerful in the Borderland.

But the rules here were chaotic. If a First Rank wizard fully adapted to the local rule forces, they might even become stronger than a Second Rank wizard.

On this day, Saul stood atop a small hill, wearing a cloak that had been stained gray-white by the wind and sand, gazing into the distance.

Far ahead, a wide lake surface was faintly visible, though most of it was shrouded in thick gray fog.

Without the carriage, the coachman Marsh now carried a massive suitcase on his back, following behind.

Having lost their means of transportation, and with the difficult terrain of the Borderland, it had taken them two months to travel from the Old Witch’s mouse hole to their destination—Rhine Lake.

“Rhine Lake is also called the Lake of Dead Souls here. It’s said to be the only large lake in the Borderland. There’s an island in the center, rich in resources, but due to the peculiar local rules, only one First Rank wizard, who specializes in the dark element, resides there.”

Saul was conversing in his mind with the consciousness fragments inside the diary.

Agu: “This wizard is quite formidable. He holds a high status here, and his power can receive a significant boost. If that’s the case, would he be willing to give this place to Master?”

Ann: “If not, just kill him.”

Saul shook his head. “If possible, I’d still prefer to resolve things with knowledge and resources.”

He didn’t reject killing, but he wasn’t inclined to make it his first option for solving problems.

Though persuading this Dodge wizard would likely be difficult, Saul believed his own strength in the dark element—especially in the soul domain—was still substantial enough. Perhaps he could offer something that would interest the other party.

But before stepping onto the island in the center of Rhine Lake, Saul had to wait for some news.

Before long, a tiny figure wearing a miniature cloak, only three-heads tall, flew out of the mist and landed before him.

A dense cloud of fog swirled around her, making her look like a drifting dark cloud.

Rhine Lake was shrouded year-round in thick fog, so moving within this cloud was very stealthy.

“I checked it out. You’re in luck—he hasn’t activated the isolation formation.”

This being who looked like a two-year-old child was none other than the Old Witch.

After two months of growth, the Old Witch had transformed from a malformed infant into a little girl. Her body was no longer grotesque.

But her face remained the same—it was still that of the Old Witch, with a mouth that stretched to the base of her ears.

Saul nodded and pulled his cloak tighter. “Then let’s go pay a visit to this Wizard Dodge.”

The Old Witch curled her lip. “Once you collect enough souls, remember to quickly draw out the remaining Black Tide from my body. With this thing in me, I don’t even dare meditate!”

She was helpless.

Lately, every time she tried to meditate, she’d hear the sound of water droplets—louder and more frequent each time. At times, it felt like she was turning into a water droplet herself.

Saul said nothing. He walked slowly to the edge of Rhine Lake, feeling the cool air by the lakeshore.

“The temperature is low here—the closer to the water, the colder it gets.”

He crouched down, and a corner of his robe dipped into the shallow water, instantly frosting over.

He lifted the edge of his robe and gave it a shake, letting the thin layer of ice fall away.

Just then, something caught his eye.

He looked closer and saw ripples spreading across the dark lake surface.

After the ripples passed, some vague white shapes appeared beneath the water.

Those white shapes slowly rose toward the surface, and their appearances became gradually clearer.

They were faces—wide-eyed, dazed expressions, and only the whites of their eyes—no irises.

Not all were human.

Some were humanoid, some more beastlike.

They stared at Saul from beneath the water’s surface, just as Saul stared at them from above.

Herman: “There are so many!”

Saul slowly stood up.

His vision widened, piercing through the fog, revealing a broader world.

Above was a gray, dim sky. Below was a bottomless lake.

Beneath the surface, as far as the eye could see—countless numb, lifeless faces.

They were separated from Saul by the surface of the lake—

As if by an entire world.

Suddenly, a wave rippled out from the lake’s center.

As it passed, all the faces vanished.

As though none of it had been real.

“Today isn’t a trade day for Rhine Lake. But I won’t let a visitor who’s come from afar leave empty-handed.”

A figure broke through the mist, appearing before Saul.

It was a middle-aged man with graying hair at the temples and a salt-and-pepper beard. He looked kindly—not like a wizard, but more like a simple scholar.

Hands clasped behind his back, he floated slowly on a giant pure-white feather, radiating a steady magical aura.

He was a First Rank wizard.

“You must be Wizard Dodge?” Saul gave a small bow.

The man smiled and lifted the monocle pinned to his collar to examine Saul, a little surprised. “A completely unfamiliar face… Your bones look quite fresh. Not even eighteen yet, are you?”

Though he looked friendly, the wizard completely ignored Saul’s greeting and started asking questions of his own.

He wasn’t as easygoing as he appeared.

Saul blinked and understood immediately, but didn’t take offense. “That’s right. I’m Saul—just turned sixteen. I’ve come to pay you a visit and propose a trade.”

He took the man to be Wizard Dodge by default.

“Everyone who comes here wants to trade with me,” Dodge replied, not denying it. “I do enjoy trading. But most people don’t bring anything valuable enough. In those cases, I can only regretfully offer them a small gift and politely ask them to leave.”

Saul smiled. “That’s perfect. I also enjoy trading.”

He raised his right hand, palm upward.

A moment later, a bulge under the skin slid from his sleeve to the center of his palm.

Then his skin split open, and a translucent, irregular stone—trickling with threads of fresh blood—was squeezed out into his hand.

Dodge’s expression froze.

Through his monocle, he stared intently at the transparent stone in Saul’s palm.

Three whole breaths passed before he slowly spoke:

“Veiled Crystal Essence.”

Saul nodded.

He ignored the equally burning gaze from the Old Witch and the screaming in his ears from Penny.

Penny: “No, no— Brother Saul, don’t give that to him!”

Seeing Saul remain unmoved, the Nightmare Butterfly, which had been hiding in the pages of the diary since they entered the Borderland, finally lost control.

It darted out, placing itself between Saul and Dodge, trying to stop him from handing over the Veiled Crystal Essence.

Ding-a-ling—

Suddenly, a clear, crisp sound rang in everyone’s ears.

Penny instantly shot back into the diary.

“Ahh! What is that sound? It’s piercing!”

The Nightmare Butterfly trembled as it hid again.

Even Saul could sense its unease.

He frowned, puzzled, and looked toward the source of the sound.

To his surprise, Dodge also looked confused.

He reached into his sleeve and took out a… dream bell.

“How odd… Why did it ring on its own?”

(End of Chapter)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.