Akares Continent and Arcadian City.

The entire Ring of Nagas has been shrouded in the Dark Lord's declaration. This is the third day after the declaration.

There were ominous clouds in the dawn. There were few people on the streets, and the hustle and bustle of the past was replaced by an invisible sense of oppression. There was a heavy atmosphere in the air, and a thick layer of poisonous fog enveloped the city. Even Serpenti

The academic atmosphere of Sri Lanka College has also dimmed a bit.

In the streets and alleys, some radical magic theorists gathered quietly. They discussed the idea of ​​"node independence" in low voices. They believed that each caster's energy should be independently controlled, and the family's control of the magic network nodes.

should be lifted.

Those discussions were dominated by whispered conversations, quick eye exchanges and uneasy whispers. Everyone was filled with anxiety and anger, and their hearts were filled with resistance to family control.

At the same time, the family's declarations of "magical naturalism" and the threat of the Dark Lord were overwhelming and could be seen everywhere.

"Monsters from hell invade Akares! Dark terror descends!"

"The Lord of the Abyss destroys the order of Nivahban! The notorious destroyer invades the Snake Spirit Academy!"

"Wizard society is in danger! The power of the Dark Lord penetrates Akares, and the truth about the fall of Nivahban is exposed!"

"The Lord of the Abyss appears in Akares! The wizarding world should take countermeasures immediately!"

Various posters, magic phantom projections, magic broadcasts and other equipment continuously broadcast the threat theory of the Dark Lord twenty-eight hours a day.

The Kailasel family uses the powerful magic network resources to control almost every spellcaster's information dissemination channel.

The family's explanation of the "natural theory of magic" is scrolling on the magic projection screens in the college lecture hall and on the streets of the city.

The family spokesman wore a neat black robe, looked solemn and solemn, and said almost in a preacher's tone:

"The stability of the magic network comes from the 'sacred duty' of each of our spellcasters. Everyone's magic contribution is like the breath of this world. It is a natural flow guided by the laws of magic and is a manifestation of balance. Question this balance

Those who do are all traitors!"

The family uses authoritative spellcasters and high-level scholars to instill the concept of "magical naturalism" into the entire city through public lectures.

The delicate magic light curtain plays the phantom of ancient magic balance, showing the mysterious and profound "way of balance", they said:

"The construction of the Magic Network has its own mysterious origin. Every flow of magical energy is the result of natural selection. It is not controlled by anyone or manipulated by any individual."

Although the words of the Kailasher family are high-sounding, they cannot conceal the authoritarian posture behind them.

Rumors of an "academic blacklist" gradually spread in the city. Scholars who supported the node independence theory were deprived of their right to speak, their academic qualifications were forcibly revoked, and they were no longer even able to attend any academic activities.

These scholars were expelled from wizard colleges and major academic institutions, and the names on the blacklist were like brands, becoming invisible shackles to them.

News of the family's secret pressure spread in the streets. The academy closed down all research groups related to the node theory, directly fired many scholars, and their research materials were forcibly confiscated. The family's authority enveloped the entire academic world like a dark tide.

boundary.

In order to consolidate control, the family began to frequently use the word "traitor" to describe those spellcasters who supported the Node Theory.

In public statements and secret documents, scholars who support the liberation theory are labeled as "destroyers of the magical order," thereby implying the threat they pose to society. In the streets and alleys, people warn each other not to contact "traitors" if they

Anyone found to support the node independence theory will be severely punished by the family.

In this trial-like oppression, the Kailasel family did not stop at warning.

For some key supporters of the node theory, the family directly dispatched agents to monitor their every move and even threatened them.

Their daily lives were completely disrupted, their families were harassed, and strange shadows even appeared at the door from time to time at night, which was chilling.

Those scholars who were on the sidelines became the targets of the family. Lobbyists came with generous research funds and resources, trying to use their interests to keep these people silent. They promised that as long as they gave up questioning the family, they would be able to gain academic

preferential treatment.

At the same time, the family and the academy jointly imposed professional penalties against all scholars who held "radical" ideas.

They are restricted from publishing papers, cannot enter any public academic venues, and their names are deliberately excluded from the invitation list for every conference.

The theories of scholars were suppressed, research results were sealed, and all voices were forcibly silenced, turning into countless dusty scrolls that silently piled up in the shadow of Arcadian City.

*

*

At this moment, in the meeting hall of Serpentis College, an oppressive silence enveloped the air.

On the main seat in the center of the hall, Alex Kellasel, the guardian of the Crystal Wall Council, and Alfred Kellasel, the current head of the Kellasel family, sat side by side, with unconcealable anger in their expressions.

and uneasiness.

The two people had gloomy expressions and their eyes were locked in front of them, as if invisible pressure was gradually eroding their majesty.

Under them, the teachers of Serpentis College and the backbone of the Kelasel family lined up, watching the family head quietly.

The professors lowered their eyes, not daring to face the majesty of the chair.

In the queue, the old craftsman Satis Elosak remained silent, his eyes passing over his colleagues beside him. His eyes were as calm as an ancient well, but there was a hint of calm observation hidden in them.

Bang--

In this silence, the head of the Kailasel family slammed the table, and the sound exploded in the meeting hall like thunder. Angry flames almost spewed out from his eyes. He roared, with a kind of difficulty in his voice.

Hidden out of control and angry:

"I don't understand why the wizarding world is now talking about the coming of the Lord of the Abyss! It seems that the poisonous swamp and poisonous fog of Akares are destined to become the place of doom for our Kailasel family!"

He stood up suddenly and scanned everyone in the hall with sharp eyes, trying to find some answer on these faces.

"Remember? Four hundred and fifty years ago, the blood of our Kailasel family established this Serpentis Academy to carry forward the inheritance of snake spirit magic! At the seat of the Wizards' Federation, on the 100th floor

Above the world. Every inch of the Naga Ring was once under the control of our family. The glory of our wizarding world hangs high in the sky, and the glory of the Naga Ring will always be connected to us."

The master's tone suddenly became low, his voice was like suppressed thunder, carrying a majestic lament.

"At that time, our wizards were high-spirited, the family's talismans shone in the light, and faith gathered at our feet like a tide. The wizards all voluntarily loyal to the power of the family, and their loyalty was as solid as rock. The grand scene at that time was like heaven and earth.

It's all in our hands, that unparalleled glory... just like yesterday."

"However, today, just a declaration has turned this poisonous swamp that we have sheltered for generations into our nightmare! The shadow of the abyss is gradually penetrating. The night shadow snake spirits, those creatures who have served us, shrink and flee, even

Even the cages of Nawahban tremble before his power."

"Those rebels who were once suppressed by us have now escaped because of him, and we, the Kailasel family, the pillars of the Wizards' Federation, are forced to feel fear and uneasiness in our own land!"

"Is our Kailasel family, this once omnipresent and controlling wizard family, really going to decline on this land? Just because of a declaration? Just because of the shadow of an abyss lord?!"

The silence in the hall became even more oppressive, as if even the air was condensed by the anger.

Under the owner's fury, there was silence in the hall.

No one wanted to touch this sharp and angry thorn. Everyone held their breath and considered their own positions in their hearts.

Only the guardian of the Snake Spirit Crystal Wall Council and one of the seven elders is not afraid of the majesty of the family master.

I saw him standing up slowly, the golden snake pattern on his red robe flashing slightly against the firelight, his eyes as cold as ice, scanning everyone present.

"There are traitors among us."

The guardian's voice was low and filled with a biting chill.

The moment the words fell, everyone's faces turned pale and gloomy, and the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Alex continued, his voice like a sharp blade cutting into everyone's heart:

"The secret order of Serpentis Academy was leaked and fell into the hands of the Dark Lord. That person also assisted the Dark Lord in kidnapping and brutally killing a member of my Kailasel family - Damian.

Kailasel. By the time we found him, his blood had long been drained, leaving only a broken body, which was too miserable to look at."

A wisp of cold wind penetrated the hall, and a suffocating sense of oppression quickly spread among everyone.

The guardian's eyes stayed on the professors, and he raised his wand coldly:

"The traitor is among you, there is no doubt about it."

His action of taking out his wand was full of chilling intent. The professors around him finally couldn't bear it any longer. They looked at each other and put their hands on their chests, touching their own wands, and their whole bodies tensed up on guard.

The backbone of the family did not hesitate, and directly took out their wands and pointed them at the professors, with undisguised vigilance and hostility in their eyes.

The professors' faces were ashen as they realized that the situation before them was completely beyond their expectations - this was not an emergency meeting on how to deal with the Dark Lord, but a carefully arranged Hongmen Banquet.

The mentors of the Poison Fang Sect and the Mysterious Scales Sect looked gloomy, and the positions and dignity of the representatives of both parties were challenged - the former represented the academic class of the wizarding world, and the latter represented the civilian wizarding class.

Adrian Finn, the mentor of the mysterious scale sect, looked at the guardian coldly, his eyes like daggers, and his tone was uncompromising:

"Are you, Kailasel, planning to trap us here today?"

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice cold and indifferent:

"We're just making sure there's no hiding place for the traitors."

Adrian sneered, his tone full of sarcasm: "If you want to accuse us, why bother? I don't think you are going to let us leave today, right? But you know that doing something to us means

What."

At this time, Alfred, the head of the family, glanced at the guardian coldly, and said in an unhurried voice with a hint of dissatisfaction:

"Enough is enough. We are not in the trial court. It is unwise to accuse anyone without conclusive evidence."

Although his tone was light, the majesty in it still made the guardian lower his head slightly.

Alfred, the head of the family, immediately faced the professors, with a gentle look on his face, and his voice slowed down, as if he said in an elder-like tone:
To be continued...