''Qi.''

Kierra absentmindedly pulled out a strand of qi, weaving it into a rough star shape.

''To talk about its fundamentals... would be too long, so just think of it as the equivalent of mana in this world.''

As she observed the tower masters' expressions, Kierra thought about a question she had long considered—were citizens of Linoel able to feel qi like she was?

So far, the answer was ambiguous.

August could sense just a tiny bit of it, Diamante was the same, and Angelica had a small talent for cultivation. It made sense, considering that Angelica was a wizard who regularly handled mana as her main forte. Still, there were too few samples to definitively call it.

''Hoh... a new type of energy?'' White Tower's master exclaimed, eyes glued on the star. ''What are its properties? Does it relate to the divinity we're discussing?''

''I won't bother explaining for now, but it does relate. You need to master both qi and mana to reach true divinity.''

''What's the source?'' Green Tower's master inquired.

As an elf who lived for thousands of years, he knew better than to believe anything blindly. Of course, Kierra was a relatively trusted person, even if her temperament was that of a witch.

''Let me explain.''

This question was, of course, answered by Wen Zhuwei. She clearly stated her position within the realm, the power she held, and the origin of the knowledge itself.

It was convincing.

''Deites are vastly strong. If one stood before their presence, they could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer aura emitted. This is why we need your help, distinguished visitors.''

'''' ... ''''

Amidst the solemn atmosphere, where everybody had many thoughts to themselves, Kierra lightly interjected,

''Those guys are quite decent.'' She said. ''Probably stronger than anything our world has to offer, I believe.''

''Really?!''

''How strong?!''

The twins, who clearly seemed like battle maniacs, nearly jumped at Kierra, yet with dozens of hostile eyes behind the archwizard, their feet refused to move.

''You guys wouldn't be able to beat it.''

Meanwhile, a certain smirk was seen on Kierra's face. Everybody was familiar with this side of hers—it only appeared when she felt immense pride in something she did.

A glance at that smug expression.

A glance at the vial holding divinity.

'''' ... ''''

''Did you... meet god?'' White Tower's master cautiously questioned.

''No,'' Kierra replied. ''I beat it.''

Her grin widened, her eyes seductively squinted—Kierra was indeed being smug. Somewhat, the general mood of the wizards was that of acceptance.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

She was always like this, after all.

Still, they thought it was ridiculous.

''Beat what? The god? With what?''

In particular, White Tower's master was critical of Kierra's statement. Ever since he began his journey to become the number one wizard, he had always been compared to Kierra, who rose to fame around the time. Of course, despite his relentless effort, he couldn't quite make it.

'Inferiority, huh.'

Kierra couldn't understand this emotion very well... until recently. Like it or not, her eyes were opened the moment she saw a real deity descending. It was overwhelming, yet in the end, the very thing she trusted her entire life hadn't betrayed her. It was—

''Magic.''

Someone was about to refute.

However, upon witnessing the absoluteness in Kierra's eyes, the only thing that remained was silence.

In the end, the discussion continued for a while, and the wizards ultimately agreed to the other side's proposal. A large part of this was because they had already reached the end of their path, being top wizards in the entire continent of Linoel, meaning a potential breakthrough was more than valuable.

Wen Zhuwei herself nominated herself as a guide for these guests, leaving everybody else behind.

Not that anyone would like to follow, anyway.

''Now then, should we continue our training... oh.''

Only a step outside of the Heavenly Shura's manor, the White Lotus crew's attention was immediately brought to the portal, which was still open.

All of a sudden, a sense of suspension arose.

They had heard many stories of Linoel, the continent of progressive magical and technological wonders, yet knowing that they could reach that place within mere seconds of walking...

''I want to go home for a moment.''

With an unreadable smile, Kierra softly announced.

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

The infamous Crimson Tower was located not far from the imperial palace of the Lilienthal Empire.

Amidst the pitiful constructions that were forced to be built lower than the palace so as not to be seen as having intentions of surpassing the crown, it was the only one far taller than anything else in the area.

For many, it was an unmistakable landmark one could use to recognize the capital of the empire.

Today, too, traffic around the one-hundred-floor tower was crowded. In addition to its function as an educational institution, a library, and a defensive beacon, the Crimson Tower was also the manufacturer of mana supplies exclusively to the imperial army.

For many, it was their dream to explore the huge tower in its entirety, yet that remained a dream even hundreds of years after its construction.

The reason?

Well, the upmost five floors were living quarters of the tower master. A lab on the ninety-sixth, an indoor garden on the ninety-seventh, a gym on the ninety-eight, a personal library on the ninety-ninth, and a general living space on the highest floor.

The rooftop was reserved for when the archwizard felt like sunbathing, which, considering her porcelain white skin, wasn't too frequent.

Upon stepping through the portal, Kierra took a long second to observe her surroundings.

''...''

She breathed in the air, turned around, and gazed out the window.

Was it her imagination? The sky here was bluer than that of the Central Divine Realm. Nevertheless, it seemed as though the cells in her body were enjoying home's oxygen after a long, long time of absence.

At some point, August had stood beside Kierra, holding a nostalgic smile, one that was nearly identical to that of the archwizard. Both of them gazed down at the capital city of Lilienthal, an ember growing in their hearts.

''As expected, our home is still the best.'' The Sword Empress uttered.

''Au... did you manage to escape Valentine?''

''...''

''Go to work.''

So, after tossing her future wife out of the window, Kierra brushed a lock of her hair aside, letting the wind greet herself and the guests behind.

In half a moment, she turned around.

''Welcome, honored visitors from Central Divine Realm, the land of myths and heroism.''

Pristine black hair danced in the wind. Kierra extended her right hand just as an airship burst through the clouds afar, leaving behind a faint wave of mana that resonated in the air as it accelerated.

At that moment, the women from the Central Divine Realm finally faced reality.

''My name is Kierra Scarlett Aspenova, the one and only Crimson Acrhwizard, the absolute master of the Crimson Tower and the uncontested pinnacle of magic.''

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

''Fufu...''

'Those girls are really... impressionable.'

The corny introduction generated a massive wave of curiosity within her harem members, yet Kierra couldn't afford to guide them personally for now. One, she had to make sure her Tower was running properly after a few years, and two, she had a certain premonition.

knock—! knock—!

''Come in.''

''Excuse me.''

An ominous thought.

That thought proved to be almost prophetic since what the building manager brought in for report was a small mana stone...

One that held corrupt divinity.