Chapter 199: Building Blocks

Chapter 199: Building Blocks

Lily and Bran didn’t think about, nor did they bother to consider, what consequences their actions might have. The sister and brother strolled every day around the former Sitong Town, now Twinwing City.

Bran had originally planned to just give his sister a High Tower and then wash his hands of it. But when he mentioned the wide roads of Northland City, Lily couldn’t help but become interested. So, she dragged him around the town. As they wandered, new roads started to appear.

With roads, came the desire for buildings to match them. So, a brand-new building rose beside the road. After one, they wanted another. In this interplay where one gave orders and the other willingly complied, the siblings gradually rediscovered their past joy.

Lily made demands, Bran made them happen. In their flawlessly coordinated teamwork, the entire city became a toy, kneaded and reshaped.

Seeing how effortless Bran made it look, Lily felt puzzled. “How are you doing this?”

Bran grinned, wearing the look of someone who had been there, done that, “Practice makes perfect.”

“Tell the truth!” A crisp crack sounded as he got a slap upside the head.

“By borrowing the power of nature itself,” Bran shook his head. “Wizards are used to harnessing their own mana, creating effects like fire, water, ice, and so on. A Wizard with fire power, the flames he makes from thin air are just a manifestation of his mana. But if he could ignite a big fire, then he wouldn’t need to spend so much mana within the fire itself.”

Here, Bran started to look smug. “Many Wizards act this way. Wizards who control wind don’t think about how wind is made, they just use mana to mimic its form. But how much mana do they really hold? Projecting mana outward in the form of wind becomes a direct clash of magics. It works alright against weak opponents, but if they meet a strong one, it goes badly.

So what about a different way? Use mana slowly to push, then gradually expand the influence. If the method is right, the resulting effect can amplify many times over. And whether building or fighting, this approach avoids the most direct contact, conflict, and waste.”

Lily curled her lip, pretending disdain, “Cheapskate! Do you really care about that little bit of mana?”

“I’m not you,” Bran also curled his lip. “It doesn’t really matter now, but it wasn’t always like that. Some habits were formed back then and became instinct.”

As they spoke, the siblings looked at each other and smiled, unable to help remembering the time they lived together at the Mountain Villa. Both brother and sister seemed to forget there were still many things to do, absorbed only in playing happily, coming up with new ideas now and then.

…

Nicole directed people on behalf of her father, instructing them to move materials to designated spots. She watched the siblings from afar, her gaze filled with Reverence.

A few days prior, Nicole had sunk into sorrow and terror. Although it proved true later, what the young man said – that he merely wanted to kill fewer people – wasn’t just about whether he wanted or didn’t want to. Brave souls would always step forward, and others, unaware of the real situation, would follow. In these attempts and struggles, more people died.

The rebellion never reached any scale; any sign of one appeared only to be snuffed out before it could spread, with groups of people turning into blood mist to intimidate others. She knelt there, hoping only that there would be more such defiant people. However strange a Wizard’s abilities, the foundation supporting everything was still Mana. After killing so many, how long could his Mana hold out? But the awaited moment never came; his Mana seemed limitless.

As the unrest calmed, her heart sank into despair, because it meant she had become… a slave.

Like the indispensable, yet lowly craftworkers within her family. She wouldn’t be killed out of hand, but punishment could strike at any moment. Not because she was wrong or right, merely due to her master’s mood.

As a Noble, she had never cared much about slaves. It wasn’t that she didn’t care at all, but her care resembled counting coins: this one, that chest. When needed, or sometimes for amusement, outburst, she might casually scatter the coins. Only the gems and diamonds were kept carefully locked away.

But such treasures could also suffer the worst fate, constantly played with by their owners, always at risk of being dropped and shattered into pieces.

Death might have been a good choice, but she didn’t dare. The young man had made everyone understand that Death didn’t signify an end. So she resigned herself to her fate. Everyone around her resigned themselves to their fate, letting the young man take or demand whatever he wished.

A bright, vivacious girl arrived, becoming her new master. With the girl’s arrival, the gloomy aura hanging over the place started to fade, replaced by the feeling of Light. Though this Light carried a trace of deep red, a hint of sweet saltiness.

Within this Light, the young man began to revive. A heartbeat and breathing returned. His body took on the feel of flesh and blood. It was then she realized his smile was actually sunny and quite handsome.

Before her very eyes, a High Tower thrust upwards from the ground. A miracle! At that moment, she prostrated herself reverently. This was the power only a Deity could possess. Here and now, no one dared to stand, except for the girl… except for the young man. They chatted and laughed softly, critiquing their creation.

That night, a rumor reached her ears, saying they were Shadows, earthly manifestations of the Divine. Regarding this, she too felt profound belief. Being a servant of gods was not a disgrace but an honour.

In the following days, divine miracles occurred one after another. A brand-new city arose. No! It was the real-world microcosm of the Divine Kingdom. People began consecrating statues of these two, crude Divine Statues that came vividly to life as they were worshipped. People murmured it was the gods guiding their faithful.

And so, she began to participate in the devotion. In pious prayer, she felt her mood gradually lift, she felt liberated…

Feeling the pious kneeling of the people, Lily felt awkward. Bran, however, was much calmer about it. People needed something to hold onto. Having fallen to slavery, taking away their last shred of hope was too cruel.

Let them have it. There was nothing wrong with that. Bran decided to give things another nudge. As these people drifted into sleep, a few whispered sentences wouldn’t hurt: “The Northlanders are the emissaries of the Deity in this world.”

The Little Wizards from the Northlands, following Lily’s trail, finally arrived here. Their arrival forced the two to conclude their game before they were truly satisfied.

Bran watched the Little Wizards running from afar and sighed. “Let’s end it here.”

Little Bear blended into the group. From the moment he saw the mistress, he perked up noticeably. He nudged aside the cheerfully running Little Wizards in front of him, lunged towards Lily and rubbed her affectionately with his big head. He then pranced around flatteringly before Bran and Huahua. Finally, he spun around and let out an authoritative roar.

Seeing her brother look at her sideways, Lily blushed a little. She gave Little Bear a kick in the backside, which finally settled him down a bit.

The Little Wizards hadn’t expected Bran to be here too. Their cheers grew even louder. Bran smiled at them and then said quietly to his sister, “I’m leaving now.”

“Say something to them.”

Bran thought for a moment, then looked at the gathering of young Wizards. “I am going. Before I leave, I have a few words for you. You are strong. In a few years, you will become even stronger. You may even surpass me and my sister to become another Great Wizard.

But no matter how powerful you become, remember this – We are Northlanders first. Wizards second.”

With that, Bran nodded at his sister and rose to depart.

As Bran left decisively, Lily’s spirits sank. Bran had only wanted to show her he hadn’t lost control or gone mad, that everything was fine.

Yes, everything was fine. It was just… there was this feeling of reluctance.