I made up magic and taught a world-destroying witch?

Chapter 98 The Investigation Begins with Overtime

Joseph followed Evelyn to the side for a while. The people on the main pontoon bridge were still busy dealing with the remaining scale insects. The patrol team swept the broken shells back onto the mudflats one by one, and the people from the White Dove Church carried the bitten patrolman to the shore.

Joseph withdrew his light and walked with Evelyn behind a pile of old fishing nets. They weren't too far from the crowd; if anything happened, they could shout and be heard, without letting anyone nearby overhear their conversation.

Evelyn said softly, "Professor, that black line looks a lot like what's down in the well."

"I noticed that too."

It's not just similar; the way they appear is almost identical. They both hide in places they shouldn't, and start absorbing light once they get close to magic.

The only difference is that last time it burrowed under an abandoned teleportation well, but this time it directly lived inside the insect's body.

"The church previously thought those things might just be unusual remnants left over from old magic," Evelyn said. "But after returning from the well, the church revisited some previously sealed records."

We fear that someone is trying to reawaken a dormant god.

Joseph: "—Can gods be reawakened?"

"Nowadays, few people believe that gods still truly walk in this world. But in the records left from the old times, gods were not just names in prayers; they once descended here and stayed to respond to believers."

However, as magic has declined, the responses from the gods have become increasingly rare. Now, most churches' prayers only receive blessings left over from the old era.

Joseph roughly understood. In short, those gods might have actually existed in the past and would reply to their followers. But later, whether it was due to a lack of magic or the gods collectively becoming unwilling to work, most of them hadn't replied to messages for a long time.

But the old equipment, whose continued use is uncertain, is still operating slowly in the same way. This situation is like a factory that has been closed for many years; the workers and the boss are long gone, but the machines in the underground warehouse are still running with the power on.

If no one touches it normally, that's fine, but if someone suddenly runs in and restarts the core that has been sealed for who knows how many years, nobody knows what will happen in the end.

"In the days when the Old Gods still roamed the world, that reef outside Raventide Bay was called the dwelling place of the Sea God," Evelyn said, looking at the Sea Eye Lighthouse in the distance. "Morvis was once regarded by the locals as the god of tides and returning ships. The earliest fishermen believed that it would carry away those who sank into the deep sea and bring lost ships back to shore."

"And then?"

"Later, there was a Kuroshio Current, during which many ships went missing and human sacrifices were carried out along the coast. Believers began to believe that if enough lives were sent into the sea, Morvis would open his eyes again and make the Kuroshio Current recede."

"The church eventually destroyed that group of temples and removed it from the list of deities that could be publicly worshipped."

Joseph thought this development was perfectly reasonable; once a god starts demanding human sacrifices, it has essentially transitioned from a tourist attraction into a dangerous zone.

What is the connection between the Sea Eye Lighthouse and this?

After a while, Evelyn said, "After the temple was destroyed, the church sealed the old throne below." Evelyn continued, "Later, when Raven Tide Bay was expanded, the Chamber of Commerce needed a lighthouse and a tide observation point, and the Royal Academy also wanted to use the remaining sea eye crystals there. Finally, the current Sea Eye Lighthouse was rebuilt on the old ruins."

Joseph: "————" What did Academician Wade say back then?

The observation tower, a remnant from the old era, was renovated after its magic faded. The sea-eye crystal can amplify subtle changes in the surrounding environment. However, it was never mentioned that this so-called observation tower was actually the ancestral home of a god whose name had been removed from the church's records.

When those old guys at the academy provide mission information, do they all like to omit the most important things to trick people?

"So you suspect the black line is related to that tower."

"It's just a suspicion," Evelyn said. "If someone is really performing a resurrection ritual, that tower is likely to be the most important part of it."

Some rituals don't actually need to resurrect a god; simply reviving a lingering will, power, or something regarded as a god is enough to cause disaster.

Joseph: "————"

He just wanted to bring two students out for an internship and add some seemingly impressive content to the association's report. How did his scope of work suddenly expand to include deities after he killed a few insects?

"Therefore, I would like to request that you allow me to accompany the knights of the White Dove Church when I formally enter the Lighthouse for investigation."

Joseph: "————"

To be honest, what he wanted to do most right now was to go back to the floating inn, get some sleep, take a carriage back to the academy tomorrow, and then pretend that he had never known about this mess of the resurrection of the evil god.

Unfortunately, the black thread inside the wooden crate continues to prove that even if he doesn't actively investigate, this matter will most likely come knocking on his door eventually. Since he can't avoid it, it's best to find a few more people who know what the black thread is and are strong enough to work with him.

People from the White Dove Church would certainly be suitable, but it seems that just having church people isn't enough. Joseph suddenly remembered Professor Maurice Brewster, who had just performed a great service at Raven Tide Bay.

Isn't this the perfect candidate? Most importantly, Brewster himself volunteered to learn the new magic.

How can learning new magic be limited to writing reports and listening to theories in the academy? Of course, it should start with the most basic off-campus practice, such as participating in the investigation of the resurrection of the Old Gods.

Joseph thought about it more and more and it seemed reasonable.

"Okay," Joseph said, "but we need to rest first."

Going directly to the lighthouse to investigate now is not much different from a few people holding plates and queuing up to deliver midnight snacks to the Old Gods.

"We'll rest for a day and then go the day after tomorrow," Joseph said.

Evelyn nodded gently: "Okay."

Just then, Mia and Grace walked over from the other side of the old pontoon bridge, both of them looking visibly worried.

"Sir," Grace said, "are you alright?"

"It's nothing," Joseph said. "I was just discussing other things with Sister Evelyn."

Mia glanced at the wooden crate, then at Evelyn: "Is it because of those bugs?"

"More or less." Joseph wasn't prepared to tell them about the resurrection of the Old Gods, especially since it was just the Church's speculation and there was no need to reveal it before the investigation was complete, causing further trouble.

"That concludes this field trip," Joseph said. "You all go back to the hotel to rest and return to the college early tomorrow morning."

The day off starts the day after tomorrow.

Mia was taken aback.

"But sir, aren't you going to the Ocean Eye Lighthouse?"

Before Joseph could answer, Evelyn spoke softly from the side, "Miss Mia, Princess Grace, thank you both for helping to deal with the Tide Beetles today, and thank you for protecting the people on the pontoon bridge."

She still wore that gentle smile that left no room for criticism. "The professor has always valued both of you students, and naturally wouldn't want you to continue to take unnecessary risks at a time like this. Why don't you go back and get some rest, as the professor has suggested?"

Mia and Grace exchanged a glance.

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