When Jack left the palace, it was close to the evening. Before leaving, Jack asked Jeanny if he had heard anything from Grace. She replied that she hadn't heard from Grace since she left with Jack for the Republic of Palgrost. Jack felt worried hearing that. He had also asked Tip when he was at Heavenly Citadel, Tip also hadn't heard any news.
Jeanny noticed Jack's worry and said that she would put the notice for members to pay attention to Grace if they saw her. Jack said to just keep it down for now. They needed to focus on this war at the moment. She was a big girl. She could take care of herself. He would go look for her once this war was over.
Jack informed John and Jeanny about Paytowin and the items that Callan had granted their guild. John sent Tip an instruction to have the blacksmiths focused on crafting the Brave Golems, while Jeanny sent messages to some capable members to form a group to start raiding the Ancient Battleground legacy. She also sent them instructions on how to properly gain the points in that legacy dungeon. Since the guild now had a guaranteed steady source of mana cores, she won't be saving the mana cores in her hand anymore. She would use them all to copy items that could strengthen the core members for the coming war.
Jack gave Jeanny the Mana Gathering Stone and asked if she could copy it. This was the only item from Callan's gift that was worth copying. They only need one for the other two. Getting another one Brave Golem blueprint or Ancient Battleground Legacy won't make a difference for their guild.
When Jeanny used her divine skill to try copying the stone, she was startled to find the number of mana cores needed.
"How many mana cores?" Jack asked.
"One… One hundred thousand…," Jeanny answered.
The two were speechless. Even collecting two thousand six hundred mana cores to copy Domon's King of Beast bloodline, which was a super rare grade, already took a long time. Even with the help from Ancient Battleground, the two could still not imagine how long before they could get the amount to copy this legendary item.
"So… Do you want to wait until we get enough mana core to copy this item?" Jeanny asked.
"No. I'm going to use it now for the Time Chamber. I have a need for it. Never mind then, no need to copy this item," Jack said.
Jack then sent a message informing Domon of the enhanced Time Chamber. Once the war was over, Domon could organize core members with the best affinity in mana sense to use the chamber. With the enhanced mana environment inside the chamber, these members should improve faster.
Jack left the noble district and headed to the Order of Magi's hut. Janus, as usual, was sitting behind his desk in the empty white room.
"Mister Storm Wind, you finally grace us with your presence," Janus greeted. "Allow me to express the congratulations on winning the civil war."
"Thanks, mate. But you should have heard by now that another war is coming. Any aid you can provide us this time?"
"Forgive me, Mister Storm Wind. We are an impartial organization. We stay out of conflicts between nations."
"Um… Not even something under the table?" Jack whispered.
Janus whispered back, despite no one there to eavesdrop on them, "Last time it is to punish the side who had harmed our benefactor. This time, we don't have such an excuse. Both Verremor and Themisphere treated us with equal respect. We can't play favorites here."
Jack shrugged. Worth a try, he thought. He then said, "I got the Eye of Illios."
"You do? Already? Are you certain?"
"The heck… Dude. Why do you sound like that is so hard to believe? Did you give me the quest with the belief that I can't complete it?"
"Haha, please forgive me, Mister Storm Wind. Don't be offended. I just didn't expect you to complete it so early. At least, I thought you will only bring us the news of its whereabouts and not the eye itself. Wait… You do mean you have the Eye of Illios and not just its whereabouts, right…?"
Jack felt annoyed by Janus' skepticism. He took out the glass cube that contained the Eye of Illios.
"By the Gods! You truly have it," Janus exclaimed.
"Here," Jack shoved the cube to Janus.
"Impressive, you are not even tempted to keep the legendary artifact to yourself?"
"If you change your mind about your faction hunting me all over the world for keeping it, then I might."
Janus chuckled. "I like you, Mister Storm Wind. You can bring the eye inside and hand it to my associate." The void door that usually took him to the challenge plaza appeared at the end of the room.
"By associate, I assume you mean another you," Jack said and walk to the door.
"Hold, Mister Storm Wind. Do you forget something?" Janus called before Jack stepped into the void door.
Jack was lost for a second but then realized what Janus was referring to. "You people and your rule, even when you already know it's me…" Jack muttered and changed into Unrivalled Arcaner.
"Hey, your class…?" Janus spoke after Jack's transformation, but Jack didn't notice it. He had walked into the void door.
Jack came out of the door finding himself in a different place than the previous times he stepped through the void door. It was an empty hall with dark walls and little lighting. He sensed someone on his right. He turned and found another Janus staring at him, from up close.
"Holy jeez…!" He jumped away from the consternation. "Dude! Do you have to stand so close?"
"Your Archmage class… It has been upgraded," This Janus said.
"My class…? Yes, I have gotten an awesome special class," Jack said proudly.
"You don't say. Where did you get this Time Sage class?"
"So, you know about this class?" Jack then remembered Greed's words. Greed had indicated that Majus, the previous Time Sage, was the one who had founded the Order of Magi.
He asked Janus, "Is it true the one who built your faction is named Majus?"
Janus looked at Jack with a complicated expression. "Did Majus tell you that?"
'Not exactly,' Jack said in his mind. He wondered if he should tell Janus that it was the God of Greed who gave him this information.
"Well, I guess since you get his class, you should know him as well. So, how is he?" Janus asked.
"I only met his lingering spirit, who told me his real self is no longer alive," Jack answered.
"That's not strange. Even though he held dominion over time, he is not immortal. I'm surprised he let you have his class. He was rather picky about whom to inherit it."
"Really?" Jack thought about how the ghostly Majus was grumbling that Jack had to pass the trial or no one else could take the trial anymore. Jack figured at that point anyone would have been fine.
"Yeah, to tell you the truth. I'm still bitter that he didn't pass that class to me," Janus said.
"Oh? Uh… um… Sorry to hear that… So, are we still good…?" Jack asked.
"I'm not that petty," Janus said and clapped Jack's shoulder. "Maybe in my younger days, I would have blown you to bits when I learned of this, but I've grown past that. I'm glad you are the one who carries his mantle. Come!"
Janus gestured for Jack to follow him.
"And to answer your question. Yes, Majus was the one who built this faction. And he was also my mentor. He left me in charge of this place when he got bored of it. An eccentric man that mentor of mine."
'Tell me about it,' Jack said in his mind.
They passed a pedestal and went to a hallway that connected that dark hall.
"I originally wanted to ask you to place the Eye of Illios there," Janus said and pointed at the pedestal they have just passed. "But after finding out about your Time Sage class. I'm interested in meeting you directly."
"Oh…? Do you mean…"
"You asked me before if you ever met my true self, right? You are about to."
They walked past a series of dark corridors. Jack wondered why the glum atmosphere. It was also so lonely. They didn't encounter anyone else in this place. As they were walking, Janus suddenly made a turn onto a fenced wall. He cast a five-runes spell and his body turned intangible, making him look as if an apparition. He then walked past the fence as if air. He turned tangible again after crossing.
"… You know I can't do that, right?" Jack uttered.
Janus chuckled. "There is an opening further down there."
Jack walked around the fence wall and entered through the opening Janus mentioned.
"Show off," he said after reuniting with Janus again.
"The spell is called Ghost Form," Peniel informed. "You can pass through anything while in the form. You also can't be attacked. But at the same time, you also can't attack, use other skills or use any item while the spell is active."
"That is an accurate description," Janus confirmed. He then asked Jack, "What do you think of the spell?"
"I think it is a useful spell. Not only to pass through obstacles but it can also be used if you want to hide from a powerfully destructive spell."
"Then you like it?"
"Why does it matter if I like it? Hey! Are you offering me that spell?" Jack asked.
"It will be one of the rewards for delivering us that Eye of Illios," Janus replied.
"Cool! But I will still get the knowledge points you promised me, right?"
"Don't worry," Janus said.
They came out into another large hall but with an equally dark and glum ambiance. A figure stood at the center of the hall with his back to them. Even from the back, Jack could tell that this was another Janus, but with some notable difference. This one's posture was taller. His long purple hair also carried some traces of white.
When Jack turned to ask the Janus who accompanied him if the one standing there was his real self, he found out that Janus had vanished.
The person at the center turned around and faced Jack. The face was indeed the Janus he knew, only a bit older. This Janus could be said to be between the young ones who usually received him when he came to this faction and the old one who watched over the Mage Academy.
