# Chapter 4: Escape
On the eastern side of the Royal Capital's Sub-County, an imposing building stood tall. This was the cathedral, but not one devoted to any deity. The beliefs of this world were strange—they believed in spell formulas, similar to how one might believe in fire or the sky.
Having faith made governance easier. Believing in gods always led to various problems, and if things went wrong, divine authority could surpass royal authority. Believing in spell formulas was different. Could spell formulas be considered dead objects? As long as one could draw them, they would respond to everyone—this was a miracle power that truly existed.
On the third floor of the cathedral, a room of several dozen square meters was quiet. White curtains swayed in the breeze, clean and fresh.
Sunlight streamed in. Two single beds were placed in the room, with several soldiers standing guard outside the door.
Mage Apprentice Pepeini sat bored against the headboard, a blanket covering her lower body. After treatment with spell formulas, her injuries had mostly healed. She was very 'lucky' because her heart was on the right side—a fatal blow had been avoided due to her congenital advantage.
"According to how stories begin, I should next receive a power inheritance, then bear responsibility, defeat the war demon, and become the heroine who saves the Dragon Continent! If I could also encounter a few handsome young imperial officers, that would be perfect, hehehehe. No no, one is enough, I can't be unfaithful."
Pepeini's gaze gradually went distant, and the smile on her face grew increasingly silly.
"Water."
A weak voice came. Pepeini snapped out of her fantasy. Just as she was about to get out of bed, she pulled at her chest wound, the pain nearly making her cry.
Aside from this time, the worst injury she had ever suffered growing up was falling on the street. As a young child, she had knocked out one of her front teeth. Fortunately, she was young then, and it grew back later.
Pepeini took several deep breaths before the pain in her chest subsided. The effects of the spell formula hadn't worn off yet. She came to her mentor's bedside, poured a glass of water, and handed it forward.
Of course, Su Xiao hadn't lost consciousness. Suppressing his own regenerative ability had consumed nearly all his mental energy. Fortunately, a few minutes ago, a mage had helped treat him.
The mages of this world were different from Spellcasters and Mage Lords. Spellcasters and Mage Lords were combat types—every one of them was a walking area-of-effect weapon.
But the mages of this world were basically scholars. They mainly studied spell formulas, inscribing them on objects or human bodies. As for their own bodies, aside from healing spell formulas and life spell formulas, other types were difficult for them to bear.
Only a warrior's powerful body could withstand combat-type spell formulas. Some overly powerful spell formulas couldn't even be inscribed on human bodies. For example, the Charge Spell Formula could only be inscribed on armor—the human body could hardly bear it.
Spell formulas were not the source of supernatural power; they were more like a way to use supernatural force.
According to investigations by the Doyin Kingdom, all citizens were born with supernatural constitutions. Age two was a critical point. Those with talent would have more and more supernatural power within them after age two. Conversely, those without would lose their supernatural power and become ordinary people. This type accounted for about 90% of the population.
Supernatural power would nourish the body, peaking at age twenty. But subsequent training, techniques, resources, etc., were also crucial, determining one's upper limit.
While 10% supernatural beings might not seem like many, if this was 10% of the entire national population, it was terrifying. At the very least, these people with supernatural constitutions could become basic soldiers when they grew up.
Moreover, among this 10%, there would be those with exceptional talent. Combined with the assistance of spell formulas, their combat power could be imagined.
Therefore, spell formulas were not the source of power—they were the way to draw out power. Each person's core spell formula determined their combat style and could even affect their personality.
Su Xiao felt that this world's supernatural power system wasn't complicated. The reason was the world's characteristics. The supernatural power here was very gentle, unlike the Gloomy Continent world, where the supernatural power was constantly dark in nature, accompanied by erosion, loss of control, heaviness, gloom, etc.
Sitting up and leaning against the headboard, Su Xiao took the glass of water Pepeini handed him. The glass transparency was above average, slightly cloudy, reflecting this world's industrial level.
"Pepeini, we need to leave the Royal Capital's Sub-County immediately."
After drinking a few mouthfuls of water, Su Xiao's complexion recovered somewhat.
"Shh! Mentor, what are you saying?"
Pepeini was terrified. There were guards outside the door. She wasn't stupid—of course she knew they couldn't talk about this now.
"Don't worry. The sleep spell formula has taken effect."
Su Xiao was calculating time in his mind. He had used an item earlier, [Alien Embryo (Epic Rank)]. The quickly hatched alien had burrowed underground, creating traces along the way to buy time.
Until that alien was found, the garrison troops in the Royal Capital's Sub-County were unlikely to focus on his disguised identity. Just now, he had been sensed over a dozen times, but fortunately, the [Primordial Mask]'s blood-guided disguise was flawless.
"Mentor, why are we running?"
"If the war demon escapes, who do you think will take responsibility? The deceased soldier leader Jiaba, or Yifendi Jiduo'er?"
"This..."
Pepeini was speechless. Although she was young and not particularly brave, she wasn't stupid either.
"Mentor, what do we do? We didn't do anything."
As Pepeini spoke, her voice carried a crying tone. She had been caught in the crossfire—and it was a headshot.
"The Royal Capital isn't far from the Sub-County. We'll go to the Royal Capital."
"Go to the Royal Capital? Isn't that walking right into the trap?"
"We'll report everything we saw to the Imperial Royal Family. I have connections in this area. As long as we spend some money, we can meet with royal family members. Then no one can easily frame us. At worst, we'll be charged with fleeing, but at least we won't die."
Su Xiao's words set Pepeini's brain racing. When she imagined herself being wrongfully executed, she nodded firmly.
"Mentor, how do we escape?"
Pepeini was very confused, not knowing how to get away. Over a thousand soldiers were stationed around the cathedral, and there wouldn't be fewer inside. This was also why Pepeini believed Su Xiao—they were completely surrounded.
Without alerting these soldiers, escaping through the front door was basically impossible. Fortunately, Su Xiao had prepared in advance. He only needed time—at most half a minute.
Su Xiao tightened the Realm Severing Thread, confirming that the sleeping soldiers at the door were still standing straight. He fixed the Realm Severing Thread to the ground with a nail, then took out several items from his bosom and began drawing an array diagram on the floor.
With Su Xiao's level of Alchemy, he could certainly draw a spatial array diagram. The only problem was that his spatial array diagram was learned from the Succubus Lilim.
Those two sisters—the younger Lilisi was a combat-type demon, while the older sister Succubus Lilim knew a bit of everything.
Succubus Lilim's spatial array diagram skill, in her own words, was something she would never use unless absolutely necessary. The feeling of entering a 'washing machine' was terrible.
Soon, Su Xiao finished drawing the spatial array diagram on the floor. Pepeini beside him looked confused, unsure what this was.
"Step on it."
"Is it... really okay?"
Pepeini inexplicably took half a step back.
"You need to trust your mentor."
"Alright... fine."
Pepeini reluctantly stepped onto the array diagram. This time, Su Xiao stepped back a few paces to avoid getting blood splattered on him if the array failed.
Su Xiao consumed one Soul Crystal (Complete), and the long-distance random teleportation array diagram activated. With a hum, spatial fluctuations emerged.
"Mentor, I feel like something's very wrong."
Before Pepeini's words faded, Su Xiao had already leaped onto the array diagram. As long as there were no problems when it started, there wouldn't be too much trouble.
Zzzt~
The Realm Severing Thread retracted, and the guards outside the door fell over. At the same time, over a dozen soldiers rushed into the corridor—they had already sensed the intense fluctuations.
With a thud, the spatial fluctuations contracted, even producing a dull sound. This showed how unstable the array diagram was. It wasn't that the diagram was poorly drawn, but that the person who taught Su Xiao spatial array diagrams was unreliable in spatial studies herself.
Plop, plop~
Two splashing sounds came. In a small stream within a wilderness, Pepeini, looking like a drowned rat, knelt on the ground. With a retching sound, she vomited most of her breakfast.
"Mentor, I feel like I'm dying. The world is spinning."
Pepeini wiped the corner of her mouth and looked toward Su Xiao. Suddenly, her entire body froze, her contracted pupils trembling.
Su Xiao glanced at the distant Royal Capital's Sub-County, then removed the Primordial Mask from his face. A thin mist dispersed over his body surface, and his appearance and clothing quickly returned to normal.
"Pepeini, can you tell me now which direction Chimney Mountain is?"
Su Xiao crouched in front of Pepeini, placing one hand on her head, a smile on his face as he looked at her. The smile on his face was very kind.