Since their objectives were different, Aoko and the veteran Gaius's team did not set out together—Gaius arrived in Caelid ahead of them.
By the time Aoko and Sellen reached Caelid, this land of Scarlet Rot had already been ravaged multiple times by various forces. All around, they could see the remains of slain mutated dogs, mutated birds, and corrupted spawns.
"So this is the power of Scarlet Rot...?" Sellen scanned the mushroom-infested surroundings, frowning. "It's terrifying."
"Even though your body is an enhanced version made by Touko, Scarlet Rot isn't just some ordinary disease." Aoko handed Sellen an N95 mask and put one on herself. "To avoid unnecessary trouble, we should be cautious."
On the surface, Scarlet Rot appeared to spread like a fungal infection, as evidenced by the mushrooms growing everywhere. However, since it was a supernatural force spread by an Outer God, it was hard to say whether there were any Warp-like elements involved. In a way, wearing a mask was more of a psychological comfort for Aoko. If she were to get infected, she would immediately activate the Fifth Magic to throw this entire timeline to the end of time and resolve the issue.
As a sorceress, Sellene naturally understood what Aoko meant. She obediently put on the unfamiliar yet well-crafted protective gear and then flew alongside Aoko through Caelid's skies, riding on the currents of Aoko's Soaring Wind Realm.
Their first destination was not the prison where Lusat was held but rather the magic town of Sellia.
Sellia held a unique status among the Glintstone sorcerers of the Lands Between. In a sense, the Sellians were a transitional group between the Nox and the Carian scholars.
That is to say, among the Nox people who fled from their destroyed Eternal Cities to the surface in order to survive and continue their magical research, some first founded Sellia. Then, those who wished to abandon tradition even further continued northward and established the Carian Kingdom.
The sorcerers of Sellia retained the secretive aspects of the Eternal Cities' magic while also incorporating some of the new findings from the Carian Royal Academy. This fusion led to the development of a unique Night Shard sorcery system, making them the assassins among the Glintstone sorcerers.
Although the sorcerers of the Carian Royal Academy did not entirely approve of the conservative research philosophy of the Sellian sorcerers, they still maintained contact as kin of the same magical lineage. This was why the Primeval Sorcerer Lusat, after being exiled by the rebellious faction, was imprisoned in a dungeon in the northeastern part of Sellia.
Now, however, the town of Sellia had long since been ravaged by the Shattering War. The ruins were haunted by the ghosts of Sellia's former sorcerers.
Although these spirits could still cast some Glintstone sorceries, they were no match for mages of Aoko and Sellen's caliber. Aoko simply waved her Scarlet Staff and summoned an Ancient Darkness sphere beside her, rendering her completely immune to all projectile Glintstone sorceries used by the Sellian spirits. The entire clearing process felt as easy as a school field trip.
Sellen was quite intrigued by Aoko's Glintstone magic and asked if she could learn it. Aoko, being generous, happily explained the principles of Ancient Darkness while they continued purging the ghosts of Sellia.
Although the impromptu lesson was not exactly rigorous, after an hour, Sellen had gained a decent understanding of the spell. With some practice in her academy's research lab, she would likely be able to master and use it herself.
Using memories from her past life and cross-referencing them with the real Sellia, Aoko spent some time locating all the town's magical mechanisms—four enchanted braziers.
Once all four braziers were fully lit, the sealed treasure chamber hidden within Sellia would unlock. Unlike in the game, where the sealed rooms were marked openly, the real Sellia's buildings were accessible, and the treasure chamber was naturally hidden inside one of them. Aoko and Sellen eventually found it in the basement of a structure using detection magic.
Inside the treasure chamber were various Sellian magic scrolls and books. Naturally, Aoko and Sellen took them all without hesitation. After all, the Sellians were all dead—having their Carian relatives inherit their legacy was only logical.
Beyond these valuable magical texts (Aoko even found a spell she hadn't known before—Night Witch's Mist), the most precious item in the chamber was a staff.
However, this staff did not originally belong to the Sellians. It had been taken from Lusat when the Carian Academy's traitors delivered him to Sellia. This was none other than the Lusat's Glintstone Staff, a powerful casting instrument.
This staff was among the best in terms of sorcery amplification, with a special effect that increased both FP consumption and spell power. Its segmented design resembled the Elder Wand from Harry Potter, and its head featured a massive, deep-blue, perfectly formed Glintstone crystal, directly embedded into the wooden staff.
This Glintstone staff had accompanied the Primeval Sorcerer Lusat through countless years. However, after his exile—and following his transformation into a crystalline being due to his deep connection with the Primeval Current—it was taken by the Sellian sorcerers and hidden in this treasure chamber. Now, it had fallen into Aoko and Sellen's hands.
After trying it out, Sellen shook her head—she found it unsuitable for her since it consumed far too much FP. Her Glintstone staff, which she had personally selected, adjusted, and customized, was much better for her needs.
Aoko herself already possessed the Scarlet Staff and the World Tree Staff gifted to her by Arcueid, so wielding this staff would be redundant. Thus, she decided to keep it for Touko. As a user of the Third Magic, Touko could completely ignore FP consumption, meaning Lusat's Glintstone Staff had no drawbacks for her.
Having looted everything of value from Sellia, Aoko recalled that a certain building contained a portal leading to the Eternal City, guarded by two Nox people. However, she saw no need to fight them, so she simply grabbed Sellen and took off again, heading northeast toward the hidden dungeon where the unfortunate Lusat was imprisoned. That was their true objective.