Chapter 199
XjkgyuTraps set without a single breath to spare.BSLxL
rUr2But they didn’t seem made with the intent to kill every intruder.Pzy
xOnVLThey were trials.vytVJEW
KQCIThe complex magic circles were too intricate for Fernan and Aria to fully understand.zukA
wyI9dEven so, within the runes were notes indicating the direction to take.1ptEr
MUrwhAThey had to detect the non-functional circles to make their way through a never-ending corridor of traps.kFH53aG
F06“So here is where…”Zy2vgu
GXEjhf“Kyaaaah!”9U1
kiRz“I told you it was to the side.”oBKry
51amAria crashed into the ceiling from a gust of wind and returned with tears in her eyes.mGKx36B
dph“If you look closely, the runes here are different. This part…”7znB83
k82QyV6“I think I dislocated my shoulder… Let me take a potion first…”zpnVjKN
HeQ0YJi“Give me some gold coins.”vIIEk
C3mEbc“Ah, seriously, you’re doing this now?!”tk2
4TkaFkThe place felt like a classroom designed to train visiting priests.zc1vM
CCFThe problem was, here, learning meant risking your life.qCQYQxp
zISlFwoosh—d09
SiJFernan emerged from the flames, tossing aside a ruined defensive artifact.ebGE8m
2rpqy“…The pattern changed again. We have to analyze it from scratch. How many have we passed?”XVjm
AuznN“Thirty-two.”2B3E
4GfMTcc“And how far have we traveled?”9sngAC
ZrZ“About 3.2 kilometers.”yVxr
RiIH“Damn it.”232ZiR
Op4Traps appeared every hundred meters.M9kV
OEeyXAnd each one had to be studied individually, which took a lot of time.7pjTD
DVYTPd“If the priests of the Dragon God Cult discovered this place, they’d go insane.”gUB
dyarv39It was a paradise of magical knowledge.sye6
WFXVJFormations and theories never seen before were everywhere.oaO
KOUKrjLIf you wanted to survive, if you wanted to escape, you had to learn them by force.dkEY
3tqdThe ground turned swampy and trapped Fernan up to his waist.wpfxJE
dtKRumble—SmA5uNZ
ldPRock rose up, merged in an instant, and took the form of a dragon that fell upon him.9uG
75GFernan raised his staff. A wall burst forth to collide with the dragon.Dj3
48uAEihBut before the impact, the creature dissolved into sand and surrounded him.96cT9
hXNTh“Senior!”0tYc0rm
j45P3q“Kh…!”idWwKu
s23lThe sand bypassed the wall and became a rain of steel.SeFkU
RzxmSgNBoom— a thunderous noise, dust everywhere!IoGl
NLM2XWhen it cleared, a metallic sphere remained, dented but intact.AAv
w1ck0“Are you okay?”4n8pp
68t“No.”dNDk
JPE2Fernan emerged, a trickle of blood at his lips.jKQ4
wfTo“Damn it, using earth magic like that? What kind of formula was that?”MaeHxXr
ylKA7lIt wasn’t pre-designed but changed mid-execution. Just imagining it gave him a headache.axbrVGw
ObfTs“So that’s what the dragon meant… I thought it wouldn’t work because incompatible elements were mixed with the earth magic…”yqv4pMb
i9lp“Let’s analyze it again.”kgf
41tBN“According to the circle, the mana rises and twists like a spiral and that makes the air…”edGIW
bj16And so they continued.rWRC7
cdPSometimes they managed to decipher the circle and pass; other times, there was no choice but to endure it physically.DpQC
waYlyEach time, they were more impressed. Who could create such spells?X7JP
2QFOmUWSurely an Archmage, or someone even greater.YbFw
Zpd‘Maybe the same one who made the magic lamps—the first Pope?’lqTEr
cV7x89M‘Good thing Aria came with me.’50g5KPS
5W2c7LWithout her, they wouldn’t have made it halfway.ZDO5H1P
mDeIn the end, they passed the hundredth trap.imlD
5F4Two weeks had passed, camping in the tunnel, eating and sleeping there.8FHxCw
Ecz3“…Feels refreshing.”SjZ
YBsxoFernan stood up. The accumulated fatigue from so many battles was no longer healed by potions, but his mind was clear.uXp
cM9ANew knowledge filled his head.48nH8
UImTz“Senior, are you awake?”6chZv
l9ZR“Yes.”8kvFIUi
6z1rQ“They must be worried outside.”iFBd0
cVy“Of course.”6CHSDt
ECAzThey ate some bread and light soup.zcmi
Igf“Can we leave now?”emupaN
zEJYwq“If we beat what comes next.”wNL4dTA
5zjThey exchanged a solemn glance.XDNat
fghgnThey had reached the end of the tunnel.2Ccuh44
bm43But there stood a guardian, in front of a door engraved with a dragon.zUqBR
b4TPihA chimera, frozen in ice.R3c
HDcc4lrFernan had seen one before.Tvgs
sKjWlOnly by defeating it could they enter and exit.1Bo
82Q“Then I’ll awaken it.”KRXNhI
bGH“Yes.”HN3ir
o6f70GFernan poured holy water into the dragon’s mouth.dqPz
EolhPLBWooong—ciC
gXUvxUnlike at the entrance, here one bottle was enough.xqNB
g5T4eVThe ice quickly melted and Fernan stepped back.HPhhs
wxUGrrrk—CnSicO
W9Uf2The chimera opened its yellow eyes and raised its staff.YIG
TBNat────!NLPtKWY
L5X8SsFA torrent of fire blasted out.gZWQD
mID“I’ll block it!”2L17A2c
5rzFwoooosh—lRnlH
jyTTnsMA giant bird flapped its wings, dispersing the flames until they vanished against the ceiling.vBrQ
GTSt1t“The high spirit you mentioned…”6vc
EaaGpC“Yes. It was hellish weeks, but thanks to that, I formed a contract.”QY5v
fLP4The traps had forced them to learn.L4BoI
F0BAnd Aria had formed a pact with a high spirit—Silion, of the wind.0qsF2lm
u0CwDYK“Go, Silion.”Rfyq3
zm3oThe air filled with blades of wind that struck the chimera.lUDF5p
NvVdgHAt the same time, a sphere of steel encased it.MF7x
54ti8Boom, boom—the impacts shook the cavern, but the sphere held firm.iF6KI
Xrh9Then, the creature counterattacked.pMcYu
8LtVugfThe ground became moist out of nowhere. The water turned into a massive wave that swept through the area.AzN
NulX“Fire, earth, and now water in a dry place! That thing is a complete monster.”mgHmV
wCRJ“What did you expect? It’s the guardian of this place.”tSbn
Z0fIt likely mastered all the elements.qph
NGi9AFernan took a deep breath and stirred his mana.RQRQw1
ksexMzsWoooosh— sand and water mixed, became mud, then steel, which flew at the chimera.F4Lll
GlL90kTThe creature raised a magical wall.MOL43
Ged6Uq“Die.”QCV0
vt7mUCThe steel dissolved into sand and pierced through the defense like a storm of spears.G78Rtp
poB“Did we do it?”h2zom
FlqlL“Don’t say that.”iRNdc
0X3Nz“Who said it?”WGPLo
hJn6R“Gismond. Every time someone—”X9WB7XM
tW1Rumble—th8zY5P
wTrblKuAmid the dust, the chimera’s yellow eyes gleamed. It was nearly unscathed.zVVAo1
yuDihp“It rises again.”hevU
FhZnSaL“It’s a myth. This time it has to fall.”Mbm81
BN2gRg“Maybe, but it doesn’t look very hurt.”4845
RbrBm7The chimera stood once more.zFL
QeznwA circle covered the ceiling. Dozens of lightning bolts fell at once.90l36Hs
x2PwFernan raised a stone umbrella. Aria slipped under its protection.pws
oDIT6“I’ll draw its attention from below. You attack from the air.”wFCs
gEpKe“Got it!”UpJCL
lTa1zThe lightning stopped. The stone umbrella crumbled.4zkElXO
hwhWFernan faced the beast.z9qyK
66kKyaaaaa—8E9vQ
aotaThe roar, charged with mana, deafened them. A gale tore through the corridor.JP2rL
SATJxGi“It really controls all five elements!”VxdUD
snyeQQBFernan used his own sand in the storm and hurled it back at the creature.Wkn1vn
W9UHAAria, mounted on Silion, ascended.adXxY
VvTcThe beast roared and fired hundreds of fireballs like rain.0Ur
wF5qpR5Fernan launched a fist of earth, breaking through the flames and striking the chimera, which staggered back with its barrier still active.w66XqW
2CvowThen, Silion exhaled wind like a dragon’s breath.d1TL
nP7TbCrash, crash—W3W
N38ayQVThe wind tore through the defense. Fernan filled it with sand and mud, blinding the monster.f2UV
gvzMkA huge shadow fell upon it.ANdX5
T1B“……!”PEM5
HBQThe chimera hastily raised another magical barrier.GxW6VDj
TJKb“You thought they’d be priests from the Dragon God Cult, didn’t you? That’s why you expected a magic duel.”uCRx
wS5Slash—q51
ga0qkDA colossal blade cut it in two.TCVC6
uti“But I don’t play by their rules.”P0Qp
ZqS— Kyuu!jDI93n
fjngWooden, victorious, let out a playful laugh.M0YT
lOsyQ***5TmI
wmbaP“So you’re saying he went looking for adamantite? For two weeks?”n5ROm
4kk“…Uh… yes.”biI8Cp
SyUGismond nodded carefully.7zRBQZ
oOxJarCHyde, who had returned after fulfilling Fernan’s order, placed a hand on his forehead.aKXGj
yub7zkIt had already been the second week since Fernan disappeared. What the hell was he doing to take so long?d9Th
1HmzVF“Did he say exactly where he was going?”Q18C4
ZI6qq“No, he didn’t.”8kk
xjhBZF“Are you sure there’s really adamantite?”qjA
8rOKjx“That’s for sure…”4xm2
pjzAqGismond had also seen the prophecy book, so he could confirm it.aeUem
hBLTr7RHyde, knowing that Gismond was aware of the book along with Fernan, held back from saying more.DtWT4
26fmRWG“Then for now, let’s wait.”LlA1kcL
qnM“You think he’s okay? It’s been two weeks—even for Fernan, that’s…”1Wnbx
hF4Luina let her concern show.ClMIlH
KlLPKShe felt the same as Hyde, but if what Gismond said was true, Fernan would definitely hate being searched for.G8xsEVK
2qu‘If he gets help, he’ll think he has to share what he finds.’lp6FS
MvJThat’s why he wanted to go alone.XKS
Qrnf“He’ll be fine. If he’s late, it’s because he has his reasons. Maybe he even found a gold mine.”RGyKV
IfO5pTo be honest, they weren’t too worried. Maybe at first, but now Fernan had Wooden with him—a reliable golem.SWrSix
qSzuAnd though she was overshadowed beside Luina or Aint, Aria was an excellent spiritist and mage.GyS1Y
uiNHQI4“But what if he had an accident and can’t communicate?”QGl
weLt19“We mustn’t move recklessly. Don’t forget we’re hiding, and this is Esrin.”bXKq
2uFz“Then let’s wait just one more week. If he’s not back by then, I’ll go look for him myself.”lxL
HaUubBV“I’ll go with you. If it’s related to the corrupt, I’ll be able to detect it immediately.”b7hL8E
RPjAt Luina’s proposal, everyone nodded. Even if it was Fernan, if three weeks passed, something had definitely happened.YZUGk
dRtb8At that moment, Verian, who had been keeping watch on the third prince, returned clicking his tongue.02v
7O3C“The third prince looks like he’s about to wake up.”IvU3
cmKzmT“Why all of a sudden…?”Qo8
w7G“Seems like the sedative’s effect wore off. Don’t we have more?”xkbxi
bqUXQ“Fernan has the sedative…”6jjdKFr
kQLG“Ah.”xOmhtit
49g“Let’s knock him out again.”R52z2
Am4Aint stepped into the tent with firm steps.CXFku
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