Having completed the contemplation of my spells, I shift gears to today's events. I've displayed outstanding strength over the last 4 weeks by repelling 8 countries in a row, along with Dongfang Lie, Mui Nujiao, and the other defenders. Mui Nujiao in particular has reached the Advanced status, so she's a candidate for a substitute slot, possibly replacing Lu Yilin, a previous defender that took over Mu Ningxue's empty position in the national team. Nowadays, she's far more cheerful, greeting me with bright smiles.
Today, I'm not so enthusiastic. Lucky me. The day the advisors arrive to possibly kick someone off the team and put a defender on is the day a strong country arrives to obtain our stamp: England, third in the tournament 4 years ago. The conundrum I face is which Elements to use. Light and Water, as usual? I've done that for 8 battles, but preserving my strength against the English team might cost us the win, which may subsequently convince the advisors to leave me here.
I'm well aware I quit the team, but that was a brazen method of slapping the advisors in their faces, forcing them to comprehend their idiocy in relinquishing Mu Ningxue. It's boring here, even though Mui Nujiao, Ai Tutu, and Uncle Mo are great company. Denying countries our stamp is incomparable to pummeling other defensive teams to snatch their stamps.
I want my spot on the main lineup. I resolve to use Shadow. Although I haven't hidden my Twin Elements talent, my close friends and family kept their lips shut. Only some of China's authorities know, and almost all are too arrogant to care. None will share the secret with other countries, not with the World College Tournament approaching. Therefore, it's to my benefit to reveal Light, Water, and Shadow, preserving Chaos for the actual tournament.
Bai Dongwei, with sweat dripping down his face under the stern gaze of the 5 advisors, selects Dongfang Lie, Mui Nujiao, and me as the defender's lineup in the agreed 3 vs 3 match. Heading into the arena (not just in the dueling circle, which is only big enough for duels), a woman is followed by two men on the side opposing us.
She's outrageously voluptuous, and draped in regal, golden clothes, matching her similarly golden eyes, hazel hair, and noble bearing. The men behind her display their deference with every step. She beams at us, introducing herself in English.
"My name is Ayleen. It's my first time visiting China. Pleased to meet you all!"
"I'm Yang Jianyu. Likewise."
"Call me Mui Nujiao. A pleasure!"
Struck dumb, Dongfang Lie's words fail to exit his mouth. Disregarding that awkward moment, she proceeds with conversation, but Bai Dongwei interrupts her with a declaration of battle.
The smiles vanish from the trio's faces the instant the match begins.
[And they were so approachable earlier. Fascinating.]
"Dongfang Lie, Jiaojiao, hit them with all you have; they aren't easy opponents. Distract them for a few seconds."
He grimaces at me giving him instructions, but he follows Mui Nujiao's lead. She's already attempting to trap the trio in vines with Basic Plant spells, and he piles on with a 5th tier Fiery Fist: Fiery Dragon! His Innate Talent is Mutated Fire Stars, increasing the tier of each Fire star by one. Apparently, he consumed 49 Soul Essences to upgrade them once more. Even a few meters behind him, the searing heat engendered by the Fiery Fist engulfs me. Nine dragons constructed from fire swim through the air, merging into a single humongous one, stopped cold by a Flowering Sky: Heaven's Water Curtain cast as fast as I'm capable of doing. Ayleen lowers her raised hand, whispering to her teammates.
A bit slow, but I finish constructing a Shadow Star Constellation. Nyx Regime: Night Dominion!
Dark energy flows around and within me, hastily expanding to encompass the entire battlegrounds. Ayleen frowns, adeptly protecting all three of them with water curtains and light shields, and I subsequently feel a boiling hot poker enter my skull. Psychic magic. The strand of Intent whispers, telling me to drop my armed bow, attack my teammates, use my Elements for Ayleen's benefit…
Until the Focus Necklace still hanging around my neck vibrates, unleashing a cool aura that expels all foreign influences from my Spiritual World. Seizing the brief moments of clarity, I turn into a Shadow Bird, arriving behind the team. Their backs lack protection aside from a few domes of Light, so I construct Star Pattern after Star Pattern, with dozens of Shadow Nails shattering the Light barriers. They certainly have a restraining effect on the projectiles, but only so much can be done against sheer volume. A few Shadow Nails find their marks on the men, knocking them unconscious from the minor soul damage, but Ayleen locates the ones aimed at her in the suffocating darkness with an Illuminate: Blinding. Her perception likely tipped her off to the incoming nails, and her instacast of the Basic Light spell revealed them, allowing her to dodge.
Well, she tries to dodge. Bizarrely, her legs find no leverage on the ground: they're floating a few centimeters in the air. Two nails sink into her shoulders, and two more land on her forehead. She doesn't succumb to the soul damage until three additional Shadow Nails penetrate her torso right through the Magic Armor: her Spiritual Attainment, at minimum, must be in the 4th level. Small wonder why her Psychic attack nearly compromised me.
Nevertheless, it's our victory. I dispel the Night Dominion in triumph, high-fiving Mui Nujiao and Dongfang Lie.
Walking back to the trio, I dissipate the Shadow Nails, and they groggily stand up. Ayleen looks slightly downcast from her defeat, but she perks up after a few moments and bounces up next to me.
"What was that? Your Shadow Nails might have been effective against my teammates without the Light Element, but I'm pretty confident in mine. I just couldn't evade the ones I saw for some reason…"
"Not sure, I was also confused that you stood still. I expected you to block them or move aside."
"I can usually just dodge them, so I didn't bother wasting energy on an Intermediate Light spell. Maybe something was wrong with the floor… but regardless, it's our loss. An outstanding Shadow Mage like you doesn't belong on the defensive lineup, since it's just the substitute team as opposed to the main team: the national team."
"A spat occurred between the advisors and me. I defiantly quit to embellish a point, but I'm sure they'll reinstate me after today. Ah, here they come. Good luck with your future challenges."
"You as well! Yang Jianyu, was it? I'll remember you."
She departs with her team, who appear nonplussed at their loss. Not an unusual reaction, since they'll have no problems obtaining enough stamps to enter the tournament.
A point worth mentioning is that mere stamps aren't enough, or every nation would just challenge as many third world countries as possible in the allotted time. No, the teams travel the world to accumulate contributions, like our resolution of the Scarlet Soaring Demon threat, elimination of the evil young monk, assistance with fighting off sea monsters that appeared with a tide in the East Maritime Fortress, etc. Helping people isn't necessary, but the tasks should put the team's prowess on full display. Stamps are a side quest, chiefly used to weed out weak nations, seed the teams in the tournament, and encourage friendly interactions between countries.
Hence why I'll be flying to Hanmi City in Peru, according to Feng Li. He, in contrast to Dean Song, is displeased that I'm returning, but my performance today and over the past month have demonstrated my indispensability: a total of 0 Chinese stamps were given to foreign teams.
The plane takes off in a few days, so I'll be packing my bags in the meantime.
…
…
I'm getting ready to leave for the airport in a few hours, when my phone rings.
[Old Bao?]
Apparently, it's an urgent matter, and I heed his request to proceed to the Clearsky Hunter Agency with haste. He's sinking in one of the comfy lobby chairs once I'm there, and he stands up to have a discussion.
"I appreciate your speedy arrival, Jianyu. I'm aware you're leaving, and I managed to finish this just in time. Here, take a look."
He's holding… the Red Demon Orb? Wait, it's no longer red, but white.
"Instead of purifying it, I altered its nature. Previously, it spread corruption, but now, it consumes corruption and converts it into energy. Actually, it'll consume and convert myriad sources of power, but the most noteworthy are evil and demonic. Several seals lock its capacity, and they'll automatically unlock once you improve your cultivation. At any given moment, if the Essence Orb is full, you can deplete all of its energy to pay your… dues. I'm sure you understand."
"Old Bao… this Magic Tool is probably worth more than me. And you're just bestowing it upon me?"
He sternly gazes at me. "A young man like you, with sturdy morals, is in desperate need of reassurance he won't die after saving countless lives. How often will you be surrounded by endless undead or demon creatures? What if another Red Cardinal comes after you, and I'm not around? That aside, who'll use it if not you? A corrupt Councilman? A cautious old Mage like me? Whoever it is, they won't brazenly charge into danger to protect civilians, like you did. No, the Essence Orb belongs to you."
Ceasing his admonishment, he slips the white orb into my hand. I reluctantly pocket it, and tightly hug him before I leave. A grandfatherly smile lingers on his face as I exit the door.
…
…
Hanmi City is located in southern Peru, surrounded by scorching desert. Huge orange rocks extend endlessly into the horizon, fusing with the blue sky.
I find Ai Jiangtu and the others inside an inn, chilling in the bar while enjoying local beers. Jiang Shaoxu notices me first. She strikes an alluring sight, wearing a crop top and small, tight shorts.
"Jianyu! Hi!" She rushes up to me, squeezing me in a hug.
"Hey, Jiang Shaoxu." I'm conscious of the soft sensations on my chest, so I push her back after a few moments. She pouts, "That's Shaoxu to you."
"Oi, you pervert! I'll chop off your hands if you place them on her again!" an unfamiliar voice snaps.
[This must be Lu Yilin, the defender who replaced Mu Ningxue.]
"I'll place them on you next, if that's what you're into."
"Is that how you talk to your seniors! A newcomer to the team should show more respect for his predecessors."
Jiang Shaoxu wears a cunning smile. I see, I'm the shield, necessary because Lu Yilin fell for her vixenish teasing.
"Hahahaha, Yang Jianyu, you're a junior now," Li Kaifeng roars in laughter.
"Lu Yilin said something to Jiang Shaoxu after drinking some alcohol, but it looks like he has been rejected, so he is still pissed. You happened to arrive and stepped on his tail!" Zhao Manyan greets me with a hug and explains the situation.
"Gotcha. I really don't care. Where's your seat? Catch me up on what you've been doing."
I engage in a pleasant conversation with Zhao Manyan, discussing our happenings of note and laughing. The others join in after a while, and the night becomes a warm bonding experience as they fall into drunken stupors.
Until Lu Yilin rears his ugly head once more. "Haha, look at the newbie! Too weak to taste a drop of alcohol! How did he even get on the team?"
[I hadn't expected my distaste for alcohol to be the cause of an insult.]
I don't partake of alcohol, or any other substances that might deprive me of perception and coordination. I've tried, and the resulting debilitation was beyond uncomfortable—I hate having my mental faculties dampened.
"Enough of this farce. I'm not a newbie: I quit the team a month ago because the advisors pissed me off. You're still the greenest member of this team, as eager as you are to rid yourself of that status. As for my no-alcohol policy, you're free to believe that renders me a weakling."
Lu Yilin angrily flushes when the team laughs at his foolish antics. "Looks like I'll have to teach you how to behave as a member of the national team!" Lu Yilin's eyes emit a brown light. Stars surround him, swiftly combining into several brown Star Patterns.
"You were just promoted to the national team from the Training Hall. You're still too weak compared to the rest of us. You better…"
His words abruptly cut off as I rocket my fist into his cheek, instantly knocking him out and fracturing a few bones. The halfway constructed Star Constellation fades with his consciousness.
Jiang Shaoxu's smile blossoms like a flower, and she mockingly blows a kiss my way, appreciative that I roughed up the dunce irritating her. I cast my eyes askance, easing myself into my seat once more. Nanrong Ni shakily stands up to heal Lu Yilin, but the others pull her down.
[Hilarious, none of them appreciate Lu Yilin's presence.]
…
…
He lunges at me in the morning, when the team gathers to leave the inn. Excited by the prospect of close combat, I swat aside his flailing arms and legs, knocking the wind out of him with a blow to the solar plexus. I continue with a roundhouse kick, but I soften its momentum to avoid crushing his skull. He's knocked out for the second time in as many days. Unfortunately, he commences his blustering as soon as he comes to.
"Come out here, we'll go somewhere with more space. I'm going to teach you the consequences of enraging me!"
"You're the one who's initiating fights. What, am I just supposed to let you cast an Advanced spell or allow you to land a punch?"
"Lu Yilin, if you really have the energy for a duel, save it for our trip to Halami Desert," Nan Yu rebukes him.
"Everyone, let's calm down." Jiang Shaoxu casts Pacify on both Lu Yilin and me. I remain coolheaded: he hadn't riled me up whatsoever. In contrast, Lu Yilin's furious expression soothes. He restrains his anger, leaving me with a "You just wait!" as his final words. I don't dignify that statement with a response.
I ask Jiang Yu, "Where are we going?"
"Well, there are some ancient ruins around seventy kilometers northeast from Hanmi City. The locals mentioned wind and lightning, and other phenomena across the place. There might be something useful there. The resources distributed by the advisors are obviously not enough for us, so apart from challenging the Training Halls, the team has been busy searching for treasure, too."
As a matter of fact, the Essence Orb was already showing some reaction after the plane landed in South America. Its light was pointing exactly in the direction of the ancient ruins. I suspect there's something there to fill it up.
Jiang Yu continues. "There's a long desert valley right in front of the ruins, extending to either side for hundreds of kilometers. It's a waste of time to go around it, but a pack of Earth Elemental Creatures resides in the valley. Their flesh is sturdy and thick, and they are incredibly strong. There's no chance we can pass their territory."
"Let's just give up, we can't even cross the valley, who knows what other dangerous things there are inside the ruins. We don't have to risk our lives for something we aren't even sure of," Zu Jiming states.
"You're just a coward!" Jiang Shaoxu mercilessly berates him.
"I'm a coward? Tell me, do you have any smart ideas that can help us cross the valley? If not, we should just move on instead of wasting our time here!" Zu Jiming shoots back.
[Lingling might come up with a plan; I should contact her.]
"Actually, crossing the valley isn't as difficult as we thought. They don't have eyes, and their reflexes are incredibly slow too. They basically use the vibrations of the ground and walls to detect the presence of intruders," Nan Yu points out.
"Well, I'll have to forget about flying anyway, there are a bunch of Sun Bats along the walls. We would be surrounded instantly if we tried to fly over, not to mention flying inside the valley. The demon creatures are very strict with their air space," Zhao Manyan adds with a sad tone. He's the only one on the team rich enough to possess Magic Wings.
"I've spent a few days making a kind of device that can alter the vibrations in the ground, but two of them need to be active for it to work. With these devices, we can cross the valley without startling the creatures. We've got three of them, each with an effective range of 100 meters, so we arrange them in a straight line headed for the other side of the valley. A designated person takes the one in the back and places it at the front, and repeats until we get to the ruins."
Nan Yu's promising plan has us enthusiastic as we leave Hanmi City, heading for the desert valley. The Essence Orb's dim light brightens as I get closer to the ruins, confirming my suspicions about an energy source there.
"Alright, what do we do now?" Guan Yu stands before the valley.
Ai Jiangtu steps forward. "I'll go first. Is there a reason we can't use our wills to place the device in front of us?"
"It wouldn't work, we'll need to manually adjust the device by tuning the frequency according to the geology," Nan Yu firmly replies.
She partially buries a gyroscope-looking device at the entrance of the canyon, and adjusts the device until a green light on it lights up. Now the vibrations from Ai Jiangtu's steps won't be detected by the Earth Elementals, in theory, once he activates the second one. He constructs a silver Star Constellation. Space shudders as Ai Jiangtu vanishes into thin air, appearing a hundred meters away in the canyon ahead of the team. A tier 1 Advanced Space spell, Blink: Single! That's true teleportation: the Shadow movement can easily be interrupted by an experienced Light Mage, while nothing short of a strong Ruler can interfere with Blink.
As soon as Ai Jiangtu lands on the orange-red ground, bizarre sounds immediately resound from the ground. Faces gradually take shape, their heads almost coming out from beneath his feet. Hundreds of them, at minimum, each as strong as a Lesser Warrior… Avoiding them is an astute decision.
He quickly turns the dial, and the device lights up in a pleasant green. The creatures, known as Moon Rock Demons, return to their slumber after a brief period of alertness.
We proceed.
…
…
Jiang Yu's Contracted Beast, the Night Rakshasa, is quite the intelligent and stealthy little black cat. Her assistance with the devices considerably smoothed our journey, and we're nearly at the other side of the valley already. After turning to the right around the corner a hundred meters ahead, it's a straight path to safety.
However, judging from the presence of the Moon Rock Demons in the walls, their numbers and individual strength have increased significantly. Mistakes in device management could be fatal.
"We'll group around the device a hundred meters around the corner. Yang Jianyu, mind grabbing the one in the back so we can keep moving?"
"No problem."
The team moves forward and disappears behind the wall. I swivel my head to glance at the sky, illuminated an orange-yellow from the haze in the canyon, offering a sight distinct from a sunset.
"Aren't you going to apologize?" Lu Yilin's voice fills the air behind me. I jerk my head back, and he's standing around 90 meters away, near the corner.
"What for?"
"Hehe, what do you think?" Lu Yilin slowly walks toward the middle device with a mocking grin.
[Ah, so if I grab my device without lowering my head in apology, he'll scoop up the one next to him, leaving me at the mercy of these Moon Rock Demons?]
What's the optimal decision? There'll be no proof of his threats if I shout for assistance.
[Am I confident of surviving a while?]
The answer's obvious. If everyone's around the corner, my swords' thirst for kills can be satisfied with no reservations.
"Do your worst, Lu Yilin; I won't beg you to spare me. Just recall the reason you're doing this. The girl you like hugged me. Is the sky falling? Is the world ending?"
Shaking my head, I pick up the device adjacent to me and start walking. His face contorts for a moment, then smoothes into a cold, sinister grin. He performs an identical action, and dashes to the rest of the group, and I'm stranded 90 meters away from them.
[Wow, he really did it. He screwed over the others as well, since 2 need to be active. The resulting chaos will prevent them from noticing my absence until it's too late.]
I smile wider than ever. What an opportunity. Hundreds of Warriors are crawling out of the ground, charging right at me.
I summon my obsidian swords and begin dancing atop their heads, evading their clumsy swipes. The valley is saturated with hardly any gaps between each Rock Demon. The blades' white carvings of dragons strike a majestic sight.
One that the Earth Elementals will have burned into their mind as they travel to the underworld. I melt through the shadows to the center of the crowd, and start revolving the swords. Top halves of heads slide off bodies, arms fall to the ground, torsos follow suit after waists are bisected. Their tough, earth-hardened skin and flesh would pose incredible difficulty for Intermediate Mages to break through. However, that insurmountable defense is packaged with comically easy-to-dodge attacks, at least for me. Perhaps regular Mages might be overrun, but reading their movements and acting accordingly comes as naturally as breathing to me. And their only outstanding attribute, their defense, means zilch when met with the edges of my swords.
The scent of fresh mud permeates the air as hundreds of rocky corpses litter the ground on the path to the corner. An equal quantity of glowing lights ripple through the air, and Nyx is their destination. I hum my way back to the group, and as I turn the corner, their weary bodies are coming towards me instead of the exit. Evidently, they've realized I'm missing, but relief shines on their faces once a shadow arrives in front of them, morphing into me.
"Let's go!"
…
…
My mood is jubilant. Jiang Shaoxu is the first to question me, her expression one of concern.
"Jianyu, are you alright? What happened?"
"I think the devices malfunctioned, or maybe the increased concentration of creatures overwhelmed a threshold beyond which hiding us proved impossible. All of the Moon Rock Demons arose from their slumber once I picked mine up. I signaled Lu Yilin to proceed forward with the device located at the corner, yelling that my Shadow Element would preserve my life."
Nan Yu appears downcast. "I'm sorry. My creations were unreliable."
"No, that isn't it. On the contrary, they're responsible for getting us here. None of us had any issues with the mad dash to the end: it's traversing the longer distances that was more difficult."
She cheers up, and Lu Yilin's face is a hilarious hybrid of worry and confusion. Zhao Manyan frowns, sensing something awry, but I glance at him, winking. He hesitantly nods and beckons me to take a walk.
After a minute or so, he asks, "What was that?"
"Lu Yilin childishly attempted revenge. I slaughtered my way out; these petty Warriors pose no threat to me. A ruckus over something so trivial would just give me a headache, so I decided to forget the whole thing."
"That makes more sense. I was suspicious when he ran up to us without you in tow, and the Moon Rock Demons started appearing. By the way, how many Galaxies do you have right now?"
"3."
His face twists into a grimace. "I'm a fuerdai of the Zhao Clan, but your rate of progress astonishes even me. I've only got Light and Water Galaxies. And I awoke Earth for my third Element! I dreamed of being a hero capable of defeating the strongest monsters, winning the hearts of beautiful maidens. Now I'm the guy carrying a shield that tanks for the group."
I laugh at his misfortune. 3 defensive Elements, how incredible.
His mood lifts after understanding my nonchalance, and we head to our respective tents to camp for the night.
…
…
And open them to the shrieks of birds cawing. Rushing outside my tent, I see green bodies as beautiful as jade, but wings that are totally blue. The feathers on their wings look incredibly compact and elegant.
As they fly in flocks, it feels like green clouds and blue veils are covering the sky slowly. They're slowly approaching our location!
"Damn it, it's them again! There are even more of them this time!" Jiang Yu suddenly screams.
"Are you kidding me? We've already come this far; did the other demon creatures simply let them fly across their territory just like that?!" Zhao Manyan protests at the top of his lungs.
"We're done for, we're finished, look at how spacious this place is. There's no cover at all, how are we going to fight them!" says Li Kaifeng, beginning to panic.
I'm utterly confused after hearing their screams.
[What is happening?]
"My Heavens, they're coming from this direction, too!"
"Same here! Crap, we've been surrounded!"
The numbers of the strange birds leave me in disbelief. There are at least eight thousand of them, if not ten! It's a huge pack of demon creatures, not far from the scale of a horde.
"I'd appreciate it if someone informs me what the fuck is going on."
"Around a month ago, we had just arrived in Peru. We carelessly entered a place that was referred to as a forbidden land by the locals. Since then, these strange birds have kept ambushing us. There were only a few dozen of them at the start, so we managed to eliminate them with ease. The number then increased to a few hundred, and we managed to get rid of them too. After that, when we were in a city, the strange birds still came after us and were eliminated by the city's defenses. It did trigger an orange alert because there were nearly a thousand of them… after that, this!" Zhao Manyan explains to me.
"Why didn't any of you tell me before?!"
"You didn't ask! Besides, we seriously thought the previous attack was the last one. Who would have thought… my heavens, what did we do wrong to deserve being chased around by these things?!" Zhao Manyan wails.
Li Kaifent bemoans, "What should we do now? Someone think of a plan!"
"Even if we dig into the ground, I bet they will dig us out. There isn't any cover nearby, we are all going to die!" Zu Jiming cries.
The strange birds gradually get closer. They're looming over the team like clouds. Ai Jiangtu has a grim expression, as even he isn't confident he can survive the ambush. As a matter of fact, the team, without me, had no chance of defeating a thousand of the strange birds. They only managed to survive with the help of the city's defense.
"What can we do now?" Nan Yu has totally run out of ideas. She looks at Ai Jiangtu helplessly. He offers his suggestion. "We enter the storm. It'll fend off the birds."
[Wait.]
"Hold that thought. I've noticed something."
"Fuck your observations, I'm out!" Guan Yu screams.
"You buffoon, they're all mirages! I just figured it out, they're emitting fluctuations of Chaos. Although it's barely a murmur; only a Chaos Mage could sense it."
It's Zhao Manyan's turn to scream. "Who cares if they're mirages or real? Either way, their beaks can jab straight into our skulls!"
"No, wait, most of them are mirages. Occasionally, a few ones that exude a real feeling fly into my vision, but they're mostly protected by the mirage birds. I think killing them will eliminate the mirages! There's no other explanation for the strange flight pattern of the mirage birds with multicolored crests, shielding the real ones with golden crests. If you want, you all can run. I'll stand and fight; this is a winnable battle."
Predictably, they abandon my foolhardy self and run into the churning wind and lightning surrounding the ancient ruins, hoping to lose the birds. Sighing, I equip my bow and wait.
Hundreds of mirages fly close to me, but I spot a golden crest flashing occasionally under the maelstrom of wings. I aim… and fire 4 sets of 5 arrows. Most sink into the clones' bodies, but three projectiles pierce the real bird's skull. As I anticipated, all of the flailing avian beasts vanish, though more are charging from the veritable cloud of birds above me. Aim. Fire. Aim. Fire. While continuously fending them off with my arrows, I cast Nyx Regime: Night Dominion!
All the crested birds that enter suffer complete loss of sight, and an instinctive fear generated by the Domain riles them up into a frenzy. Their tendency to protect the golden-crested birds vanishes amidst their panic, and hundreds of mirages disappear as the real ones make for easy targets.
An hour passes, and just as my hands start to grow numb from nocking and releasing arrows, the last bird with golden crests turns into a porcupine. Since even the real birds leave behind nothing but their crests, and the clones nothing at all, no bodies litter the ground surrounding me. Unfortunately, there were at most a hundred real birds, and none of the mirages dropped Soul Remnants or Essences, so my gains are minimal.
Seeking to remedy that, I retrace my team's path into the maelstrom of wind and lightning.
…
…
The yellow lightning and harsh wind are strong enough to shred apart Soldiers: approximately the equivalent of being blasted with an Intermediate spell every second. Running to the team consumes a quarter of my Light and Water Galaxies' mana from constructing barriers, not to mention that they weren't full to begin with. Glancing at the obstruction in front of my peers, I realize why they've stopped. Nan Yu is furiously attempting to unlock the formation that's the source of the orange barrier surrounding the ancient ruins.
I scare the living daylights out of her as I pop up by her side, analyzing the arrays responsible for locking.
[Luckily, it's a skill test and not a genuine lock.]
If a formation master desires something to remain untouched, the lock arrays are linked to booby traps. A particularly confident expert will allow no errors while unlocking, setting up punishments for failed attempts. Most would key in 3 allotted tries before any bombardment. If there's no such punishment, the barrier is designed to filter for talents, not to eliminate intruders.
Locks function in various ways. Below are the most common.
Elemental Harmonics: Some locks require the input of a specific combination of elemental energies. This could involve channeling Fire, Water, and Earth energies in rapid succession. Usually, this selects for the creator's Elements, and there's no way to bypass it or trick it aside from brute force.Rune Sequence: There's a set of designated runes that serve as a passcode, and one must touch the runes in a precise order. One must examine the runes that check whether the passcode is correct to ascertain the proper order, and a smart formation master will obfuscate the checking process as much as possible, layering it with useless runes.Rune Rotation: It involves rotating a set of runes (usually on some solid material) into their correct orientations, and the checking process is similar to that of Rune Sequence.Flow Manipulation: The lock involves manipulating the flow of energy within the formation. This could mean diverting energy from one rune to another by destroying or adding runes, creating a temporary disruption that signals the formation to open. Of course, there's careful analysis and obfuscation on the behalfs of the intruder and owner respectively. However, it's the one most commonly used to select for talents and least commonly for actual locks, since it's a pain to redo the formation every time you leave.Elemental Weight: Similar to a scale, certain runes might represent elemental weights. To unlock, one must place items or substances embodying the required elemental energies onto corresponding runes, creating a balanced composition. Perhaps 3 Fire magic stones of a particular size, for example. No way to trick or bypass it.Identity Imprint: Code descriptions of a body's parameters into the formation, and designate a location on which to stand, allowing the arrays in the formation to scan oneself. If the intruder's specs match up, the formation unlocks. This is the single most effective way to ensure no one but the creator enters, since the others can be analyzed and bypassed with elemental materials, Mages with the appropriate Elements, and tampering with the formation. However, it's also the most complex. To ensure there's at most 100 people in the world who could enter, arrays dozens of times more complicated than the Rock Island one are required. To eliminate them and lower that number, the specificity and complexity exponentially increase. And to top it all off, Space runes are needed, since the distances between various body parts are measured and checked, but Space Mages are far and few.
The one blockading my path is a Flow Manipulation safeguard, and an easy one at that, albeit with ideas from other locks sprinkled in. Destroy these 3 runes and construct another 4 in their place, input some Water mana and allow it to flow to these 8 runes, one of which I'll excise, and then…
After 20 seconds of tinkering, the barrier glows green, and an opening appears. We enter, and after 10 seconds, it smoothly closes behind us.
Nan Yu is the first to snap out of her funk. "What… was that?!"
"Pretty standard Flow Manipulation. And luckily, only Water mana was required, a quintessential Element when working with barrier runes. Otherwise, I'd have to instruct some of you on exactly how much magic power from your Galaxies you need to inject, and where to inject it."
"But I couldn't even… never mind, I suppose my years of dabbling can't compare to your years of furiously working."
[Yes. Years of furiously working.]
"Ahem. Why don't we proceed?"
"Sure, but how did you escape the birds?"
"I didn't. I massacred them all. There's a trick to it that I'll explain later."
Disregarding the bewildered expressions everyone is wearing, I stroll ahead. The chaotic storm of wind and lightning ceased abruptly upon bypassing the barrier and walking through what seemed to be a spatial passage, and a small village surrounded by a grassland full of flowers awaits in front of us.
"Wait, this is one of the earliest cities in South America. Look at the ancient flower crest on the entrance!" Jiang Shaoxu points to the symbol at the entrance.
"Are you well-versed in South America's history?" I'm taken aback by Jiang Shaoxu's depth of knowledge.
"How is that possible? I just know a bit about the flower. It's called Li Fan, an exceedingly rare species that went extinct around thirty years ago in South America. These flowers were used to make wine when they were still around. My grandpa has a bottle of Li Fan wine, which he's reserved until I find my Mr. Right. Also, these Li Fan flowers had unique qualities. In an era with few Psychic Magicians, they functioned as anesthesia, much like poppies. Unlike poppies, however, they weren't addictive or harmful. Some say the origins of the Psychic Element are connected to these flowers," Jiang Shaoxu explains.
[A flower with psychic properties? Fascinating.]
"Can you estimate the age of this city?" Nan Yu queries.
"Not precisely. The flower was precious, but I have no clue when it became part of human history. Yet, I believe there might be records about cities or families using this flower as their emblem in Peru's history. We can research that once we leave here. Personally, I'm less interested in its history; my curiosity lies in whether more Li Fan flowers, extinct in the outer world, still exist here…" Jiang Shaoxu's voice trails off.
It's evident that Jiang Shaoxu has a deep fascination with the Li Fan flower. She's already started scouring the ancient city. The city isn't massive; it exudes an air of tranquility and safety.
Our group splits to explore the city individually. Following the Essence Orb's guidance, I search for the energy source I so desperately require.
The city remains well-preserved, a window into ancient times. Streets free of dust, houses untouched by time, it's like stepping into a serene foreign city, yet devoid of any inhabitants. A tranquil beauty envelops the atmosphere.
…
…
Having traversed the wide streets, I stumble upon a magnificent fountain at a crossroads. It boasts a statue of an alluring woman. Her shapely figure, with a graceful waist and gentle curves, is impossible to ignore.
The Essence Orb's radiance peaks. Bending over, I peer into the crystal-clear water within the fountain, then shift my gaze to the veiled statue of the woman.
"Could the water hold properties akin to the Underground Holy Spring?" I muse aloud.
I carefully place the Essence Orb within the fountain. However, nothing extraordinary occurs; the water merely feels slightly chilly. The Essence Orb appears unchanged, as though it isn't absorbing any energy.
"Seems... this is just regular water," I remark as I cup some of the water in my hands and take a sip, unafraid of poisoning due to the incredible immunity bestowed by my Demon flesh. It tastes neutral.
My confusion deepens. If the water isn't my sought-after energy source, why has the Essence Orb guided me here? Did Old Bao play a prank on me, or could the Orb be malfunctioning?
After some contemplation, I'm still at a loss regarding the energy source's whereabouts. I raise my gaze and fixate on the lifelike statue before me. Leaping to the fountain's center, I probe the statue mentally, hoping to uncover any hidden mechanism.
Despite scrutinizing the statue from head to toe, I find no hidden compartments or mechanisms. Strangely, the Essence Orb shines more brilliantly the closer I am to the statue. It's as if the Orb is eager to leap onto it.
I tap on the statue's surface. It sounds hollow. With more force, I accidentally cause the statue to crumble, revealing a crystal container shaped like a cup within. Peeling away its sealed lid, I reveal a clear, glowing liquid. The Essence Orb shines with a dazzling light.
"What on earth is this?" I mutter.
Much to my chagrin, the Essence Orb's consumption halts after it absorbs roughly one-third of the liquid. It refuses to draw in any more energy from the remaining liquid.
Left with no choice, I store the resealed container in my backpack and decide to investigate its nature later.
…
…
As we all group up and start to exit, I glance back, feeling Chaos fluctuations. The sight that greets my eyes frightens me to no end.
A grotesque, yellow eyeball the size of the Black Totem Snake's head has materialized over the town. Every location that meets its gaze trembles, then 'recovers.' The crumbled fountain is restored. Doors left open are shut. Footprints on paths are erased.
"Let's get out of here. Before it directs its attention at us."
In an improbable moment of harmony, the entire group concurs, and we dash out of the formation, into the storm, and arrive at the valley having consumed nearly all of the energy in our defensive Elements, as well as any defensive Magic Equipment.
However, as the team starts to venture into the realm of the Moon Rock Demons, I hesitate.
[Isn't this a fantastic location? A myriad of arrays constructing the harsh conditions surrounding the barrier? Hundreds of thousands of Warriors concentrated in the valley?]
Even if I don't brave the mysterious town, the other reasons are sufficient for me to stay, at least for the duration that the team remains in Peru.
"Guys, I think I'll stick around here for a while. There's an ancient formation, lots of Warriors to kill. Just contact me when you want to leave Peru."
Zhao Manyan interjects, "Are you going to risk your safety when there's so many Warriors, a ludicrously powerful storm, and a huge fucking eyeball that turns back time?"
"Yes. And before you go, allow me to explain the birds. Most of them are illusions, materialized illusions, but illusions nonetheless. Think of them as clones summoned by just a few birds. You'll identify them by these golden crests on them, and that's the only material that drops when you kill any number of birds. Once you target and eliminate a bird with a golden crest, dozens or even hundreds of mirages will disappear."
Mu Tingying, as usual, suspects me. "What if you're just making things up and you were just a coward that ran away from them?"
An arrow grazes her cheek, eliciting a yelp of pain as it opens up a wound that reveals bone.
Ai Jiangtu narrows his eyes at my violent actions. "Yang Jianyu, watch yourself. No infighting on the team. Words are mere words. Don't let them get to you."
"I'm as calm as ever. My impatience stems from the fact that she's dragging you all down into her stupidity by spitting out words from her useless mouth. You might die if you don't heed my advice, and a flock of a hundred thousand, or a million demon birds could eviscerate you all. That deserves physical injury, the fact that she's endangering your lives."
The others drag her away, even as she screams profanities. Zhao Manyan and Jiang Shaoxu wave goodbye.
…
…
[Perhaps hundreds of thousands of Moon Rock Demons was an overestimation.]
I've slaughtered tens of thousands of those Earth creatures over the past week, leaving me incredibly sore every night, but my efficiency rapidly dwindled after the first few days. There's little to be gained here now; I've analyzed most of the runes governing the formation and assimilated their nuances into my ever-expanding formation knowledge.
The rewards for staying here have been tremendous. The creatures' drop rate of Soul Essences was drastically lower than what I'd expect of Warriors, 1 in 2100 instead of 1 in 210; I suspect this is typical of Elemental creatures with little intelligence. However, the refined Soul Essences alone made my exertions worthwhile. Every single star has been upgraded twice. I stopped killing the Rock Demons after I accumulated enough excess Warrior Soul Essences to enhance all 343 Chaos stars twice once the Nebula transforms into a Galaxy.
Even though each of my Galaxies is tier 1, I've unlocked all the spells that a peak Advanced Mage possesses. I'm now confident that there isn't a single student in the World College Tournament fit to be my match.
[Ah, Jiang Shaoxu texted me that they're leaving.]
Excellent timing; I've halted the mass butchering for over a day, and instead focused my efforts on the ancient ruin's formation. And there's little those arrays can offer me now.
Time to leave Peru.