Chapter 409: The Dust Settles and Celebrations
The defense line of the maze's refuge, supported by teaching assistants and magic apprentices, has become as thin as a cicada's wing.
Even though the legend of the "Nude-Bottomed Brave Man" boosted the morale of countless apprentices, it could not change the disparity in strength between the two sides.
There are so many of them!
The number of howlers emerging from the walls seemed endless, continuously consuming the remaining magic power of the patrol assistants.
After all, they are not strong people, but just scraps in the tower, otherwise they would not be assigned to such a hard job as patrolling.
However, it was these ordinary people who, when faced with the stupidity committed by the crowned man due to his arrogance, burst out with unprecedented courage and responsibility.
Even Coors, who prided himself on being clever in life, did not retreat at this critical moment.
They have nowhere to retreat!
An assistant teacher's magic shield shattered under the claws of the Howler.
He was thrown back by the impact, slammed hard against the stone wall, and passed out. The apprentices, their mana exhausted, screamed and scattered, fear spreading among the crowded crowd.
At this time, several skeleton soldiers suddenly rushed up and blocked the gap in the defense line with their skeletal bodies!
In order to protect Kurs behind him, one of them used his sternum to take a claw attack that was strong enough to tear through steel, and instantly shattered into pieces.
The defense line was instantly broken!
Seeing that the defensive formation was about to collapse, almost everyone's face showed an expression of despair.
However, the expected massacre did not come.
The howling howlers who were rushing over suddenly froze in mid-air the moment they stepped into the shelter.
Those twisted bodies were like burning scrolls, silently turning into black ashes from the edges, and finally blown away by an invisible wind.
Then came the second, the third... In the blink of an eye, all the servants of Chaos disappeared in this bloody maze.
Along with that strange red fog!
The apprentices were stunned, the bewilderment of surviving a disaster written on everyone's face, not understanding what had happened.
However, this dead silence only lasted for a moment.
Almost at the moment when the red mist dissipated, the entire maze suddenly let out a cry of pain and grief, followed by a tremor that shook the earth!
Above the dome, huge stones fell off like beads from a broken string, and the threat of death came crashing down in another way!
"Form a formation! Everyone, put up a barrier!" An elderly assistant teacher was the first to react. He roared in a hoarse voice and injected his remaining magic power into his staff.
The surviving apprentices responded immediately, enduring the excruciating pain of mental exhaustion as they gathered their weak magic powers. A hemispherical golden light curtain stretched above their heads, barely blocking the falling debris.
“Boom——!”
Huge rocks rained down on the barrier, and each impact caused the light curtain to shake violently, and spider-web-like cracks spread rapidly.
The apprentices' faces were pale, and some of them were already beginning to collapse, tottering under the tidal-like bombardment.
Just when the barrier was about to break, a completely different loud noise came from directly above!
“Click—”
That was not the sound of the dome collapsing, but the sound of rocks being squeezed apart!
The vast magic power was like an invisible giant hand, grabbing the gravel falling from the sky and throwing them into an uninhabited corner!
Those who had lowered their heads in fear subconsciously raised their heads at this moment.
A dazzling beam of light pierced through the thick rock and darkness, and a dusty cave entrance appeared above everyone's heads like a miracle.
Mentor Merck's usually serious face was now covered with dust and tears.
He looked at the disheveled but still alive young faces below, his voice choked with excitement.
"Sorry, kids..."
"I'm late!"
The ecstasy of being saved instantly turned into tears that spread among the crowd.
The assistant teacher holding the staff collapsed on the ground with a sense of relief. The apprentices who escaped hugged each other, and the devout believers knelt on the ground and prayed.
People celebrated the hard-won victory in their own way and praised the sunny day after the rainstorm.
They defeated Chaos!
Of course, more importantly—
They are saved!
Kurth looked up at the cave entrance, a little dazed for a moment.
Tightening the blanket around his shoulders, he came to his senses subconsciously and tried to find something in the chaos.
At this moment, his gaze passed over the faces crying with joy and finally fell on the corner where he had fought.
A skeleton soldier who had fought alongside him was still standing there.
Perhaps it knew that the light did not belong to it, so it did not look up at the hole that cast the light of hope, but turned its gaze to Kurs.
Seeing that Kurus was also looking at him, he raised his bony hands and tapped them lightly on his hollow chest, his grinning mouth seeming to say -
"It was a truly thrilling battle."
Leaving behind this silent farewell, the faint green soul fire in its skull quietly went out like a candle in the wind.
The not-so-tall skeleton also fell apart, turning into a pile of ordinary white bones, no different from the surrounding rubble.
Kurth's lips moved, and he put his fist on his chest and knocked it.
"Goodbye..."
Just when everyone was immersed in the joy of surviving the disaster, two huge magical powers suddenly appeared above their heads.
A figure, accompanied by a soft green light like the first rays of spring, quietly landed in the center of the ruins.
He has long silver hair like moonlight, emerald eyes full of concern for life, and his pointed ears reveal his elf identity.
Fillion Dusk, the Sage of Life.
His arrival replaced the smell of burnt smoke in the air with a fresh scent of green grass, as if he had arrived in a pure land in the center of the vortex sea.
On the other side, an extremely precise teleportation array flashed beside Merck, and the figure of the Law Sage Porphyry Sayy walked out of it.
His impeccably ironed black uniform contrasted sharply with the surrounding chaos. Pushing his gold-rimmed square glasses, he scanned the scene with a cold gaze, his face revealing undisguised disgust.
"Merck!"
Porphyry's voice was like a cold ruler, hitting Merck's body, but also falling on everyone's heart.
"This rotten, chaotic aura... I demand an explanation! Has the dignity of the academy been tarnished by your ridiculous negligence?!"
Although he was the last to arrive, he had the worst temper.
Merck shuddered all over. Under the sage's overwhelming pressure, he didn't even dare to look up at those cold eyes.
The introduction of the undead was subject to strict declaration and approval. Although it was done a bit sloppily, there were no major errors in the procedures.
But now the corruption of chaos has appeared in the maze, and he can't get rid of this blame that is enough to crush his entire academic career!
"I... I don't know, Sage Porphyry," he lowered his head in shame, his voice hoarse, "It's... it's my fault, but I..."
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Porphyry interrupted him coldly. "When the Great Sage returns from Brass Pass, I will personally report your dereliction of duty to him!"
Merck's body trembled again.
Saint Sis above...
I'm just a mentor, how could I deserve the great sage to remember my name?!
Just then, Fillion's gentle voice interrupted.
"Porphyry, calm down. You and I both know that the Apostle of Chaos won't stand before us openly... He'll only watch us from the shadows. Your anger plays into his hands."
Porphyry's face was stiff, but he didn't say much. He just took out a comb and combed his wig which was messed up by anger.
Fillion didn't say anything else to him, but just walked to a collapsed wall and stretched out his slender fingers.
Several emerald green vines grew out from his fingertips, swimming forward like docile green snakes, and then rolled up a handful of dark red crystal powder from the crevice and brought it to him.
Fillion frowned slightly, sniffed lightly, and a hint of confusion flashed in his deep eyes.
“…This breath is so familiar.”
He muttered to himself softly, as if he was retrieving something from his long memory.
Just when Porphyry was about to laugh at Fillion's "dog nose" for not being able to smell anything, footsteps came from the corridor not far away.
Then, in everyone's surprised gaze, a slender figure slowly walked out from the messy ruins.
The man who came was Prince Colin. His neat and elegant magic robe was not stained with a single speck of dust.
The cloaked female guard held the unconscious Lastina in her arms and followed the prince silently.
As for Lastina's two followers, they were carried by Hader and Bane.
He looked like he had been beaten badly. Even after receiving magical treatment, the swelling and bruises on his face were still faintly visible.
But that's not the point.
"I think this should perhaps be added to Mr. Porphyry's report."
Luo Yan's voice was calm and clear. He waved his hand casually, and a corpse as black as charcoal was thrown on the open space in front of the two sages.
The corpse was curled up, retaining the extremely painful posture before death.
The dark blue wizard robe that was no longer recognizable and the face distorted by fear and fire made Merck and Porphyry's pupils shrink suddenly.
"Alister?!" Merck screamed, his knees went weak and he knelt on the ground.
The apprentices around were whispering to each other, exchanging surprised expressions, as if they could not accept that the always approachable Professor Alistair would reappear in front of them in such a disgraceful manner.
What on earth happened?!
Is there something wrong?!
Luo Yan's lips curled up slightly, and his eyes swept over the two sages calmly.
"I've found the 'mastermind' behind this accident for you."
Porphyry's lips trembled, and he stared at the charred corpse, stretched out his right hand, and released the "Eye of Truth".
Lines of magic emerged on the charred corpse, and floating particles of light seemed to be recreating the battle that had taken place before.
"There's no mistake... I saw traces of Chaos and Source Force combined on his body! But... how could this happen! Ariste? Why?" Porphyry muttered to himself, and finally shouted out almost out of control.
He looked up at Colin in astonishment, then at Fillion, as if trying to get an answer from this colleague who lived a long life.
He couldn't understand why Ariste did this. He always had a good impression of the humble and polite middle-aged man!
Moreover, Ariste is the most proud disciple of the great sage, and almost everyone regards him as the next sage of the Source Law School!
He might even be the next great sage!
The apprentices and teaching assistants around were also talking about it, especially the former who didn't know much about Ariste and couldn't accept this fact at all.
Fillion frowned slightly, looked at Alistair's body, then looked at Colin, his eyes becoming sharp.
The corners of Luo Yan's mouth curled up slightly, and he did not give in at all because the other party possessed the strength of amethyst level.
"Are you interrogating the prince of the empire?"
joke.
When he was still an Unyielding Silver, he didn't take the Amethyst-level powerhouses seriously. Now that he is at the same level as Professor Lilith, he will only be more arrogant.
Fillion was slightly stunned, and the sharpness in his eyes subsided a little, but the suspicion did not lessen.
"No, I'm just curious... After all, Ariste is dead, and there are many things I can't ask him. I can only ask you."
Seeing that Sage Philian's attitude had softened, Luo Yan also restrained his aggressive aura and returned to his usual elegance and easygoing demeanor.
"It was actually very simple. Dear Professor Ariste thought I was an eyesore and wanted me to get out. So, he cleverly took advantage of the maze trial and set up a trap, targeting Miss Castellón who was behind me. An unnamed apprentice wrote to me secretly, telling me about this, so out of concern, I followed him into the maze."
"Of course, I originally intended to resolve this matter secretly. I even hoped that this was all just a certain apprentice's malicious speculation. But I didn't expect that someone would be so cruel and shameless. Not only did he personally orchestrate this farce, but he also personally intervened when the plan was about to fail... So I didn't hide it any longer."
Fillion nodded, seemingly agreeing with this statement, but still spoke in a low voice.
"I have a question. Aren't you worried that the letter itself is a trap?"
"So what?" Luo Yan shrugged slightly and said in a matter-of-fact voice, "I'm her mentor, this is my responsibility."
This sentence seemed to touch the soft spot in Fillion's heart, and also touched the vast majority of magic apprentices and assistants present.
Including Merck, who was kneeling on the ground with lifeless eyes, and Sage Porphyry, who was standing silently there.
responsibility.
This word is really too strong.
Fillion was silent for a while, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he looked at Prince Colin standing in front of him. Suddenly, he put his palms on his chest and nodded slightly.
"You are an amazing mentor, and I apologize for my doubts."
"I don't deserve it."
Luo Yan smiled faintly, his eyes fell on the corpse on the ground, and said in a complicated tone.
"Come to think of it, I always thought his dislike for me was due to our differing academic views, but now it seems I was too naive... His hatred for Miss Castellón and me was purely out of arrogance, because she is the daughter of an imperial duke, and I am a prince from the empire."
"Perhaps."
Fillion answered noncommittally, looking down at Alistair lying on the ground, then back at Colin.
"I will report this matter to the Great Sage truthfully... and if you don't mind, we may ask you to refrain from interacting with these students for the next few days."
"Why?!" Bane's voice was filled with anger, almost blurting out, but was stopped by Hader beside him.
"Keep your voice down! This is for everyone's good..." Hader scolded him in a low voice, then secretly glanced at Miss Ophelia.
The princess was very sensible and was not at all displeased by the groundless suspicion.
As for Ilana.
She seemed not very good at such occasions.
He didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that this seemingly calm and composed junior sister seemed a little...socially anxious?
"I have no objection. I just happen to have some research work to finish, so I might stay in Corinta for the time being." Luo Yan nodded happily, then looked at Miss Castellón, "What about you?"
"That would be best. I don't want to be unnecessarily suspected. But I hope it won't take too long."
Gently shaking her dusty blonde hair, Ophelia raised her chin and looked at the elf, her eyes aggressively speaking.
"However, I will write to my father and tell him the truth about the unpleasant things that happened here!"
So far, only two sages have arrived.
Are the other sages dead?
She didn't necessarily ask the sages to come one by one as if they were attending a funeral, but she didn't feel any urgency from them at all.
Of course, she didn't get angry after all.
Firstly, the two sages who dared to appear here were still responsible. Secondly, she was only the Duke's daughter, not the Duke himself.
She only has the position to complain, not the position to lose her temper.
"I assure you, this won't take long, a week at most..." Fillion nodded as gentlemanly as ever and explained gently, "Your Highness, the Prince, and others are not subject to any restrictions on their activities. However, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, we need you to avoid contact with other individuals under investigation during the investigation. Please believe me, my advice is entirely out of goodwill, not a mandatory order."
After a pause, he continued.
"Also, you can certainly write to your father, and we will also submit a written report to the Empire. After all, a Chaos invasion is no small matter, especially during such an important celebration. Fortunately... our respected Prince intervened in time to prevent a major disaster."
This sentence made Ophelia very satisfied.
However, she did not answer immediately, but subconsciously looked at His Highness Colin next to her, asking for his opinion with her eyes.
Luo Yan smiled and nodded, and Ophelia looked at Fillion with relief and nodded generously.
"I agree!"
Fillion smiled slightly and nodded again.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Castellón."
Luo Yan suddenly felt that a certain line sounded familiar.
Have you ever said something similar?
But looking at Ophelia who puffed out her chest proudly, he smiled and put this little thing behind him.
never mind.
It's not a big deal anyway.
…
At the same time, the Resurrection Square of the Great Cemetery was a scene of chaos.
Players who finished the "Maze Trial of All Souls' Day" returned to their familiar homes, boasting about their "heroic deeds" to those unlucky people who failed to grab a place in the event.
Fortunately, the rescued apprentices did not see this scene.
Otherwise, the young man who was immersed in the tragic atmosphere a second ago might faint on the spot out of anger.
"You didn't see it!" Player [Going to the dock to mess with some seagulls] stepped on a wooden crate, brandishing a rib he'd accidentally ripped from [Good Citizen of Gotham] in a fit of excitement. "I traded a rotten piece of wood for a gold coin from a naked idiot! He actually thought I was a 'hidden merchant' sent by Mentor Merck! Hahahaha!"
“6666!”
"Fuck! You're gonna make a killing!"
The players around him burst into laughter and gave him admiring looks that said "You are such a dog".
But not long after, [Drank Chemical Pool in a Gulp] was the first to come to his senses.
"Wait, a naked guy? You could have just robbed him! Why did you have to pay for the goods?"
[Good Citizen of Gotham] was stunned for a long time, and after a moment he gave a thumbs up in admiration.
"Hey, you are the real dog!"
On the other side, [Meichuan Qiuku] was surrounded by a group of players. He cleared his nonexistent throat and said in a tone of heroic sacrifice, "That's nothing! I was a hero for a minute! I used my fragile skeleton to carve out a path for the future of mankind! You didn't see the admiring and adoring looks those junior girls had on me when they looked at me! It's a pity I'm a skeleton soldier. I wish I were a goblin!"
"Come on," his teammate [Wangchuan Neiku] said ruthlessly, "Don't think I don't know that you just want to lie down and see what the wizard is wearing under his robe."
[Meichuan Qiuku] His neck was crooked with anger.
“You’re talking nonsense!!!”
“…%￥#@!”
The square was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. The tactical master [Yi Ye Zhi Qiu] was reviewing the final battle with the [Mnotauren Warrior], while the [Pig-Headed Knight] was chattering on the side about why all the apprentices he met were male apprentices.
He had finally managed to get so many acid slimes into the pit trap, but it was all wasted!
Just when the players were overjoyed, a pop-up window that all participants were extremely familiar with and had been looking forward to popped up in their minds at the same time.
[System prompt: The 'All Souls' Day Maze Trial' event has concluded!]
[Main Quest: Prevent the magic apprentice from entering the lower level of the maze! (Failed)]
[Hidden Mission: Cooperate with Xuebang Magic Apprentice to fight against Chaos! (Perfectly Completed!)]
[Overall Rating: S+ (Your performance exceeded the Demon King's expectations.)]
"fail?!"
"Fuck! What does that mean?! Why did I lose?!"
"Wait! The hidden mission was completed perfectly! S+ rating! Holy crap!"
The players were stunned at first, then burst into cheers even louder than before. The frustration of failure was instantly replaced by the immense joy of receiving an S+ rating.
Although the main quest was not completed, the hidden quest was completed, which is obviously a good thing!
Next is the exciting reward settlement interface.
【Based on the contribution of each player, the following activity rewards are now issued:】
[Title: "Merck's Officially Certified Profligate" (Equipped with this item, slightly increases the success rate of fraud-related skills) - Limited to players with the "Go to the Pier to Pick on Some Seagulls," "Good Citizen of Gotham," and "Knowledge Explosion" abilities.]
[Title: "Chaos Terminator" (After equipping, slightly increases morale towards Chaos creatures) - Limited to players "Yi Ye Zhi Qiu", "Hu Wan", "Moutau Warrior", and "Pig-Headed Knight".]
[Title: "Apprentice's Shield"...]
[Special Rewards: 'Ilana's Letter of Thanks' x1, 'Ophelia's Token of Friendship' x1, 'Maze Trial Medal' x1...]
Looking at the various titles and rewards, the entire square was boiling again...even though most of the rewards were actually useless.
Morale?
Does this crappy game have such a setting?
Success rate?
What the hell is that.
But when it comes to games, the most important thing is participation!
And apart from these insignificant false reputations, the official gifts of ghost money, contribution points and limited equipment are still very generous.
Including prizes they picked up themselves.
Most players are quite satisfied with being able to experience the new map in advance and bring back a lot of benefits.
"Oh my god, there's even a thank-you letter from the NPC! This game is so realistic!"
"The dog planner finally got to be a human being this time! I love this reward!"
"Wait, where's the love letter from my junior high school girl?! There's nothing? This doesn't make sense!!"
"At least give me a magic scroll for the Explosive Flame Thermobaric Bomb..."
Amidst the clamor, [Yi Ye Zhi Qiu] looked at the "Ophelia's Friendship Token" in the reward column, and a faint smile emerged in his heart.
"It seems that a lot of things happened in the maze after we left..."
Although it was only a short period of cooperation, he could feel that the four young apprentices were all good people, even though they belonged to different camps.
I wish I could see you again.
I hope that after they leave, the stories of those young people will continue as always, instead of turning into cold data archives.
As he thought about it, he suddenly realized that he was thinking a little too far.
"Who cares!" The Minotaur warrior waved his hand and roared cheerfully, "Brothers, let's feast! We've saved the world once again!"
Pig-Headed Knight: "Ahhh! Tonight's my treat, let's have some 'Grave Di Lao' hotpot!"
Hu Wan: "Damn, that's too far, right? Going to hell just to eat that stuff?!"
Yiyezhiqiu: "+1, not to mention we're both skeletons."
The pig-headed knight chuckled and said, "Then please go to another place!"
Hu Wan: “………………”
Yi Ye Zhi Qiu: "Just dig it out from under the grave, I'll definitely have this meal."
Tauren Warrior: +1
Pig-Headed Knight: "Holy crap! Are you serious?!"
(End of this chapter)
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