Versatile mage c1 2021, p.398
Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 398
"Awesome!"
Zhao Manyan was the only one that could still move inside the formation. When he saw the strange birds all turning into spitted munchies in mid-air, he exclaimed in surprise.
The power of darkness!
He never thought the power of darkness would be so impressive. It was able to seal a whole bunch of demon creatures, as if it had built a cage of darkness around them!
"Nyx Regime is able to enhance the effects of any Shadow Spell. It's similar to a Domain... However, my control is still too weak, I can't keep them in place for too long. Hurry up and leave, I'll kill them in one breath!" said Mo Fan.
As a matter of fact, Mo Fan found the power quite enjoyable. Before reaching the Intermediate Level, the only effective Shadow Spell Mo Fan had was the Fleeing Shadow. It was Mo Fan's only measure to protect himself. He did not rely much on the Giant Shadow Spikes either, as he would normally kill his enemy if he was stronger, and run for his life if he could not defeat them...
However, after he reached the Advanced Level, the Nyx Regime and the fourth-tier Giant Shadow Spike were able to create an enormous, immobilizing formation directly. It was so powerful that even Mo Fan was left in awe!
Chapter 935 - The Ward in the Storm
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Sky-Flame Funeral!"
Mo Fan held two puffs of swelling flames in his hands and delivered them into the Nyx Regime.
The fiery clouds loomed over the Nyx Regime, and fierce flames started pouring down from the clouds. The dense fireballs landed on the ground and carpeted the place in flame, which eventually combined into a scorching sea of fire.
Sea of flames on the ground, rain of fire in the air, and fiery clouds in the sky. The three layers of fire totally entrapped the immobilized birds.
It was like the strange birds had fallen into a giant furnace. Their beautiful feathers were burned into ashes. Their bodies were severely scorched...
The Sky-Flame Funeral was a spell with a wide coverage and long duration. Even though the strange birds were not low-level creatures, death was their only way out once they were trapped inside the combination of Nyx Regime and the Giant Shadow Spike Formation. The flames would slowly burn them all into ashes!
"It felt great killing so many of them in one breath! It's time for Little Loach to enjoy a great meal..." Mo Fan looked at the strange birds dying inside the formation of darkness and fire. He could not help but wonder how many Soul Remnants he would collect from it.
Perhaps it was enough to strengthen the Space Element Stars!
"Strange, why isn't Little Loach absorbing the Soul Remnants?"
Mo Fan suddenly realized something strange.
Normally, the Little Loach Pendant would automatically absorb the Soul Remnants of the creatures he killed. Mo Fan would also see green and blue souls like fireflies entering the pendant on his c.h.e.s.t...
However, none of it was happening this time!
"Why is this happening?" It was Mo Fan's first time encountering something like this. "Don't tell me these things have no souls? That doesn't make any sense. Even the undead need to have a soul, just so they can move. If these strange birds don't have a soul, what is keeping them alive?"
Mo Fan initially thought he was about to enjoy a great harvest, yet he somehow ended up empty-handed. The Little Loach Pendant's reaction was hinting to him that these creatures had no soul...
Mo Fan fell into deep thoughts. He immediately recalled the incident he encountered on the plane.
The air routes that human planes took were usually protected by barriers constructed by powerful Magicians. The barriers would drive demon creatures away, and if any demon creature broke through the barriers, it would alert the responsible party, too. They would send Air Space Magicians to handle the demon creatures. It was similar to highways. Even in the wild, demon creatures rarely trespassed onto the highways.
The air routes were incredibly safe. He had never heard of any tragic accidents, yet not long ago, a strange bird a lot bigger than the ones he was seeing in front of him had intercepted the plane. Mo Fan had not understood how the strange bird snuck into the barrier without alerting the Magicians?
And now, Mo Fan had found the answer to it. These strange birds had no soul!
A creature with no soul meant they were not even undead. The barriers could only detect living creatures. As a result, headquarters was totally unaware of the strange bird that had followed the plane for a long time...
"Damn it, what the heck are these things!?"
Mo Fan felt his head aching. The birds looked just like ordinary demon creatures, yet they happened to have no soul. If they had no soul, why were they insisting on attacking the team? Things without soul were just puppets, and leaving the ability to move aside, puppets usually had no goals in mind, no concept of attacking, defending, nor would they think or cry...
"What's this?" Mo Fan walked in the formation covered in scorched corpses of the strange birds and surprisingly discovered a bright-colored crest.
Over a hundred strange birds had been burned to ashes by the Sky-Flame Funeral, yet a piece of its crest still retained its bright color after burning in fire for so long.
"Have any of you seen this before?" Mo Fan showed the bright-colored crest to Zhao Manyan and Jiang Shaoxu.
"I think so, I'm not too sure," replied Jiang Shaoxu.
"Those strange birds are coming again..." Zhao Manyan did not even care about the colorful crest.
Mo Fan asked Jiang Shaoxu to repeat the same method, as it was a lot quicker at getting rid of the birds. He would worry about their lack of soul later.
Jiang Shaoxu unleashed the Spirit Ripple, while Mo Fan prepared to cast the Nyx Regime in order to grill the birds again with the furnace of dark and fire. Yet, it did not work this time!
Not only were the birds not enraged by Jiang Shaoxu's Psychic Spell, they actually avoided Mo Fan's spell when they noticed the powerful presence of the Shadow Element...
"Holy crap, did those birds just become smarter?" exclaimed Zhao Manyan.
Visibility in the storm was extremely low. It was impossible that the new batch of strange birds had witnessed how their comrades died, yet they acted as if they clearly knew how deadly their spells were. They were circling in the air above Mo Fan, Jiang Shaoxu, and Zhao Manyan, as if they were waiting for more reinforcement!
"They are intelligent... no, no, this isn't just about their intelligence!" said Mo Fan.
The previous batch of strange birds were all butchered inside the Nyx Regime. Even sound could not leave the formation, thus how did the new batch of strange birds know that it was a slaughterhouse, and they needed more comrades to overcome it?
"Retreat, retreat, there's something strange about these birds!" Mo Fan immediately told Zhao Manyan and Jiang Shaoxu when he noticed the number of birds in the air growing rapidly.
The birds above them had almost turned into a giant tornado. Mo Fan's Nyx Regime was unable to trap such an enormous number of strange birds. It was better to withdraw for the time being.
----
The team continued to move toward the center of the storm. The wind was now strong enough to tear Servant-class creatures into pieces. Their team of Advanced Magicians needed to cast a defensive spell on everyone just to venture deeper.
"It looks like the birds have stopped chasing us," said Nanyu, listening to the noise coming from behind.
"They knew how to withdraw temporarily, too!" said Mo Fan.
The birds were only a bunch of puppets. Normally, they would brainlessly enter the storm like moths diving into a fire if they were following someone's orders, but they stopped chasing...
"Are they waiting for us out there since we can't stay in the storm for too long? The wind is just consuming our energy continuously. If a bolt of lightning sweeps past, we might even have to use our defensive equipment," noted Jiang Yu.
The others were clueless about what to do too. They could only hide inside the storm and try to come up with a plan. Staying inside the storm was no permanent solution. No one knew how stable the storm and lightning was. If it somehow grew stronger all of a sudden, wouldn't it simply drag the whole team toward the center?
"Are you seriously saying that now? If you didn't bring the team wandering around to that place, why would we be chased around by those strange birds!" said Zu Jiming, pointing at Jiang Yu.
"Jiang Yu, you're fully responsible for this!" Li Kaifeng and Mu Tingying complained too.
Jiang Yu fell silent.
Mo Fan rose to his feet and started walking around when he saw the members quarreling among themselves instead of trying to figure out a plan.
"Stop wandering around, you're just going to bring us more trouble!" snapped Zu Jiming in annoyance.
"I'm really annoyed by your voice. Can you shut your birdy mouth up? Besides, these legs are mine, I can go wherever I want. How is that even your birdy business?" Mo Fan's mind was fully occupied by the birds, and even his curse was full of them. After all, he was the one in the worst mood. He was dragged into this mess out of nowhere, even though it was the team that poked the beehive, not to mention that they did not even bother telling him!
Zu Jiming remembered how Mo Fan had gotten rid of Lu Yilin. Despite being furious, he did not dare to quarrel further.
After seeing Zu Jiming quiet down, Mo Fan proceeded in the direction the light of the Essence Orb was pointing to...
Since he had already come this far, he did not want to go back empty-handed, right?
Zhao Manyan and Jiang Yu followed Mo Fan, worried about him. It was better to look after one another in the storm. Jiang Shaoxu seemed to be tired of seeing the dark expressions of Zu Jiming and the others, and decided to follow Mo Fan after a slight hesitation.
Ai Jiangtu knew everyone was in a bad mood after being trapped in the storm. He did not really care if the team was splitting up. He simply asked the relatively more reliable Nanyu to follow after the group, "We'll be waiting here. Keep us updated!"
----
The four members followed Mo Fan as he ventured deeper into the storm. The wind was now strong enough to hurt Warrior-level creatures.
The lightning flickered even more rapidly above them. A lightning bolt would land right in front of their feet at times, sending a chill down their spine.
"Say, are we still going deeper?" asked Jiang Yu softly.
"Why not, it's better than staying there yelling at each other!" answered Jiang Shaoxu.
Even though they were on the same team, there was not much teamwork between them. If it weren't for Ai Jiangtu's overwhelming strength and reputation, the team would be fighting one another by now. They would disband before they could reach Venice.
"The lightning is too rapid ahead," said Jiang Yu.
As they went deeper, the lightning started to increase. The dark yellow lightning flickered rapidly, tearing the wind apart and forming a net around the place, applying pressure to the group of people approaching it.
"Nanyu, do you feel that yellow lightning is somewhat familiar?" Mo Fan turned around and looked at Nanyu.
Nanyu suddenly remembered something after hearing his words. "It's a magic ward!" she exclaimed.
Most lightning from magic wards was yellow, and they had seen similar lightning before. It was at the Twin Guardian Towers in Japan.
"This lightning… is not from nature, but an artificial magic ward?" Jiang Shaoxu asked in surprise.
"Aren't you curious what's inside the magic ward?" Mo Fan turned around and looked at the group with a wide smile.
If someone had constructed a formation as a magic ward in the storm, wouldn't it imply that someone was trying to hide the secret at the center of the storm? Why would anyone go so far as to hide it in a terrifying storm?
Chapter 936 - Heart-Warming Intelligence!
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mo Fan was intrigued!
The Essence Orb was clearly telling Mo Fan that there was a magical, ancient energy here, and now they had discovered an artificial magic ward...
"This is some ancient lightning magic! Come, let's go deeper!" Nanyu seemed more excited than Mo Fan. She was now leading the way!
"Can you all stick closer to me if you're planning to go deeper? I won't be able to save you if you're blown away by the wind!" exclaimed Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan was the only Magician with defensive spells in the group. His defensive spells had turned him into a sturdy turtle shell protecting the others as they continued on...
"Don't leave the coverage of my spells. The wind is as strong as an Intermediate Spell now!" Zhao Manyan reminded them.
"It's just an Intermediate Spell..." Mo Fan began arrogantly.
"You try being hit by an Intermediate Spell every second," Zhao Manyan cut him off.
Mo Fan hesitated for a moment, and decisively shut his mouth.
A wind with the strength of an Intermediate Spell did not necessarily mean its damage was the same as being struck by an Intermediate Spell, but being blasted by a team of Intermediate Magicians non-stop. That concept was rather shocking!
"Can we go any further?" asked Nanyu in a serious voice.
"Yes," Zhao Manyan nodded.
"You've grown a lot stronger!" complimented Mo Fan.
"Hehe!" Zhao Manyan smiled as if he had been waiting for Mo Fan to say that for a long time. Even though he was a shameless person on the surface, what was more satisfying than being complimented by a close friend he had gone through lots of battles with?
------
Under the turtle shell… ahem, Zhao Manyan's protection, the group successfully arrived at the area protected by the yellow lightning.
From the outside, the pitch-black storm had concealed the color of the lightning bolts, only giving off a sense of destruction. However, as they went into the storm, they were shocked to discover that the wild and dense lightning was a part of the yellow magic ward.
"Can you crack the Ward open?" Mo Fan asked grimly.
The magic ward was a wall of aggressive magical energy. It could only be destroyed by an energy several times stronger. However, the ward also had its designated keyhole and key. If they could find the keyhole and the key, the magic ward was not really that terrifying or impassable.
"I can, the broken walls at the ruins provided me with some tips. I just need some time," answered Nanyu firmly.
"Hurry up; Zhao Manyan can't hold on for much longer," said Mo Fan.
Jiang Yu and Jiang Shaoxu were excited, too. It seemed like the real treasure of the ancient ruins was hidden inside the magic ward!
"I will let you know if I can't hold it much longer. Just hurry up, the wind is really strong here," Zhao Manyan told them all.
----
The others did not dare say a word as they patiently watched Nanyu crack the magic ward of yellow lightning open.
That being said, as a Magician specialized in cracking Magic Wards, Nanyu did not just take out a little wire and twist it around to crack the Ward. Her hand was hovering in front of the fierce lightning as she listened carefully to the rhythm of the magic ward with her heart, learning how it was operating and where its energy came from; was it repeating the same loop, or was its sequence random? If it was in a loop, when was its weakest period…
---
Time gradually passed. Zhao Manyan's face was slowly covered in sweat, as if he was struggling.
He never stopped casting spells; Water Barrier, Rock Barrier, Light Protection, Plummeting Rays, the rate of his energy consumption was rather shocking. If it weren't for the blue seals strengthening the defensive spells, he would have given up ten minutes ago.
"Nanyu, are you done yet?" Zhao Manyan finally asked.
"It's a bit tricky, if you can't hold on for much longer, let's go back first… mmm, why is your face so pale?" said Nanyu.
"My energy is almost depleted, why do you think my face is pale?" replied Zhao Manyan in an unpleasant voice.
Initially, no one realized there was something wrong with Zhao Manyan's sentence. However, Nanyu's question immediately froze the team.
"Didn't you preserve enough energy to go back?"
Didn't you preserve enough energy to go back!?
They had consumed a huge amount of energy as they ventured deeper into the storm. The journey was not short, either. Even though on the journey back, the wind would gradually weaken, they still needed the same amount of energy they consumed to come this far into the storm. Otherwise, the team would not last for more than half a minute in the storm!
Oh! My! Heavens!
This was nuts, everyone was about to go crazy!
Zhao Manyan was the only Magician with defensive spells on the team. The others would surely be killed within ten seconds judging how strong the wind was, but the idiotic Zhao Manyan did not preserve energy for their return journey, meaning that the group would simply be wiped out halfway!
"What the heck is wrong with you, Zhao Manyan?!" Jiang Shaoxu was the first to scream.
"Me? Didn't you all ask me to tell you when I'm about to run out of energy… I thought we could surely crack the Ward open!" Zhao Manyan was stunned.
Mo Fan felt like crying. It was his first time discovering that Zhao Manyan's intelligence was so heart-warming!
"What...what...what...what can...can we do...do!" Jiang Yu was so nervous that he was stammering.
This was no time for a joke. They were currently at the spot where the wind was the strongest. Even Advanced Magicians would be torn to pieces in seconds, and even their Magic Equipment would not last for long!
"What other choice do we have? Nanyu, open the Ward, hurry up and open the Ward! Going back now is only going to get us killed!" said Mo Fan.
Nanyu could feel cold sweat running down her face. She could not even understand the structure of the magic ward before when she was perfectly calm, let alone with the pressure she was feeling now when the death timer started to tick.
However, Nanyu was clearly aware that she had to crack the magic ward. Otherwise, they were all going to die here!
