Chapter 120

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Chapter 120: Slash

The skeleton sentry crawled at the front, followed closely by the guards, with wizards and their respective apprentices arranged behind them, and Tasha at the back. As they passed through the teleportation array, their group diminished once more, even in a single-file formation, everyone still enveloped in the light from the black candles.

The ropes of the suspension bridge were tightly fastened, hardly any difference in height between the middle of the bridge and the starting point, little room for swaying, allowing the people to move across without much fluctuation. This stable rope bridge had waist-high railings on both sides, a narrow deck where one person could hold onto both sides while walking. The solid planks laid beneath the suspension bridge seemed like the same wood as seen in other parts of the Mage Tower, sturdy and new, making no sound when stepped upon.

These specifications made the suspension bridge feel very secure, not intending to trouble the travelers, at least not in the simple act of "walking." However, when you step onto a single plank bridge hanging high above an abyss, it’s hard not to feel nervous and uneasy.

Beyond the range of candlelight, it was pitch black, unable to see the bottom when looking down, and no walls visible on either side. The path they came from had been swallowed by darkness, while their destination remained hidden in the darkness, distance unknown from here.

The lighting inside the Ancient Mage Tower was peculiar like this, Light Spells could not illuminate here, only the ancient Black Magic-derived black candles could be effective. The light within the black candle radius did not diminish, the brightness near the edge was the same as by the flame, while this effect was quite good, but sometimes it was quite eerie: outside the sphere of light, there was no buffer, a dense black veil that could not be penetrated suddenly covered everything. The areas outside the light completely impenetrable, as if the world vanished a dozen meters away.

Tasha couldn’t see anything, her eyes were the result of a special extraction process, allowing her to see in the dim night – but "night vision" is not the same as "dark vision", being able to see objects in dim light doesn’t mean being able to see things in pure darkness. Even on the darkest night with thick clouds, there is still a faint light, but the darkness in this tower was pure darkness, like being locked in a sealed box, without any light at all.

It was quiet around them, only their footsteps could be heard.

They kept walking forward, the journey was long and peaceful, except for the monotonous environment, it was as easy and safe as the journey to the base of the Mage Tower before. Tasha, however, felt increasingly uneasy as they walked, as if hearing some faint noise coming from somewhere, unclear and unsettling.

It wasn’t because of the long silent darkness.

Tasha had always had high patience, growing to her current state, the dark and boring journey couldn’t shake her. What disturbed her was a strange feeling, faint and elusive, not small enough to ignore, nor big enough to put her in a fighting state. Tasha sensed a certain aura, generally pointing towards "magic", but pinpointing exactly what it was, was beyond her perception.

Since Aryan’s magic environment started to improve, most things were related to magic. A strange-looking plant with a bit of magic but not enough to be used for potions, a person awakening a bit of magical bloodline, products of magical technology crafted by Craftsman Dwarves… everything was intertwined with a small amount of magic. Aryan was a magical dimension, and this was still a Mage Tower, so it was normal for everything here to be covered in magic.

It was this kind of ambiguous situation that made Tasha uneasy.

To give an example, it’s like a warrior who is very sensitive to gazes, but unfortunately stands out in a crowded place. Everyone is looking at you, but you can’t tell if the stares are hostile. Reacting strongly would be out of place, so you have to endure it, endure the increasing pressure on your nerves.

There was a faint noise in the distance.

This was the first sound they heard besides their own footsteps as they walked. Almost immediately, everyone realized and prepared for battle and defense—but it was too slow. The Undead Sorcerer staggered, and at that moment Tasha noticed that the skeleton sentry at the edge of the light was gone. Dolores warned over the Antoine Conference Table channel: some kind of spell hit the skeleton sentry, shattering the soul fire within the bones before she could react.

Then came a flash of light.

The magical energy fluctuations became extremely intense, rising to a level that all wizards and even ordinary people in the group could perceive. Any person with sight could notice it too. Suddenly, the pitch-black space burst into brilliance, completely unsettling rather than comforting. Those accustomed to dim light instantly lost their vision, like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck.

Tasha was the first to react, closing her eyes before the light burst, thus being the first to open them afterwards. The images on her retina were captured by Tasha’s focused mind as if snapping a picture, freezing the entire scene into her mind palace, every detail crystal clear. Her brain whirred rapidly, as if entering bullet time in a movie.

The danger of this scene seemed almost as intense as facing a hail of bullets.

The burst of light illuminated the entire space for a moment. With Tasha’s keen eyesight, she could make out the walls about a kilometer away, patchy and desolate. Closer inspection revealed numerous broken areas, with large magic traces similar to those near the laboratory’s teleportation array. Obviously, the Pathfinder had also been here.

The answers they sought before now seemed insignificant, not even worth considering.

The light came from about a hundred meters away, emanating from nested magical arrays of various sizes. These objects appeared out of thin air, suspended in mid-air, similar in size to the teleportation arrays before, and densely scattered across half the field of vision. The surging magical waves were terrifying, like standing in front of a flamethrower, watching red energy gathering at the nozzle, heat rising, distorting the open air, with your head directly in its path.

Countless such "flamethrowers" were present.

They were faced with intense gunfire, feeling hopeless as they saw the cannons pointing at them. How could they survive under the thousands of anti-aircraft guns all around, with no way to escape on the narrow wooden bridge? The wizards’ hands created protective shields of various kinds, covering the team members one by one. Miranda and Laurien attacked with sharp cones and fireballs towards the bright spot. Tasha kept a close watch on the increasingly powerful magic formation, spreading her wings, ready to strike.

The magic cones and fireballs extinguished before reaching the magic formation, as if they hit something and disappeared instantly, just like snuffing out a cigarette in a water puddle. A web-like structure appeared between the magic formation and the drawbridge, making the wizards’ expressions even more serious, while some apprentices and guards looked despairing.

But as the web appeared, the magic formation stopped.

The bright light froze halfway, the long-prepared magic energy suddenly stopped, as if time froze when the web emerged. The intercepting net of translucent magic spells gently wrapped around the magic formation, connecting all activated magic formations together. It was like placing a damp tissue on a freshly painted watercolor, instantly dimming all the colors as they flowed into the wet tissue.

The attacking magic formations were all halted, unable to attack. The huge "wet tissue" absorbed all the colors on the magic formations, with the net glowing brighter and the magic formations becoming dimmer.

"It’s been there all along!" Bruno exclaimed in realization, "This is the ‘Liandrin Magic Block Net’! It can intercept most magic formations and sustain itself long-term by absorbing their powers, the ‘Liandrin Magic Block Net’!"

The name of this spell and its long-term effects sounded familiar.

The ability to sustain itself by absorbing enemies’ energy, like the Disjunction Rune placed by the White Tower on the Fluid Guard, was a characteristic spell of the White Tower school. Liandrin, a wizard from the White Tower and the creator of the previous "Liandrin Lantern Vine" spell, was the ancestor of Bruno, who had defected from the White Tower during the Dragon Slaughter.

It was clear that this spell could not have been left by someone from the Tower Master. The Magic Block Net that countered the magic formations in the tower could only be the masterpiece of the Pathfinder.

"Could that Pathfinder possibly be… a student of your ancestors at the White Tower?" Gloria said.

"No," Bruno said. "My ancestors enjoyed writing diaries. It was documented that the Liandrin Magic Block Net spell was invented by him in his later years."

Liandrin, after leaving the White Tower, invented this spell in his anonymous later years. His former students and colleagues could never learn it.

"Moreover, no one was able to learn this spell later on," Bruno smirked, a facial expression that was hard to determine if it was crying or laughing. "This is a spell only a Legendary Wizard can use. Despite him detailing the steps, effects, and appearance of the spell, none of his descendants who inherited it were able to advance to legendary status."

The only person who could use this spell was him.

– Liandrin himself, the Legendary Wizard who disappeared in his later years.

I see.

Liandrin arrived here in his later years. He is the Pathfinder who overcame many obstacles, and he indeed arrived at the place where they are now. Tasha’s previous sense of tension was not a misconception; the threats around were real yet not imminent – the dangerous mechanisms set around the drawbridge were likely disarmed, much like the lower levels of the Mage Tower they passed through earlier. Their field of vision was limited, their range of activity restricted, and surrounded by deep ravines where no wreckage or bodies would be left behind, they failed to easily notice this as they did before.

In places they couldn’t see, there were traces of magic everywhere, dismantled magic traps, and perhaps a large number of bodies.

"So are we safe now?" A guard, after hearing the explanation, hesitantly said while trying to contain his excitement, "An archmage swept through here before us, so this place is like a… abandoned haunted house?"

"I should have brought them all into the teleportation array just now!" Another soldier said regretfully.

The wizards neither confirmed nor denied.

It’s hard to say. Until reaching the end and seeing the results, the path still lies in darkness. There is still no consensus on which is wiser, to "stay" or to "move forward."

Is it because they are still in this unpleasant environment, even after the Magic Block Net and magic arrays slowly disappeared into the air, Tasha’s tense nerves still didn’t relax.

If Pathfinder Liandrin had once walked across this suspension bridge like they did…

Did he leave?

In his later years, Liandrin disappeared without a trace. Once he left, he never returned to his family. Why did this Legendary Wizard venture into this half-demolished White Tower Mage Tower in his later years? Did he achieve his goal? If this Legendary Wizard, who seemingly effortlessly made his way through the Mage Tower and reached here, ultimately met his downfall… How powerful is the person or "thing" that killed him?

Tasha faintly felt like she had missed something, but couldn’t remember.

Anyway, she thought, it’s better not to scare yourself before there is evidence.

People who have gone through this storm continue to move forward.

They walked for another hour, occasionally seeing something around them, but all of them were harmless, like the inoperable equipment in the abandoned haunted house, or the previous Raven Tower Spirit, which dissipated quickly. Shortly after the next hour began, the numb group regained their spirits, and the suspension bridge under their feet started to incline upwards.

They had been going up for some time now. The suspension bridge was very stable, the journey was very long, and the incline was so gentle that it was hardly noticeable. By the time they could clearly perceive the incline upwards, they were surely close to reaching the other end.

Honestly, no one knew what was waiting on the other side, but the long journey had worn off everyone’s fear. It was like the final stretch of a marathon in the college entrance examination. Even the most nervous students had the idea of ‘the sooner it’s over, the better.’ The weariness of the unchanging and unsettling situation temporarily outweighed the fear of the unknown. People quickened their pace, and a sense of relaxation as they neared their destination appeared more or less on their faces.

Tasha was an exception.

Was it an illusion? She heard a faint sound.

Even her sensitive hearing made her doubt if she had misheard. The stretched string naturally felt fatigued after a while, and Tasha wasn’t sure if she really heard something or if it was an auditory hallucination brought on by tiredness. She felt increasingly anxious, couldn’t help but slow down a bit, wanting to create some distance from the group ahead to better assess…

Click!

The wooden plank was suddenly pierced through, and a piece of red pillar shattered the drawbridge from bottom to top just as Tasha stopped walking, rushing out from the bridge surface nearly two meters high, only a step away from her. If Tasha had not stopped just now, it could have shattered more than just the wooden plank.

When it punched through the wooden plank, it looked like a hard stick, but as it collapsed and wrapped around the bridge surface, Tasha discovered that it was actually soft, like a waving long whip. The red whip wrapped around the somewhat intact bridge surface, with black scorch marks spreading from where it touched. Tasha stood by and could feel the intense heat.

The seemingly damp "whip" had a temperature high enough to ignite and even melt the wooden planks.

Apart from the heat, Tasha felt something else.

The abyss.

She drew out a silver knife from her back, the modified demon-slaying knife having a stronger effect on Abyssal Creation, and the isolated handle would prevent Tasha, who had demonic elements, from being harmed. She raised her hand and the knife fell, slicing off the fleshy red whip. Just as she was about to speak and have the wizard use an ice-sealing spell on the burning stump, there was another crisp sound, and another identical long whip fell down heavily, whipping at the burning spot.

The drawbridge broke.

The entire long bridge started shaking violently, with the left side from the railing to the bridge surface all breaking apart, and only one rope on the right side barely holding on. Everyone felt a sudden drop, with most grabbing onto the remaining rope, while some started to fall. The undead sorcerer with stiff limbs was in the front, along with two apprentices who were not quick enough and not grabbed by anyone.

Tasha spread her wings and swooped down.

After Tasha started flying, she felt something was wrong. The demon wings flapped in the air, but they felt much heavier now, like carrying two heavy balls. Tasha flew clumsily, even more uncoordinated than when she first got this body, as if invisible sticky threads were holding her back. The air felt strange, her body felt strange, as if a force was pulling her down. She remembered the exertion of flying with dragon wings in the zero magic zone, a similar feeling, but the air here was not lacking in magic at all.

On the contrary, as Tasha flew away from the bridge, she felt the magic around her became richer.

People falling from the bridge, clinging to ropes, wizards unable to help others with their flight magic except themselves, floating spells limited in range for those already fallen. The two apprentices couldn’t use flight magic, Dolores specialized in necromancy but had no spell to stop her fall. Without hesitation, Tasha grabbed both apprentices, one in each hand.

She had just effortlessly carried Miranda earlier, now holding two half-grown children felt like grasping two armored vehicles. Tasha struggled to balance with her wings, Dolores was about to fall out of the candlelight range, approximately two meters away. Gritting her teeth, Tasha dove down to position herself beneath the Undead Sorcerer.

Dolores landed accurately on Tasha’s back, on a portion that didn’t hinder wing movement. The Undead Sorcerer’s small and skinny form felt heavy on Tasha; she started to plummet, feeling the weight of two apprentices and a wizard like a mountain.

Tasha fell into darkness.

Many eyes watched in horror as the four figures were swallowed by the black curtain, silence as heavy as darkness. After a dreadful half-minute, the figure with wings emerged once again.

Tasha still held onto both apprentices, teeth clenched, muscles taut and trembling, sweat dripping down. Her body, capable of lifting an armored vehicle effortlessly, now felt weak, like an ordinary person carrying a bucket of water. Sweat stung her eyes, blurring her vision. She pushed herself upwards with all her strength, thoughts muddled and confused, like sprinting towards the finish line.

The good news was, no one else fell down.

Not only did no one fall, when Tasha flew back up, they had all climbed back up. The suspension bridge miraculously returned to its original state. The collapsed left side returned to its original level, the boards and ropes were repaired, with a bit of charred damage left unrepaired. Tasha realized that the suspension bridge looked undamaged and sturdy, not because the attacks from the Pathfinder and Tower Master didn’t harm the bridge, but because it could repair itself.

Tasha threw the two apprentices back, and the quick-witted guards grabbed the Undead Sorcerer on her back, dragging Dolores onto the bridge. The heavy luggage was removed, although the flying sensation still felt strange, Tasha breathed a sigh of relief, ready to ascend a bit more and fly back onto the bridge.

Something grabbed her foot.

Previously, Tasha felt a force pulling her down, but now this force was real, something was pulling her down. The scorching heat burned Tasha’s ankle, instantly turning the pants into crispy pieces. If Tasha didn’t have outstanding fire-resistant dragon attributes, her ankles would have been burnt too. She looked down and saw a fleshy red tentacle.

Before the silver knife could swing, another "tentacle" wrapped around her other foot. She had used up too much strength in the previous climb, unable to break free for a moment. The huge pulling force was overwhelming, Tasha couldn’t grab onto anything in time, she was forcibly pulled down.

Several spells misfired just a step away from her, amidst the screams of the people, Tasha fell straight down.

She could feel herself falling down, also tilting sideways, seemingly deviating from the original position of the suspension bridge, heading towards the wall. Tasha couldn’t see anything, unable to judge how far she had fallen in a short time. Then she could see again, after her eyes adjusted to this terrible environment for a while, Tasha caught a glimmer of light, coming from the red tentacle on her foot. Beneath the fleshy red whip was a dim red glow, like burning coals.

Following this dim light, Tasha saw the other end of the tentacle.

The other end was also glowing, their whole bodies emitting a tongue-like dim firelight – yes, tongues. They weren’t some "fleshy red tentacles," they came from the open mouths of two creatures.

In the direction Tasha was falling, on the far wall, two lizard-like creatures opened their mouths wide, eagerly waiting for their prey to return to its place on their tongues.