Chapter 203: 139. Entrance (Combined Update, Extra for the Leader)
After finishing his conversation with Anna, Fisher fell silent, instead closing his eyes to rest for a while. Anna, sitting beside him, glanced at his profile while he was resting, but her attention was caught off guard when Fisher suddenly spoke again, startling her enough to withdraw her gaze.
“By the way, I just remembered something.”
“What is it?”
Fisher opened his eyes, reached into his chest pocket, and pulled out several playing cards that shimmered with a faint glow, then handed them all to Anna.
Instinctively, Anna took them, but still asked with confusion, “What are these?”
“We’re bound to face off against Blake once we enter the treasury. His physical strength exceeds my expectations, so to ensure your safety, I’m giving you some low-tier high-ring magic I’ve created to use in emergencies. After going to the Healing Room, there will only be four cards left—three attack spells and one defensive spell.”
Fisher roughly explained the effects of the spells. Although Anna didn’t understand the principles of magic, she was no stranger to their use, so Fisher didn’t check whether her magical circuits could activate.
Anna nodded, silently returning the cards to her dress. Just as Fisher had closed his eyes to rest again, she spoke up.
“What about you? What will you do?”
“Don’t worry about me. Last time Blake caught me off guard, but I’ll be better prepared this time. After I rest for a bit, I’ll carve some more spells.”
“Oh, I see.”
Anna, having heard that many mages couldn’t carve spells anywhere and at any time due to the need for good conditions and sufficient materials, thought it was likely only this great mage’s student could carve spells so casually.
After nodding, she also closed her eyes, resting alongside Fisher.
Xiatu was already lying on her side in the hall, bored, counting stars, Jasmine was dozing on the table, and Sir Book had become a quiet book lying on the table.
This little moment of tranquility before the battle felt precious; even the usually anxious Anna managed to calm down, perhaps because she had vented some feelings she had bottled up inside.
With this brief sense of relaxation, Anna’s consciousness sank into sleep, unaware of the dreams waiting for her.
“Wake up. It’s time.”
“Huh?”
Anna was roused by Fisher’s voice calling her. She murmured in discomfort and struggled to open her eyes, only to find Fisher crouching in front of her, looking at her with a blank expression.
She took a breath, and looking down, realized Fisher had draped his jacket over her shoulders so she wouldn’t feel cold while sleeping. He himself wore a white shirt.
“What time is it?”
“It’s almost dawn. Let’s get up.”
“Thank you for your jacket.”
“It was yours in the first place. No need to thank me.”
Fisher kept the jacket on her and felt it would be more suitable for what was next. He returned to the table, and at that moment, Anna noticed that he had spread out a book and ripped out many pages, each inscribed with a simple low-tier magic spell.
There was no time or materials to inscribe high-tier spells now, so they could only rely on these for the time being.
Jasmine was already awake, while Xiatu seemed to have gone somewhere. Anna rubbed her shoulders and slowly stood up, looking at the dimly glass-separated sky above.
The weather today was terrible, like the sky had been drenched in ink, ominously gloomy.
“There’s no sunlight outside. Can you activate that concealed magic you mentioned?”
“It has nothing to do with sunlight; the concealment magic just requires the right timing and is unaffected by the weather.”
“Fisher! Something’s wrong. The soldiers outside have disappeared!”
At that moment, a series of crisp hoofbeats sounded from the corridor outside the library, accompanied by Xiatu’s anxious voice as she ran in with her bow and daggers, pointing towards the window.
Fisher quickly followed her out of the library hall, and Sir Book floated along to the balcony with him. They observed that Nali Lake was still shrouded in darkness, eerily silent, and the guards who had been there earlier were nowhere to be seen. It was possible they had rotated shifts.
In the distant sky to the east, a sliver of light was slowly spreading above the dark clouds, signifying that Saint Nali was ready to welcome the sunrise.
Further away, two plumes of black smoke rose straight into the sky, suggesting that something was burning somewhere, and the flames were intense; otherwise, one wouldn’t be able to see smoke from the distance over Nali Lake.
That direction was likely where the Pink Pavilion and Blake’s residence were located.
“Poof, poof, poof.”
“Ha.”
“Ugh.”
In the next moment, a series of dense splashes sounded from across the riverbank, and with Fisher’s keen eyesight, he vaguely saw distorted and deformed monsters surging along the riverbank, like a tidal wave creating layers of white spray.
On top of this flesh-and-blood tide stood a tall man wearing a cloak, facing into the wind and staring directly at them.
That was Blake!
Fisher inhaled sharply. Blake must already know the situation here. He had dealt with the remnants left in Saint Nali throughout the night and had arrived at Nali Lake before dawn.
The soldiers at Nali Lake leaving was likely the result of a deal between Dexter and Blake. Blake needed to capture Jasmine before he would leave, while Dexter remained silent on this matter, having withdrawn the security from Nali Lake early, clearly not wanting to get involved.
He quickly pulled the pale Xiatu back toward the library, shouting at Sir Book floating beside them,
“Emhart, how do I activate the first layer of concealment magic? Tell me how to operate the mechanism!”
“Oh my, that’s terrifying! I need to think… right! You go to the operation room on the first floor!”
Back in the hall, Fisher grabbed the magic scrolls he had carved earlier from the table and had Xiatu explain the situation to Jasmine and the others, while he dashed after Sir Book.
At the end of the bookshelves on the first floor, Fisher finally spotted a small room with a complete control platform, where buttons could control the switches of the crystal glass on the ceiling. Fisher first pushed a safety pin and then asked Sir Book which button to press.
“Boom!”
Following Sir Book’s instructions, the entire library began to emit a massive noise, and mechanical mechanisms moved the ceiling glass slowly, allowing the first breath of morning air to flow into the enclosed library.
“It worked! Quickly go out and see; you’ll definitely discover something!”
Sir Book started circling around Fisher, who stepped back out of the room. Everyone in the hall was watching the glass on the ceiling slowly shift position.
“Clink, clink!”
As the glass began to move, a sound reminiscent of wind chimes gradually emanated from the void. Jasmine, with her keen eyes, clearly saw twisted glass textures beginning to converge in the air, forming specific shapes, as if countless strands were being stirred by the wind.
That circle of light moved slowly; the magic was activated, lighting up each stroke of a word.
“Zizz, zizz, zizz!”
That word slowly formed, and the moment it appeared, both Fisher and Jasmine’s pupils contracted.
There was no other known Nali word in the sky, just sound-imitating words composed of letters, and that sound-imitating word Fisher had heard and mentioned countless times before:
Muxi.
“Muxi?”
“Aunt?”
Sir Book floated next to Fisher, gazing up at that bright name in the sky, blinking as if recalling something.
“Oh, I always feel somewhat emotional every time I see this magic activated. Although most of the time, it just disturbs my sleep. Many years ago, young Blake liked to secretly take his wife through the waterways of Nali to come here, sneaking into their treasure vault.”
“Coincidentally, he too was like you are now. Blake’s wife was a pureblood southern whale folk, with a very noble lineage, yet she chose to spend her lifespan on land, staying with her lover. Oh dear, there’s a big worm up there!”
Sir Book looked at the ceiling of the library, where twisted monsters began climbing up the walls outside, quickly reaching the skylight, roaring as they tried to squeeze through the narrow window but could only stick their heads halfway in.
Outside in the corridor, a thunderous noise suddenly rang out as a mighty force burst through the wall, sending countless debris and dust against the shelves behind it. Fisher quickly grabbed Anna, who was frozen in fear, pulling her away to prevent her from being crushed under the shelves.
When he touched Anna, he realized she was trembling and freezing.
“Anna, Anna!”
After calling her twice, she remained dazed, stunned by the swarm of human-worms. Fisher gritted his teeth and fixed his gaze on her.
“Leia Lu!”
“I…”
“Are you waiting to die? Get back!”
Anna bit her lip, nodded, gripping the cards Fisher had given her tightly as she ran to the back.
In the ever-expanding cloud of dust, a tall figure slowly emerged. Blake’s face, lined with deep creases, bore a neutral expression, but his eyes sparkled. He first scanned the situation in the library, then his gaze settled on Jasmine.
He smiled faintly, revealing few remaining teeth yet still projecting strength in his voice.
“Let’s see how many friends are eyeing the treasures in my vault!”
He breathed heavily, seemingly having just arrived. Behind him, countless human-worms, dampened by water, surged in but paused behind him, temporarily not moving forward.
Facing the terrifying and oppressive scene ahead, Sir Book said nothing but transformed into a small booklet the size of a finger in mid-air, scurrying into Fisher’s pocket to find a comfortable corner to play dead, embodying a cowardly escape.
Fisher couldn’t help but marvel at how fast he ran off; no wonder this guy could traverse the world without being noticed.
“Blake!”
Xiatu sensed danger alongside Fisher as she raised her longbow at Blake in the distance, yet she didn’t attack recklessly. The gaze of the countless human-worms made her uneasy, and she raised her front hooves high, hoping to boost her own momentum.
“A human scholar, a disliked centaur, and… my favorite Anna.”
Blake surveyed the surroundings, and his gaze finally settled on Anna, who was hiding beside Jasmine. He sighed somewhat regretfully and then reached out to Anna.
“Anna, do you know how I’ve viewed you over the years? I’ve never had a child in my life. Back when I was among the dying southerners on that ship, I noticed you at a glance. Your eyes were so captivating that I paid to buy you and your companions. Even now, despite your betrayal, I don’t feel any anger. Do you know why?”
Her brow furrowed as she glared at Blake, pointing directly at him to curse him.
“Shut up! You demon who deserves to go to hell! What you’ve done is worse than an animal’s; do you expect me to be grateful? Kachina, Anreka—they died because of you! You should die, Blake!”
As Anna spoke, pain welled up in her chest, as if her heart were about to stop; meanwhile, the crowd of human-worms grew restless due to her outburst, ready to charge forward, yet Blake gently raised his hand to stop them.
He no longer engaged with Anna, having understood that mere transactions and negotiations wouldn’t solve the problem.
“My old friend, Yogel Godlin, has reached his last moments, and chaos reigns within the Golden Palace. All the forces in Nali are watching from the sidelines. I thought I could act freely now, as I don’t ask for much. Yet, unexpectedly, it’s you, Fisher Benavides, a renowned scholar, who stands in my way before I reach my destination.”
“It’s an honor.”
Fisher stood firmly in front of Blake, performing a gentleman’s bow.
He was so young, so handsome, almost like the Pride of Heaven of Nali, favored by princesses, full of talent and passion, and he had a whale-folk girl who loved him at the same age.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”
As the two sides confronted each other, the light above the library grew brighter. After the word “Muxi” appeared in mid-air, the entire library felt as if it had been activated.
The ethereal text slowly descended, like dazzling fireworks and light as delicate as feathers. Each time it fell a distance, shimmering magical rune patterns began to spread across the surrounding walls and shelves.
That was the entrance magic to the depths below.
Blake was drawn to the commotion and looked up, first spotting the descending word “Muxi.”
He slightly opened his mouth, suddenly feeling that coming here felt like something from years ago, this entire period all left to Kachina. He no longer came here secretly to admire the treasures they had accumulated with his beloved wife, as in his youth.
With those thoughts, Blake chose to close his eyes, yet the monsters beside him felt his sentiment and roared, surging forward.
Fisher’s expression remained unchanged as a fluid sword glided into his hand. He turned to Jasmine behind him, instructing,
“You stay with them; I’ll take care of Blake.”
“Fisher, I’m coming with you!”
Jasmine had crossed swords with Blake before and realized the old man’s physical prowess was extraordinary, so she wanted to help. But Fisher shook his head, urging her not to go out.
“I have a plan; you need to make sure Anna and the others are safe!”
“Okay!”
Jasmine hesitated for a second, then chose to trust Fisher.
Wielding the fluid sword, it extended like a spinning whip towards the surroundings. The magic in the sky kept falling; as the surrounding magic grew increasingly brilliant, Fisher, however, rushed against the current, heading straight for Blake.
“Clink, clink!”
Blake’s eyes suddenly opened. Once he acted, it was like thunder. He swiftly reached out to grab the fluid sword swinging towards him.
The sound of metal clashing erupted, and Fisher was simultaneously pulled forward by a tremendous force. He stepped onto the head of a human-worm in mid-air, and a burning parchment unleashed a series of swirling light blades.
The [Dance of Bees] magic combined with the fluid sword struck Blake’s body several times, but he didn’t flinch but merely stood still, watching as Fisher’s attacks were entirely deflected.
This made even Fisher realize something was off. Previously, he thought it was Blake’s muscles that were too solid to penetrate, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Several strikes should have hit him directly; if Blake had strong muscles, his cloak would have ripped. But now, it remained unharmed!
Something was covering his body, something akin to a protective shield.
Fisher furrowed his brows, releasing the fluid sword in mid-air and landing amid the human-worms. The creatures attempted to pounce on him but were met with the returning Dance of Bees, which struck their heads.
“A scholar possesses such skills? If you had been in my fleet during the explorations, many lives could have been saved.”
“Too bad; if only I had been born a few decades earlier, I might have had a chance. Under those circumstances, we would probably be two old men squabbling now?”
Blake tossed away the fluid sword and watched it retract back into Fisher’s hand like a python. He shook his head and continued, “This is merely the current you, the twenty-eight-year-old Fisher Benavides. If you had ventured with me back then, you’d be over a hundred by now, and would long have stopped caring about all this.”
“Perhaps.”
The trio of girls behind them were more than capable of dealing with the human-worms. Originally, Fisher had intended for Jasmine to protect Xiatu and Anna, but it turned out Xiatu, the centaur girl, was quite the fighter—no surprise; she was Jasmine’s combat teacher.
At this moment, Xiatu wielded both dagger and bow. When they got close, she would raise her front hooves high to crush the heads of the human-worms.
Jasmine was handling things well, while Anna could only rely on the magic in her hand to fend off enemies. With only three attack spells, she had used one, penetrating many enemies, but now hesitated to use another.
The situation on that side was manageable, but Fisher’s duel was heating up.
The transfer magic from above was continuously falling; the entrance to the treasure vault was gradually forming, a phantom entrance blooming like a flower at their feet.
Blake knew there was no need to let them access the treasury. If Fisher held out a bit longer, they would collapse, so he raised his hand, preparing to destroy the entrance magic on the wall beside him.
Fisher, quick on his feet, grabbed Blake’s sturdy arm with the fluid sword, causing his movement to momentarily pause.
“Even if I let you enter the treasury, you will not be my opponents. You will all ultimately die. Why not hand over the Child of the Sea to me, and I can let the others leave.”
Having said that, Blake abruptly pulled the fluid sword from Fisher’s grip and swung a fist straight at him.
Blake had undergone systematic combat training, far stronger than Fisher, a novice in combat, compounded by his remarkably powerful physique. After only a few exchanges, Fisher found it increasingly tricky.
However, he had not come out alone to face Blake one-on-one.
He circumvented Blake’s attack mid-air, executing a fine spin and landed beside the wall.
Fisher abruptly yanked the fluid sword back from Blake, slicing through several human-worm heads along the way. Yet, in Blake’s astonished gaze, he suddenly noticed the fluid sword’s form morphing into a bowl-shaped hook, and as it was drawn back, it filled with the blood of the human-worms.
What was he trying to do?
“I don’t know which magician you hired to design this magic, but if their design philosophy and mine aren’t too different, I can take over and make some changes.”
Fisher’s gaze moved up along the wall, where bright magical rune patterns emerged from the gaps in the surrounding space following the appearance of the word “Muxi.” At the uppermost part of that magic, a massive ring of [Space] stood out.
Suddenly, the gentleman in the white shirt swiftly pulled out a page inscribed with runes from his chest. The page was full of runes, yet it was not glowing at this moment, clearly inactive.
But in the next second, Blake realized what Fisher intended to do. His expression tightened slightly as he ignored Fisher and charged towards Jasmine, wanting to capture her before Fisher could act.
However, when it came to speed, the young Fisher had the upper hand!
He threw the paper into the air at a particularly sharp angle. The gigantic [Space] ring in mid-air perfectly aligned above the white paper. Fisher took a deep breath, activating his magic circuit. He used the fluid sword, tainted with blood, to precisely draw the connecting lines of the main ring in the air.
Thus, using the active ring of another magician would require significantly less of his magic power. The paper suddenly halted mid-air as the nested magic utilizing two spells at once manifested right before the entrance opened.
“Child of the Sea!”
Blake extended his hand towards Jasmine ferociously. Just as he was about to reach her, everyone present suddenly froze in place. Blake hung eerily in the air, and the human-worms trembled, collapsing to the ground.
Six-ring magic, [Space Compression]!
Simultaneously, Fisher added an exemption target to the ring’s tail, preventing it from affecting Fisher’s group.
This high-tier magic was something Fisher had hastily used from the already inscribed magician cards, economizing on his freshly sculpted magic; it could even be regarded as a miracle in the history of magic carving.
Originally, Fisher had five magic cards left, having given Anna four. The remaining one was a half-finished product. Though Fisher intended to carve a complete spell without relying on the massive ring’s assistance, the lack of magical materials forced him to compromise.
It would have to do; success was what mattered in the end.
Jasmine blinked at the motionless Blake hanging mid-air, suddenly wanting to sneak up with a sneak attack, but didn’t get the chance.
Because, in the next moment, everyone except Fisher and company was brutally crushed by the void.
As the magic took effect, Blake and the human-worms slammed to the ground. Many struggled and screamed, their bodies exploding from within under the pressure.
Even with Blake’s robust physique, at the moment of being crushed, he roared in anger, glaring at Jasmine, waiting to capture her after this magic ended.
“Don’t move, Jasmine! This magic’s target is quite unstable!”
“Boom!”
Not just the human-worms and Blake, the bookshelves, books, and desks were all being crushed and deformed, the ground fracturing continuously, with even the second and third floors of the library starting to collapse. This magic, utilizing that powerful magic ring, had significantly amplified its effect, already reaching the level of a seven or eight-ring spell.
As Jasmine prepared to strike Blake’s head again, Fisher stood still from his spot shouting at her, desperate to prevent her from getting hurt.
But even if Fisher hadn’t yelled, Jasmine wouldn’t have had a chance because, in the next instant, the original teleportation magic activated.
An ethereal light blossomed from beneath, resembling a flower. The flower produced a considerable pulling force, seemingly wanting to drag everyone into an unknown abyss.
Fisher gritted his teeth, realizing his magic was quickly overridden by this teleportation space magic. The number of rings and structure clearly exceeded his own, easily covering his.
Seeing his magic dispelled, Blake leapt up, extending his hand towards Jasmine again. Jasmine didn’t hold back, kicking him with her tail to repel him.
Just as Fisher was about to press forward, Blake was suddenly yanked away by the enticement, disappearing without a trace.
Looking up towards Jasmine, he noticed Xiatu and Anna were gone as well. Feeling the teleportation about to take them both, he hastily reached out to Jasmine.
“Jasmine! Come here!”
Jasmine bit her lip, gritted her teeth, and rushed towards Fisher. Just as the pulling force arrived, their hands touched at the last moment, and in the next second, they simultaneously vanished from that spot.
The entire library fell silent, leaving behind a scene of wrecked bookshelves and vast, slowly dissipating human-worm corpses.
“Zizz, zizz, zizz!”
But outside, Nali Lake remained eerily quiet.
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(End of Chapter)
