Chapter 2486 Sending You On Your Way <TOC> Chapter 2488 A Bell
Translator: SumTLMan
The chaos at the Star Pool Ruins has persisted for two days and nights.
As time passed, the turmoil at the Star Pool Ruins not only failed to subside, but the barrier maintaining the ruins began to weaken increasingly.
In the three Observation Pavilions within the Star Pool Ruins, two have already lost their luster.
If the light of the last Observation Pavilion is also obscured by the mist, it signifies that the Light Barrier will be completely breached.
“How much longer can it hold?” Rhine asked, standing outside the barrier. The flickering arcs of the Light Barrier were reflected on his cheeks, clearly revealing the gravity of the situation.
“Granny has sent word that the size of Menavarro has increased again, and the surrounding chaotic mist is eroding the barrier faster than Granny can replenish its energy. According to calculations…” Wallace, hearing the data whispered in his ear, looked slightly pale: “The Light Barrier can only be maintained… for two more hours.”
The other wizards around, hearing that the barrier would last only two more hours, looked visibly distressed. Once the Light Barrier shattered, the most terrifying creatures inside would be unleashed.
Until now, they had been unaware of the creatures suppressed within the ruins, but after two days of battle, they had come to understand just how dreadful these creatures were.
Particularly the tentacle creature named Menavarro, which was spreading a madness like a plague at an alarming rate. Even hearing its murmurings could drive apprentices insane. If one were to come into contact with the mist within the ruins, even formal wizards could not resist this madness.
To date, six wizards had succumbed to this affliction.
Although Tree Spirit had managed to prevent the spread of the madness, the source of this affliction had yet to be identified, and it was unclear if there was any hope for the afflicted wizards.
Knowing that the Light Barrier could only hold for two more hours left everyone feeling helpless.
They were not afraid of fighting, but once the mist dispersed, it would inevitably cause a horrific disaster. Even though the Savage Grottoes could avoid the mist through the Mirror World, what about the tribes on the plateau? What about the humans in the underground territories?
As spirits were low, Rhine spoke up: “Two hours is enough.”
“Enough? Do you mean…” Wallace looked at Rhine, guessing what he might be implying.
Rhine nodded slightly: “Yes, Fire Charm Witch had already contacted me; she has reached Winsbills and has gotten in touch with Aesop. If all goes well, Aesop will arrive soon.”
Hearing the name of Aesop, everyone’s expressions relaxed a bit.
Aesop, though a wandering wizard, was one of the most powerful among them. As a true knowledge wizard specializing in space magic, Aesop had inherited the legacy of Bazel. Not only was his strength formidable, but the barriers he constructed were unrivaled in the Southern Region.
And the Light Barrier was initially constructed by Aesop at Rhine’s behest.
As long as Aesop arrives, even if the Light Barrier cannot be immediately restored, it can still delay its fracturing, affording them more time to address the monstrous horde or… the subsequent calamities following the barrier’s disruption.
Ten minutes later, Fire Charm Witch and a man wearing a mask adorned with convoluted patterns appeared near the Star Pool Ruins.
Upon arriving, the man nodded slightly to Rhine without much small talk and approached the Light Barrier to commence a sensory examination.
This man was none other than the ‘Dimension Walker’ Aesop, also a longstanding confidant of Rhine.
Minutes later, Aesop joined Rhine with a grave expression.
“How do things stand?” Rhine inquired.
“Three spatial nodes have already shattered two; the sole remaining node is still robust, channeling energy like a torrent. Is it Sanders or Horus?”
“Neither, it is Iron Armor Granny’s avatar guarding there.”
“So, it is her.” Recognition flashed through Aesop’s eyes. Despite years of seclusion, Iron Armor Granny, a millennia-old witch, was privy to ancient affairs and notoriously formidable.
After a moment of reflection, Aesop continued, “However, although the last spatial node can barely sustain the barrier’s operation, I observe that the barrier’s depletion rate has already surpassed limitations, which is rather dire.”
“Do you have a means to mend the Light Barrier?”
Aesop shook his head: “A repair is out of the question. But I can attempt to reinforce it, thereby extending the barrier’s fracturing duration.”
“How long can the delay be?”
“Given the current depletion rate, possibly two days. But if the depletion accelerates further, it’s uncertain.”
Rhine nodded silently to Aesop: “Then proceed with the reinforcement.”
Pausing briefly, Rhine then asked, “After reinforcement, is it feasible to construct a new barrier outside the existing Light Barrier?”
“The spatial properties in this vicinity are already unstable. Constructing a new barrier would require expanding the area significantly, at least to encompass the surrounding several kilometers. Are you sure you want to proceed?”
The materials required for a large-scale barrier are immensely taxing, and the unstable spatial conditions might prevent the new barrier from achieving the original effects of the Light Barrier. At best, it would merely serve as a temporary deterrent.
“Confirmed.”
Aesop nodded: “Understood.”
Subsequently, Aesop refrained from further discussion and directly began reinforcing the Light Barrier.
Meanwhile, Rhine had Fire Charm Witch lead a contingent of wizards to the Shadow Demon Kingdom for personnel evacuation.
Simply put, the Savage Grottoes do not fear the shattering of the Light Barrier, but there are entire territories of humans nearby, which necessitates Rhine to take action.
Aesop, truly a master of barriers, fortified the Light Barrier in just half an hour.
Observing the newly radiant Light Barrier, Aesop nodded with satisfaction. Perhaps due to the superior quality of materials, this reinforcement surpassed his expectations.
“As long as the internal consumption rate remains at this level, it should hold for at least three days,” Aesop stated.
Hearing Aesop’s proud announcement, Rhine breathed a sigh of relief.
With three days, there would be more room to maneuver. Even setting up new barriers would afford more time.
“Is the access level of the barrier the same as before? Will it prevent people inside from coming out?”
Aesop questioned, “Apart from Iron Armor Granny, are there others inside?”
Iron Armor Granny would undoubtedly hold out to the last, so clearly, Rhine was not referring to her.
Rhine nodded, “Gloria is inside.”
“Gloria?” Aesop took a moment to recall, “Diamond Barbie from the Candy House?”
Rhine confirmed with a nod.
“Why did she go inside?” Aesop frowned.
“It’s a long story. Just think of it as Gloria being tempted by some delicacies inside that interest her,” Rhine mentioned Gloria with a hint of helplessness. Initially, when the mist began to spread, Rhine had instructed all the wizards to evacuate, but Gloria had stayed behind, intrigued by a fat creature named Da Vichyssoise.
Since Gloria wasn’t from the Savage Grottoes, Rhine couldn’t forcefully evacuate her and could only temporarily entrust her to Iron Armor Granny.
“If she needs to leave, she might have to wait until the very end with Granny, because the method I used to reinforce the barrier is a sealing type. Unless the barrier is broken, she probably can’t leave anytime soon.”
Rhine concluded, “Since that’s the case, she’ll just have to continue staying with Granny.”
During their conversation, Wallace received another message from Granny.
Wallace relayed, “Another creature has appeared in the ruins, looking like a long-haired woman, but her face is completely obscured by her hair.”
Rhine immediately identified the figure based on Wallace’s description: “It’s Mademoiselle Goldilocks, guarding the Doreen Flower Garden. Her power should rank at the lower end among those leaders.”
Even though Mademoiselle Goldilocks’ power was lower ranked among those creatures, she was still not to be underestimated.
After all, she was a creature from the Nightmare Plane.
Rhine turned to Aesop, “It looks like the consumption of the Light Barrier will increase now. Do you know how much longer the barrier can hold?”
Aesop did not directly respond but instead assessed the barrier’s energy depletion before stating, “The extra consumption isn’t too significant; it should hold for another two days.”
Relieved by Aesop’s assessment, Wallace relaxed somewhat but, to be safe, he inquired, “Are we certain the barrier won’t be breached?”
“Rest assured, it won’t be,” Aesop replied, then elaborated, “Currently, there are only two ways to directly breach the barrier. The first is by using a specific tool or by dimensional traversal out of the barrier.”
“Since the creatures from the ruins haven’t emerged for two continuous days and nights, it indicates the absence of such tools, so that possibility can be dismissed.”
“What about the second method?” Wallace asked.
“The second way…”
Aesop was interrupted by a sudden loud crack. He swiftly turned around only to see the recently reinforced Light Barrier starting to fracture.
At the very top of the barrier, a towering mist was wildly spreading.
Clearly, a breach had formed at the upper end of the barrier, releasing the enveloping mist.
Aesop and Rhine exchanged a glance and simultaneously leapt into the air, positioning themselves high above. From this vantage, they could clearly see two figures, one black and one white, like shooting stars, piercing through the hole in the barrier.
“It was the Black and White Maids who escaped earlier!” Wallace exclaimed as he too ascended.
The barrier had indeed been compromised by the maids.
Looking at the fractured barrier, Aesop murmured, “The second method is from the outside…”
“Now discussing this is too late,” Wallace stated.
Aesop felt a hint of helplessness; how could he have known that other creatures from outside would attack the barrier? He looked at Rhine, who sighed, “This isn’t your fault; it was our oversight…”
After a pause, Rhine turned to Wallace, “Inform Iron Armor Granny; no need to guard anymore, prepare for battle.”
As her words fell, a palpable aura of authority began to radiate outward. The mist leaking from the barrier’s breach was quickly condensed by this formidable presence, preventing it from dispersing.
Wallace sensed Rhine’s emanating aura and nodded solemnly, “I understand.”
Since battle was imminent, Rhine would not just stand by. As the most powerful presence there, he would be the first to enter the Star Pool Ruins to subdue the three creatures inside.
But before that, Rhine had one more task.
He looked at his old friend Aesop, “You should leave; this doesn’t concern you.”
“I can help you,” Aesop offered.
“The situation here is complicated; your staying is not what I’d wish to see,” Rhine sighed. While he would not mind Aesop’s assistance if a straightforward victory was possible, the creatures within the Star Pool Ruins were far more numerous than just the current three. Especially if Minister Nooka appeared, it would surely herald a disaster akin to the descent of a Demon God.
Aesop wished to speak his mind, but ultimately, he just nodded. Given Rhine’s stance, as an outsider, it wasn’t a wise choice to meddle.
As Aesop was about to depart, Wallace suddenly exclaimed with a “Huh”.
“Lord Rhine, Iron Armor Granny has sent a message saying all the creatures have returned to the ruins; not one remains outside.”
Rhine, puzzled, lowered his head.
The mist that enveloped the Star Pool Ruins was now slowly dissipating, and despite a fractured barrier obstructing the view, Rhine could clearly see that there were no creatures left in the lower reaches of the Star Pool Ruins.
Only the two damaged Observation Pavilions and the single one still emanating a faint glow, guarded by Iron Armor Granny, were visible.
All the creatures had vanished.
No, there was still one!
Rhine looked towards the center of the Star Pool Ruins, where the entrance to the Land of Heart Sigh was located. Though there were no creatures on the surface, at the underwater passage leading to the Maze of Mystlight Candles sat a massive spherical flesh mound, peering out while sucking on a lollipop.
Da Vichyssoise!
While Da Vichyssoise remained, he did not appear outside the ruins, thus technically remaining at the fringe of both the Land of Heart Sigh and the Star Pool Ruins.
If Da Vichyssoise stayed put, Rhine would not venture in, so by all conventional accounts, the creatures of the Star Pool Ruins had indeed disappeared.
But why had they vanished?
What had brought them out in the first place?
Was it because the Black and White Maids had already accomplished what they intended, hence they returned to the Land of Heart Sigh?
As Rhine’s confusion deepened, his ears suddenly twitched.
He heard a strange whistling of the wind, swiftly descending from above towards their location.
Rhine, confused, looked up sharply.
A silhouette against the rosy light of the sky was rapidly falling towards them.
With Rhine’s keen dynamic vision, he could distinctly make out the true face of the descending figure. However, upon recognizing the visage, his expression turned from confusion to odd.
“…Angel?”
Chapter 2486 Sending You On Your Way <TOC> Chapter 2488 A Bell