Robin turned to look back. From this position, she could no longer see Kelly and the others.
The earlier mountain collapse had buried nearly more than two hundred undead. Although it couldn’t destroy them completely, it shattered their bones, immobilizing them and ending their threat to Kelly’s group. With no enemies to flank them from both front and rear, the companions covering the rear now had a better chance to escape.
Thinking of this, Robin couldn’t help glancing at Qin Lun at the back of the group. This Moon Elf Prince was becoming more and more unfathomable to her. Looking back, he had played a role several tis when the envoy group faced danger, turning peril to safety.
Turning from Ankhaipe towards the Alamir Mountains had been her plan, but the one who had truly persuaded Milleras to take the sea route was this Moon Elf Prince.
In Ironstar Fortress, everyone only rembered him for dealing a heavy blow to the Earth Salamander, but that was the result of combined effort and didn’t draw enough attention. Thinking back now, Robin realized the Moon Elf Prince’s contributions far exceeded that.
He warned everyone that the forge area connected to an underground volcano, helping them find the upward passage. When encountering the Gecko Colossus, he subtly hinted that the group had already been detected by the salamander’s keen sense of sll. Without his warning, the outco of their battle against the salamander would have been hard to predict.
This ti was the sa once again. It was he who, at the critical mont, subtly guided Iristin to trigger the mountain collapse, allowing everyone to achieve their goal of breaking through. He did it quietly and discreetly, often offering suggestions rather than being the decisive one. It was easy to overlook him without noticing.
Was this really just the impact an Elf rcenary who had traveled abroad could make? Robin’s eyes flickered with thought, but she quickly suppressed the strong doubt rising in her heart. Now was not the ti to dig deeper; they had more important things to do.
Having broken through the blockade of over three hundred undead, Qin Lun and the others finally saw smooth ground ahead. Though so scattered undead still pursued stubbornly behind them, they could no longer hinder them.
Qin Lun, carrying the unconscious Iristin, darted swiftly between the rocks. Behind him trailed a few stragglers: Milleras, Lorlin, and Elr, the magic apprentice Angelo had entrusted to his care.
Qin Lun hadn’t paid much attention to Elr before. Hidden behind Angelo, the magic apprentice truly didn’t draw notice. Qin Lun’s exceptional mory ability proved crucial now. Recalling bits and pieces, Elr had displayed fine manners and etiquette in daily interactions, unmistakably the traits of noble birth.
Another thing was rather strange though. Angelo seed indifferent about teaching Elr, frequently leaving the apprentice to study by himself – linguistics and mainland history.
The Magician profession required vast knowledge, so Angelo’s approach wasn’t unreasonable. But scrutinizing it carefully revealed a problem. Learning languages and history could easily be done at ho. During this journey of adventure, shouldn’t the Mage tutor Elr in practicing magic more to enhance his combat abilities?
Considering that during the recent crisis, Angelo cared neither for his own fate nor the group’s situation, casting his Astrology spell solely for Elr, it suggested the apprentice’s identity was highly suspicious.
Elr was likely not Angelo’s apprentice nor his descendant; otherwise, Angelo would teach him magic seriously. Their relationship seed more like… bodyguard and client? No, it went further. Angelo valued Elr’s safety above his own life. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed behind to cover their retreat.
Qin Lun rolled his eyes, his peripheral vision catching Elr. The teenager’s fra looked slightly frail. Lips pressed tight, face pale, expression showing faint worry, he frequently glanced back towards the rear area, clearly concerned about Angelo’s safety.
The Apostles moved quickly. Only Lorlin and Elr were having trouble keeping up, their steps labored. Sweat beaded on Elr’s forehead, yet he stayed silent, stumbling after the group, trying to stay within sight. His dwindling energy suggested he might soon lag back with Lorlin.
As for Lorlin, it wasn’t lack of stamina but the Dwarf’s short legs and naturally hindered running ability. Nothing could be done about that.
“Longer, Barth, go help those two lads. If they get out alive, try to preserve whatever mission they carry,” Qin Lun ntally sent to Longer, withdrawing his gaze.
“Got it!” Longer’s eyes flickered with surprise. “That Elr… has a mission too?”
“Just a guess. Not certain yet!” Qin Lun chuckled ntally.
Longer nodded without further questions. He called to Barth. Together, they leaped towards the two teenagers, landing beside them. Grabbing their arms, they pulled them forward.
Startled, Elr looked at Longer beside him. Suddenly rembering sothing, he raised his head to look at Qin Lun and t the young man’s knowing smile. Elr trembled slightly, lowering his head to avoid Qin Lun’s eyes.
When the rcenary group encountered the undead in the valley, they had actually already traversed three-quarters of it. As Qin Lun’s group pressed deeper into the valley, the path underfoot widened considerably, no longer as cramped as before.
“Huh? What’s that?” Rounding another bend, Robin suddenly halted in shock, staring ahead.
About dozens of ters ahead at the bend, their path was utterly blocked by a churning mass of pitch-black smoke. The dark mist seed alive, rolling and shifting slowly within the valley.
“Necromantic Magic—Dark Sky Fog!” Philip observed the mist coldly. “Seems we’ve arrived. If there truly is a Necromancer, as Firal said, it must be lurking within.”
“This is such a vast expanse of Dark Sky Fog. Any way to dispel it?” Robin frowned. Pushing deeper instead of retreating wasn’t just about finding a way out; it was also to capture the mastermind behind this undead incident, to bargain for the safety of Kelly and the rearguard.
“I can only try my best.” Philip sighed, pulling a golden-sealed scroll from his Storage Space, his expression conflicted as he faced the roiling darkness.
“A Ninth Tier Magic Scroll?!” Robin’s pretty eyebrows raised as she studied the scroll. After a mont’s thought, she stated decisively, “Lost will cover half the cost of using this scroll.”
Philip inwardly sighed in relief. This scroll wasn’t his personal property; it belonged to the Fortress Team’s communal assets. Mature teams like Fortress always kept so trump cards for facing dangers. This one Ninth Tier scroll was nearly their only remaining high-value item after the last Quest World drained their resources.
High-ranked Magic Scrolls were incredibly valuable. Most Apostles, like Qin Lun himself, could only acquire Fifth or Sixth Tier mid-level scrolls. Higher tiers were scarcely found in the market.
Ninth Tier Magic Scrolls were especially precious. Just consider Qin Lun’s Ninth Tier spell, Tree World Descent. Spells of such power could turn a battle instantly, their worth hard to quantify.
Having Robin’s guarantee, Philip hesitated no longer. With a sharp tug, he tore the scroll. As it unfurled, he imdiately hurled it toward the Dark Sky Fog ahead, treating the precious scroll like a hot potato the instant it was opened.
“Ah!” Even after physically releasing it, Philip clutched his head and doubled over onto the ground. Veins bulged on his forehead as if he endured excruciating pain.
Magic Scrolls had unique properties. While they stored spells, activating that magic and guiding it still required the user’s spiritual force. Though easier than casting a full Ninth Tier spell, the scroll already contained the complete spell structure.
Philip’s spiritual strength allowed him to control Eighth Tier scrolls, but Ninth Tier was still beyond him, inevitably causing ntal backlash.
The scroll arced into the Dark Sky Fog. They saw a pinprick of radiance pierce through the murky depths. Against the vast shadow engulfing the valley’s interior, that light seed miniscule. Yet, even so, it gave everyone a chilling sense of dread.
“Close your eyes!” Qin Lun’s expression changed. He shouted back to Milleras and the others, turning away instantly himself and squeezing his eyes shut.
As they averted their gazes, Philip cried out and collapsed unconscious, frothing at the mouth. Simultaneously, the light deep within the murk intensified explosively, swelling from a spark into a blinding supernova-like orb of pure radiance.
Ninth Tier Light Magic—Glory Sun!
Even with eyes closed, Qin Lun felt his eyelids sting unbearably. Tears stread down uncontrollably as light seared white through his lids.
“Ooooo…” An agonized howl echoed through the valley. The pitch-black Dark Sky Fog lted like snow under the light magic, dissolving into nothingness.
Such was the nature of Glory Sun. Among Ninth Tier spells, it wasn’t the most destructive offensively. Yet, against certain dark magics, it was the ultimate counter. This was precisely why the Fortress Team had kept this scroll; there had been no use for it in their last mission.
Finally, after what felt like ages, the intensity faded enough for Qin Lun to cautiously open his stinging, tear-filled eyes and look ahead.
Their guess had been correct. Around the next bend lay the innermost valley. They found a clearing, just as Knight Bonnie had described, ringed by near-vertical cliffs. No path led anywhere else.
Now, however, everyone understood why so many undead had gathered here, multiplying from the hundred or so Bonnie faced to likely thousands within just a few hours.
“A teleportation array?! So the ruins Bonnie ntioned… were an ancient teleportation array!” Robin gasped, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief.
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