Darkness. Silence.
Dean Bruce sensed himself within a peculiar space, flowing at an imnse speed.
But he couldn't see anything ahead.
He couldn't even move, forced to remain rigid and wait for the darkness to dissipate.
After what felt like an eternity, a glimr of light began to unfold, like the slow unrolling of a scroll, dispelling the darkness entirely.
In an instant, dozens of figures ca into view. Dean Bruce looked around, recognizing the sa people who had been waiting outside the pyramid with him.
Remarkably, even their positions hadn't shifted!
The only difference was the surroundings, transford from swirling sands to a grand, resplendent hall!
Notably, the guards hadn't been transported here.
Dean Bruce took a careful look around. The hall had over thirty corridors, each marked by two statues adorned with distinct patterns and engravings.
Seeing the statues brought Maggie Swain's words to mind.
"The Quicksand Secret Realm is open. Each of you has a jade pendant. If you face mortal danger, simply crush the pendant, and you'll be teleported out!"
Suddenly, a thunderous voice echoed through the hall, reverberating like rolling thunder: "If you're greedy and believe you won't die, thinking you don't need to crush your pendant, then no one will be able to save you!"
As the words settled, those who had been captivated by the golden architecture now looked anxious, casting uncertain glances toward their leaders.
The voice resounded again, "Leaders can save you once, but not every ti! If you don't value your lives, even the strongest leader here won't be able to help you!"
"Now, off you go!"
With that warning given, many of the leaders began casting spells, hovering into the air without moving forward themselves.
Seeing this, Dean Bruce followed suit.
Being in a leadership role required a shift in how he conducted himself.
As he ascended, Hannah Fields flew up beside him and whispered, "Teacher, what a coincidence, we et again! Too bad I haven't yet fully grasped the magic you taught !"
...
Dean Bruce hesitated but held back any critical thoughts—after all, they had only been apart for two days. He said instead, "You got back to the Church of Light so quickly? And you were granted the right to lead?"
Hannah laughed lightly, "I rushed back that sa night and went straight to the Pope. I told him if the engagent persisted, my father would co looking for him. That settled things." She grinned, "After all, I'm a saintess. I didn't want to get too involved before, but if I decide to, even the Pope has to yield."
Dean Bruce couldn't help a small twitch of his lips. Indeed, having connections made life much easier.
With strength, status, and a powerful background, not even the Pope could force you into things.
Though Dean Bruce knew the Pope likely had his own subtle ways of keeping her in check.
Hannah Fields' voice suddenly grew serious. "Teacher, I fully understand what you said before. I'll gradually draw the Church's powerful figures to my side and consolidate all the authority into my own hands."
Dean Bruce glanced at her, noting the determination in her gaze. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If she succeeded, the entire continent might one day see the rise of an Empress.
And wouldn't that make him the teacher of an Empress?
At the sa ti, many of the other ntors' eyes fell on Dean Bruce and Hannah Fields.
Due to Hannah's position, they dared not disrupt their conversation, but they sensed a close bond between the two, sparking curiosity about Dean Bruce's true identity.
anwhile, down below, the thousands gathered had finally shaken off their initial hesitation and confusion, stepping forward toward the various corridors.
Within monts, the crowd scattered.
Many from the sa faction even chose different directions.
Prolo Hawthorne and his group, however, heeded Dean Bruce's earlier advice and stayed together, following Prolo's lead toward a corridor marked by a single patterned statue.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
In the air, the ntors didn't stay idle, quickly following their faction mbers. When individuals split off, they marked them with a magical seal.
So they could sense any battle and reach them swiftly if needed.
So individuals chose their own path entirely.
Within monts, the grand hall had grown empty.
Without lingering, Dean Bruce inford Hannah Fields before heading toward the corridor Prolo and the others had chosen.
Swish—
As he flew, he sensed a rush of air behind him. Glancing back, he found Hannah Fields smiling as she trailed him.
"Why are you following ? Aren't you looking after your people?" Dean Bruce asked with a slight frown.
Hannah replied telepathically, "In the Church of Light, the others are talented and strong enough to avoid trouble in the Secret Realm. Giving them entry alone is enough for them to be grateful; I don't need to stick with them."
Dean Bruce blinked, quickly understanding what she ant.
The more powerful the faction, the stronger its mbers. Naturally, competing for entry into various Secret Realms ans facing equally formidable opponents, raising the difficulty significantly.
For these factions, securing an entry spot was the highest priority.
With this in mind, Dean Bruce had no objections to Hannah Fields tagging along. Extending his magical senses, he tracked Prolo Hawthorne and his group while reflecting on the changes within himself.
The speed of his magic enhancent hadn't increased, but he did notice a jade pendant now hanging over his chest.
[So, during the teleportation, it must have been a key selecting the target destination. But upon entering the Secret Realm, it transford into this jade pendant?]
[If matter can transform so easily here, does this Secret Realm exist as a real place, or is it so sort of illusion?]
His eyes narrowed as Dean Bruce pondered further.
This was what set him apart from others in this world.
Regardless of their power, others who entered a Secret Realm simply accepted its rules and moved on. Dean Bruce, however, with his modern education and analytical thinking, questioned the very nature of the Secret Realm itself.
"Roar!"
A furious roar erupted from deeper within the corridor, interrupting his thoughts.
Unperturbed, Dean Bruce increased his speed and flew toward the sound.
As he neared the scene, he saw several dozen figures engaged in battle against a massive stone lion that glowed with an eerie blue frost.
Indeed, it was a lion constructed entirely from stone, yet it moved with uncanny agility, leaping and twisting between its attackers. From ti to ti, it opened its enormous maw and unleashed beams of deep blue light.
Anyone struck by these beams was instantly transford into an ice sculpture.
Their attacks barely left a scratch on its surface, with only shallow marks visible as evidence of their efforts.
The fighters relying on brute force were especially disadvantaged. When their weapons struck the lion, the powerful recoil left their hands numb, and in so cases.
Their grip faltered, causing weapons to clatter to the ground with a ringing sound.
Dean Bruce's eyes swept the scene, confirming that Prolo Hawthorne and his team were safe. Satisfied, he focused his attention on the stone lion, imrsing himself in observation.
[No sign of any life force—it's likely a construct or chanical contraption!]
With this thought, he began scanning the surroundings.
Whether it was a construct or a trap, finding the core would allow him to control it, enabling him to either activate or deactivate it.
And the core couldn't be too far away.
While Dean Bruce searched for a way to break the stalemate, the fighters below were already muttering amongst themselves.
Everyone here had earned their spot, marking them as elite mbers of their factions. Mindlessly charging at the creature was clearly not their approach.
"This lion is made of stone. Is there anyone here who specializes in wood elental magic or similar elental magics?"
"The stone is too hard; only wood elentals can inhabit it and cause damage from within. That might be enough to crack it open!"
"Or does anyone know fire elental magic? There's a chilling energy inside it. If we could dispel that cold, it might be immobilized!"
...
Voices rang out one after another, and soon those with relevant magic abilities began attacking. But the stone lion was no easy target; it could sense magical waves and dodged accordingly, leaving the mages frustrated.
"Sotis I wonder what kind of wisdom the ancients possessed to create such constructs in their era," Hannah Fields sighed. "Our Church has been researching constructs as well, but the ones we produce are incredibly clumsy. Even if they hold imnse power, they can't execute it effectively in battle."
"But the constructs made by the ancients—they possess battle awareness, able to dodge attacks rather than blindly attacking or defending. It's beyond belief."
She turned to Dean Bruce, her eyes curious. "Teacher, do you know how to make these constructs?"
"Of course." Dean Bruce's lips curved into a confident smile as he agreed without hesitation.
In truth, he had no idea. But why pass up the chance to impress?
Getting Hannah thoroughly intrigued could only raise his standing in her eyes, and that was what mattered.
"Really?" As he expected, Hannah's eyes sparkled with excitent as she asked eagerly, "Teacher, how do constructs dodge attacks?"
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