"...Now, I declare the team competition segnt has officially ended. In the competition among those below Fourth Rank, the champion team is Team 42! For Fourth Rank and above, the winning team is Team 11!"
Next, we will enter the second segnt of the grand competition—the exploration of relics—"
"Before that, the High Rank Professionals from the academy have entered the relics and placed a large number of Rune Stones in various corners of the relics. They co in four grades: black, white, silver, and gold.
Among them, Black Rune Stones are the most common, while Golden Rune Stones are the rarest."
"Each Rune Stone acquired will add a corresponding number of individual points. The four colors of Rune Stones are worth twenty, fifty, three hundred, and one thousand points respectively.
The more secluded the location, the higher the probability of finding High Rank Rune Stones."
"The entire relic exploration segnt will last for fifteen days. You may choose to explore in teams or opt to explore individually.
During the exploration, all personal equipnt items are permitted for use, and all relic items found beco the sole property of their discoverer.
At the sa ti, it is forbidden to leave the area of the relics during the exploration; otherwise, it will be treated as forfeit."
After the award ceremony of the first segnt ended, Vice-Principal Hughes of the Light of Illusion, holding a Magic Wand, floated above the platform and announced the rules for the second segnt of the competition to all the students.
After explaining the rules, Hughes looked around at the many students who were already impatient, and with a smile, he raised the Magic Wand in his right hand.
"Now, I declare that the relic exploration segnt... officially begins!"
As his words fell, a majestic purple-golden Pamir Castle emblem flashed across the jeweled top of the wand.
At the sa ti, the many student teams dispersed rapidly, heading towards the areas they had previously set their sights on.
Within the scattering crowd, Anvis cast a glance and imdiately noticed the figure of the Half-Elf girl, Claire.
As he had anticipated, the girl had once again chosen to head towards the least populated direction alone.
His gaze flickering, Anvis tugged at the hood of his Magic Robe and quickly followed her.
Since the use of personal equipnt was allowed during the exploration phase, unlike the uniform attire of Pamir during the first segnt, the students’ outfits now varied enormously.
So were clad in Magic Rune Armor carrying Great Swords, so wore Magic Robes that looked very Mysterious, and there were even those in Magic-guided chanical Battle Armor.
At this mont, Anvis, in a nondescript grey hooded Magic Robe, holding a silver-white Magic Wand, did not stand out.
"Senior Claire, wait for ."
After entering a dilapidated area of ordinary houses, one after the other, Anvis called out.
"Anvis? You ca."
Hearing the sound from behind, Claire’s steps ca to a halt, and her azure eyes turned towards Anvis, a flash of joy in her eyes, which almost imdiately turned into concern.
"Are you sure you want to explore with ? You should be aware that this isn’t just for fun. You could really encounter life-threatening dangers!"
"Maybe."
Lifting his hood, Anvis looked quietly at the girl and smiled gently.
"But seeing you exploring alone, as a ’partner’ who has adventured together before, I’m a bit worried about you."
Looking into the boy’s deep blue eyes, Claire felt a soft spot in her heart gently stirred.
"Anvis..."
Instinctively touching the ring on her finger, which she treasured as a gift from Anvis, the girl pursed her lips, visibly moved.
Because of her usual tendency to isolate herself, other students almost always kept their distance, considering her a weirdo.
Perhaps she was quite charming, but Professionals were mostly handso n and beautiful won; there are none without charm.
Her solitary departure previously, aside from the youth, sparked no concern from anyone else.
However, the next words from Anvis directly shattered the rather unusual atmosphere in the midst of the gathering.
"Of course, because I also fear death, this is rely one of my avatars. I hope you don’t mind."
Claire, who was in the midst of feeling touched, suddenly paused, her facial expression beca every bit as interesting in an instant, and for a mont she didn’t know what to say.
Watching the girl’s amusing reaction, Anvis smiled with a greatly satisfied sense of mischief.
"So, Senior Claire, do you welco ?"
Taking a deep breath and looking at the golden-haired youth in front of her, Claire couldn’t help smiling as well.
"Of course, Anvis, I welco your arrival—"
On the other side, Anvis, who was exploring the ruins of the Bell Tower with Fiona, turned his head as if sensing sothing, and looked in the direction where his avatar was.
The mont the girl had just agreed, a sudden flicker of fate’s feedback ca from his avatar.
It wasn’t much, just about one unit.
But this gave Anvis a bit more confidence that sothing might happen during this exploration of the ruins.
Good, a Treasure-Hunting Rat of the Ruins is indeed worthy of its na.
"Brother, co look, I’ve found a Rune Stone!"
Just then, Fiona’s cheers suddenly echoed from above the staircase.
Looking up, Anvis saw the girl excitedly prying a small stone slab engraved with a pitch-black rune from a crack in the wall, eagerly showing it to him.
"Congratulations, Fei."
Smiling and nodding, Anvis glanced around as the silver-gray Magic Cube in his hand lit up slightly.
As a result, two other well-hidden stone pieces were revealed, one black and one white.
.........
Outside the ruins at this mont.
Marquis Winter stood on a verdant hillside, his gaze slightly unfocused as he looked in the direction of the ruins city, contemplating sothing unknown.
A Ninth Rank of the Enock family stood on another distant hill, seemingly using his spiritual power to watch over the many students inside the ruins to prevent any mishaps.
But if one looked closely, it would be apparent that he was not fully focused on the ruins but was subtly keeping an eye on Marquis Draka’s movents.
Marquis Winter, too, noticed this but did not ask anything out loud. Regarding this delicate situation, neither of them took the initiative to break the silence.
However, sensing the faint gaze from a distance, a shocking ssage from soone called ’Zero,’ an outlander, flashed through the Marquis’s mind again.
’During the academy competition, to get a head start on the mysteries of the ruins and establish dominance, one of the Four Great Families will act against a certain Marquis, specific target and details unknown.’
Initially, he had scoffed at Zero’s obviously provocative ssage.
But in the face of his distrust, Zero just smiled and ntioned a na that chilled him.
’Do you rember the fate of the forr Marquis Alk?’
Because of this na, and the ssage involving hidden matters within the ruins, he tentatively heeded Zero’s words, but did not take it too seriously.
However, seeing the unusually tense reaction from the Ninth Rank of the Yiter Family, and the occasional observations of his own movents, Marquis Winter suddenly had a hunch and murmured to himself.
Could it be that what that man said was true?
Reviews
All reviews (0)