Inside the ruins, after thoroughly reading Zero’s report, Anvis manipulated the tallic Rubik’s Cube with divided attention while pondering how to react next.
Now, he had also vaguely realized the purpose of Zero’s special visit to inform him—it was probably to make the Four Great Families more vigilant, thus further provoking the Marquises.
According to the information revealed in Zero’s report, when Claire or so other lucky individual triggers the hidden conditions of the ruins, exposing the true secret of the half ruin, it’s feared that the Empire’s Ninth Rank powerhouses will start to fall into disarray first.
However, Anvis believed that the Duke and others would not be unprepared for external enemies. The current situation is just as if they have an extra half-enemy.
The reason it’s called a half-enemy is that the attitude of the Marquises is also outward when facing foreign foes.
Based on Anvis’s mories from his previous life, perhaps one or two Marquises really defected to the enemy, but most of the Marquises maintained their loyalty to the Empire even when the war erupted in full scale, on the eve of young Anvis using the Wish Ball.
Indeed, in this life, he had made many changes to the lines of fate, but none of the things he did had an impact on the affairs of the Empire, not enough to change the judgnt of the Ninth Rank powerhouses.
While analyzing the situation, Anvis began to consider how to handle Zero, this unstable factor.
Having an undercover agent in the enemy’s camp, and one from the managent layer, certainly feels great.
However, this guy’s ability to stir things up and set the pace is a bit too strong.
Need to find a way to deal with him—
"Bro, co quickly and see, I think I just found a brand new underground passage!"
At this mont, Fiona’s voice floated over from afar.
"A brand new passage?"
Hearing this voice, Anvis looked over in slight surprise, only to discover that the girl had descended an old rocky staircase and entered the underground level of the ruins.
They were currently in the Magic Tower that was originally part of the city. Exploring here was Fiona’s idea; she felt that this platinum-colored enormous spire was very conspicuous and thought the chances of finding golden Runes might be higher.
This opinion wasn’t wrong, but as one of the landmark buildings of this ruined city, many other students would have the sa thought.
Finding a new passage here is not an easy task.
Anvis followed the voice down the stone steps, to find the girl standing beside a strange Stone Gate.
The Stone Gate was an unusual perfect circle, with bas-reliefs of interwoven designs of dark spiny vines and blood orchids on the fra.
At the mont, the previously tightly closed halves of the Stone Gate have now opened, revealing a pitch-dark passage behind it that leads to an unknown destination.
Seeing this, Anvis’s gaze beca slightly grave.
In High Elf culture, blood orchids are considered a sinister flower, similar to how Blue Star symbolizes a devilish number, and except for so special circumstances, they are often avoided in use.
And the perfectly circular Stone Gate has anings related to the moon and Sealing. This round gate engraved with blood orchids probably symbolizes that sothing very dangerous was once sealed behind it.
"Bro, look, this gate wasn’t here just now, it was Kate who helped find it!
When I entered this underground room, she suddenly pointed at that wall. I touched a brick on the wall, and with a ’pop’, the gate appeared!
Isn’t this the kind of hidden chanism that father told us to look out for?"
Upon seeing Anvis, without him asking, the girl eagerly and excitedly recounted the whole process of discovering this strange gate like spilling beans from a bamboo tube.
She even used the Crystal Wand in her hand as a stick to point at the brick she had just touched on the wall.
"Wait a mont, Fei, let check."
Following the direction pointed out by the young girl, Anvis began to inspect the surrounding area.
The yellowed stone brick surface featured only a subtle decorative pattern and emitted no magical fluctuations, making it unclear how it related to the opening of the gate.
Moreover, throughout this underground chamber, there were fresh traces of exploration, suggesting that it had already been searched by more than one group of students.
After so thought, he retrieved the three-dinsional relic topographic map stored within his crystal ball and compared it to the terrain above.
Indeed, Anvis had beforehand obtained a complete map of the relic’s terrain from Duke Carrot, and Fiona had a copy as well. This too was part of the equipnt the students brought with them.
Perhaps it seed unfair to the other students who did not have such maps, but after all, he had a father of the Ninth Rank.
After comparing the recorded data, Anvis discovered that the structure of the map within the crystal ball did not account for the existence of this door and the passage behind it.
This ant that they had potentially discovered the hidden structure that the Duke and his companions hoped to trigger. Everything beyond the door was unknown; there may be opportunities, but they also ca with great risks.
"I think you’re right, Fei, you really did find a new hidden passage! Well done!"
Realizing this, Anvis was full of praise for the young girl.
"Hehe, it’s just good luck... Brother, so should we go in?"
Feeling delighted from receiving Anvis’s praise, the girl’s tone beca much lighter.
"No, the risk of exploring this passage is too high. The unique shape and pattern of that door indicate that it might have been used to seal away sothing dangerous; I’m sure our father would not like to see you go in."
Anvis shook his head in response to the girl’s question and briefly explained the significance of the patterns on the door.
"Do you know, Fei? The reason we ca here for the competition is precisely because, after nurous explorations of the relic by those of the Ninth Rank, there were still so very important things that remained undiscovered.
To activate the hidden conditions of the relic, the academy agreed to let us co here, much like how you just discovered this door. And all the students are being watched over by those of the Ninth Rank, to avoid any mishaps."
"I believe that our father has been watching over us the entire ti, including the mont you discovered this hidden passage."
"Eh! Is that so? Is father really watching us all the ti?"
After listening to Anvis’s explanation, Fiona nodded in understanding.
"So, what should we do now?"
"We don’t need to do anything, just leave here and explore other areas. Father will likely explore this place personally."
Anvis spread his hands slightly, making a gesture to leave directly.
As they spoke, a new set of footsteps suddenly ca from the stairs behind them. A squad of students, most of whom were at the Second or Third Rank, descended the steps.
Seeing the peculiar circular door on the underground chamber wall, and Anvis and Fiona standing beside it, the squad looked sowhat surprised.
"Hello there, we inadvertently triggered that passage over there. It might be very dangerous inside, so please be careful if you wish to explore."
Fiona kindly warned the newcors to prevent them from encountering any danger.
"Hello, did you also discover a door like this?"
However, a red-haired girl in the group glanced at the door and did not seem surprised, but instead asked with so confusion.
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