Chapter 239: Chapter 23 Infiltration
Upon receiving the signal to move, several Wizards began their approach towards the volcano.
The Dragon Beast Knight Order had set up nurous secret sentries around the volcano, but over the past days, the Wizards had already figured them all out, and now their movents were as smooth as flowing clouds and water.
Richard, relying on his Invisibility Cloak and Shadow Shuttling, bypassed the sentries, cautiously moving closer to the volcano, with Ulysses perched on his shoulder, constantly keeping watch over their surroundings.
Before long, several Wizards, as planned, had gathered at the volcano’s edge.
Next, they were to infiltrate the interior of the volcano—the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base. But there was only one entrance to this base, and it was nearly impossible to enter through the passage.
However, among the Wizards, there was a Three Rings Wizard proficient in Earth Elent Magic; it was the Stoneman Wizard who had discovered Richard that day.
This Wizard, known as phit, was skilled in both earth and fire Elental Magic. After inspecting the terrain of the volcano, he proposed a solution.
“Just dig a tunnel straight in.”
For phit, digging a tunnel straight down under the volcano was no difficult task.
This plan was approved by the Wizards, and even Richard thought it was a good idea.
phit patted the volcanic rock in front of him, and the next mont, a hole opened up in the rock.
Once the Wizards had entered, phit touched the wall of the cave, and the volcanic rock returned to its original state.
Richard observed this scene with his Energy Vision. phit’s maneuver was ingenious; his manipulation of energy, his control over the elents, all impressed Richard greatly, and he also picked up a few tricks in the process.
phit, sensing soone scrutinizing his work, looked back with so confusion, only to see the black crow on Richard’s shoulder staring intently at him.
Recalling the Physique Wizard who had lost a hand that day, phit muttered to himself:
“Could this crow be holding a grudge? But I didn’t really do much that day.”
Without dwelling on it too much, phit walked ahead of the others and began to forge a way down. In this process, he also used the Shock Waves traveling through the rocks to determine the location of the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base.
During this ti, Richard was not idle either; he kept learning so of phit’s techniques for making a way through.
These battle-hardened Three Rings Wizards had almost incorporated these techniques into their bones. Performing the sa operations, they were faster, more effective, and consud less Magic Power.
To those experienced Wizards, these tricks might not an much; they knew them too, just not as adeptly. But for a young and inexperienced Wizard like Richard, these tricks were very useful.
The process of making the way lasted nearly half an hour.
Following phit’s gesture for silence, the Wizards readied themselves.
They were about to enter the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base.
phit took out a bundle of Magic Scrolls from his Magic Pocket and distributed them to the Wizards.
These scrolls were enchanted with phit’s tunnelling spells, offering an extra ans of escape should they be discovered.
Everyone took the scrolls, and then phit tapped the rock wall. The wall split open just as it had when they entered the volcano. However, what appeared before the Wizards was not the base but a blazing torrent of magma.
phit reached his hand into the magma, parting the thick layer to form a passage that led to more rock wall.
phit said in a deep voice:
“Prepare yourselves, on the other side of this rock wall lies the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base.”
…
As phit opened a gap in the rock wall, the Wizards entered the Dragon Beast Cultivation Base through it.
The Dragon Beast Cultivation Base was vast. While phit was probing for its location, Ulysses had determined the location and general layout of the base in his own way. According to Ulysses’ reconnaissance, the area of the base was roughly the sa size as the volcano above it.
Hearing this, Richard began to doubt whether it was the existing Dragon Beast Cultivation Base that led to the creation of this small volcano.
After all, altering landscapes was no difficult task for a World Master.
Apart from being large in size, the structure of the base was also quite complex.
Their current location was at the outer layer, closest to the volcanic wall, which was why they encountered the Magma Layer.
After all, a volcano wasn’t quite right without magma.
Starting from their layer, the entire base was divided into four levels. According to Ulysses’ investigation, the Dragon Beast Knight Order was stationed on each of the outer three layers.
At this mont, the Wizards were at the end of a passage, with millions of tons of crimson lava held back by an Energy Barrier just above their heads.
Seeing this, a flicker of shock passed through the Wizards’ minds.
This level of Energy Do was a bit too high-end for Fire Lizards, therefore it must have been made by the Lost Ones.
The Wizards exchanged glances, each seeing greed in the other’s eyes.
A Wizard’s thirst for knowledge was like a drunkard’s for fine wine, a lecher’s for a beautiful woman.
“This is problematic; the base’s defenses are quite tight,” Theodore suddenly spoke up.
In front of the Wizards, Theodore’s gravitational barrier twisted the light around them, obscuring their forms from view.
“So Second-level creatures, we could easily slaughter our way through,” the Physique Wizard grinned, his white teeth flashing with a bloodthirsty luster.
None of the other Wizards objected to this proposal.
It would be laughable if a group of Three Rings Wizards couldn’t break through the defenses of so Second-level creatures.
“I don’t recomnd doing that.”
The objection caused the Physique Wizard’s face to darken instantly as he looked towards Richard and said sowhat unpleasantly,
“Friend, then what bright ideas do you have?”
He was still holding a grudge about the day Ulysses corrupted one of his hands, being humiliated by a Magic Pet in front of so many wizards had made it difficult for him to look favorably upon Richard.
The actions of a Magic Pet are the will of its master.
“Although these Second Level Fire Lizards aren’t a concern, at the core location of the base, I discovered ten Third Level Fire Lizards. Assigned to this place as guards, these Third Level Fire Lizards must certainly possess the finest equipnt and most exquisite combat skills of the Linksa Empire.
Even just a few of them, tead up with so many Second Level Fire Lizards, may not necessarily annihilate us, but they could easily hold us off until the main force arrives.”
Richard’s words were logical, but there was one massive problem that needed explaining.
How he had co to discover this information.
All present were Three Rings Wizards, none lacking in abilities.
Even Theodore could only remark on the tight security, leaving the question of how Richard knew about the ten Third Level Fire Lizards on the third floor.
But Richard didn’t explain, aware that his level of knowledge wasn’t sufficient, and any attempt could easily reveal flaws.
By staying quiet, acting like a know-it-all, the Three Rings Wizards would co up with their own conjectures.
After all, no one would want to be the butt of jokes at this ti.
Sure enough, none of the other wizards questioned the news after hearing it from Richard.
“Since Richard has discovered ten Third Level Fire Lizards, a frontal assault is definitely out of the question. Let’s just honestly sneak in,” Theodore suggested.
But sneaking in posed another problem: everyone had different thods of infiltration, requiring the team to split up.
Form smaller squads?
The wizards glanced at one another, mindful of the contract they had signed – any gains from the operation had to be observed by at least two wizards to be distributed after it ended.
Now that they needed to divide forces, the Three Rings Wizards naturally began to contemplate acting alone.
Each one was a battle-hardened veteran, very confident in their own abilities. They felt capable of completing the operation without forming a team.
“We split up then, relying on our own skills,” the Fla Wizard spoke up.
“Agreed.”
“Fine by .”
“Relying on our own skills.”
…
Theodore removed the gravitational barrier, and the wizards began to move freely.
phit was adept at Earth Elent Magic, becoming one pile of gravel and moving stealthily along the edges of the corridors. The Fla Wizard wrapped himself in his Wizard Robe, instantly diminishing his presence so much so that even as Richard deliberately watched him, his gaze would unconsciously drift to the side.
Theodore floated slightly, an Energy Barrier enveloping him, distorting the light and masking his aura, while Stalin seed to disappear entirely, his body marked with a superbly layered Invisibility Technique.
Among these wizards, the most miraculous was the Physique Wizard, who emitted a subtle noise from within his body, suddenly shrinking and growing red scales akin to those of a Fire Lizard. In just tens of seconds, the Physique Wizard had transford into a flawless Fire Lizard.
Once disguised, the wizards began to act separately, with only Richard remaining.
Although he wanted to showcase his skills, as a young Second Ring Wizard, his thods were indeed limited.
“Ulysses, help conceal my form,” Richard said, a bit embarrassed.
“Ga, hahaha, understood.”
As the World Master, Ulysses had far more tricks up his sleeve.
As a faint energy ripple emanated from Ulysses, the environnt before Richard changed abruptly, the surroundings seeming to drain of color in an instant, leaving only black and white.
“Ga, kid, we’re now in the crevices of shadows, boldly go ahead, without the power of a World Master, few can see through this,” Ulysses said, sowhat smugly.
“But there are still so who can see through it?” Richard asked.
“Ga, those who can see through it have extrely special talents,” Ulysses replied tersely, “Talents are so strange and varied, the more you see, the more likely you are to encounter sothing that counters your abilities.”
Walking within the crevices of shadows felt incredible, every plant and creature around Richard was replicated one-for-one with the Material World.
Richard faced a black and white Fire Lizard riding a fierce Dragon Beast headed his way. His instinct was to dodge, but he heard Ulysses say,
“Ga, don’t bother dodging, it’s just a shadow.”
As he spoke, the Fire Lizard passed directly through Richard, and he couldn’t feel a thing.
“Wonderful, amazing, Ulysses, teach the principles behind this when we get back. It’s too useful for infiltrations,” Richard said, clearly excited.
“Ga, can’t teach this.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Ga, it requires rules.”
“…then never mind, let’s keep moving.”
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