r18novel Page 88
Page 88
Without even a touch, Casalos's life was erased in an instant.
"Killing Arrow?"
The young dragon didn't even have time to feel the pain before its consciousness returned to the preparation area of the Dragon's Treasury. It shook its head; although it wasn't in much pain, the experience of being instantly annihilated made it quite uncomfortable: "What the hell? Thirteen consecutive instant kills right off the bat, how am I supposed to play this?"
"Your strength is insufficient to explore the area after the Star Torch is ignited." The Archbishop remained standing there. Beside him, the NPC who had been "rescued" from the dungeon by Casalos was folding his arms and meditating with his eyes closed, seemingly recovering from his exhaustion.
“According to your understanding, you encountered a Seraphim, one of the nine Archangels of El—or, I prefer to call them High Templars. Their killing arrows are so powerful that even ordinary lesser divine power cannot withstand them,” the Archbishop said softly. “The nine High Templars are the guardians of the Star Torch, and when El fell, they were all corrupted and fallen by the dark power of Dendel…”
"Can they bend light at will? If I rush in for melee combat, will I be shredded by the refractive blades?"
“You’re not wrong to think that way…” The archbishop shrugged indifferently and continued, “Every time you light the Star Torch, it will attract the Dark Templars that have been lurking near the Star Torch. After that, no matter which direction you leave the safe zone from, they will be the first ones you run into.”
"Nine high-ranking shrines, nine star torches, nine divine artifacts?" Casalos narrowed his dragon eyes. "So for a long time to come, I'll be stuck here every time I attempt a trial in El?"
“Of course not. Igniting the Star Torch actually means you’ve taken the first step in your Eldar raid… I’ll explain it to you in detail. But before that, let’s get to know my old friend Milland.” The Archbishop smiled slightly. “He’s also Eldar’s last Star Torch ‘Magemaster’.”
“A Mechanist?” Casalos repeated the title. The power systems of El and Faerûn are, of course, different, and their “professions” are also vastly different. For ease of understanding, the Archbishop sometimes replaces some profession names or other proper nouns in the El world with similar entity names from Faerûn. The Mechanist is a profession lost in Faerûn in this era; they were originally the pillars of the Ismaka Empire. In the simplest terms, Mechanists are the creators of artifacts.
"So the Star Torch can also be considered a divine artifact?"
“The Star Torch is a key node in the Holy Kara,” the Archbishop nodded. “By helping Milland purify the altar and light the Star Torch, you have essentially reactivated the Holy Kara. This allows me to observe and intervene in the state of the world of El—limited to the area illuminated by the Star Torch.”
“I thought you could see everything,” Casalos joked.
The archbishop didn't reply. He waved his hand, and a three-dimensional star map unfolded in the air: "Thank you for your help. Milland has opened the regional map of the El world. From now on, every time you take a trial, you can directly choose the region you want to enter, instead of being randomly assigned to explore blindly like before."
“This makes things much easier.” Casalos looked at the star map. It marked the danger levels and special events in different areas, and even included simple “plot” hints.
"Your current strength is insufficient to contend with the Dark Sanctuary," the Archbishop stated directly. "For a long time to come, you have no hope of obtaining divine-level power from Faerûn—more importantly, Faerûn's divine power cannot be taken out of the kingdom, and..."
"And Faerun's divine power is almost useless," Casalos added, completing the archbishop's sentence.
“That might be a wise choice,” the archbishop said, seemingly optimistic about the future of the gods of Faerûn. “However, as you delve deeper into the exploration, you will gradually find a way to purify the Dark Sanctuary. The priority now is to continue igniting the other starlights to help me find more survivors like Milland.”
Casalos was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. You initially only asked me to save four survivors, but now it's nine. Is there any change?"
“Nothing has changed much.” The archbishop glanced at Milland, who was still meditating. “El is not just a trial ground, but a real world. Behind its upheaval and destruction lies a truth far more complex than you can imagine. You should know very well that I am not omniscient or omnipotent either; finding four survivors is only my bare minimum.”
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re right, if you can rescue all nine survivors, you’ll get an ‘extra reward’.”
The archbishop sighed, "But I must remind you, not all survivors possess the same strength as Milland. Those areas marked yellow and orange danger levels may contain survivors who lack even the ability to protect themselves from the swarm's attack. They simply have special abilities or carry special equipment that allows them to remain undetected by the swarm. As for the two red areas, you'll need to focus intently on guiding the purification altar to ignite the star torches..."
Casalos shrugged. "Well, at least there are four areas I can clear right now... Hmm, the area where Miranda is has turned from blue to green, so we don't need to explore it again, right?" It glanced at the flashing markers on the star map. "Where do you think the best target is next?"
"The choice is yours," the archbishop said. "The map is now unlocked, and you can choose the appropriate area based on your own judgment. However, I suggest that next time you start the trial, you go back to the place where the star torches have been lit. You just met some conditions and unlocked a new exploration mode, a mode I didn't expect."
Chapter 279
"Achievements unlock new features?" Casalos nodded, turning his attention to the new information from the Dragon Vault.
41. Arabella
A long queue formed at the south gate of Arabel City, where purple dragon knights, clad in armor, stood guard with imposing grandeur. No troublemakers dared to provoke Cormir's most elite guard; they were there because Cormir's Iron Regent, Princess Yaluser Nakachia Obisthir, was inside the city. Although it was unclear why the Regent Princess hadn't stayed in the capital but instead come to Arabel, her presence certainly gave the people of Arabel a strong sense of security.
Since the collapse of the magic network, the Royal War Mages have set up special screening stations at the gates of all cities in Cormir. Every person entering the city must undergo at least three checks to ensure they are not carrying any active magical items—the rampaging magic power, now uncontrolled by the magic network, means these items could easily become cursed objects that cause disaster. As for the mages… not many people care about them anymore, except for Cormir.
"Move forward," the inspector in purple uniform waved impatiently. He held a crystal detector in his hand, scanning it over Isis and Caitlin. The crystal did not show any unusual light, indicating that they did not possess any magical items.
The line at the city entry registration desk was longer than at the checkpoint. A ragged man was loudly complaining, "I've been waiting here for three days! Just because I know a few tricks, I have to fill out so many forms?"
“Shut up,” the clerk of the War Mage Guild said coldly. “Either follow the rules or get out of Cormier. Last month, there was some arrogant warlock who thought his mediocre skills wouldn’t cause any trouble. And what happened? He tried to cast a light spell and turned himself and ten civilians around him into talking pumpkins.”
Isis pulled her hood up, making sure it concealed the arcane glint in her eyes. In Cormier, spellcasters were still subject to rigorous scrutiny. Especially since she was a "star," even though those performances had taken place before the turbulent years.
"Don't be nervous," she whispered to comfort Caitlin beside her. "Just follow their rules."
The girl nodded, but still couldn't help looking around. For a country girl like her who had never seen a big city, even the decline of Arabel was enough to shock her.
The towering stone walls were riddled with cracks, said to be scars left by the beast horde driven out by the living forest a month ago. Many ragged people wandered the streets, mostly refugees displaced by the magical catastrophe. A burnt smell permeated the air, supposedly from an explosion in an underground laboratory that had lingered ever since. On days when two suns rose simultaneously, the acrid odor would become more potent, forcing its way into people's nostrils, already causing several to suffocate. But at least it was safer here than outside.
Along the way, they witnessed too many tragedies caused by magic going out of control: villages razed to the ground by elemental storms, forests plunged into eternal darkness that devoured all living things, and living lava that suddenly split the earth to form a rift valley... It was already a stroke of luck to arrive in Arabel at such a time.
After spending a whole day completing all the formalities, the two were finally allowed to enter the city. Isis led Katelian through the dilapidated market district and arrived at a shop called "Drunken Dragon Tavern".
“Don’t be fooled by appearances.” Isis whispered as she pushed open the cracked wooden door. “This place is much more respectable than it looks.”
The tavern was filled with the heavy aroma of alcohol, mixed with the smells of grilled meat and sweat. In a corner, a dark-haired woman was arguing with three men at a table.
"midnight!"
The black-haired woman looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing her emerald eyes before dimming again. She stood up and gave Isis a hug, but her movements were noticeably more reserved than before.
"What brings you here?" she asked in a low voice. "I thought you were still on tour?"
“We had to stop,” Isis sighed. She briefly recounted how she had rescued Katelian on the Tindor Plains and the arduous journey of the past two months: “Everywhere there were out-of-control magical storms. I witnessed a village vanish in the blink of an eye just because a mage tried to use magic to light a fire for warmth.”
“I understand.” Midnight gave a bitter smile. “Who would dare to cast spells carelessly now? Even the simplest incantation could cause disaster. Half of the mages I know killed themselves in the first week after the magic network collapsed.”
Katellen tactfully made an excuse to go to the bar, giving the two of them some space to talk.
"What have you been doing for the past two months?" Isis asked.
"Barely surviving." Midnight took a sip of ale. "Nobody wants a mage in their party anymore, the risk is too high. I can only rely on some combat skills I learned before to get by on low-level quests."
She pointed to a table not far away: "But now there's an opportunity. That team over there is recruiting, and they all look like experienced veterans."
“Sounds good,” Isis said. “How about we…”
Before they could finish speaking, a tall figure loomed over them. Kavoran placed his hands on the table, coldly scrutinizing the two of them.
“I’ve said it before, woman,” he said with a hint of disdain. “We need reliable helpers, not witches who could bring disaster at any moment.” His gaze shifted to Isis. “Oh, so this is the ‘songstress’ who seduces people with her charms? Sorry, we don’t need that kind of slut either.”
Isis wrinkled her nose; this man's words were too rude.
"You'd better take back what you said." Midnight stood up, her voice icy.
"Ha!" Kavoran scoffed. "You 'female mages,' you swagger around when things are safe, but when danger strikes, you just abandon your teammates and run for your lives. I've seen her performance; it's nothing but flashy tricks. What can you people who make a living with magic do now? If you ask me, the Battle Mage Association should kick all of you dangerous elements out of Cormir. Look at all those unfortunate souls outside who've turned into pumpkins, stones, or whatever other weird things—it's all because of you mages!"
Isis took a deep breath. She knew that getting angry at this moment would only confirm the other person's prejudice. But Midnight couldn't control herself anymore; she had already made two casting motions—her experiences over the past few months had made her realize that she was somewhat different from other spellcasters. Compared to other spellcasters, her spell success rate was still quite high. More importantly, even if her spells went out of control, they would most likely veer in a favorable direction, and even if there were occasional mishaps, they wouldn't "get burned."
"Hey, calm down, everyone." Cyric appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Kevoran's arm. "Now is not the time for infighting."
42. A normal adventure start
Seeing Midnight's actions, a playful smile appeared on Isis's lips. She pulled Midnight behind her, gently interrupting her spellcasting while simultaneously calming the fluctuations of magical energy to prevent the unfinished spell from causing a backlash. Then, she removed her hood, shook out her robe, revealing a figure that was even more lithe and alluring, accentuated by her carbon fiber bodysuit.
"Since you look down on performers so much, why don't you let me show you something else?" The brown-skinned girl smiled brightly. "For example, how about proving your worth with swordsmanship?"
Kevoran calmly observed the white-haired girl before him. Although she still appeared to be an innocent songstress, the greatsword previously hidden under her cloak was clearly not just for show. The hilt was worn, and the scabbard bore obvious signs of battle. More importantly, this thing didn't look like a weapon used by humans; it seemed more like something only northern barbarians, who were often over two meters tall, would wield.
Of course, compared to the barbarian's rugged style, this weapon was far more refined, even featuring grooves for inlaid gems—the warrior's experienced eye allowed him to easily discern that while the greatsword was exquisite, it wasn't the kind of weapon nobles would use to store...
Chapter 280
A cool-looking gadget in the display case. It's a magical weapon, but the collapse of the magic network has rendered it useless. Even so, anyone who can wield this greatsword is no ordinary fighter.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” The soldier admitted he had misjudged the situation, but his stubbornness was a rare and admirable trait. “A duel won’t change anything.”
"Scared?" Isis's smile widened. "Or is it that Cormier's men aren't even willing to give their opponents a chance to prove themselves?"
The noise in the tavern gradually subsided, and the adventurers around cast curious glances.
Kavoran paused for a moment, then nodded slightly: "Eton, Cyric, please be my witnesses."
The priest raised his glass, looking impatient but not refusing. The wanderer sighed: "The rules are simple—no harm, three moves to decide the winner. Get ready and let's begin."
Isis loosened her wrists, assuming a relaxed starting stance. Kavoran, on the other hand, gripped his longsword firmly, his composure suggesting he didn't underestimate his opponent.
In the first round, neither of them attacked rashly. Isis nimbly changed her footwork, probing her opponent's defense. Kevoran, on the other hand, remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the girl's movements.
“Your basics are good,” Isis suddenly said, “but too rigid.” She gripped the greatsword in one hand and attacked like a viper, but changed direction strangely just before touching her opponent. Although Kavoran reacted quickly, using one hand to grip the hilt and the other to brace the blade to parry the swift, elegant, and heavy blow, he was still forced back two steps by the terrifying force transmitted through the blade.
His eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but ask, "Is that a greatsword or a rapier?"
"What, can't it be used like this?" Heaven has mercy. Although Isis was also enhanced by the half-dragon bloodline, in the Dragon Territory, all the creatures she sparred with were half-dragon ogres and half-dragon trolls. How could she have a chance to win if she didn't use the greatsword like an embroidery needle?
The warriors remained silent and launched the second round of attack.
His swordsmanship was swifter and more varied, and he was better suited to a one-handed sword; each strike was like a gazelle leaping over a cliff. But Isis's movements were more agile; she could always dodge at the last second and then counterattack from an even more cunning angle.
“Interesting,” Kevoran commented. “Your swordsmanship is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“Every teacher has their own way of teaching, and every swordsman has their own unique path,” Isis said with a smile, avoiding the probing questions in the warrior’s words.
Before the third round began, both had discerned each other's strength. Kavoran, no longer holding back, launched a series of furious attacks. But Isis seemed prepared; her sword flashed like flowing water, deflecting her opponent's attacks. Seizing an opportunity, she suddenly and powerfully struck with the spine of her sword, sending Kavoran and his sword flying against the tavern wall, embedding him in it. The flying debris sprayed the onlookers with blood.
“I won.” The white-haired girl sheathed her sword, took out three golden lions and placed them on the table, raised her cup and looked around: “The drinks tonight are on me, and I’ll compensate you for the damage to the wall.”
This time, Kaivolan showed no resentment, simply nodding silently and sullenly pulling himself off the wall.
"Enough!" Caitlin's voice suddenly rang out, "You have no idea how urgent the situation is!" The girl was on the verge of tears, "My mistress is still waiting for rescue..."
"Wait a minute." Kavoran frowned. "You're the one who posted the quest?"
“Yes.” Caitlin took a deep breath. “I’m hiring you to rescue my mistress. But Isis and Midnight must be with you, or I won’t pay the rest of the fee.”
Kavoran remained silent for a long time. The curse his family carried forced him to fulfill the contract for which he had already paid a deposit, or he would suffer terrible consequences. It was too late for regrets now.
“I understand,” he finally said, his voice tinged with weariness. “Cirik, do you want to come with me? Eton, it’s your decision.”
The pastor shook his head: "This mission is too dangerous, I'm withdrawing."
The wanderer said, "Give me an hour; we need to prepare some things..."
That night, the adventure party, hastily assembled by a little girl, left Arabel and headed north. Not long after, Eden, who had initially indicated he wouldn't participate, caught up with them on horseback.
“Let me join,” he said breathlessly. “I have to leave Arabel.”
Kavoran glanced at him: "What, did Yalucel kick you out of bed? Or did the bishop of the Temple of the Fire-Haired Lady finally discover your little tricks?"
“You have no right to talk to me like that,” Eton sneered. “Don’t think I don’t know why you insisted on taking this mission. Cormier’s security team won’t let this go so easily…”
“Without magic, the road ahead won’t be easy,” Midnight interrupted. “Instead of wasting your energy arguing, why don’t you focus on completing the mission?”
Although the journey that followed was not exactly pleasant, the team gradually found common ground amidst a series of thrilling natural disasters and waves of monster attacks.
Kevoran stopped commenting on Isis's identity or the midnight magic, and focused on the mission itself—he was indeed an experienced adventurer, and with him in command, the team avoided a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Although Eden was reluctant to discuss the past, and the inability to hear the Fire-Haired Lady's voice left him distraught, and the priest's magic had failed him, he remained a good priest skilled at caring for his companions. Cyric, though taciturn, was an excellent scout, and Isis quite enjoyed teasing this somewhat gloomy fellow…
43. Pseudo-Laplace's Demon
Casalos was unaware that her pet girl had inadvertently become involved in some momentous event; she was still reeling from the new "feature" of the Dragon's Vault dungeon—or rather, complaining about it.
"Why does the survivor mode include RTS content? What was the creator of Dragon's Vault thinking...?"
“I can’t fully comprehend the thoughts of those beings at that level, but in my view, the control, management, and development of territory are also an indispensable part of the dragon’s nature.” The archbishop’s explanation was as flawless as ever, leaving the dragon speechless.
Thanks to the capture of the demiplane, the Dragon Vault now has a channel for material interaction with the real world. Casalos can now more easily take some things "inside" the Dragon Vault out, just like the previous psychic entities. And since the channel is reciprocal, what can be taken out can also be taken in—this is the premise of its newly unlocked function.
In conjunction with the achievement of igniting the Star Torch and clearing the safe zone in this trial, a new feature has been triggered, which is the RTS content that Casalos was complaining about.
The next time it enters the world of Aiur, it can choose to enter a safe zone and use the Star Torch to open an interdimensional portal, bringing the Astral Dragon Lord forces to Aiur to begin construction. The benefits of doing so are self-evident: after the Dragon Lords establish a new branch base in Aiur, their exploration progress will definitely be much faster than if it were to attempt trials alone time and time again.
The downsides... El World has three planets, three guys like the Archbishop who seem to have reached powerful divine strength by relying on numerical values, a fierce person like Milland who could form a knightly order, and all sorts of high-level temples connected by the Holy Kara, making it a civilization of the level of a land god kingdom. In the end, it was pushed down by Dandel in one wave. Can Casaloz and Dragon Territory really hold on?
Iron Dragon's arrogant nature influenced Casalos, but his higher vision always kept him well aware of his own limitations, and it was best to convene his staff for a long-term discussion on this matter.
The most important thing now is to turn what we've gained from this trial into real strength.
Without hesitation, the crystals dropped by the old dog were invested into the Primal Power, while the gold coins were mainly invested into the new talent tree derived from comprehending the Way of Zess, unlocking new power.
As the nodes of the talent tree are lit up, the four basic elements begin to manifest in Casalos.
Chapter 281
The flow of information, both simple and complex, forms a chaotic yet strangely balanced structure, feeding back incomprehensible information into the Dragon Soul. It senses a qualitative change occurring in parts of its own thinking. The network of cognition, originally composed of dynamic linear logical chains, is being rewoven, each link disrupted into a discrete state, then inexplicably linked together, outputting a seemingly chaotic yet constantly self-reconstructing flow of information with new logic.
Its thoughts seem to transcend the constraints of time, enabling it to observe different pasts and futures of the same thing from the present perspective.
A new affix title, "Laplace's Demon (Pseudo)," pops up after Casalos's name on the attribute panel:
Intelligence +5, Perception +12
Special Ability: By simulating the calculation of fate by the four elements of the Chaos Sea, you will gradually be able to grasp the threads of fate, dance in time like the monk Zess, briefly jump to higher-dimensional spacetime to move, even change the fate that has already happened in the previous moment, or use the power of the future or the past to deal heavy damage to the enemy.
Wonderful feeling!
Casalos seemed to perceive every fold of the surrounding space, to touch the flow of time, as if the entire world had become a vast network of cause and effect. Time was no longer a unidirectional river, but a discrete coordinate system that could jump arbitrarily. It could even foresee future fragments of certain specific moments, although these foreseeings were still very vague—all of this was the result of pseudo-Laplace's demon calculations, but how was it different from true tactile perception?
Following Valeries to the Chaos Sea was worthwhile; this trial can be considered a complete success.