by Zhuang Bifan
However, it was obviously impossible to retreat. Even without Angelano, they still had to go on with the exploration. When formulating the exploration plan, no one thought that Angelano would be joining them anyway; hence, it was already fortunate for them to have gotten there with the help of Angelano.
After a short break, the team entered the luxuriously decorated palace. There were very few ornaments in the palace, and only a large square entrance on the ground. The stairs were also extending towards the depths, and were concealed in a corner in the passageway. Although it was an underground passage, it was not dark—long magic lamps that exuded a faint light illuminated the entire passageway.
Lin Li and Angelano walked in front, while Andoine and Rosen followed closely behind. On the other hand, Aldwin and Macklin led the mages in the back. They carefully made their way down the steps paved with magical gemstones and slowly walked towards the depths of the passage.
Although Angelano had said that he couldn't provide more help once they entered, he was much more familiar with Osric's habits than others, and Lin Li also had extremely comprehensive knowledge of the magic gears in there. Hence, the traps did not cause too much trouble to the team.
After stepping on the stairs and making their way downwards for a long time, they began to lose track of the distance, but they were sure that they had definitely covered more than 1000 meters. After finally making a turn at the corner, they were greeted with the sight of an exceptionally bright exit. Everyone clearly felt that the air in the passage was getting hotter as they approached the exit.
The team walked out of the passage and stood on a large platform outside the exit. All of a sudden, their field of vision broadened, and it was as if they were in a whole different world.
Looking down, they realized that there was a long stream of golden yellow magma flowing continuously about 100 meters below them; the smell of sulfur filled the entire underground space. There was a huge and magnificent palace suspended in midair above the long river of magma. It combined all kinds of precious and brilliant materials together, having an elegant and luxurious vibe that left them all in awe.
To Lin Li, the scene in front seemed extremely familiar. It seemed to be just like what he saw when he entered the Gates of Ashes, except this palace was much larger than the Eternal Furnace he had seen previously.
"That's where Osric is resting. Apart from himself, no one else knows what's in there, but I can be certain that the dangers there are definitely no less than in the area outside," Angelano said to Lin Li and the rest who were pointing at the floating palace.
"How is it, Angelano? Do you want me to take you there?" Lin Li had already exhibited his flying skills and flown away from the platform. Obviously, he intended to proceed to the palace.
"Don't underestimate Lord Angelano. Such a short distance is peanuts!" Angelano exclaimed while pulling the joystick of the alchemy machine with his slender arm. The legs of the alchemy machine immediately lit up the complicated Alchemy Array and slowly flew upwards.
Lin Li didn't say anything anymore, and instead turned around to look at Andoine and the rest. All of a sudden, he dodged, and it was as if a sharp arrow had shot the palace in the distance, or rather the Eternal Furnace.
Honestly, when Lin Li had got the Eternal Furnace, he was extremely shocked, but he was also full of disdain when he heard that Osric was trying to replicate the Sky Castle. It was because the Eternal Furnace was far inferior to the Sky Castle.
However, now that Lin Li was in front of the gate of the palace, although he had yet to see the interior design and arrangement, he felt that the Eternal Furnace was really very similar to the Sky Castle. Compared to the Eternal Furnace that Lin Li had, the palace was much bigger, and the facilities were also more perfect in all aspects. That was the true masterpiece of Osric.
Soon, Andoine and the rest of the mages who were using the Levitation Spell also landed safely in front of the palace. Everyone looked at everything in front of them with excitement they could not hide in their eyes. Regardless of what kind of deadly perils there were in the palace, the fact that they were standing there meant that they were already close to Osric's treasure. Hence, it was difficult for anyone to keep calm in this time.
Everyone knew that such a magnificent palace could not be built just with many precious materials. The various knowledge involved in it might have exceeded the peak of what mortals could grasp. Regardless of what heinous things the Highlord Osric had one in the Dark Age, everyone could not help but be in awe and admiration of the majestic palace.
Suppressing the shock and terror within them, everyone stepped into the palace, only to be bedazzled by the splendid decorations inside. Their definition of magnificence and luxury had been improved countless times. The beautiful and extravagant style of the High Elves was vividly reflected in this palace. Even the legendary luxurious palace that the High Elven Queen had lived in was probably inferior to this.
The walls of both sides of the palace were covered with large and exquisite murals. Apart from the intricacy and beauty of murals, the precious materials used were also extremely amazing and eye-catching. The outlines made using precious materials, while the gilded clothing, the accessories, and the magical weapons were all inlaid with genuine, rare magical gemstones.
Red fiery Infernal Magic Iron was shining brilliantly together with Rainbow adamantine and pure magical crystals that did not have a single trace of impurities. The many precious materials were extremely rare, yet they were casually used in the construction of the palace as ordinary building materials. It was as if they were not precious at all.
Everyone could see the gilded and fancy interior of the magnificent palace which seemed spacious and calm. However, no one knew what fatal perils were hidden amidst the peace. Even though everything in the palace, including the tiles on the ground, was particularly tempting to them, they did not dare to let their guard down, because they did not forget that Osric was the owner of this territory. Osric was no philanthropist, and wouldn't display his wealth for adding to their collection.
The perils awaiting in this palace were unknown. Lin Li could only rely on his rich knowledge to discover some things that the rest did not know about through some clues he found. Although he couldn't see everything, he was certain that they were not worrying for nothing.
The beautifully carved murals inlaid with magnificent gemstones might be beautiful pieces of art in the eyes of others, but in Lin Li's opinion, they were very likely to be a powerful Alchemy Array if some lines were erased. The dazzling decorations in the palace, such as the sculptures and the oil lamps, seemed to have no other striking quality apart from their exquisiteness, yet Lin Li felt that they were more likely to be powerful magical weapons meant for guarding the palace.
The designs reminded Lin Li of the Psychic Array in the Sky Castle, which was combined and fused together with the Conquering Mageweath. Although he could vaguely see some ingenious designs through this brief observation, he believed that there were more that he had yet to see. Even Lin Li who had experienced the Sky Castle before could not help but admire the intelligent design.
Apart from its luxurious decor, the palace seemed to be extremely ordinary. In Lin Li's opinion, it appeared akin to the mouth of a huge beast which devoured everything. Every corner in the palace was full of fatal perils. The team of less than 200 people was just like a ruptured boat that would be swept and capsized by a small wave here.
Chapter 727 - Man of Honor
"Felic, did you manage to see anything?" Andoine asked Lin Li worriedly. Now, this trust for Lin Li had risen to a new level. His knowledge in pharmaceutics had surpassed that of the Pharmacist Guild, his skills in forging had overpowered the Adventurers Guild, and he had displayed plenty of understanding of magic gears. Andoine did not know what this student of his could not achieve.
Lin Li made eye contact with Angelano before he glanced back. "It seems to be peaceful in here, but there are traps everywhere. A
little bit of carelessness would bury us here."
The crowd was not surprised by Lin Li's words. Although they did not understand the designs within the palace, they could sense the need to take precautions. Even Rosen, who always liked to target Lin Li, only moved his lips and said nothing.
Lin Li and Angelano were considered to have the most understanding of magic gears and magic traps. Hence, the two of them continued to walk in front of the team. They were in charge of detecting the traps that were hidden in the midst of all the luxurious furnishings. Although Lin Li had a very comprehensive knowledge, and Angelano had deep understanding about Osric, neither of them dared to take the matter lightly.
It was definitely not an exaggeration to say that the team was moving slower than a snail. Lin Li and Angelano took a day to overcome a dozen magic traps, and the team had only advanced a dozen meters. Although nothing happened across those dozen meters, everyone took each step with trepidation. It was as though they were wandering between life and death at every moment.
Each time Lin Li and Angelano discovered a magic trap, everyone in the team had their heart raised to their throat. No one dared to take a deep breath for fear that they would affect Lin Li's and Angelano's focus when solving the magic trap. They could guess that the traps left behind by Osric were definitely not any low-level magic arrow traps. If they were activated, no one in the team would be able to escape doom.
As compared to the rest of the people in the team, Lin Li and Angelano showed no signs of nervousness as they tried to solve each of the traps. They had seemingly light-hearted discussions around each of the traps. Of course, being light-hearted did not mean that they were belittling the lethality of the traps. Their calmness helped them to look at the problems more holistically. Lin Li absolutely did not wish to bury his life here by committing a mistake at a critical moment.
"This Quick-Freeze Trap is a creation of mine. This trap would be able to freeze anyone below the Legendary-level when activated. Since Osric used the trap here, I bet he did not expect that I would come here one day," Angelano commented proudly to Lin Li upon recognizing the trap.
It was indeed an honor to see that Highlord Osric had used a trap he created in the Eternal Furnace. Yet, Lin Li was not amused by his discovery. "Is that so? I can roughly tell the principles behind this trap, but if you take a closer look, you will find something extra in there," he replied as he pursed his lips disapprovingly while pointing to some magic circuits within the trap.
"What?" Angelano exclaimed after taking a closer look at the direction of Lin Li's finger. "Isn't that the Mana Igniting Curse? That fella actually cast it a on a trap I created? What a joke! Doesn't the Mana Igniting Curse get rid of the mana in the magic trap? He is such a muddlehead!"
"If you took a closer look, you would see that this magic rune is here to enhance the curse on its victim. I bet even unlucky Legendary powerhouses would suffer from that," replied Lin Li. Although he was a mage, curses were not foreign to Lin Li. The effect of the Mana Igniting Curse was to instantaneously inhibit defensive spells such as elemental shields. The thing that surprised Lin Li was not the curse, but the integration of the Mana Igniting Curse and the Quick-Freeze Trap.
The Quick-Freeze Trap was considered a Master-level trap. The integration with the Mana Igniting Curse brought the power of the trap to the peak of the Master-level. A Legendary powerhouse would be killed by such a trap if he was careless. He noticed Osric's interest in integrating multiple things together; there was the combination of the Psychic Array and the Conquering Mageweath, as well as the hiding of powerful weapons within the beautiful decorations.
The traps Lin Li had solved previously were all singular traps, or traps that were combined with related items. It was his first time seeing a compound magic trap where there was a combination of two of such effects. Lin Li had an ominous feeling that the traps would be getting crazier from this point onwards.
Lin Li could only persuade himself to focus on the present hurdle before he'd think about what was to come. Lin Li quickly thought about the ways to deactivate the trap. He knew that compound magic traps were not simply a combination of two traps. There were many inextricable relations between the magic circuits, and the deactivating of one circuit might lead to the activation of another.
After careful observation, Lin Li glanced at Angelano who was standing beside him. His cold gaze made that Goblin shudder. He spoke, "Angelano, this trap would require you make a sacrifice."
After some bargaining, Lin Li promised to repay Angelano with a level-15 magic traps. Angelano proceeded to manipulate the alchemy machine and walked towards one of the triggers of the trap.
Lin Li signaled to Angelano when he was ready. Angelano did not dare to delay at all. He triggered the magic trap and instantly released the Mana Igniting Curse. The entire alchemy machine was quickly covered by a faint red mist, and it started to tremble. Angelano was seated in the machine, screaming agonizingly as though he was in great suffering.
At the same time, Lin Li cast a phantom the very moment the Quick-Freeze Trap lit up. His figure started to shift as though he was teleporting. Streaks of bright magic circuits became dim immediately. In less than a second's time, Lin Li's figure reappeared from the phantom, symbolizing the successful deactivating of a compound magic trap. It was a blessing to have Angelano's alchemy machine. It withstood the erosion of the Mana Igniting Curse and helped Lin Li save on the need to create potions to deal with the curse.
"Hey, you told me it wouldn't hurt. You have to repay me with at least one Legendary magical crystal for my roasted b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s." Angelano hopped onto the ground and rubbed his b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s as he spun around the alchemy machine.
"I am a man of honor. I will never change what I promised. Here, this is the level-15 magical crystal we agreed on," replied Lin Li as he threw a magical crystal towards Angelano.
Angelano caught the magical crystal. "Do not ever expect me to help you in the future!" he cried unhappily as he replaced the mana source of the alchemy machine.
"Then, does that mean that I do not have to return you that diary?" Lin Li asked dismissively as he advanced forward. He found another magic trap.
"Humans are definitely the most shameless creatures in the world," snapped Angelano disdainfully as he controlled the alchemy machine and got to Lin Li's side.
It was as Lin Li had expected. Compound magic traps had become a common sight for the rest of their journey. Osric had maximized the potential of the fusion of the integrative technique. At the same time, those complicated magic circuits grew increasingly discrete and unfathomable.
The progress of the team slowed down tremendously again. Angelano would not be the only one helping Lin Li every time he had to deactivate a trap. There would also be tasks assigned to Andoine and Rosen, as well as Aldwin and his team of mages.
Everybody trod on the short journey fearfully. It was the most terrifying mission they had ever embarked on. If they could, they would rather confront a wyrm than to suffer from the invisible pressure here.
However, to Lin Li, it was a thrilling mission that brought benefits along the way. He acquired new insights with the deactivation of every compound magic trap. This not only included the knowledge on the construction of magic traps and magic gears, but also involved the direct use of spells, curses, and various nomological power. These were all the product of Osric's wisdom, and they had all been exposed with the help of Lin Li's meticulous effort.
Angelano continued to nag while Lin Li worked on the traps. He talked about the origin of each of the magic traps and how he played a part in it. If not for his bit of usefulness for the traps, Lin Li would have bashed him up.
The team inched closer towards the core of the palace as time passed. They were like droplets breaking through a rock. Although they only covered a dozen meters every day, they managed to get closer and closer to the core of the palace.
When they got there, Lin Li discovered that the scene at core of the pal
ace looked increasingly similar to that of the Eternal Furnace. The main paths and facilities were identical, as though it was another Eternal Furnace.
Yet, this discovery did not convince Lin Li to treat the matter less seriously. After all, Osric had emptied the Eternal Furnace. Lin Li had not faced any dangers when he entered the Eternal Furnace then, but he knew it wouldn't be the same here. This place had to be Osric's finished work. Hence, all the dangers he had not encountered at the Eternal Furnace had to be here.
Of course, Lin Li was not least bit disappointed. He knew that his prior knowledge of this place would definitely give him an advantage over the others. Although Rosen had toned down quite a bit recently, Lin Li did not expect that this would last long. He could already foresee a clash between himself and Rosen in time to come.
However, Lin Li did not have to worry about Rosen just yet. The wisdom of the Highlord was the main problem. Just when Lin Li thought that he had deactivated another magic trap, there was a sudden burst of magical wave. Right after, the 16 statues around them started to walk down from their stone platforms.
It was lucky that precautions had been taken when they were deactivating the magic traps. When the 16 statues start to move towards the crowd majestically, no one was taken aback. They took instructions from Aldwin and prepared to battle the statues with their Crescent Staffs that were glistening with rays of magic.
The 16 statues got up close to the team in a few steps. Each of the spears and swords in their hands had a halo of Combat Energy. They were filled with thirst for blood as they attacked Lin Li's team. Despite using heavy-duty weapons and gigantic size, their actions were incredibly agile. Their teamwork was comparable to that of the team of mages.
