Chapter 1845 Free Time
With the opening of the second gate just four hours away, Emery keenly noted the significant congregation of magus in the second layer crossover. The substantial presence of magus in this instance was a telltale sign that the upcoming battle with the guardian was likely to involve a much larger number of participants. This awareness impressed Emery with the importance of punctuality; he couldn't afford to be late for the designated time, which would also mark the moment of his reunion with the rest of his group.
In the meantime, Emery had a few hours to spare and considered his options. His gaze settled on the two individuals who remained in the cave: Jinkan's full moon magus bodyguard and the contemplative monk, Mahinder, who was still immersed in his meditation.
Approaching the monk, Emery extended an invitation, "Monk, would you like to join me for some shard hunting?"
In the aftermath of the Magus tournament, Mahinder had become notably more reserved. Emery had heard of the discrimination faced by the tournament champion for being manipulated by the elves, and it was rumored that, if not for the intervention of the Nephilim, the monk might have chosen a life of seclusion.
Although Emery didn't expect Mahinder to accept the offer, he was pleasantly surprised when the monk silently rose and prepared to follow. Emery, impressed by Mahinder's decision, inquired, "Alright then, where shall we begin our hunt?"
With the bracelets provided by Jinkan, Emery possessed the means to track the information collected by the Nephilim groups and spies, offering insights into their movements and activities. While it was possible to discern Jinkan's whereabouts or the actions of other groups in various vaults, actually locating them would consume too much of Emery's precious free time. Thus, he decided to dedicate his limited hours to finding a personal vault to hunt.
Among the 1,000 vaults available in the second layer, data suggested that approximately 20% remained unexplored. This implied a 20% chance that they might stumble upon an uncleared temple within these untouched vaults.
Upon hearing Emery's suggestion of potentially clearing a temple with just the three of them, Mahinder inquired with a hint of skepticism, "Clear the temple? just three of us?"
Emery responded casually, "Why not? We have a full moon magus and a tournament champion here."
His attempt at humor was met with a lukewarm reception as the monk reverted to his customary silence. Although a temple could potentially be cleared with three of them, the endeavor might prove excessively time-consuming. Emery could ill afford to be late for the battle against the guardian, and Jinkan's bodyguard pointed out the risk of being perceived as vulnerable prey by other groups with their limited numbers.
This observation sparked a surge of ideas within Emery's mind, but with time ticking away, their immediate priority was to locate unexplored vaults before making a decision.
"How do you propose we go about finding these unexplored vaults?" asked the monk.
Emery harnessed his spirit energy and conjured 30 Jade Warriors, each imbued with sufficient power to be tracked over long distances. He then scattered them all over the celestial crossover and entered the numerous golden arc gates. These clones would explore their respective locations for 15 minutes before returning to relay their findings.
The primary goal was to detect any signs of occupation, such as footprints, evidence of destroyed drones, or the unfortunate absence of returning clones. After the second round of clones, Emery's patience was rewarded when one of them finally brought back a promising report. Without delay, the three of them set out in the direction of this newfound potential location.
[You are entering Light Vault 281]
"Yes, I can smell that this place is brand new, untouched."
The monk, somewhat perplexed, inquired, "How can you tell?"
Emery chuckled and replied, "Well, I am a wolf, so trust me with these instincts."
With only 3.5 hours remaining until the gate opened for the second layer guardian battle, and with the medium shards being highly prized, Emery wasted no time. He swiftly located the nearest temple and created a teleportation gate toward the place.
Mahinder's expression revealed his concern, but he didn't need to voice it. Emery addressed the doubt in his companion's face, saying, "I plan to clear two temples in three hours, so each of us can claim one."
Seeing the skepticism in the monk's eyes, Emery added, "Alright then, if we do manage to pull it off, you shall give me a bigger share!"
With determination in mind, the three of them approached the gate guarded by four constructs. Emery wasted no time, immediately transforming into his twilight wolf form. He instructed the others to handle two of the constructs while he, using the [Savage blade] and dark infusion, swiftly dispatched the remaining two. Emery was already well-acquainted with the constructs' abilities and vulnerabilities, and with his effective darkness-based attacks, they were all defeated in less than three minutes.
Emery looked at his companions and asked, "Do you trust me now?"
The trio entered the gate and faced hordes of drones and constructs. It took them an hour to eliminate these threats, and then they confronted a towering [Juggernaut].
Their formation dictated that Emery would take on a support role, primarily focused on restraining the massive construct and creating opportunities for Mahinder and the full moon magus, who wielded a spear and specialized in ice magic, to inflict damage. It was a formidable construct, and the battle was a grueling one, lasting an entire half-hour before they finally succeeded,
[You have destroyed the Avalonian Juggernaut]
[You have cleared the Temple Trial]
"We did it! I told you we could," Emery exclaimed with a triumphant grin as he claimed the medium celestial shard reward.
Emery had every intention of completing the second temple within the time he had left. As they were fighting halfway through the drones, though, they suddenly sensed the arrival of several magus rushing into the temple. Emery quickly disengaged from the fight, abandoning his task.
Fifteen rogue magus stood before them, their faces displaying sly and confident grins. The atmosphere grew tense as both groups locked eyes, silently assessing each other.
The leader of the rogue magus, a wiry man with a crooked smile, took a few steps closer. "What's the matter, folks? you've come to this temple with just the three of you. That's not very wise, now is it?" He chuckled, and his comrades joined in.
"Hand over all the shard you have,"
Emery gazed at the group with a wry smile. This scenario might turn out to be the most rewarding for him.
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