Chapter 1851 Third Gate
Three thousand magus had congregated in front of the Light Vault's third-layer guardian gate, anticipation coursing through their ranks. As the moment of the gate's opening drew near, a group of magus grew increasingly anxious, eagerly awaiting someone's arrival.
"Where is he? Why isn't he here yet?"
"Could something have happened to him?"
Then, a murmur of relief spread through the group as a figure came into view.
"Ah, there's Zach! He's here!"
Jinkan Nephilim approached Zach "Where is he?" she inquired, referring to Emery.
However, Zach, the Magus military commander, wore a peculiar expression "I… we do not know where he is, nor do we have any parts or knowledge on what he's been up to."
Perplexed and concerned, Jinkan pressed further, "What happened? What did he do?"
Apparently, Upon reaching their compromise, Emery had acquired enforcer tracking devices and set out to address various rogue magus-related issues. In just twenty-four hours, he had resolved thirteen problems, employing methods that teetered on the borderline of morality. Now, it seemed that he had become one of those problems himself. Unfortunately, with the enforcer's devices and his exceptional spatial abilities, none of the enforcers had been able to stop him.
Zach gazed at Jinkan with an obvious confusion "Is that scoundrel really is him?"
Jinkan chuckled softly at Zach's reaction and remarked, "Well… he's been through quite a lot in the past eight years."
As the timer for the gate's opening chimed, Loriel the high elves priestess once again opened the gate and over three thousand magus surged into the guardian chamber, their eagerness palpable.
"He didn't come!" Jinkan said she showed no intention of waiting and led her group of magus into the room.
What awaited them was a sight to behold - a colossal crystal spider creature with eight razor-sharp legs that reached skyward, its towering form soaring to a staggering height of three hundred meters.
[Guardian: Celestial Arachnids]
[Mythical Creature: ???]
[Battle Power: ???]
The battle commenced with a burst of frenzied spells and attacks. The massive spider guardian retaliated by unleashing a cascade of crystal webs that blanketed the chamber. These ethereal strands proved resistant to even tier 5 weapons, making it difficult for the magus to cut through them. The sticky webs restricted their movement, adding to the complexity of the battle.
Adding to the challenge, the guardian laid hundreds of eggs in rapid succession. These seemingly innocuous orbs quickly hatched, releasing one-meter-long crystal spiders into the fray, one that has the power to rival magus. The chamber became a chaotic battleground as magus struggled to fend off the relentless assault.
Despite the sheer numbers of magus, the task of dispatching the guardian proved to be a formidable challenge. The magus fought valiantly, striving to eliminate the swarms of little crystal spiders while pressing onward toward the towering arachnid at the heart of the chamber. But the guardian was not about to make things easy.
As the magus approached its massive form, the celestial arachnid exhaled a potent cloud of toxic smoke. The unfortunate magus who found themselves caught in the poison's grasp underwent a horrifying transformation. Their complexions paled, and blood seeped from their facial orifices. Some managed to escape the lethal fog, but others who were not so fortunate succumbed to a gruesome and agonizing death.
"Poison! This wasn't in the data!" cried out a few top-tier magus who had meticulously researched this guardian based on information from previous expeditions.
A sense of urgency gripped the thousand magus in the vicinity. They hastily administered their prepared poison resistance measures, but not all were adequately equipped to neutralize the spider's venom.
The combination of limited access to the guardian, the relentless spawning of crystal spiders from the eggs, and the lethal poison made defeating this formidable foe an incredibly daunting task. It was a battle that would test their mettle and adaptability to the fullest extent.
Jinkan wasted no time in retrieving the high-tier poison antidotes from her inventory, but her heart sank as she realized she had only brought several of them. Just as despair began to settle in, a partial gate opened, and the much-awaited figure finally appeared.
"Aha, poison, this is my area," Emery remarked confidently as he assessed the situation.
"Emery, you have poison antidotes with you?!"
Not wasting a moment, Emery sprang into action. He swiftly pulled one of the magus who had succumbed to the toxin closer and, using his [Nature Grasp] spell, attempted to heal the affected individual while simultaneously identifying the nature of the poison.
"Ah, this one should do the trick," Emery declared as he produced a tier 4 poison antidote from his inventory and administered it to the ailing magus. The antidote took effect within seconds, saving the magus from the brink of death.
"Good! Give us some!" Jinkan implored, eager to secure more of these life-saving antidotes.
Emery, however, fell silent for a moment, a pensive expression on his face. He then spoke with a tinge of regret, "You know, I didn't get a chance to clear a temple in these 24 hours... I was alone... My entire team left me."
Not wasting any time, Jinkan tossed one of the medium-sized shards to Emery in exchange for the antidotes. Emery accepted it with a smile, acknowledging the transaction.
Elowen, the spirit master from Alabaster, approached, requesting her group share the antidotes. Emery extended his hand, palm open, implying that payment was expected in return.
"You! We are allies!" Elowen exclaimed, her irritation evident.
Ignatius from Proxima swiftly came forward, addressing Emery. "Magus Emery, I am willing to trade for one for my group as well. Thank you."
After providing ten antidotes to Ignatius and his group, Emery turned to Elowen and remarked, "I guess some magus is different than others."
Before Elowen could erupt in anger, Uria intervened and handed Emery one of his medium-sized shards. "Thank you, Senior Uria," Emery acknowledged.
In just five minutes, Emery had traded twenty tier 4 poison antidotes for three medium-grade shards.
With the group now protected against the poison, Jinkan rallied everyone to seize the opportunity. "This is our chance to earn more points!" she called out, urging them to engage in the battle.
Emery didn't immediately join Jinkan in the fray. Instead, he observed the situation carefully.
[Celestial Arachnids]
[9,978/10,000]
With this type of opponent, It seemed that the battle was destined to drag on for hours. After all, most of the 3,000 magus present were preoccupied with battling the small spiders, and only a few hundred dared to venture through the poisonous smoke.
What concerned Emery was that most of those who braved the smoke were elves. The idea of fighting inside the poisonous haze surrounded by elves made him uneasy. He contemplated engaging in long-range combat when a familiar group of magus approached him – it was Shatter Cross and his 20 magus.
"Emery, I see you have the antidote for this. Give us some!" Shatter Cross requested.
Emery's smile widened, and he responded, "Of course, for old times' sake. Twenty antidotes for two shards."
"..."
"What!! Emery, how could you do that? We even stood with you against the dark elves before, we risked our lives for you!" Shatter Cross protested, his voice edged with disappointment.
Emery, however, remained composed in the face of Shatter's complaints. He replied calmly, "Yes, Shatter, and I will do the same for you. That's also why I came to save you from that dark elves planet years ago"
Shatter Cross grumbled in frustration, clearly torn between his desire for the antidote and his frustration with Emery's greed. Ultimately, he was pressured to get more points for his faction, hence he reluctantly handed over two pieces of celestial shards.
"Now give it to me, I'm in a hurry!" Shatter Cross demanded impatiently.
However, Rather than immediately providing the antidote pills, Shatter was stunned seeing Emery pulling out an apothecary cauldron and setting it up on the battlefield.
"What the hell, Emery? You're going to make the antidote now?" Shatter Cross exclaimed, his frustration palpable.
Emery maintained his calm demeanor and offered a nonchalant response, "Well, did I say I had the antidote ready? Don't worry; I can have it finished in a few minutes."
In truth, Emery did still have a few dozen toxin pills on hand, but he intentionally decided to make a spectacle of the situation. As he began setting up an apothecary cauldron, magus from various factions, intrigued by the prospect of obtaining antidotes, started to gather around him.
"We need antidotes too! Trade us some!" called out one magus.
Emery's smile widened as he responded, "Don't worry! Line up, everyone! I have enough for everyone!"
The magus formed an orderly queue, each one eager to secure an antidote. Emery worked efficiently, brewing batch after batch, all the while collecting celestial shards in exchange.
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