Chapter 247: Chapter 233: Enemies Meet (3)
She looked to be in her early twenties, with skin so fair it was almost translucent. Her long, golden hair was tied back with a silver ribbon, and she exuded a gentle, pure aura of light.
A member of the Silver Ring.
The Witch also saw Ian. She faltered for a moment, then gave a polite nod and turned to go downstairs.
Ian watched her leave, his gaze hardening.
’The Silver Ring... the most powerful Wizard Organization on the Anoroya Continent.’
’Why would one of their members be staying in an ordinary inn like this?’
"Who cares?" Gaga patted his face with a wing.
"Let’s rest first. I’m hungry!"
Ian shook his head, put the matter out of his mind, and walked up to the third floor.
The room was just as the Elder Wizard had said—very quiet, with a window that faced the sea beyond the harbor, offering an expansive view.
Ian set down his simple luggage and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the gray-blue sea stretched to the horizon.
According to the records, a pale mist would appear before the ruins opened. This was the "Pale Mist."
Only when the mist appeared would the gates to the ruins truly open.
"Three days left..." Ian muttered to himself.
He turned, walked to the bed, sat down cross-legged, and began his Meditation.
In his Sea of Spirit, pale golden Crystalized motes of light slowly revolved, emitting a soft glow.
’Progress is slow, but strength is built up bit by bit.’
’I need to find an opportunity in the ruins...’
His Meditation finished, Ian opened his eyes and took out twelve improved [Black Hole Potions] from his Dimension Ring.
The walnut-sized Crystal Balls rolled in his palm. Inside each, three spiraling rings of Energy slowly rotated, their beauty lethally captivating.
He checked his other Potions as well: recovery, enhancement, and reconnaissance types... over two hundred vials in total.
’This should be enough.’
Ian put the Potions away and looked out at the sea.
’The Deep Red Royal Court, the Withered Council, the Silver Ring, and all those other powers lurking in the shadows...’
’This expedition to the ruins will be even more dangerous than the Sleeping Underground Palace.’
Gaga landed on his shoulder, its small eyes gazing at the sea outside. "Ian, we’re going to make it back alive, right?"
"Of course." Ian rubbed its small head.
"After all this preparation, we’re aiming for more than just survival."
He gazed out the window, his expression calm yet filled with an undeniable resolve.
「Three days later, in the teleportation hall of the Shadow Moon Base.」
A silver-gray Array slowly spun on the floor, emitting a low hum of spatial distortion.
Seven Level One Liquidation Wizards already stood at the edge of the Array. All were dressed in identical dark blue Long Robes, with an emblem of a crescent moon and stars embroidered on the chest.
They stood in various poses. One leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
Another sat cross-legged on the floor, resting with his eyes closed. A few others were talking quietly with their companions, their voices kept low.
Herman stood in the center of the Array, looking at the group.
"Everyone’s here."
His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly.
His gaze swept over the other six team members before finally landing on Ian, where it lingered for about two seconds.
A flash of surprise flickered in Herman’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Once we enter the ruins, I will do my best to keep the team together. However, if we encounter spatial fragmentation, teleportation scattering, or similar situations..."
He paused, his gray eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"You’re on your own. Survive by your own skills. If you find an opportunity, take what you can get.
The only rule is this: no stabbing each other in the back inside the ruins. How you choose to fight over things once we’re out is your own business."
No one spoke. Some even had the corners of their mouths twitching upward, as if to say, ’That’s how it should be.’
Herman seemed satisfied with the silence.
He raised his right hand, and a complex, three-dimensional Rune materialized in his palm.
"This is a ’Space Anchor Point’," he explained.
"After we enter the ruins, I will place a temporary mark on each of you.
As long as we are on the same level, the mark will faintly point in my direction. If you get separated and want to regroup, you can follow the sensation to find me."
He added, "Of course, whether you use it or not is up to you."
Herman said no more and turned to the center of the Array.
"The flow of Time inside the ruins is one-tenth of the outside world’s, but our perception of it will be normal. Hunger and fatigue will not be slowed."
Everyone checked their Dimension Bags or Spatial Rings again.
Ian also double-checked his own, confirming he had enough specially-made, high-Energy food for himself and Gaga to last half a month.
"Prepare for teleportation."
Herman raised both hands, and the light from the Array flared violently.
A pillar of silver-gray light shot toward the sky, completely engulfing the eight people and one bird.
A sensation of weightlessness washed over him, as if he had been tossed into a spinning drum. The light and shadows before his eyes twisted, stretched, and shattered...
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