Chapter 346 Chapter345-When the Trial Goes Awry
From the sidelines, Lord Storm, stroking his voluminous beard, chuckled heartily:
"This level? Our Storm warriors can easily endure the thirty-minute chase by the Thunder Sprite."
"In fact, I reached the exit portal in just seventeen minutes during my time."
"I wonder how this young one named [Galewind] will fare."
As the system's countdown concluded, John burst forth, heading straight for the Thunder Sprite.
A prominent question mark appeared over the sprite's head – wasn't it supposed to be chasing him?
The Thunder Sprite glared angrily at the oncoming figure, and as John's face became clear, a chilling realization seemed to dawn on it.
It had been obliterated once in the Thunderous Maze, and it appeared that the perpetrator was this very individual approaching at breakneck speed.
Desperately trying to muster an intimidating demeanor to ward off John, the Thunder Sprite was met with John channeling his spirit into a Divine Blade, surging towards it with incredible speed.
Panicking, the Thunder Sprite darted away.
John sensed the Thunder Sprite's ever-increasing pace.
Activating a speed boost, he pursued it even faster.
As the Thunder Sprite touched a blue luminescent spot, its speed momentarily surged.
During the chase, John spotted blue and red luminescent orbs around him.
The blue orbs symbolized acceleration while the red ones signified deceleration.
These orbs kept emerging and blinking around him.
This felt like an obstacle race, and John, with ghostly agility, dodged the red orbs and veered towards the blue ones, intensifying his chase.
The bishops watching this spectacle were utterly dumbfounded:
"Wasn't this level supposed to be a tense escape from the Thunder Sprite until the thirty-minute mark, and then a quiet exit?"
"Isn't this Hero challenge meant to test a Hero's strength, intelligence, courage, speed, and more?"
"Why has the challenge morphed so bizarrely under this [Galewind] contestant? Where exactly did things go wrong?"
They wanted to voice their myriad thoughts, but words eluded them.
All their sentiments seemed to merge into one expression they couldn't articulate.
Meanwhile, within the trial, John, while darting forward, shouted at the rapidly retreating sprite:
"Stop running! Hold your ground!"
The Thunder Sprite, dragging its battered form, shouted at John:
"Messenger of the Church, I admit my fault! I won't chase you in this trial. Just wait thirty minutes and then proceed to the next level."
"Halt! Killing you still lets me pass. I aim for a speed run!"
With that, John manifested his Divine Blade, wielding it with force, striking down at the Thunder Sprite.
[Critical Hit! -1,600,000 damage!]
A damage notification flashed across John's vision.
The Thunder Sprite, reeling from the painful blow, hastened its pace.
In the ancient language of the sprites, it roared:
"Oh, Almighty Lord, if I've sinned, strike me down yourself!"
"Do not let this monster torment me!"
Upon hearing this, John's mood soured.
How dare this being, comprised entirely of electricity, label him – a suave and humanlike player – as a monster?
It was preposterous!
With swift agility, John thrusted his blade, and the Thunder Sprite teleported towards an area laden with blue orbs.
However, just as it neared the blue orbs, they turned crimson.
Propelled by its momentum, the Thunder Sprite crashed directly into the massive red orb.
The ominous aura of John's Divine Blade caught up, piercing straight into the elemental body of the Thunder Sprite.
The red energy orb's decelerating effect drastically slowed down the Thunder Sprite.
Though its mind was quick, its body couldn't respond in time.
The blade dug into it, slowly draining its electric essence.
Startled, the Thunder Sprite hastily pulled the blade out, feeling an overwhelming sense of weakness.
Its once-bright blue glow had now dimmed further.
Watching the Thunder Sprite's fading form, John secretly rejoiced.
A few more blows and this Thunder Sprite would be finished. Surely he'd then pass this level.
Meanwhile, Lord Storm, witnessing [Galewind] aka John, hunting down the Thunder Sprite, remembered how he himself had managed to reach the next teleport point in seventeen minutes while evading the Thunder Sprite.
And here was John, turning the tables entirely. It felt like a slap to his face.
He had bragged about his seventeen-minute mark, but now he felt as foolish as a jester.
The Thunder Sprite's elemental form surged with immense energy.
It decided to stop fleeing, ready to have a decisive battle with this "monster".
A fair duel was about to commence!
Greeting the Thunder Sprite was a massive blade strike.
With John's built-up power behind the blow, the burgeoning battle spirit of the Thunder Sprite discovered it couldn't withstand the onslaught.
It wanted to flee!
Yet, the Thunder Sprite realized that escape was impossible.
The surrounding space seemed chained, entirely under control.
Only at this moment did the Thunder Sprite discern that its body was paralyzed!
As a creature of electrical essence, it was naturally immune to paralysis, unless...
The Thunder Sprite exclaimed in alarm:
"Divine Talent!"
Its response came in the form of a blade piercing through its form.
The electrical energy within the Thunder Sprite scattered across the ground as it strained its eyes towards John, its vision gradually blurring.
John withdrew his blade.
[Congratulations to the player for slaying the Mythical Being: Thunder Sprite!]
Following this, a beam of light emerged, and the surrounding track began to fade to grey.
A voice echoed in John's mind:
[Congratulations player [Galewind] on your first kill of a Mythical Being. You've earned the Godslayer Continent reward: Lightning Resistance +1000!]
Hearing the announcement, John was taken aback.
These Mythical Beings could actually increase his own resistances.
In the game, resistance was crucial.
If one's resistance was enhanced to terrifying levels, others would struggle to break through their defense.
But before he could delve deeper into these thoughts, the adjacent teleportation circle whisked him away.
[Twelve Trials of the Hero: Fifth Trial Unlocked - Clues from the Abyss!]
John materialized atop a small town. Glancing around, he noticed every being was proficient in lightning magic or associated with electrical attributes in some way.
Their current state was deeply unsettling.
They seemed like marionettes, their faces bearing numb expressions.
As John studied them closely, they suddenly turned to gaze upon him, all at once.
The chilling, vacant stares forced him to take a few steps back.
There were no hints for this trial, only the title "Clues from the Abyss" indicated anything.
At that moment, the peculiar stone statue within John's inventory flickered briefly before dimming.
Navigating through the town, John attempted to converse with the locals.
Yet, they behaved as if he was invisible, blatantly disregarding his presence.
As John ventured deeper into the town, whether it was the butcher slicing meat in the shop or the tailor embroidering in the store, all converged, emerging onto the central path.
They proceeded as if on a pilgrimage, moving forward in a ritualistic manner, kneeling with each step.
John beckoned to a pig-faced butcher in front of him, eliciting no response.
Then, swiftly, he deployed a Divine Blade strike.
Upon the butcher's demise, a surge of dark energy emanated from the corpse.
The nearby townsfolk, upon seeing the lifeless body, hurried over, greedily consuming the emerging black energy.
John's eyes narrowed slightly, "Energy from the abyss that manipulates the soul... Intriguing. I wonder where they're headed. This trial seems to be centered on decryption."
Filled with curiosity, John followed the local crowd.
Amidst the gathering, he sensed an eerie aura and immediately took to the sky for a better view.
Gazing down upon the assembly, he was struck with alarm.
The people moved in no discernible order or rhythm.
Yet, from their chaotic paths, John discerned that the spots where they knelt formed an intricate rune – an Abyssal Rune, a summoning magic array!
It was a power drawn straight from the abyss!
This energy, amassing upon the people, once the rune was fully drawn, what might transpire?
Surely, an uncontrollable force would burst forth.
Casting his gaze toward the horizon, John noticed a gathering storm.
He raced towards it with utmost urgency.
When he arrived, he was met with the sight of a dilapidated church.
Inside, an emaciated old man stood guard, his skin clinging tightly to his bones.
He staunchly defended the battered door behind him.
From behind the door echoed a relentless pounding – as if some monstrous entity sought escape.
With each battering, the old man seemed to wilt further, as if his very bones were shattering.
Upon closer inspection, John's eyes widened in astonishment at the old man's data:
[Name: Vincent.Xitell.Boulanger]
[Level: 300]
[Class: Cathedral Priest]
A level 300 Cathedral Priest!
It was astounding.
To find such a formidable entity in this remote town, something was undeniably amiss.
John approached the elderly figure. Boulanger turned to him, voice trembling, "My child, the abyss outside has invaded. I fear I cannot hold out much longer."
From beyond the screen, Xitell, the Pontiff, and Valerie, the city lord, watched the scene.
With profound reverence, the Pontiff removed his crown and saluted the figure in the screen, whispering softly, "Thank you for your sacrifices against the abyss, Grandfather."
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