Chapter 309: Evil Dragon's Altar, Flames of Hatred and Vengeance
Stingham rushed after Ayrin, Rinloran, and Lotton down the stairs into the oncoming violent wind and currents of fragmented particles. He strained to keep his eyes open.
The reddish purple steps were rather slippery, causing them to feel as if they were gliding atop a current of air as they charged down into the darkness.
A loudly rumbling platform with an altar emerged before them as waves of even more intense arcane energy crashed into them.
"Ayrin!" Stingham cried out as he felt the change in his surroundings, "The aura of Evil Dragon particles has become even thicker. Doesn't this mean that it's becoming more dangerous?!"
"Think only of victory, and you will no longer consider the dangers," Ayrin fervently replied as he remembered the sacrifice of the nameless teacher from Golden Stag Academy.
"Furthermore, we are very strong. We are no weaker than those arcane masters who have opened four, or even five, arcane gates!" Ayrin added after a slight pause.
"What are you talking about? We can't even defeat Jean Camus," Stingham muttered.
"The more afraid you are, the less likely you are to ever catch up with Jean Camus." Ayrin took a deep breath as he silently thought to himself, "Jean Camus has likely already charged into the Abyss of Evil and is fighting somewhere within its depths."
"Stingham, why are you still spouting so much rubbish? Wouldn't it be better to save your breath and move a little faster?" Rinloran abruptly interjected. "Otherwise, you will be the first one to have your ass bitten by the zombies behind us."
Stingham felt his scalp numb as he shut his mouth and began running faster.
He and the Dark Queen Mermaid were indeed closest to the zombies, which seemed to still be full of energy.
An aura of evil lingered throughout the entirety of the abyss, which wound back and forth like a massive labyrinth as it descended deeper and deeper into the ground. But it was nothing before Lotton. He seemed to know exactly where they were. Under his guidance, the group of youths and a Dark Queen Mermaid quickly reached the deepest part of the Abyss of Evil.
During this time, Lotton deliberately avoided all combat, as if he was trying to reach the surging Evil Dragon particles which he sensed as quickly as possible.
"What team is that?"
"They are so strange?"
Of course, as they charged through the abyss, they inevitably drew the attention of nearby arcane masters and arcane teams. However, due to the strange composition and appearance of their group and the group of zombies behind them, no one attempted to stop them.
Indeed, with Lotton releasing an aura of Evil Dragon particles in front and Ayrin, Rinloran, and Stingham wearing the uniform of Holy Dawn Academy in the back, no one could discern if the group of youths was friend or foe. And by the time they came to a conclusion, the group had already rushed further into the abyss.
"So hot!"
"Such a thick aura of Evil Dragon particles!"
After a dozen or so minutes of charging downwards, they finally managed to lose all the zombies chasing them. By this point, the air had become so hot that it burned, and the Evil Dragon's aura had become so thick fist sized particles of Evil Dragon aura condensed in the air around them. It became increasingly hard to breath as well.
"We've already reached the deepest part of the abyss?"
The faint outline of a slope appeared before Ayrin as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"This isn't the end. It is also but an altar!" Rinloran's voice abruptly rang out from behind Ayrin.
"Tears of the Dark Goddess!"
"The altar is so large!" Ayrin exclaimed as he invoked a skill and verified Rinloran's statement.
What looked to be a valley was actually a vast altar containing many open plazas! One which seemed to have formed from the cooling of a massive pillar of magma!
In the center of the altar were four towering crystal pillars.
Countless towering stone statues of varying shapes and sizes littered the edges of the altar. Strangely, all of them held a stone plate in their hands.
"Lotton, the aura of Evil Dragon particles is coming from here?" Ayrin asked immediately.
As he continued to observe the altar before him, he realized that the massive pillars in the center were covered in dark purple flames. These pillars must have been the origin of the flames which erupted from the pillar of gas! Every so often, clusters of dark purple particles emerged from the pillars like bubbles.
He could also faintly make out the figures of several arcane masters swaying back and forth not far from the pillars. They looked like ants compared to the massive crystal pillars and the vast altar.
"They should be. Blood of the Evil Dragon must be sealed within those pillars. It seems like they are trying to unseal them," Lotton spoke much faster than normal.
"If it's the Evil Dragon's blood, then it's something left behind by the Evil Dragon King?"
Stingham's mouth dropped open as he shouted, "Just what are they trying to do by unsealing it?!"
"I don't know," Lotton succinctly replied.
……
……
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!…
Several figures trailing currents of air flew down from the stairs and descended upon the vast altar.
"Such a strange atmosphere. The circulation of my arcane particles has already become sluggish. Skill invocation will be much slower than usual," Ayrin thought to himself as he landed atop the altar.
He had expected to be buffeted by heat due to the river of magma which flowed below the altar and was releasing billowing streams of heat.
But upon reaching the altar, there was no sensation of heat.
Instead, the altar was enveloped by an intense aura of coldness, one which seemed to penetrate through everything, including blood and flesh, and even arcane gates and arcane particles.
Ayrin quickly pinpointed the cause. It was the four pillars in the center!
At the same time, Ayrin finally managed to make out the appearances of the several arcane masters standing beside the pillars.
"Teacher Liszt?" Ayrin cried out in astonishment.
"Ayrin?"
Complete silence. Every single face atop the altar was filled with shock.
"Teacher Minlur! Teacher Carter! Teacher Ciaran! Teacher Donna!" Ayrin shouted in quick succession. He was overjoyed.
He recognized all the arcane masters standing beside the four crystal pillars save one who wore white robes and looked even colder than Rinloran.
"How come you kids are here?!"
"Quickly come here. Now is not the time for chatting."
Liszt's face remained emotionless as he quickly and calmly called for them to come over. Not a single trace of his usual nonchalant attitude was present.
"You are the ones who managed to rush down here?"
"What luck. You are just the ones we wish to kill."
A cold voice rang out from the center of the towering crystal pillars.
"Who is it?"
Ayrin finally saw the three figures standing at the center of the four crystal pillars. Flames of different colors radiated from their bodies.
The one who had spoken was a handsome male wearing a luxurious looking silver robe with blue stitchings with silvery white eyes and pointed ears similar to Rinloran's, making him a hard sight to forget. It was clear that he was also the holder of a high rank Elven bloodline. An ashy gray light emanated from his skin and pupils.
As for the other two figures, one was rather tall and covered in head to toe with by cyan plate armor. A silvery white mask covered their face as a faint blue light emanated from their feet.
The other was a thin and short boy with an abnormally pale face and blood red eyes who wore a blood red robe. The youth looked even younger than Ayrin, Rinloran, and Stingham.
"Dias!"
The moment he saw the appearance of the Evil Dragon Follower who had spoken, Rinloran's expression immediately changed, a thin layer of frost covering his face as he shouted in a chilling tone.
"Dias? That's the person who killed Teacher Ciaran's lover… and the person who tried to make the entire sacred city fall? That's him?!"
Ayrin stiffened.
Every single drop of blood within his body simultaneously ignited.
As the student who had the closest relationship with Ciaran within Holy Dawn Academy, he was the person who had most clearly seen the sadness hidden away within Ciaran's heart.
All of it had been caused by this person before him who was observing him with a trace of interest and disdain.
"Dias!
"Fallen one who has betrayed the beliefs of arcane masters!"
"You will fall at my hands!"
Ayrin roared in anger.
Flames of hatred seemed to simultaneously erupt within his eyes.
In the face of Ayrin's roar, Dias casually chuckled as he responded, "Such intent to fight… but you are destined to be disappointed. Lannister and those two old fellows from the Office of Special Affairs have been successfully blocked. You are the only ones who have managed to arrive here. Are you cursing yourselves for underestimating our strengths? Or are you perhaps cursing fate for being unfair?"
In the next moment, Dias' face turned frosty as killing intent erupted from his body. "Younger brother, for them to have been brought here today… let me take revenge for you…"
"Stand behind us," Ciaran said towards Ayrin, Rinloran, and Stingham.
Her face was still calm, but an ardent light radiated from her body.
"Teacher Ciaran, just what are they doing? Why aren't we attacking them? Also, who are the other two?" Ayrin asked in quick succession.
