Chapter 270: Alongside the Power of the Fallen, the Fighting Continues!
"There are only six points marked because we didn't think that you guys would do so well. We didn't expect for so many squads to complete the task and arrive here," Clancy remarked as his gaze emotionally and gratifyingly swept across Ayrin and the others.
The Office of Special Affairs had expected at most four or five squads to successfully arrive here. Never had they imagined that a mixed squad, and both squads of the River Bend, Holy Dawn, and Dragon Breath Academy teams, would successfully arrive.
Thus, Clancy was filled with hope. Regardless of how many elite arcane masters sacrificed themselves for the greater good of the Kingdom, the Kingdom would still have these genius youths.
"Liszt, you are in charge here. You can arrange the task given to the leftover squad," Clancy stated as he turned around and looked at Liszt.
"Since there is only one extra squad, why don't we let them act as a roaming squad," Liszt replied with a nod as he continued to look at the distant battlefield and pillar.
"A roaming squad? What do you mean?" Stingham immediately asked.
"It means that this squad will be free to move around the entire battlefield and strike the enemy," Charlotte explained.
"So instead of waiting to rob the enemy, this squad can go and find enemies to rob?" Stingham's eyes lit up. After wearing the Spirit Obstruction Gem over his chest for a while, he felt that the aura it released was quite refreshing. This caused him to suddenly treasure all kinds of the amplification artifacts which he had previously not cared for.
"Aren't those with Green Dragon Bloodlines supposed to be rather peaceful? I thought only those with Fire Dragon Bloodlines were aggressive and coveting of treasures?" Everyone else simultaneously had the same thought as they watched Stingham's eyes, which were shining just like a robber's eyes upon hearing of a good opportunity.
"Let my squad be the roaming squad. We have more than enough experience," Stingham blurted, causing Morgan and the others to nearly slam their heads into the ground.
"The roaming squad must be mobile and able to fight continuously…" Liszt's gaze swept across Ayrin and Rinloran, "Alright. Then your squad will be the roaming squad."
"Great! Those orcs are definitely carrying tons of valuables!" Stingham excitedly exclaimed as he stuck his hands at his hip and laughed loudly.
"……" Silence descended as everyone speechlessly stared at him.
Just what kind of valuables could the orcs possibly wield when they relied completely on their physical strength? Could orcs even sense arcane energy? Just what was Stingham thinking?
"Then are we also allowed to search around for fragments of the Tree of Life? We discovered an area which might contain such fragments," Ayrin suddenly asked Liszt as he took out a simple looking map.
"That!" Hideous blue veins simultaneously erupted on the foreheads of both Abel Academy teachers.
"Ah." Ayrin somewhat realized what he had done as he awkwardly scratched his head and said, "This was also gifted to us by Gucci and the others."
"Yeah right!" the two Abel Academy teachers inwardly screamed. But as Liszt indifferently glanced at them, they abruptly regained their composure.
"Alright," Lizst simply stated after glancing over Ayrin's map.
"But the same restrictions still apply to you three. You absolutely cannot leave the plains and enter the abyss within the pillar. You are also not allowed to try and fight any of the four gate and above Evil Dragon Followers. Even if you feel like you can win, do not fight them, but run away."
"If everyone understands, then let us set off."
Liszt paused for a slight moment, then softly shouted, "For peace and freedom. For the future of the Kingdom of Eiche."
"To do one's best! To protect the kingdom!"
At this moment, everyone felt their blood begin to boil as they loudly cheered.
"Teacher Liszt! Teacher Ciaran! Teacher Minlur! Teacher Carter! You must defeat the Evil Dragon Followers and come back safely!" Ayrin shouted as he chased after the disappearing figures of the four Holy Dawn teachers and powerfully waved his fist in the air.
At this moment, he once again felt what it meant to be an arcane master.
"Let us meet again, you bunch of cute brats… you all better survive as well so that you can all become most powerful battlemasters."
Liszt and the others didn't look back as thoughts surged through their minds and they reminisced about when they first met Ayrin, Moss, Rinloran, and the others.
"Let's go! Let's go steal more stuff!" Stingham excitedly shouted as he seemed to not sense the somber atmosphere caused by the parting.
"So what's the plan? Are you guys going to search for fragments of the Tree of Life, or what?" Morgan asked Ayrin and Rinloran with a slight smile.
"We are going to the blockade area first. There will definitely be a lot of enemies, and I would like to stay with Charlotte while I can," Ayrin replied, his face full of zeal as his fighting intent fiercely surged.
"Can you not be a little more subtle…" Charlotte's lowered her head as her face flushed bright red.
"Ahaha. Well then. With how everyone made it here against the expectations of the Office of Special Affairs… why don't we have a little competition? To make up for the competition we didn't have during the tournament," Morgan suggested as he extended his arm and pointed at the designated area in the distance, "Let's see who can reach that area first?"
"Call! We will definitely be the first ones there!" Ayrin shouted as he raised his fist and began running.
……
"Captain, I never thought that you were as wicked as those Abel Academy fellows." The eyes of Audrey, Gaskin, and the other Dragon Breath Academy members filled with contempt as they turned and glared at Morgan.
"Ahaha." Morgan took on an innocent appearance as he replied, "What did I do?"
"Still pretending?" Audrey berated full of disdain, "The ones in the vanguard will attract more enemies to them. Are you really so heartless?"
"I've been seen through." Morgan abashedly chuckled as he said, "But what else can I do? Those two Evil Dragon Follower teams that we encountered on the way over, we really only barely survived after taking big risks. In our current state, won't it be difficult for us to complete this blockade, even if it is limited to those under four gates?"
"But…" Morgan sighed as he looked at the diminishing backs of Ayrin's group, complex emotions filling his eyes as he whispered, "Those fellows, they are truly a mysterious box of treasure. The more intense the battle, the more unpredictable they become, and the more abilities they reveal. Even Abel Academy's team fell to them. And considering Liszt's tone as he spoke just now, it seems like he believes that they can defeat four gate arcane masters, only he doesn't wish for them to take the risk and be in danger."
"Gaskin, carry me," Morgan suddenly said as he turned his head and looked at Gaskin.
"Eh? Carry you?" Gaskin couldn't believe what he heard.
"Your injuries are the lightest. And your body is strong to begin with. If you don't carry me, who will. Hurry up. I need to take this time to rest and replenish my arcane particles. Audrey will be next."
"Have I become a donkey? …"
……
"Hmph! Do they take me for an idiot! They are trying to trick us into opening a path for them."
Stingham combed through his hair as he quickly followed Ayrin and Rinloran. As he looked at the buildings in the distance, his eyes glowed with a golden light. "I just want to be the first one to enter so I can take any good things for myself."
"You really are a robber at heart," Rinloran sincerely said, "As soon as you think about these matters, you have suddenly become intelligent."
"Perhaps it is an effect of the Spirit Obstruction Gem?" Stingham chuckled as he failed to hear the sarcasm in Rinloran's voice. "Why don't we become a squad of robbers in the future?"
"You idiot. If you want to do it, then go do it yourself." Rinloran was speechless.
"I really can't understand you. Just now, you called me smart, but now you are calling me an idiot again." Stingham looked at Rinloran in confusion as he muttered, "You look like a girl, and your character is also as fickle as a girl…"
"What did you say?!" Rinloran roared as veins emerged on his forehead.
"There are dead arcane masters here…"
The swiftly moving group of three abruptly stopped and quieted down as an old, messy battlefield appeared before them.
Some unknown arcane skill had managed to carve out a circular pit ten meters wide and two meters deep.
The earth around the pit radiated with intense heat. As they looked within, they saw two corpses.
Both corpses seemed to be of arcane masters of the Kingdom of Eiche. However, Ayrin and the others didn't recognize the frost claw emblem on their robes.
"They should be members of the arcane teams who led the initial attack on Fallen Shadow Valley," Rinloran said solemnly.
He could discern that these corpses had been here for a long time as their bodies didn't emanate any heat at all whereas the ground around them was extremely hot.
Although the three of them already knew that there were countless arcane masters giving up their lives for the greater good, directly seeing the corpses was a different matter. Their minds and bodies trembled as they finally felt the sensation of death and the cruelty of war which lingered all around them.
"Ayrin! What are you doing?! Even our own allies… you are too perverse!" Stingham couldn't help but scream.
Because at this moment, intense arcane energy fluctuations began to surge from Ayrin's body as a mysterious arcane energy began to extract necromantic energies from the corpses before them and a glowing shadow ball took shape beside Ayrin.
Ayrin didn't seem to have the slightest misgiving as an indescribably fiery fighting intent radiated from his body and he solemnly raised his fist as if swearing a vow.
"I shall take your strength and use it to continue fighting for the Kingdom of Eiche!"
"I'm sure that if they knew, they would definitely feel the same. They would hope for me to take their strength and use it to continue fighting against the Evil Dragon Followers!"
"Just when did this fellow learn a necromantic skill?!"
Ferguillo, Charlotte, and the others who were following behind Ayrin's group of three were shocked by the emergence of the shadow ball beside Ayrin.
"This fellow was already so weird with how his arcane particles seem to never run dry during combat, and now, he has a necromantic skill… No wonder Liszt decided to let them be the roaming squad. Their strength in extended fights is unparalleled!" Ivan exclaimed. As he watched Ayrin's group begin swiftly moving once more, he felt a tingle course through his body.
It was the feeling he got every single time he met Ayrin, whose progress was just shocking.
"Rinloran, Stingham, let us charge forward like this through the Devil Snake Trees ahead!" Ayrin shouted as he looked in front of him and saw the many towering Devil Snake Trees between them and their designated area.
"Let us charge right through! That is the fastest way!"
"If we cannot penetrate through, then smash them all!"
After seeing the tragic scene in the pit, Rinloran's voice had become even more cold and filled with killing intent.
