Chapter 143: A Dangerous Escape

After releasing the three horned eagle beasts, Donald and his apprentice rushed into the side hall where the teleportation array was located. Looking at the teleportation platform before them, Donald immediately ordered the Book of Truth to calculate at full capacity to identify the nodes between the array components. With such a large array, embedded in a sturdy stone platform forged through arcane techniques, it was impossible to store it all at once, even with the vast storage space created by the Book of Truth. Therefore, it was necessary to divide the array into smaller parts for transport. But how to split the array intact while ensuring it could function properly when reassembled later required powerful computing capabilities.
Even a master alchemist like Messel, who was skilled in deciphering magic arrays, couldn’t identify all the nodes that could be separated within an hour. However, with the Book of Truth as a cheat tool, things were completely different. The Book of Truth, which scanned the entire structure of the array and its components, analyzed the locations of these nodes in just a few seconds—much like the difference between a computer and the human brain. While computers are rigid and follow commands mechanically, they far surpass the human brain in speed and precision.
Identifying the nodes was only the first challenge; splitting them apart was an even greater difficulty. The distance between the array nodes was as narrow as a hair’s breadth. The sword energy released by the Silver Swordmasters, though powerful and explosive, was difficult to control. Even the two top-tier Silver Swordmasters present couldn’t guarantee their sword energy could cut precisely. Perhaps only Gold-level experts could wield sword energy with such precision.
Fortunately, there were three Silver mages present. After calculating the nodes, Donald quickly asked, “Master, Lady Edwina, are you ready?” When the two Silver mages nodded, Donald marked the locations of all the nodes using his mental power. The mages sensed them instantly and then jointly cast a Level 5 spell, Sword of Trajectories.

The effect of this spell is to release a blade made of an energy field that automatically attacks enemies along a path set by the mage. This type of spell that utilizes energy fields is a signature technique of the Energy Manipulation school, and Edwina, who specializes in elemental spells, is naturally highly skilled at it. As for Messel, this spell allows for extremely precise cutting of materials, enabling him to achieve the exact volume and weight he desires, which is crucial for alchemical experiments. That’s why he once went to the mage tower in the Queen’s Forest Kingdom specifically to study it during his travels across the continent.

Compared to the Queen’s Forest Kingdom, where mages can copy spells as long as they have a guarantor and pay some money or materials, the mage towers of the Celt Mage Association are extremely stingy and protective of their knowledge. It’s not hard to enter and read the spells there, but copying them requires a huge cost if one doesn’t intend to join the mage association.

Therefore, most mages from the North, once they have gained enough strength, choose to travel to more developed and open mage nations like Gardrel or the Queen’s Forest to study and experience different cultures.

As for Hordon, the silver mage of the Thorne family, although he is already a powerful silver-tier mage, he comes from a wizard faction and knows nothing about field magic, so he could only watch Messel and the others work.

After setting the spell, Messel and Edwina, who had determined the exact positions, stood at opposite ends of the teleportation platform. A transparent blade moved in a straight line without deviation along the path they had set. The two silver mages then immediately controlled the blade to change direction and cut downward again. After repeating this several times, the 50-foot-diameter teleportation platform was perfectly divided into 24 pieces. It was then the turn of the three silver swordmasters, who used their sword auras to cut the platform into 24 separate stone slabs from the bottom. Donald then waved his hand repeatedly to collect these slabs. As for the control platform for the teleportation array, it was the easiest to handle—the silver swordmasters simply dug it out from the side room.

After securing the teleportation array, Donald had no longer any desire to stay in the ruins, so he quickly left the temple with the others and went to the square in front of it.

On the square, Elia, the elven elder, was already leading the tribe members there. After all 14 of them arrived, they were about to teleport away when Elder Hordon of the Thorne family exclaimed in surprise, “Lord Baron, you actually spare the expense of wasting a group teleportation scroll?”

“Although teleportation scrolls are precious, lives are even more important. Let’s go!”

With that, it tore open the scroll in its hands. The light of the teleportation spell once again enveloped everyone, and nearly a hundred of them vanished instantly from the ruins. At that moment, a loud rumbling sound, like an earthquake with buildings collapsing, came from afar, accompanied by the terrifying roars of monsters. Clearly, the golden beast had arrived outside the ruins.

Zahariel was extremely angry—this was the first time in over three thousand years since its existence that it had felt such fury. As an adult serpent dragon, Zahariel was the true ruler of the Great Swamp. It was naturally sleepy, rarely waking up even once in a hundred years, spending most of its time sleeping in its nest. But whenever it woke up, it meant doom for the magical beasts in the swamp.

Hundreds of years of sleep made the serpent dragon’s hunger extremely intense. Once it went out to hunt, any creature it saw would become its food. As a powerful being whose intelligence rivaled that of human-like intelligent creatures, Zahariel had lived in the swamp since birth and naturally knew of a mysterious ruin even older than itself, containing a powerful entity sealed within.

Back then, the influence of the evil god was at its peak. Although the entity was sealed inside the ruins by enchanting forces, any magically sensitive beast could sense it as soon as it approached the mist. Moreover, the powerful defensive mechanisms of the Arcane Empire were not for nothing. Even when Zahariel was still a young silver-tier beast, it knew that a beast of its size would surely suffer the strongest attacks from the arcane spells once it entered the misty area. Even after growing up and gaining the strength of a golden-tier beast, breaking through the enchantments would come at a cost. There was also an entity inside that made it instinctively fearful.

So Zahariel had been waiting—thousands of years in total. But with its long lifespan, it never really cared about time. Being lazy by nature, it believed it could wait until the power outside the ruins weakened and the strength of the entity inside diminished to the point where it no longer posed a threat. Then it would enter and devour it, absorbing its essence to gain new strength, perhaps even giving birth to another head and becoming a legendary two-headed serpent dragon.

However, several hundred years had passed since its last sleep. Before going to sleep, it guessed that it would be able to take action upon waking up next time. It wasn’t until the disappearance of the evil god’s influence and the uprising of magical beasts that awakened Zahariel, ending its dream prematurely.

Zahariel had always regarded this ruin as his own property. Who would have thought that just a few years away from when the defenses outside the ruin would weaken enough to allow him to claim its treasures, someone else would beat him to it? How could this serpent dragon not be furious? Added to this was the intense hunger from waking up, making its temper even more volatile.

Although it sensed the presence of the evil god disappearing, Zahariel still held onto a glimmer of hope and rushed to the scene at top speed. Only to find that all the most valuable items in the ruin had vanished from its perception. Enraged, Zahariel twisted its body, destroying one-third of the ancient archmage empire’s ruins, which were larger than an entire city.

At that moment, the team led by the evil archmage Goman and the five-member squad of the Hand of Justice were arriving at the north side of the ruin one after another. Seeing the terrifying giant beast and the ruins of the ancient archmages, they were both shocked and heartbroken.

They were shocked because such a monstrous beast was beyond their ability to fight. With its size, a single swish of its tail could crush several silver-ranked warriors.

They were heartbroken because, with the archmage ruins in sight, a giant beast was already there, destroying much of the structure, making it unlikely they could obtain its treasures.

Fortunately, both leaders were extraordinary individuals who understood that no treasure was worth their lives. If they didn’t leave now, they might perish in this swamp.

So, both groups ignored their original goals and mutual grudges, turning around and fleeing back the way they came.

This flight, however, caught the attention of the enraged serpent dragon, which had nowhere to vent its fury. Normally, Zahariel wouldn’t care about these tiny insects, even though they were half the distance away from the ruin. But in its rage, those dozen or so people used various spells, divine techniques, and sword energies, creating quite a stir that naturally drew Zahariel’s attention.

Though it knew these people weren’t the real culprits for stealing its treasures, how could the enraged Zahariel let these despicable humans go? In its eyes, these humans were just as vile thieves as those who had stolen its treasures. So, it immediately twisted its massive body, and its serpent-like form soared into the air!

Due to their natural habits, drakes don’t particularly enjoy flying, but that doesn’t mean they’re poor fliers. Born with the ability to cast both flight and wind magic spells, drakes can fly at speeds faster than when crawling on land. However, this requires them to expend magic power, unlike crawling which relies solely on physical strength. Although drakes possess great magic power, controlling their massive size in flight demands an enormous amount of magic energy—enough to deplete even a silver mage’s reserves instantly. No amount of magic power can sustain such consumption, so ordinary drakes avoid flying unless necessary, and even then, they usually don’t fly for more than fifteen minutes. Prolonged flight would consume half of their magic power, significantly reducing their defensive and offensive capabilities. This time, it was only because Zahirae was filled with excessive anger that he made an exception and flew to pursue his target. The Bloodsword Mercenaries and the Justice Hand squad were filled with despair upon seeing such a colossal creature take to the air and approach them at incredible speed. Especially the members of the Bloodsword Mercenaries, who didn’t have life-saving tools like teleportation scrolls. Even Caroline, a silver swordmaster, wasn’t known for her speed and had no chance of escaping the pursuit of this flying beast.