“Right then, I’m starting!”
With Isabella’s sharp cry, blue-violet lightning erupted from her body.
At that moment, she seemed to become the incarnation of lightning itself, surrounded by a violent electrical discharge that gave her an overwhelming aura.
As Isabella’s momentum continued to climb, Starlight and the others standing nearby could feel the very air within the space trembling. That savage power felt as though it could tear everything around them to shreds at any second.
This time, Isabella didn’t use the spirit armament greatsword she had wielded during their previous encounter. Instead, she reached out her hand.
Streaks of lightning danced in her palm, gradually coalescing into a dazzling longblade. Arcs of electricity crackled along the blade, radiating a heart-palpitating pressure.
Starlight nodded, the mana within him surging wildly.
He locked his gaze onto Isabella and whispered, “Are you ready?”
“Ready when you are,” Isabella replied, her voice calm and firm, brimming with confidence.
“Alright. Three, two, one... go!” As Starlight finished his countdown, he swung his hands forward. Spatial power condensed at his fingertips, instantly enveloping Isabella’s figure.
“Spatial Displacement—Inversion!”
A faint ripple shimmered over Isabella, and her once-sharp aura vanished instantly from the mirror world.
Having reached the outside world, Isabella stomped her foot. The force not only temporarily repelled the black water rushing toward her but also propelled her forward dozens of meters, bringing her right to one of the hall’s walls.
Her lightning blade flashed, carrying an unparalleled momentum as it struck directly at a specific point in the magic formation.
“BOOM!”
With a deafening explosion, the weak point of the magic formation was struck by the tip of Isabella’s blade, instantly cracking open. The walls of the entire hall began to vibrate violently, though they didn’t shatter completely.
Just as Isabella prepared to deliver a second strike, the surrounding black water surged back like a violent tide, heading straight for her.
“It’s no use! Get back here!” Starlight clenched his palm, re-locking onto Isabella’s figure.
A split second later, she reappeared within the mirror world, breathing slightly hard.
“Nice shot!” Po Kong pumped his fist and shouted, clearly invigorated by Isabella’s performance.
Isabella, however, frowned, her eyes fixed on the spot where she had just struck.
Starlight followed her gaze and was shocked to find that the cracked section of the magic formation was slowly self-repairing.
“No way... You’ve got to be kidding. This damn formation can self-repair?” The smile vanished from Po Kong’s face as he saw the scene. He turned to Isabella and asked urgently, “Sister Bella, can you try another slash?”
“Something’s not right. That sensation just now... was strange,” Isabella murmured, ignoring Po Kong.
“What is it? Is there something wrong with the formation?” Starlight asked.
“I attacked the weak point based on the intel, but the feedback I got when my blade hit the formation was bizarre...” Isabella paused briefly before continuing, “I feel like my blade didn’t actually hit the weak point. Most of the impact was neutralized.”
“The weak point is wrong... Neutralized?” Starlight muttered to himself. From within the mirror world, he couldn’t perceive the details of the formation, and his vision alone wasn’t enough to see the intricacies dozens of meters away.
Based on Isabella’s description, the failure of the attack likely had to do with the target’s location.
Normally, once a magic formation was drawn, its position wouldn’t change. Starlight didn’t think a Saint Rank powerhouse like Isabella would simply miss her mark.
“Miss Isabella, are you sure that was the right spot? Is it possible the House of Red changed the formation’s structure later on?” Starlight asked.
Isabella frowned slightly and immediately dismissed his guess.
“I shouldn’t be mistaken. When the Crimson Smoke Merchant Group built this castle a few years ago, we were involved in the overall inspection as shareholders. That’s how I know there’s a relatively weak point in that direction.”
“That’s strange... If it involved large-scale changes, you all should have known about it.” Starlight began to hesitate.
Spatial Displacement was a high-level magic he had only just learned. With his current mana, he could only send Isabella out a few more times at most.
If they couldn’t find the actual gap in the formation, any further attempts would be futile. In the short ten-plus seconds they had been talking, the gap Isabella had just cut had already finished repairing itself.
While everyone was troubled, Yserazor’s deep voice cut in, though he sounded winded: “Have you kids figured it out yet? We’re running out of time!”
Starlight looked up at Yserazor and saw his body trembling slightly. Maintaining this mirror world was clearly putting a heavy burden on his already severely injured body.
“Starlight, let me go out once. I can help you find its weakness.” Xia Duo, who had been silent until now, suddenly looked up.
Her face was as calm as still water, appearing to have detached herself from the grief of witnessing her kin vanish.
“Little Shadow, are you okay?” Po Kong stepped forward quickly, his eyes filled with concern and unease over Xia Duo’s state.
“I’m fine. Controlling one’s emotions is a vital part of ranger training.” Xia Duo shook her head, her voice devoid of ripples, as if she had suppressed all her feelings deep within her heart.
“I suspect that the formation is constantly changing its position through some internal mechanical mechanism. Similar methods were mentioned in the lessons on trap design and dismantling.” Xia Duo entered an analytical state and began to explain slowly.
“If the Crimson Smoke Merchant Group really is connected to Yuta, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to modify the formation.”
A light flashed in Starlight’s eyes. He nodded and whispered, “Xia Duo, you mean... the weak point of this formation isn’t fixed, but is being moved constantly by some mechanism?”
“Exactly.” Xia Duo nodded. “If we can find the pattern of the mechanism’s operation, we can lock onto the formation’s true weak point.”
“How much time do you need? And once you go back to the original space, you’ll be attacked by the black water!” Starlight understood her plan but didn’t know how to protect her.
“As long as it’s a mechanical mechanism, I can definitely figure out its pattern. Now that those noisy fellows are gone, it shouldn’t take long.” Xia Duo looked at the distant wall with conviction.
Hearing this, Po Kong immediately walked to their side and patted his chest. “Little Star, can your Spatial Displacement send two people out? If I wrap both of us in my War God Battle Qi, we might be able to buy some time.”
Starlight looked Po Kong up and down, then glanced at Xia Duo, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
“It should... barely be possible. However, my skill’s range is limited, so the two of you will probably have to hug each other tight.”
A blush instantly crept onto Xia Duo’s normally calm face. Although she and Po Kong had essentially established their relationship, having to embrace in front of others still made her feel shy.
Especially with Isabella, the so-called “fiancée,” present.
Rate on N.U.
