At the same time, deep within the forest of the dungeon's second floor, an incident somewhat connected to Erich was brewing.
Following the guidance of the Treants, Irene and Celine entered the cave that had been ravaged by fire.
Though it was said to have been burned, there were actually very few traces left along the way. New moss had grown over the areas blasted by the fireball, leaving only a faint, lingering scorched scent in the air.
Celine walked in front, her footsteps suddenly coming to a halt.
“There's a strange smell here. Be careful, Irene.”
Irene stopped as well and sniffed. In the draft of air blowing from the direction of the cave, there was indeed something else mixed in with the scorched smell.
“It smells like roasted meat,” she said.
If the young princess were here, she would probably recognize it immediately as the smell of roasted spider. After all, upon returning from the Abyss, she had ordered people to find many different kinds of spiders to roast and eat. Unfortunately, she was currently at the far end of the forest with Lorraine, a vast distance away.
Celine took another deep breath, her expression gradually turning solemn.
“Underneath the smell of roasted meat, there's an even filthier aura. It's the aura of an evil god.”
Irene's heart skipped a beat. Having known Celine for so long, she knew the Holy Maiden never exaggerated when it came to serious matters.
“One of the four evil gods, the Maw of the Abyss,” Celine whispered. “I couldn't mistake it.”
The Holy See of Dawn was a massive, comprehensive organization that integrated various beliefs, with its headquarters located south of the Radiant Empire.
The Holy See had several Holy Maidens under its banner. The most famous was the current First Princess of the Radiant Empire, Adeline Viridian, who was known as the Holy Maiden of Morning Light. Meanwhile, Celine Alburn was currently the youngest Holy Maiden of the Holy See, as well as the most talented one in the last century.
How far an ordinary person could advance along the Class path granted by a deity depended on their own magic level. A second-tier mage could only advance to a second-tier Class at most. This was an ironclad rule that had gone unbroken for years, yet Celine had shattered it. When she had barely managed to become a first-tier mage, she was already a second-tier 【Dawn-Dew Deacon】, a Class belonging to the Lord of Dawn. This level of affinity was plain to see.
It was precisely because of her extraordinarily high affinity with the Lord of Dawn that she was exceptionally sensitive to the power of other deities. Things that others could not perceive, she could often distinguish a step ahead.
Just like now.
The two of them pressed forward into the cave. The path grew wider as they walked, eventually leading them into a spacious cavern. Intricate lines were carved densely all over the walls of the cavern, and a massive circle was drawn on the ground. The scorched smell in the air was even stronger here, mingled with the filthy aura Celine had mentioned.
Celine suddenly grabbed Irene's wrist. “Get out! Fast!”
It was already too late.
The lines beneath their feet suddenly lit up with a deep blue light, and the massive circle abruptly tightened. The blue light spread along the carvings, and a dull, heavy thud echoed from the entrance of the cavern as a thick stone door slammed down, sealing off their only way out.
From that moment on, the entire cavern was completely cut off from the outside world.
In a hidden corner deep within the cavern, the Deep Diver let out a long breath, the clothes on his back already drenched in cold sweat.
To be honest, he hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.
Not long ago, the seven of them had almost been wiped out by a fireball from some lunatic who came out of nowhere, and their ritual had been completely ruined.
But under his wise leadership, they had quickly completed the setup of the ritual once again. Though it was a simplified version, it was still barely usable.
Furthermore, the most difficult part of their plan was already complete.
That was bringing the sacrifice representing “light” into the ritual.
They wanted to reenact the legendary ritual of the Maw of the Abyss devouring light. Once the ritual began, the entire dungeon would be sealed off, preventing any outside support from entering, and no one would be able to stop them.
Once the ritual was finished, they would receive the blessing of the Maw of the Abyss and obtain power that defied common sense. By then, it would be even more impossible for anyone to stop them.
The Deep Diver had originally been worrying about how to lure the Holy Maiden over, but those Treants had ended up being a huge help. He could almost feel the gaze of the Maw of the Abyss casting down from some distant place, landing upon this cavern.
Outside the cavern, the first to notice that something was wrong were the Treants.
The Treant that had guided Irene and Celine stood at the edge of its territory. A strange vibration traveled through the roots it had buried in the soil. It slowly turned toward the direction of the cave and let out a rapid series of clicks in the Treant language.
The message quickly spread among the vines. The Treants did not dare approach the cave, but they knew who they should deliver the news to.
The students in the forest gradually caught wind of it.
“Irene and the Holy Maiden are trapped in a cave? The two of them together have enough power to walk all over the second floor. Who could possibly trap them?”
“The news from the Treants says that the cave has been sealed by a strange power, and it's completely inaccessible.”
The news spread further and wider, and more and more people began to gather. Everyone knew in their hearts that the sudden appearance of such a dangerous-sounding ritual on the second floor was already far beyond the scope of the competition.
The students drew closer to the cave, joining together to take part in the rescue.
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