Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3044: Chapter 3045: The High Platform

According to Speedy’s description, its avatar is in the area where the magma river flows ahead.

Perhaps the fire and earth elemental forces near the magma river are too strong, causing some sort of interference in energy perception, so even Speedy cannot accurately locate it.

Nevertheless, most of the area through which the magma river flows can be seen at a glance.

The only special place is... that flame-covered high platform.

It is highly probable that Speedy’s few strands of wind are on the high platform. If not on the platform, then they can only be in the magma river.

The chances of being in the magma river are lower. Although Speedy’s avatar lacks wisdom, it still has basic survival instincts. Unless severely ill or forced by someone, it wouldn’t dive into such an extreme environment as the magma river.

Moreover, if Speedy’s avatar actually ran into the magma river, it’s likely done for.

So, looking inside the magma river is temporarily not considered.

Angel still focused his sight on the platform.

The wizard behind the creation of Paradise Land is likely there; Speedy’s avatar might also be there... Do the two have any connection?

Did the Space Wizard forcefully keep Speedy’s avatar here?

As Angel contemplated various possibilities in his mind, he followed Dox, heading towards the platform.

Although the platform is surrounded by the magma river, the river hasn’t completely severed the platform’s connection with the outside world; there’s a straight long road reaching the base of the platform.

The magma river weaves around this long road but hasn’t cut it off.

Walking on this road flanked by magma river on both sides, Angel felt a subtle sensation. The multiple magma rivers around seemed to be guarding the high platform, their existence not meant to obstruct but to create a sense of oppression for those who come.

Creating a sense of urgency of "once you step onto this road, it’s hard to turn back."

Perhaps it’s a psychological suggestion, or maybe a special ritual?

Soon, they walked past this long road, reaching the last segment below the high platform.

This last segment is specifically mentioned because it’s different from the previous road. The first half they walked was mostly scorched earth paving, nothing too bumpy or artificial.

However, the latter half is different; it has evident artificial traces, and the ground isn’t scorched earth but made of three-colored gemstones.

The gemstone colors are: red, reddish-brown, and black.

Red gemstone and reddish-brown gemstone correspond to Fire Amber and Burn Amber respectively. These are both homologous gems in fire element, also the best gemstone material for fire dispersion reaction.

These two gemstones occupy 95% of the road’s area, resembling the road surface.

The black gemstone is rare, not laid in the road center but forms lines on either side. This black gemstone is synthetic Agate Stone, enhancing a wizard’s focus during meditation.

Despite being synthetic, it’s the most valuable among the three gemstones.

"Fire dispersion reaction...and Agate Stone that boosts meditation," Dox murmured: "This should be an original facility of Paradise Land."

Fire dispersion reaction refers to the effect when two homologous gemstones are arranged in a special combination, dominated by the highest gemstone energy level.

For example, the Fire Amber and Burn Amber here, Fire Amber is an unremarkable fire gem, while Burn Amber is a low-level elemental gem.

Generally, to achieve elemental levels of Burn Amber around, it must be fully paved with Burn Amber.

But with fire dispersion reaction, much Burn Amber can be saved. Three Burn Amber and seven Fire Amber combined in a specific arrangement can release fire elemental energy with the effect of ten Burn Amber.

This is a highly resource-saving way to maximize effects.

Behind Paradise Land is Elysium Pavilion, and as a shop in various Wizard Markets, it’s akin to a "commercial alliance." Businessmen prioritize profit; how to create maximum yield with minimum cost is essential for them.

This method of leveraging small funds to activate large energy is where Elysium Pavilion excels in the Wizards’ Realm.

Here exists the fire dispersion reaction, enhancing surrounding fire element purity; also Agate Stone aiding meditation, clearly indicating this area was originally a cultivation place built by Paradise Land for certain fire wizards.

However, now it’s been adapted by the Space Wizard into an Earth Cavern arena battle.

This last segment of road not only features gemstone paving but also another place that grabs their attention.

That is... people.

There are people on this road, and not just one.

At Angel’s sight, he already spotted a dozen wizard apprentices; most lie motionless on the ground... not dead, just unconscious.

Only two people still have their eyes open.

These two stand at the end of this road, right under the platform.

Quickly, Angel and the others arrived under the platform and saw these two persons.

One is a female apprentice leaning against a torch stand, seeming to be bearing some kind of pressure, with bloodshot eyes and bulging veins on her forehead.

Although she appears struggling, she clearly retains personal consciousness.

Upon hearing Angel and the others’ footsteps, she mustered energy, turned to look at them.

She seemed to have expectations for whoever arrived; as she turned her head, her eyes shimmered. But seeing it was Angel’s group, her eyes slightly dulled.

Perhaps disappointed for not seeing someone who’d spark light in her eyes, her spirit sank, and due to a moment’s relaxation, the pressure she was bearing surged.

She even cried out in pain.

"Are you... okay?" Kaier asked softly.

After a heart-wrenching scream, the female apprentice finally regained control over coping with the pressure, calming down slightly; yet she appeared more terrifying than before, with skin bulging veins exposed and even some places bleeding.

Previously she could turn her head towards Angel and the others, but now she lacked the strength to do so.

However, in response to Kaier’s inquiry, she bit her teeth, struggling to speak a sentence.

Her voice was faint, mixed with indistinctness due to blood foam; Kaier listened for a while before confirming her words: "... Beware the statue?"

"Statue? What is the statue?" Kaier’s eyes reflected confusion.

The female apprentice evidently lacked the strength to explain further, so Kaier had to abandon questioning.

At this time, Dox patted Kaier’s shoulder, signaling him to look ahead.

Following Dox’s guidance, Kaier saw not far away a "Pan Mountain" staircase leading up to the platform.

The staircase spirals around the hill where the platform stands, ascending to the platform’s top.

Previously, when they were farther from the platform, and since the staircase was on the side, it wasn’t visible. Now, under the platform, they finally saw the staircase around Pan Mountain.

However, Dox was directing Kaier not to look at the staircase, but at a human statue standing at the side of the stairs.

The human statue was turned away from them, temporarily showing no peculiarities.

But this is the only statue nearby... Maybe the female apprentice was talking about this statue?

Anyway, the statue is nearby, and they will definitely encounter it, so Kaier temporarily put aside the issue of the statue and looked again at the struggling female apprentice.

"Should we... try to save her?" Kaier asked softly.

Just as Kaier finished speaking, Dox sneered, "Since when did you become so kind-hearted? What, have you been influenced by Aex?"

Kaier: "What I mean is, after saving her, maybe we can get some information from her."

Dox snorted lightly, "You only have eyes for ’her,’ right? Didn’t see that there’s someone else here besides her?"

"Only saw the woman, didn’t you see the man beside her?"

There are two people nearby who haven’t fainted, one is the female apprentice, and the other is a middle-aged male apprentice kneeling on the ground and gasping heavily.

"If you really want to extract information, what’s the difference in saving either of them, why insist on saving her?" Dox leaned forward towards Kaier: "Or are you interested in her?"

Kaier nearly rolled his eyes.

He merely asked a question offhandedly, and Dox went off in a tangent.

He regretted speaking out loud! He should have known better than to seek advice from the unpredictable Dox.

"She should be enduring some kind of mental pressure right now. If she pulls through, it’ll be good for her too. If not, she’ll just faint like the others, and there shouldn’t be any life-threatening danger." At this moment, Angel spoke up.

Hearing Angel’s words, Kaier was a little stunned... So it was some kind of mental pressure.

In that case, it’s difficult to save her.

When it involves the mental realm, any carelessness could lead to a collapse of the Spirit Sea. Moreover, according to Angel, saving her now might even rob her of a chance encounter, so it’s better not to save her.

However, speaking of which.

Why are these people experiencing mental pressure here?

Kaier glanced at the other conscious male apprentice, perhaps he could obtain some information from him?

As Kaier was thinking this, he heard that male apprentice speak in a panicked voice, "It’s not me, it’s not me... I didn’t leak the information..."

"It was Number Three, Number Three made me do it!"

"Why did you lie to me..."

With his frantic cries, he seemed to encounter great terror, and his eyes suddenly went blank before he collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep coma.

"Looks like he couldn’t hold on." Dox muttered, "But, what did he mean by what he said just now? Who is Number Three?"

Dox shook his head, "Forget it, it’s none of our business anyway."

With that, Dox started walking ahead.

Since they intended to go to the platform, they couldn’t stay here.

As for the warning about the "statue" from the female apprentice, Dox didn’t care. Whether or not the statue was a problem, and how big a problem it was, they had to see for themselves to know.

Besides, Dox also didn’t think the statue could be that much of an issue.

There were still shouts from above the platform, and not just one voice, indicating that someone had already reached the platform. If the statue couldn’t stop others, it wouldn’t be able to stop them either.

Soon, they arrived near the winding mountain stairway and saw the standing statue.

Previously, they viewed it from the back, only seeing a rough outline resembling a human form.

Now, looking from the front, Dox had only one thought... He understood why its back faced them initially; at least it allowed for some imagination. From the front, it was truly ugly.

Apart from the human face pattern on its face, the other parts seemed molded out of clay, lacking any detail.

Simply put, from afar it looked human, but up close it was a matchman.

The apprentices were probably under mental pressure, possibly from seeing the front of the statue, causing them mental contamination.

While Dox was internally mocking, the human face pattern opened its eyes.

Then, a familiar mechanical voice emanated from the mouth of the human face pattern.

"New players have gathered, the final game is about to start."

"The game is fixed as a platform battle, the victor clears the stage; provided you are not knocked down, you may challenge repeatedly."

"Before challenging, you must confirm your qualification to enter the platform, the method for qualification certification is: mental impact."

"Please confirm whether to undergo qualification certification, countdown five seconds."

"Five, four, three..."

As the human face pattern was counting down, Dox and the others ignored it and headed up the stairs.

"You need qualification certification to enter the platform!" The human face pattern probably didn’t expect anyone to rush up directly and quickly spoke to stop them.

But they paid no attention and continued walking upwards.

Dox and Angel proceeded with ease, while Kaier was somewhat worried, speaking through the Mind Ribbon, "Can we really just bypass it like this?"

Dox: "Don’t worry, we aren’t players, what can it do to us?"

The voice of the human face pattern continued, "You need qualification certification to enter the platform! If you don’t stop, you will be attacked!"

Dox sneered and still ignored the human face pattern, continuing to speak to Kaier through the Mind Ribbon, "I bet it wouldn’t dare attack us."

However, just as he finished speaking, a spiritual power arrow shot out from the mouth of the human face statue.

The target was aimed directly at Dox!

Whizz—

Though the spiritual power arrow didn’t pierce Dox’s body, it did make him stagger and nearly fall.

Witnessing this, Kaier and Angel both fell silent.

"..."

Dox: "Better that it attacked!"

Dox turned and took a big step, landing in front of the statue, and with a powerful punch, he smashed the human face.

With a cracking sound, the human face pattern statue shattered on the ground.

Dox said indifferently, "Others are restrained by it because they’ve signed a contract. We are not players, and if the human face pattern attacks us, we have the right to retaliate."

After saying this, Dox flicked his sleeve, quickly walking forward, leaving Angel and Kaier with a nonchalant silhouette.