Chapter 279 - 277 : End of the second match (1)
After completing the third round, Diana and her team were teleported into a lavishly decorated room.
The room was completely different from the ancient chamber they had just left. Elegant golden patterns covered the walls, while expensive-looking furniture was arranged throughout the spacious area. At the center of the room was a massive screen, and several plush sofas were positioned around it, providing a comfortable place for the remaining team members to sit.
Aegon looked around the luxurious room with a bewildered expression.
"Wow, this is so out of place."
However, Diana paid little attention to the surroundings.
As soon as they arrived, she took out the golden scroll they had obtained from the chest in the previous round and began examining its contents.
The others quickly gathered around her.
Once everyone had settled down, Ayla began reading the instructions written on the scroll.
{Welcome to Round 4—the Puzzle Relay!
This challenge is designed for a team of five students who will work together to solve a series of five puzzles.}
The instructions continued, explaining that the team had to select one member to solve each puzzle and decide the order in which they would participate.
Once the order was established, the first student would be transported to a separate room where they would have to solve the puzzle alone.
The remaining team members would be able to watch everything through the massive screen while also providing guidance through a voice-chat feature.
Diana paused and looked up from the scroll, meeting the gazes of her teammates.
"Let’s quickly decide on the order. I don’t think we have much time left," she said urgently, knowing that the clock was already ticking.
A brief silence followed.
Each student exchanged uncertain glances, but none seemed particularly eager to volunteer first without knowing what awaited them.
Sigh!—
Finally, Diana let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright, I’ll go first."
She placed the scroll on the table.
Diana already had a plan.
From what she had observed during the previous rounds, the first puzzle was usually the easiest and rarely contained any dangerous elements. If she could complete it quickly, she could return and help the others through the voice-chat system.
Without further hesitation, Diana stepped forward and placed her hand on the red button positioned on the table.
Buzz—
A sudden burst of light enveloped her.
In the next instant, Diana materialized inside a pristine white room.
She took a moment to steady herself before immediately examining her surroundings. Her sharp eyes moved across the empty room, searching for anything that might provide a clue.
Soon, her gaze landed on a large white pedestal standing in the center.
Diana walked toward it.
As she approached, she noticed a collection of strange crystal tiles arranged across its surface.
Each tile displayed a different symbol.
Some depicted magical creatures.
Others showed elements, weapons, stars, and various mysterious markings.
Diana raised an eyebrow.
"What is this?"
A faint magical glow appeared above the pedestal.
A voice echoed throughout the room.
{Arrange the twelve symbols in their correct positions according to the sequence hidden within them.}
Diana’s expression immediately became serious.
"So it’s a pattern puzzle."
Back in the luxurious room, the others watched the screen closely.
Diana picked up the first crystal tile.
Each symbol appeared unrelated at first glance, but after examining them carefully, she noticed something peculiar.
The symbols weren’t random.
The creatures represented different magical affinities.
The weapons corresponded to certain combat styles.
The elemental symbols represented stages of magical advancement.
And the stars appeared to indicate the order in which they were connected.
Diana’s eyes narrowed.
’So the clues are hidden in the symbols themselves.’
She began arranging the tiles.
One by one, she compared their markings, looking for relationships between them.
"This one goes here..."
She moved a blue crystal tile.
Then she picked up a golden symbol.
"And this one comes after it."
Her movements became increasingly confident.
On the other side of the screen, her teammates watched closely.
"Do you need any help, Diana?" Clarice asked through the voice chat.
"No, I’ve got it. But thanks anyway."
Diana continued working.
Several minutes passed.
The twelve tiles gradually formed a circular arrangement.
When Diana placed the final tile into position, all the symbols suddenly lit up.
Click.
The entire arrangement began glowing.
Then—
Whoosh!
A brilliant white light filled the room.
Diana smiled.
"Done."
In the next instant, she was teleported back to the luxurious room.
{Congratulations! You have completed Puzzle 1/5 of the Puzzle Relay Round—the Arcane Sequence!}
Ayla turned toward Clarice, who had been watching the entire process with growing excitement.
Diana smiled.
"Do you want to go next, Senior Clarice?"
Clarice’s eyes lit up immediately.
"Yes, please!"
"Good. The buzzer is all yours."
Diana handed the buzzer to her with a smile.
Clarice didn’t hesitate.
She pressed it.
Buzz—
In an instant, she disappeared and was transported into another white room.
The room looked almost identical to Diana’s previous chamber.
Clarice quickly made her way toward the center.
This time, she found a large circular board placed on a pedestal.
Several glowing symbols were scattered across it.
A message appeared above the board.
{Three magical formulas are incomplete.
Restore each formula by selecting the correct sequence of runes.}
Clarice’s eyes immediately brightened.
"A rune sequence puzzle!"
She smiled.
"This is my favorite kind of puzzle!"
The rest of the team watched as Clarice leaned over the board and began studying the magical formulas.
Each formula contained several missing runes.
The clues surrounding them described different magical effects.
Clarice quickly recognized the first one.
"This spell creates a barrier capable of stopping physical attacks..."
She looked at the available runes.
"That would require a reinforcement rune followed by a defensive rune."
She selected the two symbols.
The first formula immediately glowed.
"Correct."
Clarice moved on to the second.
"This one increases the caster’s movement speed."
She studied the sequence.
"Wind enhancement followed by acceleration."
She selected the corresponding runes.
Another magical chime sounded.
"Correct."
Aegon smiled while watching from the sofa.
"I don’t think she’ll need our help with this."
Everyone nodded.
Clarice was clearly in her element.
She moved to the final formula.
"Hmm..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"This one allows the caster to detect magical energy through solid objects."
She thought for a few seconds.
"Detection rune... followed by resonance..."
She selected the symbols.
The entire board suddenly lit up.
{All three formulas have been restored.}
Clarice’s face immediately brightened.
"Done!"
She raised both hands triumphantly.
The puzzle began glowing.
{Congratulations! You have completed Puzzle 2/5 of the Puzzle Relay Round—the Arcane Formula!}
A flash of light surrounded Clarice.
Swish—
She was teleported back into the luxurious room.
Diana’s smile widened.
"Well done, Senior! You did an excellent job."
She gave Clarice a high-five.
"T-Thanks, Diana!"
Clarice blushed slightly before smiling.
"That was a fun challenge."
Diana turned toward the rest of the team.
"Who wants to go next?"
"I’m up for it! I think I should go next."
Aegon raised his hand with a determined expression.
Diana looked around the room to gauge everyone’s reaction.
No one objected.
She nodded.
"Alright, sounds good to me. Senior Aegon, you’re up next."
She handed him the buzzer with a supportive smile.
"Good luck!"
Aegon nodded confidently.
"Leave it to me."
Without wasting another moment, he pressed the buzzer.
Buzz—
A burst of light surrounded him.
The next instant, Aegon disappeared from the room and was transported into the third puzzle chamber.