Chapter 445: A Successful Trap...?
’What the hell is this bastard thinking?’ Everyone’s frowns suddenly became deeper, and the same thought appeared in their minds.
"He backed down way too easily." Seraphina also did not trust this offer much.
Marcus looked around.
"Maybe he wants to look fair in front of everyone. If he starts a fight over the three platforms now, all the participants watching the result will notice."
"Or he is sure he can defeat us after the path opens." Rindo said calmly.
"Or both." Kain looked at Rodrick.
Lian said nothing, he had been watching the behavior of Rodrick’s people for the past few minutes.
Three mages were on the right side of the field, four people were on the left, and two more were standing a little farther back, none of them were acting directly threatening, but the way they were standing was too organized.
The distances between them were almost equal and more importantly, he had felt short flows of Mana in the ground several times.
They were very weak and so small that perhaps a normal person would not notice them, but his senses were too sensitive to such things.
And there was only one conclusion he could make from this, something was being prepared.
And one thing was clear, without opening the Gate, Rodrick could not reach the Crown either, and whatever plan he had, it had to be carried out after the path was activated.
"Put the Seals in." Lian suddenly said.
Everyone turned their eyes toward him.
"Are you sure?" Kain frowned.
"No." The young Vorhelm answered without hesitation.
"...."
"That was a very reassuring answer, so why exactly do you want us to put the Seals in?"
"If he has a plan, he can’t complete it before the path opens. We also can’t go anywhere without opening the path, it has to be opened in the end anyway, so let’s see what’s in his head."
Rindo looked at him for a few moments and then at the platforms, it was logical, even if they knew that bastard had a plan, there was nothing they could do, they had to open the path anyway.
"Alright." He finally nodded.
The group moved forward, and Rodrick and his people really stayed behind.
First, the Resistance Seal was placed on the platform on the left.
Clack!
White light ran from the bottom to the top of one of the fifty-meter pillars.
[Resistance Seal registered.]
Then Lian took out the Spirit Seal and placed it on the central platform.
[Spirit Seal registered.]
One platform remained, and Lian turned the Speed Seal between his fingers, for a moment his eyes moved toward Rodrick, he was still standing calmly.
Clack!
The third Seal locked into its place.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire Gate lit up, a wave of golden light covered the field, and a huge wind came out from the arch.
[Three Seals registered.]
[Alliance Contribution: 3 of 3.]
[Highest Contribution confirmed.]
[Crown Point reward is being distributed.]
Separate notifications appeared.
[Direct contribution in registering two Seals confirmed.]
[Lian’s reward: 200 Points.]
[Crown Points: 1194.]
The other members of the group also received Points based on their contribution, but no one had time to check the numbers for long.
The golden surface inside the arch exploded, and light shot into the empty space in front of the Gate, and several hundred meters ahead, the first piece of stone appeared in the air.
Then the second.
The third.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
The stones appeared in the empty space at an incredible speed and locked together one after another.
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
A straight path several kilometers long formed over the sea of black clouds and continued directly toward the surface of the upside-down mountain.
At the end of it, huge stairs lit up on the body of the mountain, thousands of stairs appeared, and the Crown was at the top of them.
For a few seconds, the entire field watched the scene in silence, the path had opened, and they had entered the final stage of the test.
"Now! Execute the plan!" Rodrick suddenly shouted, and all the calmness disappeared from his voice.
Lian’s eyes narrowed.
The same mages who had been spread across different points of the field before almost sat down on one knee at the same time.
Their hands and staffs touched the ground, and Mana exploded, the lines that had been hidden inside the stone until that moment lit up under the group’s feet.
"Watch out!" He shouted a warning.
Frost Dominion.
Cold exploded in an instant, and a huge wall of ice rose in front of the group, and one second later hell was unleashed.
Dozens of Mana attacks hit the wall at the same time.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire ice wall exploded in a huge blast, and billions of pieces of ice spread across the field.
Even with Lian’s warning, several people had to throw themselves onto the ground.
But this was only the first layer, and four black walls rose from the ground.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
They surrounded the group from four sides, and that was not the end, the mages spent their Mana again, and chains came out.
Shapes and symbols appeared around them, and it was clear that this was not a simple skill.
Hundreds of glowing chains shot through the walls and rushed toward the members of the group.
[Seven-Layer Prison Array.]
"They prepared it beforehand!" Rindo shouted angrily and knocked away the blade of one of the chains.
"That bastard was buying time from the beginning!" Kain broke another one with his fist.
Marcus created a shield in front of himself.
"Damn it! That conversation and his backing away were all to complete this Array!"
Everything he had said, all of his actions, and even forcing Darren to bark like a dog were only to buy time and make sure his plan would work.
And it had worked, the path in front of him was now open, and everyone else was trapped in the Array.
"I’m going to kill those bastards!" Ethan did not need any more analysis.
He ran directly toward one of the walls, and on the other side of the field, Rodrick did not stay even for a moment to watch the result.
"Let’s go." His eyes moved toward Elena.
The girl only paused for a moment, turned her head, and through the black walls and Mana explosions, her eyes met Lian’s for a fraction of a second.
The same complicated feeling appeared again, this time there was perhaps even some doubt in it.
But it was only for a moment, then she turned around, and she and her new boyfriend ran toward the central path.
Several of the fastest members of the group also moved with them.
"No, I won’t let—" Kain saw them, he did not want those bastards to get the Crown and take first place in this test.
However, two chains passed beside his head and blocked his path, forcing him to move back and making it impossible for him to follow them.
He clenched his teeth, he wanted to force his way through, but more chains appeared from nowhere.
All the mages in Rodrick’s group had joined together to create this Array and were working together.
Seraphina pulled out her sword, and a slash appeared in the air.
SHRAAAK!
Three chains were cut at the same time, but four more chains took their place.
"This Array isn’t meant to kill us! They only want to hold us here!" Rindo suddenly understood and looked at Rodrick, who was getting farther away every second.
Lian had reached the same conclusion, in fact, he had understood something even more important.
Rodrick had not underestimated them.
If he thought their group was weak, there was no need for several mages, a prepared Array, seven layers of restraints, and a surprise attack.
He could have attacked directly after the Gate opened.
But he didn’t.
He knew exactly how dangerous this group was.
He respected their strength enough to prepare a complete plan to stop them for several minutes before reaching the field.
"... he didn’t even think for a moment that we were weak." The Student Council President also realized this truth.
Many students underestimated them because of their Levels, but Rodrick had not done that.
Kain sent one of Rodrick’s students flying several meters back with his fist.
"Should we be happy that he respects us?! We can’t let him take first place!" In fact, this was even worse from his point of view.