NOVEL NEXT Chapter 284 Hidden Magic Circle
Chapter 284 Hidden Magic Circle
Within the forest, the silver-haired, violet-eyed girl, Viviana, veiled in white, was drenched in fresh blood.
This blood was not her own, but that of the recently slain third-tier demonic creature, the "Two-Headed Stone Python."
After killing the Two-Headed Stone Python, Viviana was in decent condition when she discovered another one feasting nearby. Seizing the opportunity, she decided to strike while the iron was hot and slay another to hone her combat skills.
However, as Viviana approached the second python, it astonishingly shed its skin and evolved into a "Three-Headed Steel Python" before her eyes!
Viviana was genuinely startled and hastily retreated to safety.
The difference between a fourth-tier and a third-tier demon was not to be underestimated.
While Viviana could emerge unscathed from a battle with a third-tier creature, facing a fourth-tier one would mean a life-or-death struggle.
Ordinarily, Viviana would have assumed she had merely stumbled upon the creature's evolution. However, the peculiar labyrinth led her to entertain another possibility: had the strength of all the demons within the labyrinth increased by a tier in that very instant?
It wasn't long before Viviana confirmed her suspicions. On a flatland near the forest, she discovered a goblin military camp.
Within the camp, the weakest goblin Viviana could see was a third-tier elite goblin sword-and-shield warrior, numbering four to five hundred.
According to Viviana's knowledge, the goblin soldiers within the Aqua Nest should have only been first-tier. Yet now, they possessed third-tier strength, far surpassing a mere "slight increase in power."
Viviana was acutely aware that since her entry into the Aqua Nest, the strength of the demons within the labyrinth had been enhanced at least twice, each time with a significant one-tier increase.
Viviana knew that within the Aqua Nest, which had three entrances, there were also three labyrinth bosses.
If her earlier hypothesis held, the power of the three bosses at the labyrinth's core should have also increased by two tiers, surpassing Viviana's imagination.
—(The Cardinal and Obsidian Elders... can they handle it?)
Viviana no longer believed that the Scarlet Family's plan was underestimating her. She even began to worry for the two formidable elders.
If the labyrinth bosses were three fourth-tier demons, the elders could easily defeat them.
However, given the current situation, the labyrinth bosses were likely at least three fifth-tier demons, which could mean the elders might not emerge unscathed.
After observing the goblin camp for a while, Viviana withdrew. She found a safe spot to eat and replenish her energy before consuming two bottles of potent? potions to recover her magic power.
At this point, Viviana felt she had recovered about eighty to ninety percent of her strength. With renewed vigor, she set off once more toward the labyrinth's core.
━━━━━━━━━
Viviana Scarlet, Magic Swordsman - Lv90
Life Energy: 4510 / 5220
Endurance: 3202 / 3665
Magic Energy: 4316 / 5370
━━━━━━━━━
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After more than an hour, Viviana finally caught sight of the goblin fortress within her field of vision.
The red light in the sky shone directly upon the formidable fortress nestled within the mountains, leaving no doubt that the Labyrinth: Aqua Nest lay within its walls.
Viviana observed from a distance, realizing she seemingly lacked the ability to even enter the fortress.
Four towering stone towers stood at the perimeter, each at least thirty meters tall (equivalent to a ten-story building), with stone walls connecting them, leaving no gaps.
The only way to enter the fortress was through four large gates situated in four directions, but each gate was guarded by two fourth-order Goblin Steel Giants, and between the gates, two teams of elite Goblin Wolf Riders patrolled relentlessly, leaving no vulnerabilities.
Viviana was now immensely grateful for the Cardinal and Obsidian Elders' insistence that she familiarize herself with the <Goblin Population Guide> before entering the labyrinth. Without the knowledge gained from it, she might not have even been able to discern the strength of her enemies.
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Viviana observed the fortress's perimeter for a long time, attempting to find an opportunity to infiltrate, but on this mountain, there was truly no cover.
It was not just a matter of sneaking into the fortress; even approaching it slightly, Viviana felt she might be discovered by the goblins on the stone towers.
After countless internal deliberations, Viviana despondently concluded that she could not complete the task entrusted to her by the Scarlet Family.
—(I'm sorry, Lord Scarlet, I'm sorry, esteemed elders, I cannot reach the labyrinth's boss.)
Now, Viviana faced two paths:
Either turn back to the entrance of the labyrinth, abandon the attack, and declare the mission a complete failure;
Or activate the hidden magic circle outside the fortress, summon the Cardinal and Obsidian Elders, and endure their scolding before following their orders.
After considerable agony, Viviana ultimately chose the latter.
The reason for her choice was simple: she naively believed that the scolding would be less severe if she chose the second option, whereas if she unilaterally decided to leave the labyrinth, unimaginable punishment would await her.
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Having made her decision, Viviana retreated into the depths of the forest to avoid alerting the goblins when activating the magic circle.
Once she confirmed the surroundings were safe, she mustered her courage, closed her eyes, and channeled a small portion of her magic into the hidden magic circle within her body.
Immediately, a dark, four-symbol, eight-star magic circle emerged on Viviana's forehead, expanding into a larger, similarly structured magic array that rotated beneath her feet.
As the magic circles' light grew brighter, two smaller star-shaped magic circles appeared within the larger one, and the Cardinal and Obsidian Elders, Rodrygo and Augusto, materialized within the star-shaped arrays.
"Good afternoon, esteemed elders," Viviana bowed deeply, keeping her head lowered, not daring to meet the elders' eyes.
The Elders surveyed their surroundings after appearing, their expressions gradually darkening.
"Viviana, where is the boss of the labyrinth?" asked the Cardinal Elder, Rodrygo.
"The boss is... within the fortress ahead."
Viviana replied softly, not daring to raise her head for even a second.
"Why didn't you enter the fortress and reach the target before summoning us? That wasn't the plan, was it?" the Elder asked again, his tone growing more severe.
"B-because... I judged that I could not break through the fortress's defenses alone, so for safety's sake, I summoned the esteemed elders here."
Viviana argued, despite knowing she had not followed the plan, unwilling to be scolded too harshly.
The two elders furrowed their brows in suspicion upon hearing Viviana's defense... but five minutes later, when they followed her to a location with a view of the fortress, they understood the meaning behind her words.
"Augusto... who do you think has the audacity to scheme against our Scarlet Family?"
The Cardinal Elder, Rodrygo, clenched his fists, fire in his eyes.