NOVEL NEXT Chapter 201: Escape
Van lay on the ground for a moment, stunned.
The spell was gone—completely.
He had done it.
He had freed himself!
He wanted to relax as he felt that his body had already reached its limit… However, just in time… the Tower's alarm bell began to toll.
It was not a drill.
The first barrage of the Rebel Mages had begun.
However, at this moment, Van didn't move. He couldn't. His whole body shook with fatigue.
"Just give 20 minutes at least…" Van muttered to himself.
Then the tower shook.
Whom~
A tremor ran through the floor… It was not a normal quake, but magical. They were really under attack and seemed really dangerous.
Van couldn't help but frown as he felt that the defense of the Rukh Tower was too weak…
Well, he had no idea that the Mana-Sapping Bugs had been doing their job for more than a couple of days already! It means that the barriers of the Towers were already fragile the moment that Rebel Mages started their bombardment.
Still, Van's Ocularis Lens started working…
[ Alert: External Tower Defense Integrity Falling. Barrier Formation Layer 3: Compromised. ]
[ Estimated Breach: 12 Minutes. ]
"What?" Van was shocked… First, he didn't expect that his Ocularis Lens capability had also improved… It seemed that it was due to the release of his bindings. His Lens no longer needed to suppress the spells or suggestions that the Collar was doing in his mind.
It could now function with its full strength!
Furthermore, since he had reached the Third Level of Aura Mastery, his ability to sense the surroundings had also improved, allowing his Lens to have better detection.
'Now… How should I escape from this place…' Van muttered to himself.
The True Sorcerers had begun their assault, and if the number of their mages was higher than the mages in the Tower, then it would be a huge problem if they were able to infiltrate…
Although Van was still disappointed with how terrible the Tower was at protecting them from external harm, he had no time to complain…
Shouts echoed from above.
Alarm horns started blaring...
Defensive wards began to flash from the upper layers of the tower, and Van could tell that there were problems everywhere…
Nonetheless, Van soon followed the crowd as he had no other choice right now…
Soon, some First Circle Mages and Apprentice Mages scrambled to formation posts. Tower servants and slaves weren't actually forced to the frontlines.
They seemed to be aware that the servants and slaves were just one spell away from being killed by the Magicians. After all, most of them weren't even at the First Level of Aura Mastery.
Anyway, Van forced himself to follow the other slaves running away, and he even noticed Sarah and Xiel…
They then informed him that Julia had already left, and due to her father's attendant, she couldn't take the slaves with her. Julia could only hope that they could survive this ordeal…
'Perfect…' Shane muttered to himself. After all, even if Julia decided to check her connection to the Slave Collar later on, she wouldn't suspect that he had removed it…
Instead, she'd probably believe that he had died from the Rebel Mages!
Although his body was still healing, his desire to escape and survive was heightened…
[ Aura Flow Reintegration Advised. ]
[ Warning: Strain Threshold: 79%. ]
[ Do not engage in full combat without partial recovery. ]
Van clenched his fist as a faint blue Aura appeared from his fist…
"I have to find a way…" Van muttered bitterly as his feet kept moving.
Around him, chaos continued…
Blazing alarms rang from the upper floors.
Multi-layered magical formations activated erratically…
Soon, he noticed mages dressed in various robes of their Circle rank, scrambled across the halls. Apprentice Mages shouted spell incantations. Others raced past with scrolls, potions, or mystical artifacts in hand.
Van did what the other slaves did—ran.
The mages weren't bothered by seeing the slaves like them running away, as they knew that they wouldn't be able to help.
Bodies pressed together in the Tower's narrow corridors as hundreds of Slaves tried to escape to the inner part of the first floor…
Some servants were even panicking as they were all trying to go to the library, inner garden, or elsewhere that they could find safe…
The fear wasn't unfounded. The tower was continuously shaking as if it were about to collapse.
Because of that, the slaves wanted to go to the areas with strong Formation arrays that could protect them from crumbling walls.
However, they couldn't go outside either. With the enemies surrounding the tower, they would get bombarded by spells and wouldn't last for a second.
Thankfully, Van's Ocularis Lens had better scanning ability now, so he could monitor the situation outside.
[ External Defense Layer 3: Collapsed. Layer 2: Compromised. ]
[ Internal Barrier Interference Detected: Malicious bugs capable of sucking Mana has been confirmed… No Magic Beast matched. ]
[ Projected Breach in First Floor Arcane Shell: 1 Minute 58 Seconds. ]
"Ahhh…" Van finally realized why the Tower Defense was not working effectively. It seemed that the Rebel Mages didn't come unprepared, as they brought a new type of Magic Beast that could drain Mana.
The Lens' warning came just in time.
BOOM!
A thunderous detonation rocked the tower.
Dust fell like rain from the high ceilings as Van felt a bit nervous…
Somewhere above, a Spirit Crystal that was giving light in a hall was shattered into pieces!
Just like that, a few sectors on the first floor plunged into darkness.
Thankfully, many of the Aura Users knew how to control their Aura and enhance their eyes… Because of that, not many of them panicked.
However, what followed was an alarming quake!
It was then followed by a shockwave that didn't just shake the stone—it bent it.
Boom!
A wave of Mana immediately spread and struck many slaves…
Bam!
Van slammed into a wall, nearly biting his tongue. Screams erupted from all sides as many of them were affected. Even some of the magicians were affected!
"Hold the line!"
A First Circle Mage shouted from the stairs above, robes stained and eyes glowing as he hurled a Chainfire Burst into the descending Rebel Mages.
But it was too late.
KRAKKK!
The floor near the small lower library, once a place for Apprentice Mages to rest or read, exploded.
Stones scattered like shrapnel as numerous barriers and formations ruptured… They failed to protect the many servants who had sought shelter in that place!
However, it didn't end there.
A massive warbeast, a Five-Horned Juggernaut covered in bone plates and magic, charged through the hole that was created!
Behind it, two more Five-Horned Magic Beasts crashed in! Their horns were lowered as they barreled forward like siege engines.
"Aahh!"
Screams became howls as blood splattered the walls as dozens of slaves and Apprentice Mages were crushed underfoot.
It was a disaster!
The tower shook again.
Van dove behind a shattered pillar.
[ Threat Detected: Defensive Beast – Five-Horned Battle-Class Magic Beast. ]
[ Defensive Capacity: High. Equivalent to 50 Third-Level Knights. ]
[ Estimated Kill Probability: 0% Evasion Recommended. ]
Van didn't need to be told twice.
He slammed his palm to the floor and activated his recently learned ability.
"Aura Cloak."
There was a brief moment of his Aura pulsing, but it wasn't enough to attract attention…
Just like that, his breathing slowed and his heartbeat softened.
The strong blue Aura was immediately suppressed as his presence weakened…
[ Aura Cloaking Engaged. Active Duration: 6 Minutes ( Based on Current Strain ) ]
'That's good…'
Van muttered as he slid into the shadows. The six minutes were already quite long considering how terribly weakened he was…
At this time, a Second Circle Mage attacked the Five-Horned beasts using a Red Arc Bolt into its eyes, staggering the beast for a brief moment…
It was not effective as the warbeast responded with a roar, and it charged at the Mage!
SPLAT.
The mage's barrier shattered like glass!
Then, his body was flung into a pillar, and Van heard his bones breaking audibly. It was terrible.
'That's suicide…'
His mind raced as he slipped past the debris, dodging blood, bodies, and Spells being thrown out…
Around him, more slaves tried to flee, but many didn't make it.
Some ran through a side corridor, only to be cut down by rebel mages pouring in from a newly broken window.
Their crimson robes bore the symbol of the True Sorcerers—a broken wand through an eye.
They didn't discriminate.
Servants. Apprentices. Anyone they saw who wasn't part of their organization, they killed.
[ Pathway Blocked: Eastern Corridor Breached. ]
[ Alternate Exit Route Suggested: Maintenance Tunnels, South Wing – Level B1 ]
[ Hazard Rating: Medium. Enemy Presence: Unconfirmed. ]
Van's eyes narrowed. "That's my route, then."
He had no other choice as he moved through the remaining wreckage.
Thankfully, it seemed that his aura cloaking worked as mages passed by him… It seemed that due to chaos and exhaustion, they were not using special Spells to look for hiding servants or mages…
They were just trying to use their naked eyes to kill and destroy…