Chapter 178: The Five-Person Group Reunites

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: The Five-Person Group Reunites

The volume of documents was too massive. Jeremy only had time to skim roughly half of it, leaving the rest to the magic tool’s auto-recognition capability.

As a precaution, he summoned the academy’s Magic Spirit card, using his spiritual power as the price, copied all the data in the magic tool to make an extra copy, then tried transmitting it to Griffin.

Unfortunately, it failed.

After exiting the body of that Mermaid prince, his and Evelyn’s realms also gradually dropped back to their inherent levels - Intermediate Stage Six-Star.

Outside the academy’s perimeter, the Magic Spirit card was already restricted. Without absolute strength, it fundamentally couldn’t be transmitted.

Let alone the volume of data needing transmission was too massive. His and Evelyn’s combined magic power wasn’t even enough to fit a corner of it.

But these documents were too precious.

Jeremy glanced at the spatial bracelet on his wrist.

If he borrowed the soul mark, perhaps it could be transmitted.

Hesitating for a bit, he decided to wait longer.

Currently, it was unknown how the situation would develop next. The final trump card had to be kept for the very end.

When Jeremy finished recording, Evelyn had also completed her part, and even went out to recopy all the documents on the laboratory table once more.

Jeremy originally intended to leave this wretched place first to rendezvous with Leon.

But they discovered they couldn’t get out anymore.

Their bodies could pass through any wall inside the underground palace.

But reaching the outermost boundary, it was like hitting an invisible wall, pushing them back.

Furthermore, they couldn’t break those glass cages either.

They could only stand and watch helplessly.

Watching the living beings inside gradually mutate into formless things.

Or dying in agony, resentment, and fear.

Or having their souls devoured and mutating "successfully" - becoming a hollowed-out Aberrant, eyes glaring wide open yet no one remaining inside.

Unable to get out, Jeremy didn’t let himself sit idle either.

He spent a full week using the magic tool to record the condition of every test subject at each stage, while simultaneously taking the opportunity to finish reading the remaining unfinished documents.

On the night of the eighth day, the ground suddenly trembled violently.

"Boom--!"

The sound of falling boulders smashing echoed everywhere. Stone dust poured down from the ceiling.

Even knowing clearly he was only an ethereal entity here, Jeremy still instinctively leaned his body to dodge. He put the documents away, quickly observing the surroundings.

This entire place was built from special crystal ore, sturdy enough that even if Ice Dragon soldiers hacked at it all day, it might not shatter.

Why did it suddenly collapse?

Could something have happened outside?

That thought had just risen when the tightly shut main door ahead was shattered right in the middle by a powerful wave of magic power.

Rubble cascaded down. In a short while, the supposedly indestructible door had become a pile of ruins.

This underground palace had a rule: if one could pass through the main door on the top floor, they could get out. But for the past eight days, they had been stuck.

Now the barrier had fallen. And the scene outside was fully revealed.

The newcomers were the Light Guards of the Ice Dragon race, along with an exclusive dark army.

Behind them, soldiers of other races followed closely.

The combined number was around four to five hundred. And it seemed more were still pouring in from behind.

Their objective was very clear: aiming straight for the test subjects.

Jeremy and Evelyn exchanged a glance, quickly stepping aside to yield the way - even though no one could bump into them.

Judging by this situation, in the great war with the Ice Dragons, the Mermaid race seemed to have lost.

Jeremy observed the situation for a moment.

Then, amidst the pouring stream of soldiers, he caught a familiar figure.

...Leon.

His appearance had also restored to its original state. He was currently also in an ethereal state like them - a few soldiers walked right through his body without anyone noticing anything unusual.

When Jeremy saw him, he also saw them.

Like finding a target, Leon immediately approached.

Just upon arriving, he asked straight away: "Are you guys okay?"

"We’re fine. Just that we were trapped here for eight days unable to get out."

"Unable to get out?" Leon was puzzled. "You guys are in an ethereal state, right. What on earth happened these past few days?"

Jeremy quickly summarized everything.

Particularly the part related to the magical beasts and test subjects, he explained in detail, missing no link.

Leon’s first reaction after listening was that it was absurd.

But he also didn’t think Jeremy would joke about this matter.

Pondering for a moment, he said: "There’s a riot outside. The Ice Dragon leader has joined hands with the leaders of other races, slaughtering the Mermaid race together. It seems the reason the other races agreed to intervene is precisely because this matter was exposed."

Evelyn, who had been silent all this time, only now asked: "What is the current situation?"

Spending the past few days scouring to find the two of them, Leon had also picked up quite a bit of news outside, so he could answer quite detailedly:

"Although there are a few underground factions backing the Mermaids, they are outnumbered. The Mermaids lost the battle. They are currently completely besieged."

After hearing this, Evelyn thought for a moment before suggesting:

"Since we are in an ethereal state, no one can harm us. We might as well follow the developments and the conclusion of the entire event until the end before the illusion collapses."

That suggestion wasn’t bad.

Jeremy and Leon agreed.

After finishing the discussion, Jeremy and Evelyn tried to leave the underground palace one more time.

For whatever reason, this time they were able to get out. That invisible wall had vanished.

To avoid being separated again, the three decided to stick together, not splitting up for even a moment.

First, they lingered in the underground palace to watch the whole process.

But the swarm of soldiers pouring in couldn’t shatter the glass cages either.

Ultimately, they had to lock down the entire area, erect a barrier, and withdraw.

There was nothing left to watch on this side. The three left the underground palace, heading back up.

Exactly as Leon had said, the Mermaid race had suffered a crushing defeat.

Leader Tianlan along with the Celestials, Beastkin, and snake woman who had once plotted beneath the underground palace were all imprisoned together in the central area of the royal palace, locked in chains engraved with magic patterns.

But strangely... on their faces, there wasn’t a half-ounce of panic.

Have they resigned themselves to fate?

Jeremy didn’t believe that crazed Demon Emperor would resign to fate so easily.

Perhaps there was still a backup plan.

Never mind. It had nothing to do with him anyway. He was nothing more than a witness, a shadow standing by watching something that had happened billions of years ago.

Knowing he couldn’t change anything in these illusions, Jeremy suppressed his doubts, joining his two teammates heading towards the Ice Dragon royal family area.

If they had escaped the identities imposed by the illusion, then Lucius and Phoenix must have too.

Holding that thought, the three searched for a whole day. But found no traces.

Considering the prince identities of those two - who inherently had the possibility of not participating in the military - the group discussed and decided to head straight to the Ice Dragon royal palace to search.

But not long after leaving the perimeter of the Mermaid territory, they saw Phoenix and Lucius spreading their wings, flying towards another path.

That path also led to the Mermaid territory. It was a shortcut.

Seeing the two about to fly out of sight, Leon directly threw out his lunar blades, forcing them to stop.

Looking at their clothes and appearance, Phoenix and Lucius had also restored to normal.

Ten minutes later.

Lucius and Phoenix dropped to one knee simultaneously in front of Jeremy.

Leon: "?"

Evelyn: ...

Jeremy: "???"

Are these two crazy? Or are they still being controlled?

"...What are you planning to do." Jeremy patiently asked.

"Captain, I’m sorry."

Phoenix spoke up first, his voice carrying a rare sincerity: "That day in the bedchamber, I was controlled by a wave of power. I had no way to command my own mind or body."

"I’m sorry. It was my mistake. I will make up for it."

Lucius lowered his eyes. His bangs obscured his eyes, coupled with the backlit angle making it so no one could clearly see his expression.

"It’s fine." Jeremy didn’t care much either.

The long-standing doubt had an answer. It could be considered a good thing.

According to what the two just said, the ones who fought him that day were indeed themselves.

But the extent of being controlled was completely different from him, Evelyn, and Leon.

The three of them were only affected to a minor degree - having a sentence blocked, having a movement controlled - not to the point of losing their sense of self.

While Phoenix and Lucius were clearly completely swallowed, in a state of absolute control.

It was probably due to the racial differences in the illusion. But that was no longer important. As long as they were fine, that’s what mattered.

Seeing the two were still kneeling, Jeremy felt a bit helpless:

"There’s a reason for everything. No need to stubbornly cling to right or wrong. Stop kneeling, get up."

...Honestly speaking, to him, his ego was higher than anything else.

Thus, the exact moment he discovered their anomaly, the exact moment he was pierced through by them, he never once thought of holding back.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been the case that, while still unsure whether the opponent was an illusion or a real person, he used his bone blade to severely injure Lucius, leaving a hole through his abdomen.

The fight with Phoenix was the same. Not holding back a half-ounce. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Therefore, there was no need for anyone to agonize over right or wrong here.

It was just that the act of kneeling right upon regaining their senses from these two was something he had never thought of.

It was truly a bit startling.