Chapter 31: Preparing a Backup Plan and the Troublesome Apprentice

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Preparing a Backup Plan and the Troublesome Apprentice

"Bro, tell me more!" Baal instantly got excited. Although he had been battered miserably by the Meteorite, if he had the chance to blow other Wizard Apprentices sky-high, he absolutely wouldn’t hesitate.

"I have this!"

Chen Shang took out a dark red crystal. It brimmed with powerful Energy fluctuations—it was precisely the Dragon Blood Crystal given to him by Princess Di Long.

"A Dragon Blood Crystal!" Baal clearly recognized it. Surprised, he asked, "Where did you get this? It couldn’t have been cheap, right?"

"The Dragon Emperor gave it to me."

Hearing Chen Shang’s answer, Baal’s face filled with envy. "Working with Biological Runes really has its advantages. There are too many powerful races in the Endless Star Sea that want to curry favor with you guys. It’s a pity that Biological Runes are too complex; I can’t wrap my head around them."

Chen Shang didn’t say anything. If it weren’t for his attribute Golden Finger, he would have had a hard time completing the Biological Mechanical Armor too.

After carefully observing the Dragon Blood Crystal, Baal made his judgment. "If we use a Mechanical device to channel it all out at once, the released Energy will definitely be several hundred Baidu. Although it can’t compare to a falling Meteorite, it’s still enough to make others suffer."

He hesitated for a moment, however. "The only problem is... the range of this thing is too large. It’ll catch us in the blast too."

To put it bluntly, Chen Shang’s item was like holding a bomb to perish together with the enemy.

"Can your energy shield still block it?"

"We can try."

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Shang’s eyes. "Then let’s do it. Even if we end up blowing ourselves out of the trial, it’s better than being eliminated by someone else. Besides, we have the chance to let the Ben Bo’Erbas deliver it and detonate it from a distance!"

Now that they had a goal, the two were in no rush. While preparing their backup plans, they leisurely made their way toward the Southwest Mountain Range.

A few days later, Baal appeared alone on the Southwest Ridge. The sky was still a hazy gray.

He walked very slowly, followed by two Ben Bo’Erbas. As if tired from the journey, Baal suddenly stopped to chug some Water, muttered a few words under his breath, and then continued forward.

Less than two hundred steps later, the ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed.

Rubble and dirt caved in, forming a massive pit seven or eight meters wide. Baal plummeted rapidly. He cursed and deployed his Defense.

A Mechanical device popped open at his waist, transforming into a shield that blocked the barrage of sharp, thrusting spears.

On the edge of the pit, a figure stood up. He was tall, thin, and clad in a gray robe, holding a glowing stone in his hand. He looked at Baal and grinned.

"From the Starfall Laboratory? Sorry about this, brother!"

As soon as he spoke, he raised the stone. Earthen-yellow light flickered within the pit, converging to strangle Baal. However, the two Ben Bo’Erbas quickly combined and blocked the attack for him.

"What kind of creatures are these? Their stats are pretty good!" The gray-robed Apprentice on the edge of the pit froze for a moment. Suddenly hearing the sound of wind behind him, he whipped around!

A pale Gold Energy Ball flew out from the shadows of the trees, hurtling straight toward the stone in his hand!

The two collided. With a loud BOOM, the stone shattered. Shrapnel ejected past his ears, and his fingers went numb from the shock!

But he had no time to feel his Heart ache for his stone, because a second Energy Ball had already arrived. This one was aimed right at him. The sphere traced an arc through the air, whistling piercingly as it sped straight for his chest.

The gray-robed Apprentice hurriedly dove to the side. The Energy Ball grazed his shoulder and struck a massive boulder behind him.

With a tremendous BOOM, the boulder exploded, sending rubble and dust flying.

Then, a person walked out from the tree shadows—it was none other than Chen Shang. At the same time, Baal climbed out of the pit, and the two formed a pincer movement around the gray-robed Apprentice.

Seeing this, how could the gray-robed Apprentice not realize he had been tricked? Without any hesitation, he turned and fled. His robes fluttered loudly in the wind as he activated an Acceleration Spell, darting through the jagged rocks and dead trees.

However, he didn’t get far. A Ben Bo’Erba cut in from the side, moving twice as fast as him, and clung to him like a shadow. This was a purely statistical advantage.

The gray-robed Apprentice abruptly changed direction to shake it off, only for another one to appear from the opposite side.

Forced to stop, several more Ben Bo’Erbas emerged and surrounded him. Their pale Blue eyes stared at him as the Runes on their bodies flowed slowly.

As if resigning himself to his fate, the gray-robed Apprentice turned to Baal. "Brother, using yourself as bait to lure me in? Isn’t that too Taiyin?"

Baal pointed at the crater and chuckled. "The feeling is mutual. Don’t tell me that pit on the ground dug itself!"

The gray-robed Apprentice smiled and looked at the Ben Bo’Erbas. "Your Biological Mechanical Armor is quite well made. How about we exchange contact info and chat after we get out of here?"

The atmosphere seemed to turn amicable, but Chen Shang sighed. "Of course, we can exchange technical knowledge, but could you stop what your hands are doing first?"

The gray-robed Apprentice froze, and then Chen Shang struck first.

A washbasin-sized Energy Ball formed in his hands. Its color shifted from white to pale Gold, and then from pale Gold to crimson. He had incorporated the [Fire Element Affinity] he had scavenged from other Apprentices, giving it a Power that far surpassed the basic Energy Ejection.

The gray-robed man cursed angrily. "I absolutely hate fighting Wizard Apprentices. Every single one is more troublesome than the last!"

Chen Shang silently hurled the Energy Ball. It was the pot calling the kettle black; his opponent had plenty of schemes in his Heart as well. The man appeared resigned but was actually ready to counterattack at any moment. Chen Shang didn’t dare give him too much time to prepare.

The Energy Ball traced an arc and slammed into the side of the gray-robed Apprentice’s waist. A crimson light exploded as Flame and Energy poured into his body simultaneously.

The gray-robed Apprentice was blasted away, crashing into a pile of rubble. Half of his robe was burned away, and the exposed skin was charred black, smoking, and emitting a scorched odor.

He coughed twice, coughing up a mouthful of blood mixed with froth.

But immediately after, he closed his eyes and began chanting something. His voice was faint—as irritating as a buzzing mosquito—yet every syllable carried a sort of viscous, heavy Power.

Seeing this, Chen Shang didn’t say a word and immediately turned to run. Baal followed closely behind.

The gray-robed man’s fingers moved. Dipping them in his own blood, he drew crookedly in the dirt. It looked as childish as a toddler’s scribble, but with every stroke, a trace of chill seeped into the air.

Under Chen Shang’s control, a Ben Bo’Erba swiftly lunged forward and decapitated the gray-robed Apprentice with a single swipe of its claws. A white light flashed, and the gray-robed Apprentice was whisked out of this world by his Protective Talisman.

However, the blood on the ground was still flowing. It suddenly turned black—a darkness like the Abyss—and shot straight toward Chen Shang at blinding speed!

"Bro, it’s a Curse!" Terrified, Baal hastily dodged, not daring to let the foul thing touch him.

Chen Shang’s expression turned ugly. Darting left and right, he saw that he couldn’t evade it, so he simply summoned a Ben Bo’Erba to block his front.

The black light struck the Ben Bo’Erba’s chest. It didn’t seem to pack any immediate force, but a thick, dark flower bloomed on the creature’s body, slowly corroding its flesh.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Shang and Baal stared at the Ben Bo’Erba, which had melted into a foul-smelling puddle of black Water, feeling lingering terror.

"That was really tough to deal with. We almost wiped out!"