Hearing the voice, Howard’s pupils sharply constricted.
Apart from himself and Aurelia, the only other person in the dungeon was that unkempt, bearded man.
This implied that he was a top-tier Enchanter.
In the Obscured Celestial Realm, the status of an Enchanter was exceedingly high!
Howard finally understood why Grein had managed to survive and why the people behind the scenes cared about him – they had likely been providing him with resources, hoping to win him over.
“So, that means when he said he would give me a great gift if I helped him escape, he might enchant a piece of equipment for me or teach me the skills of an Enchanter!”
“This man must be rescued!”
While Howard was pondering, the man in the blue robe quickly ran into the dungeon.
Shortly after, he emerged with a group of guards, cursing loudly: “What are you idiots doing? I sent you to capture Stano’s daughter, and you bring back a guard instead?” .
“Not only did you fail to kill them in advance, but you also locked them up together! Now you’ve let them escape, haven’t you?”
“Everyone, on high alert! Take the warehouse as the center and spread out in all directions. Dig three feet into the ground if you must, but bring that man and Aurelia back to me!”
As the angry shouts continued, Howard’s eyes lit up.
If they were planning a large-scale search, then the chances of escape for Howard and Aurelia just got better.
Currently in an invisibility state, they could easily trail behind the group, familiarizing themselves with the entire estate.
Otherwise, escaping an area restricted by spatial constraints would be as difficult as climbing to heaven!
Perhaps due to the high status of the fallen lead guard, the other guards dared not utter a word despite being scolded repeatedly.
It wasn’t until the man’s figure flickered and disappeared from their sight that they finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Damn it! Who would have thought that a seemingly ordinary guard could escape from a dungeon filled with Sealing Stones, and even manage to take someone along?”
“Now, it’s no use complaining about it. Sigh, let’s just slowly figure out a way to find them.” 𝘪𝘳.𝘤𝑜
The guards huddled together, numbering well over a hundred.
After dividing the areas among each small team, they immediately scattered in all directions.
Howard, holding Aurelia’s hand, followed a team that appeared to be comparatively weaker.
Generally, a formation capable of completely sealing a space must have multiple focal points.
If they could destroy just one of these points, they could break the spatial restriction and escape the area!
Choosing a weaker group meant that, if it came to a confrontation, they could be easily overpowered.
However, even as he held Aurelia’s hand, Howard’s mind was still deep in thought.
Why could the beasts easily break through the jade barrier, but he couldn’t?
Could it be that these jade barriers also had weaknesses?
And then there was the mechanism made of jade – what exactly was it?
Previously, to showcase his abilities, Howard had only mentioned regaining part of his memory, but he dared not ask Aurelia any further questions.
What if that knowledge was also encoded in their genes?
Inquiring rashly could expose his true identity.
In the midst of contemplation, Howard and Aurelia, following the squad, arrived at the edge of the manor’s boundary wall.
Regardless of the use of spatial constraints, the actual size of an enclosed area is difficult to alter.
A manor certainly isn’t too large, but its internal fluctuations are completely sealed, rendering them imperceptible from the outside.
Strictly speaking, the space blockade was more about perception, designed to prevent outsiders from sensing what was happening within the manor.
Once inside, almost everything was visible at a glance.
Just as Grein had mentioned, the wall was adorned with many strange objects, and at intervals, some of these items flickered with light.
“Are these the focal points of the spatial blockade?”
Upon witnessing this scene, a thought struck Howard.
However, before he could step forward, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
For some reason, he was overcome with a sense of foreboding.
Howard’s intuition was not weak; many times, it was this very sensation that had saved him in critical moments.
Therefore, even though the objects before him seemed to be the keys to destroying the spatial blockade, Howard did not advance a single step.
Instead, he quickly pulled Aurelia back with him.
Aurelia couldn’t help but express her surprise, “Howard, weren’t we about to get out? Why are we retreating?”
“…”
After a moment’s hesitation, Howard responded, “I suspect it’s a trap, a lure for the enemy. Something is not right!”
“Ah?” Aurelia looked confused.
Reflecting on Grein’s words, Howard spoke in a stern voice, “If it were so easy to escape from this place, why would there be so many corpses in the dungeon? Why would a top-tier Enchanter be struggling to survive here?”
“Sure, they are restricted by Sealing Stones, but they must have had opportunities to leave. I refuse to believe that those powerful individuals are weaker than us two young novices!”
Howard always had confidence in his own abilities, but that didn’t mean he underestimated others.
In a place where so many had failed to escape, Howard didn’t believe he could just simply walk out.
And sure enough, less than two minutes after distancing themselves from the wall, a sudden burst of intense light emanated from within it, illuminating the entire area.
The source of the light were jade discs hanging on the wall.
“Hiss… Good thing I moved away from the wall, or else this light could have easily penetrated my Stellar Stealth skill!”
“The people of this world may be inherently weak, but their development and use of Celestial Ore is astoundingly potent!”
“If they applied this technology to the battlefield, our Azure Sphere realm would have to forget about using tactics.”
Howard couldn’t help but express his thoughts internally.
However, he still had to conceal his identity, making sure not to show any ignorance about these mechanisms.
Otherwise, his entire plan would be jeopardized.
“You’re thinking so far ahead?”
Aurelia pursed her lips, speaking softly, “Howard, what should we do next?”
“The most dangerous place can be the safest. Since we can’t leave, let’s do the opposite and go straight into one of the houses in the manor!”
Howard gripped Aurelia’s hand reassuringly, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get you out of here!”
“Mhm, I believe in you!” Aurelia nodded vigorously, then suddenly asked, “What if there are Delusion Breaking Discs inside their houses?”
“I just took a look, and there are thirteen Celestial Ore Beam Cannons nearby. They’re all positioned high above, blocking all possible exits. It might be very difficult to leave.”
“If we can’t leave or enter, then let’s just hide. We’re in an invisibility state right now, they can’t catch us!”
Invisibility state was also known in the Obscured Celestial Realm, and given the realm’s name, Howard guessed that Stealth Skills were likely quite common.
Aurelia must be aware of them.
Her words eased Howard’s burden.
Finally, he understood what those mysterious objects were and their purpose!
Delusion Breaking Discs, as the name implies, could shatter all illusions, capable of penetrating the void and other illusions.
“Celestial Ore Beam Cannon… why do I feel like I’ve come across a similar name thousands of years ago when reading in Azure Sphere? Could it be that the development of Obscured Celestial Realm is similar to the level of Azure Sphere thousands of years ago?”
“Or did they follow the same path?”
“Perhaps we diverged from that path later on, while they continued to follow it?”
Howard was internally agitated, unable to draw on past experiences he never had, thus remaining in the dark about these things.
The only clear judgment he could make was about the formidable power of the Celestial Ore Beam Cannon.
Even he, without using his Soul Fusion skill, would struggle to withstand such an assault.
Taking a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts, Howard, holding Aurelia’s hand, slowly approached the main house within the manor.
They hadn’t walked far when the space above flickered, and the man in the blue robe reappeared.
He scanned the surroundings and expressed his surprise, “He actually chose not to disrupt the spatial blockade formation to alert Stano of what’s happening here!”
“Search the interior thoroughly. Maybe they are hiding somewhere. Also, carry a Delusion Breaking Disc with you during the search, to prevent them from using an invisibility state to evade detection.”
“If you still can’t find them, you bunch of useless fools, be prepared for punishment.”
“There’s no change in the formation; they’re definitely still inside the manor!”
“Hmph!”
Hearing the man’s words, the guards couldn’t hide their discomfort.
None of them wanted to be punished!
But the man in the blue robe held a position of authority, and they dared not show any dissent.
Seeing this, Howard quickened his pace, widening the distance from the guards.
As they neared the central house of the manor, Howard carefully observed it, relieved to see no Delusion Breaking Discs on the walls or any jade-crafted items near the door.
Particularly, the presence of six guards standing fiercely in front of the door, like six devils, also indicated there were no special mechanisms nearby.
This content is taken from 𝘳.𝑐𝘰