The Ruins Open

"The Curse of the Dead Wizard Academy belongs to the elemental branch and specializes in curses, death magic, and death summoning. They're mortal enemies of our Life Wizard Academy."

Alia lowered her voice further. "The Weapon Wizard Academy belongs to the curse-blade wizard faction. They follow tradition and use only melee weapons as their bonded weapons. The emerging curse-blade wizards have taken many prospective students from them, but their strength shouldn't be underestimated."

Chen Chuan nodded thoughtfully and looked again at the Weapon Wizard Academy's group.

He noticed that the apprentices all carried different weapons, but every one of them radiated a dangerous aura.

The gray-robed elder said nothing when he saw Randy arrive, but he pointed his skull staff slightly toward Randy, expressing some displeasure at his lateness.

Randy's expression remained unchanged as he gave the three wizards a slight nod. "Everyone, our group had a long way to travel, so it took a little extra time."

The gray-robed elder sneered. "Randy, we're not as leisurely as you. Our group has been waiting for a full half day."

Randy frowned slightly, though his voice remained steady. "Lord Grom, the planar ruins won't stay open a second longer for all our waiting. Why be so impatient?"

A flicker of displeasure passed through the gray-robed elder Grom's eyes. The white shadow on his skull staff seemed to grow more active, and he seemed about to speak again.

The woman in fiery red robes spoke up then, her voice faintly magnetic. "Grom, that's enough. Let's open the passage quickly. If the spatial vortex disappears, the Academy of the Dead won't be able to make up for the loss, will it, Avil?"

The middle-aged man from the Weapon Wizard Academy had remained silent the whole time. He merely cast the woman in fiery red robes a cold glance.

Randy turned to the woman in fiery red robes, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Lady Sophia is quite right. The passage can be opened at any time. In any case, everyone will have to rely on their own abilities."

"That's for the best. Let's begin." The corners of Sophia's mouth lifted slightly. She tapped the ground with her short staff, sending a stream of fiery red light into the vortex passage at the center of the square.

The pale blue vortex began spinning faster, giving off a low hum as the surrounding air warped.

Randy, Grom, and the middle-aged man Avil each channeled Magic Power into the vortex passage as well.

The vortex passage expanded rapidly, forming a circular opening roughly three meters across, with pale blue energy currents surging around it. A lush green forest was faintly visible on the other side, but an unfamiliar aura filled the air.

"The passage can only be maintained for twenty-four hours. After that, everyone must return, whether or not you've completed your tasks," Grom said coldly. The white shadow on his skull staff seemed more active.

"Enter quickly. When you pass through the spatial tunnel, there's a small chance you won't stay with the group. If you're separated, activate your sensing amulets and regroup immediately, with a First-Class Wizard Apprentice as the leader. As I said before, if necessary, don't hold back."

Camila spoke briskly, her words coming as quickly as an incantation, each one clear and urgent.

After quickly giving them their instructions, she turned and walked toward Randy, the hem of her dark green wizard robe sweeping through the air in a clean arc.

Chen Chuan stood in the middle of the group, neither particularly close to the front nor the back.

He turned his right wrist slightly, and a silver magic dial slipped from his sleeve into his palm.

Fine runes covered the dial's surface, and a blue crystal floated and spun at its center.

He brushed his thumb against the edge of the dial. Light flowed through the crystal, and the digits flickered before settling on "24:00."

He carefully tucked the dial into an inner pocket. The metal felt cool through the fabric, but gave him a sense of reassurance.

The group began to move, people filing silently into the vortex passage.

Chen Chuan took a deep breath. Traces of the other wizards' Magic Power still lingered in the air, mingling with the smells of leather and potions.

The moment he stepped into the passage, his body suddenly felt light, as though an invisible force had lifted him upward, and his heart sank sharply.

The light before his eyes suddenly flared, making his pupils contract. He instinctively closed his eyes.

The sensation of distorted space within the passage was intense. The air flowed over his skin like rippling water, producing a peculiar sensation.

Time seemed to lose all meaning here. After an unknown interval, a damp breeze washed over his face, carrying the rich fragrance of earth and the fresh scent of vegetation.

Yet mingled with those familiar scents was an indescribable hint of something strange—a faint sense of decay, as though something deep underground were slowly rotting.

Chen Chuan slowly opened his eyes and adjusted to the light around him.

He found himself standing on a narrow mountain ridge. The rough, uneven rocks underfoot felt hard and cold.

Not far ahead was a steep cliff, with gray mist drifting over the bottomless depths below.

He looked around, but all he could see were jagged, oddly shaped rocks and sparse, twisted vegetation. There was no one in sight, and he couldn't sense even the slightest fluctuation of magic.

"Damn it."

Chen Chuan muttered a curse, his brow tightly furrowed.

He had actually run into an event with such a small chance of happening. His luck was far too bad.

But he quickly steadied himself, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down.

Things had come to this, and panicking would do no good.

He turned his right hand over, and a palm-sized bronze amulet appeared in it.

Complex life runes were engraved on its surface, with an emerald-green gem set in the center.

Chen Chuan pressed the amulet to his forehead and sent his spiritual power into it like a thread.

The gem glowed faintly, and a simple map unfolded in his consciousness, several points of light flashing across it.

The nearest point of light was about fifteen kilometers away, to the southeast.

"Fifteen kilometers..." Chen Chuan murmured, looking toward the outline of the mountains to the southeast. "Looks like I'll have to walk there myself."

Chen Chuan put away the amulet and surveyed his surroundings.

The wind on the ridge carried an indescribable scent and stirred the hem of his blue robe.

A layer of strange moss covered the rocks, an unnatural purple that swayed gently in the breeze.

The wind on the ridge carried an indescribable scent of decay, stirring the hem of his blue robe and leaving a damp chill as it brushed his cheeks.

The surrounding rocks were covered in a layer of strange purple moss that swayed gently in the breeze, giving off a faint rustling like some kind of whisper.

Chen Chuan frowned, his right hand unconsciously tightening around his storage ring until his knuckles turned slightly white.

The surroundings made him instinctively uneasy, as though something were watching from the shadows.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Since he couldn't change his situation, he had to prepare to deal with it.

He hesitated no longer. Bending his knees slightly, he slammed both hands against the ground.

The instant his palms touched the rock, a dense wave of green Magic Power surged from his body like ripples, flowing down his arms.

As he channeled his Magic Power into the ground, it gave a low hum. A green vortex about half a meter across appeared out of thin air, its center spinning faster and faster as it gave off a faint glow suffused with the aura of life.

Chen Chuan concentrated his spiritual power and established a connection with the Seed of Life in his consciousness.

The next second, three Magic Mushrooms, each only twenty centimeters tall, hopped cheerfully out of the green vortex like three mischievous little sprites.

"All right, time to work," Chen Chuan murmured, his voice sounding particularly clear on the open ridge.

The red, green, and golden Magic Mushrooms landed steadily on him: the recovery-type Magic Mushroom emitting a soft green glow on his left shoulder, the attack-type Magic Mushroom wreathed in blazing red light on his right, and the defense-type Magic Mushroom emitting a steady golden glow on his head. Its golden cap settled over his hair, forming a natural shield.

"Magic Power Sensing, Deflection Protection, Wind of Swiftness." Chen Chuan also cast three spells on himself.

The three spells took shape instantly, forming a thin energy barrier around Chen Chuan. The fluctuations of Magic Power Sensing instantly intensified, improving his ability to anticipate danger, while Wind of Swiftness swirled around his legs, making him much lighter on his feet.

After doing all this, Chen Chuan's taut nerves eased slightly.

He looked down at the sensing amulet in his hand and confirmed the location of the nearest fellow student—fifteen kilometers to the southeast.

"Let's go," Chen Chuan said softly. His toes tapped the ground, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, racing toward his destination.