Earl's Secret Passage

The tunnel was dimly lit, the candlelight flickered, a cold wind swept across people's faces, and grotesque shadows roamed the walls.

"According to the map I found, this should be Earl Donald's secret chamber."

The Flying Witch, carrying a lantern, cautiously gazed ahead and whispered to Charlotte beside her.

Charlotte glanced at him and couldn't help but complain, "What are you doing carrying that broken lantern? You can't see anything at all." He raised his staff and tapped the Flying Witch on the back of the head.

Ouch!

The Flying Witch rubbed her head and said aggrievedly, "Guild Master, why did you hit me? I was just trying to create an atmosphere, like tomb raiding, how exciting!"

"What's so exciting about this? Hurry up and grab your things and get out of here. It'll be troublesome if Earl Donald wakes up later."

"All right."

The Flying Witch then raised her staff, rubbing her head as she softly chanted.

[Light Spell]

Instantly, countless rays of light shot out from the tip of the staff, illuminating the dark tunnel and making everything inside clearly visible.

The Flying Witch gazed at the iron gate in the distance and exclaimed excitedly, "That's it! The secret room that Earl Donald specifically marked!"

She mounted her staff and was about to fly over—after all, she was Flying Witch, and her actions had to match her nickname.

However, Charlotte grabbed her robe and pulled her back.

"President, what are you doing?"

"Are you a fool? Have you forgotten the lesson Lang Pu taught us?"

The Flying Witch, recalling the horrific scene of being wiped out by Lang Pu's trap years ago, immediately lowered her head and fell silent.

Charlotte then took a spherical metal device out of her pocket and threw it.

The device rolled around on the ground a few times and suddenly grew four legs, with its tail wagging behind it, emitting a barking sound like a dog.

Charlotte patted its head and whispered, "Go, Machine Dog!"

"Woof! Woof woof!"

The Machine Dog, biting its tail, circled Charlotte, barked a few times, and then charged towards the iron gate.

Ming Yue, who witnessed all of this, couldn't help but sigh, "The things made by the Church of the Machine God are getting more and more bizarre; they've even made Machine Dog."

Charlotte said, "You bet it is. This thing is quite cheap and easy to carry, so it has become an essential item for exploring dungeons."

"It's just that some people in there have such a twisted sense of humor. Apparently, last time a small team was exploring the Underdark, the barking of their mechanical dog attracted a bunch of Shark Lizard Beast, and they even went to the Church of the Machine God ' after-sales service demanding compensation."

"Woof—Woof!"

Listening to the noisy barking of the dogs, Ming Yue helplessly covered her forehead, deeply agreeing with the situation.

The mechanical dog ran wildly through the corridor, constantly changing positions, when suddenly, with a "snap," it stepped into a trap on the ground.

Instantly, thick Poison Mist rolled down from the ceiling, quickly engulfing the area it was in.

Immediately afterwards, countless arrows shot out from the cracks in the wall, densely packed like a sudden storm, while the mechanical dog darted and weaved through them.

Charlotte stretched out her hand, and an invisible magic wall appeared in front of her, blocking all the attacks of arrows and darts.

He patted the Flying Witch on the shoulder and said earnestly, "What did I tell you? If I hadn't stopped you, you would have been pricked into a hedgehog by now. You're still too young."

"Okay, I understand."

The Flying Witch shrugged, her expression nonchalant, clearly not having listened at all.

"Woof! Woof!"

Within the churning black mist, the agile figure was still darting about.

As expected of a product that has received rave reviews among players, the exquisite craftsmanship of the Church of the Machine God and the wisdom bestowed by magic make it even more agile and versatile than a real hunting dog.

"Boom!"

An explosion occurred within the black mist, clearly indicating that another magical trap had been activated, blasting the mechanical dog in two.

Charlotte couldn't help but exclaim, "There are so many spells in this secret chamber. As expected of the Thrace Kingdom, their spellcasting level is much higher than that of the original the North."

Recalling his experience, he thought to himself that it was fortunate that Earl Donald was a good-for-nothing who knew nothing about magic and didn't like being disturbed while he was enjoying himself, which gave them an opportunity.

Otherwise, given Thrace spellcasting skills, rashly approaching a powerful figure would most likely result in a gruesome death.

In the corridor, the machine that had been blown in two suddenly became active again, splitting into two independent mechanical dogs.

"Woof woof!"

They squealed excitedly and continued running forward, scanning for any traps ahead with their internal magical devices.

Suddenly, a deep, unfamiliar voice came from ahead.

"What's the password?"

"Woof! Woof!"

However, the only response to that sound was the mechanical dog's excited barking.

"Intruder! Die!"

"Boom!"

After a few muffled sounds, the barking stopped abruptly, and there was no further sound, only the buzzing of electricity.

Charlotte waved her staff again, her eyes narrowed, and she muttered incantations.

[Wind Creation Spell]

Instantly, the surrounding air currents surged, and a wind at 50 miles per hour roared out from his staff, blowing towards the long corridor ahead.

The poisonous black mist was instantly dispelled, and the enemy hidden in the mist revealed himself—a suit of armor wielding a heavy hammer.

Although there was no wearer, the empty plate armor still stood up, staring intently at the people in the distance, with red light emanating from the eyes of the helmet.

Beneath it were two mechanical dogs smashed to pieces.

Charlotte felt a pang of heartache and said with a mournful face, "My mechanical dog! Theoretically, this thing can be reused an unlimited number of times, but this one broke after only one use!"

Meanwhile, Ming Yue carefully observed the enemy, sensing strong magical fluctuations emanating from the armor.

"This is... Animated Armor?"

"I know this thing; it's a construct created by powerful magic and used to carry out the commands of its creator."

This thing is usually equipped with scripted language capabilities; it can often issue warnings, request passwords, or ask questions. More advanced versions can even engage in dialogue.

"This thing seems pretty powerful."

Charlotte carefully examined the armor in the distance, noticing the name above its head, and a grim expression immediately appeared on her face.

The Thracian Animated Armor

Challenge Rating: 12 Ming Yue is well-read and known within the guild as "The Encyclopedia of Erezege," so she naturally understands these strange magical creations.

Sure enough, before he finished speaking, the Animated Armor dragged its hammer forward, striding ahead under the tense gazes of the players, making heavy thuds as the steel plates slammed into the ground and rubbed against each other.

"Clang, clang."

When it reached a distance of thirty meters from the players, it finally stopped and stared at them through the light-emitting gap.

A cold, mechanical voice came from within the armor. "Outsider, what is the password?"

Looking at the blood-stained iron hammer, which was larger than a human head, Charlotte tugged at Ming Yue's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Ming Yue, do you know about this?"

Ming Yue said irritably, "This kind of scripted language is set by the creators, how would I know?"

Charlotte was sweating profusely. He looked at the map he had received from the Earl, pondered for a long time, and then, steeling himself, tentatively said, "Lord Donald is wise and mighty?"

"Incorrect password!"

Instantly, a blinding red light emerged from the gaps in the Animated Armor armor. He picked up the iron hammer, let out a rather intimidating roar, and billowing steam rose from it.

"Intruder! Die!"

Ming Yue complained, "Why the hell are you trying things without finding the answer? Do you think you're just lucky?"

"The Earl Donald has decreed that all intruders shall die!"

The Animated Armor raised its heavy hammer and charged towards the players, then brought it down hard on Charlotte's head.

"Such fast movements!"

Charlotte quickly used her Misty Step, transforming into a cloud of white mist and disappearing without a trace.

"Boom!"

The Animated Armor missed its target and crashed heavily to the ground, sending debris flying everywhere and creating a deep crater.

Thanks to the spell, Charlotte suddenly appeared more than ten meters away. He breathed a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, the Animated Armor turned around and charged straight at him.

Ming Yue quickly reminded her, "It's locked onto your target! It probably won't give up until it kills you."

"Damn it, stop standing there like an idiot, think of something!"

Charlotte cast Cat's Grace and Mage Armor on herself, then staggered backward.

But in this confined space, he had few options against advanced Animated Armor whose strength and speed far surpassed those of ordinary people.

"Intruder—"

"Boom!"

The hammer slammed down again, Charlotte rolled backward to avoid the near-miss.

"Attack this Animated Armor with all your might! You must save the guild leader's life!"

"By the way, try to use lightning-based evocation spells as much as possible; this type of damage is more effective against constructs!"

Ming Yue finally raised her staff and softly chanted a spell.

With a crackling sound of lightning, a dazzling sphere surrounded by electric arcs appeared at the top of his staff and flew rapidly toward the Animated Armor.

That's the Fifth Circle Spell, [Ball Lightning].

However, the moment the electric ball touched the back of the Animated Armor, a pale blue light membrane unfolded, blocking the electric ball out.

"Buzz—"

Lightning flashed and arcs of electricity crackled, but they did not harm the armor in the slightest. Instead, they caused the Animated Armor to roar once more.

"Under attack! Outsiders, you are all enemies!"

Ming Yue gasped in shock. "The Animated Armor is equipped with Anti-Magic Shield. The magic level of the Thrace Kingdom is indeed high. Even a mere Earl has something like this!"

"Ming Yue, stop analyzing and figure out a way to save me! If all else fails, retreat!"

Charlotte was already exhausted from running around. The heavy hammers rained down on him, and he could only dodge them with a variety of spells.

However, the Animated Armor seemed to understand the players' words. It stretched out its right hand, and a thick wall immediately collapsed at the entrance of the secret passage.

A heavy voice came from within the armor. "Intruders, none of you will escape!"

Ming Yue's expression changed drastically again. "It's not just a simple machine! Once it recognizes you as an enemy, it has basic thinking abilities!"

"Damn it, stop explaining, are you guys even reliable?" Charlotte cried out, dodging the Animated Armor's hammer blow once again with her Wind Walk.

Inside the secret passage, players from the Magic Coin Guild unleashed a barrage of spells, bombarding the Animated Armor with a dense barrage of fireballs, poison arrows, and lightning bolts, all of which were blocked by a pale blue membrane.

"President, I'm here to help you!"

With a delicate shout, the Flying Witch raised her Surprise Wand and pointed it at the tall, Animated Armor in the distance.

A confident smile played on her lips, "As long as the spell I cast exceeds the shield's maximum capacity, I can destroy this armor directly!"

"My turn, draw a card!"

Immediately, all the players looked expectantly at the Flying Witch, hoping that she could unleash her Divine Might as before and draw out spells of the ninth or even eighth ring.

"Bang!"

With a soft sound, white mist billowed out, and under the spotlight, the Flying Witch transformed into a fluffy sheep, emitting a somewhat shy bleating.

"Meow~~"

Hearing that familiar bleating of a sheep, Charlotte, who had almost had her head smashed and was covered in dust, exclaimed that it was a scam.

Are we going to die here?

They've succeeded in deceiving the Earl, the most difficult trick, so are they going to be wiped out by this iron lump? And fail completely?

Charlotte knew his Spell Slot were almost empty and he knew he was in trouble. He gritted his teeth, gripped his staff tightly, and shouted, "Hmph, you iron lump, I'll see if you can find me!"

My title of ' Arena Ghost ' isn't just for show!

Greater Invisibility

Suddenly, Charlotte's body became transparent and then completely disappeared into the air.

The voice of the Animated Armor remained strong and clear. "By order of the master, all intruders must be eliminated."

It lightly touched the helmet, and the red light in the gap suddenly turned into white light, which then swept forward from bottom to top.

Ming Yue realized something was wrong. "That's most likely because See Invisibility! Guild Master, quickly find a way to stop it, or it'll discover you soon!"

"Quickly think about what quirks the owner of this Animated Armor —that Earl Donald— had!"

Charlotte was running on the back of the Animated Armor when she heard Ming Yue's words. She panicked and her mind raced.

What kind of code would Earl Donald come up with? What were his quirks or characteristics?

Thinking of the "Fat Pig Earl" who had left a deep impression on him, a series of derogatory terms instantly flashed through Charlotte's mind.

Greedy for money and lustful, vain, abusive of power and reckless, cowardly and afraid of death!

Thinking of this, Charlotte quickly seized the opportunity while in the blind spot of the Animated Armor, took out the [Doppelganger Cloak] she had just used from her Dimensional Bag, and put it on.

"Puff, puff"

The transparent fluid gradually closed in, enveloping Charlotte's calves, waist, and hips until it reached her neck, making her look as if she were wearing a bodysuit.

Charlotte took a deep breath, trying her best to recall the ugly appearance of Earl Donald in her mind, while the glue gradually covered her face.

If he weren't a monk, he probably couldn't have done something so meticulous.

However, this is really not an easy job. Just thinking about it is enough to give Charlotte a psychological trauma.

The transparent liquid kept wriggling and gradually expanding, shaping a huge belly, bloated Limbs, and an ugly face made of piled-up fat.

In the end, he became exactly like the Earl Donald in his memory, as if he had been carved from the same mold.

Charlotte immediately deactivated her invisibility and shouted arrogantly and loudly, "You beast, look who this is! Do you still recognize your grandpa?"

The Animated Armor froze on the spot, a noisy mechanical sound emanating from its body.

"High-privilege user detected."

Then, accompanied by the sound of an iron plate hitting the ground, the Animated Armor knelt down on one knee. "Master, welcome back."

"Phew, that was close!"

Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her brow. She had thought this thing could recognize transformations.

Sure enough, the cowardly Earl Donald had his image recorded into the Animated Armor, determined not to allow himself to be threatened in the slightest.