A Drastic Turn in the Battle (Please Follow, Bookmark, and Recommend!)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

"What is this?!"

Lynn's pupils suddenly contracted, and his expression shifted slightly as his heart sank.

But his teammates beside him had no idea what was happening. They stopped one after another, thinking they had triggered some mechanism that had caused this unexplained change.

"It's outside! Night Shadow Bunker's formation!"

At that moment, the team captain made a swift judgment. His face darkened as he spoke in a heavy tone.

As his words fell, the atmosphere around them grew increasingly oppressive, and the negative energy particles began to thicken.

When Lynn and the others emerged from the Potion Repository, they could even see supernatural phenomena caused by the excessive concentration of negative energy outside:

Ghostly images drifted faintly along the walls, while ethereal ghostfires floated through the air like some ominous portent.

Although they were all Wizard Apprentices and would naturally not be frightened by such sights, everyone began to feel uneasy.

What did the outside world look like? Could they escape Night Shadow Bunker safely?

However, halfway through their journey, they discovered that the further they went, the denser the negative energy became.

Lynn's heart tightened. Though no one said it aloud, they all realized that this sudden eruption of negative energy had undoubtedly spread out from the center of the battlefield.

"If we return the way we came, we'll be heading toward the main battlefield. The negative energy will affect us even more severely, and we may be drawn into it."

The team captain made a calm assessment, speaking with determination.

"No. We have to take another route! We can't go back the way we came!"

He made the decision immediately, turning without hesitation toward the depths of Night Shadow Bunker and leading the group in the direction opposite the battlefield.

Though both paths were fraught with danger, passing through the depths of Night Shadow Bunker seemed safer by comparison.

After all, the bunker's powerful figures had already headed for the main battlefield, so there were relatively fewer threats here.

Even so, this path remained filled with obstacles.

As they charged deeper into the bunker, the mechanisms and puppets they encountered along the way were more complex and powerful than before. The group had to expend considerable effort before escaping through a damaged castle passage.

Lynn followed at the rear of the group, struggling through everything until he finally crawled out of the passage.

Standing at its entrance, he took a deep breath and looked around, his gaze freezing.

The Sky Curtain over Night Shadow Bunker had grown even darker. What had once merely been the dim light of dusk had now become darkness so dense it seemed almost tangible.

Dark clouds covered the stars and moon, leaving barely a trace of light between heaven and earth. The surrounding air seemed to have frozen, and one could not see a hand in front of one's face.

Everything had become deathly still and heavy, as though the entire world had been swallowed by that strange negative energy.

They were still on Night Shadow Bunker's flank, where the negative energy was relatively thin and its effects were not severe.

The distant main battlefield presented an entirely different sight.

The front of Night Shadow Bunker was completely shrouded in dense negative energy, nearly trapping the entire Furnace Army within it.

Many freshly slain apprentices lay scattered across the ground. Under the influence of that powerful negative energy, their departed souls seemed to return to life, transforming into ghostly figures that drifted through the air.

At the same time, the battle between the battlefield's strongest combatants had also changed.

Negative energy spread like thick storm clouds, blotting out the sky as the very atmosphere between heaven and earth nearly solidified.

Within that vortex of energy, a gap had appeared. Through it, Lynn saw a shocking sight—Black Dragon Witch was locked in fierce combat with the Level 3 Great Wizards on Night Shadow Bunker's side.

Originally, Black Dragon Witch had fought one against two, suppressing both Level 3 Great Wizards with her overwhelming presence.

However, as the battle continued, Lynn discovered in shock that another Level 3 Great Wizard had appeared at Black Dragon Witch's side.

At that moment, the three Level 3 Great Wizards joined forces to attack Black Dragon Witch. The dense negative energy around them drastically compressed her room to maneuver, like an invisible prison trapping her inside.

Under such terrifying pressure, Black Dragon Witch had no choice but to resist with all her strength.

From Lynn's perspective, The Furnace's situation was becoming increasingly bleak.

"What happened?!"

Many in the team whispered their questions, exchanging baffled looks.

When they had first entered the Potion Repository, The Furnace's side had still held an overwhelming advantage.

Yet the moment they emerged, they found that the situation had undergone a complete reversal, and The Furnace had fallen into a passive position.

What confused them most was the identity of that newly appeared Level 3 Great Wizard.

Could Night Shadow Bunker and the Bitter Heart Sect have been hiding a third Level 3 Great Wizard all along?

Just then, the Black Dragon suddenly let out a pained cry, throwing the scene into chaos.

Lynn saw that the newly appeared Level 3 Great Wizard had actually seized the Black Dragon off guard and torn a huge wound directly into her elegant dragon body.

Astrid reacted with astonishing speed. With a wave of her jade-like hand, a crystalline potion appeared in her palm, and she swallowed it without hesitation.

At once, Astrid's aura changed violently. Her strength surged, instantly forcing the three Level 3 Great Wizards around her back several steps.

Just as everyone thought Black Dragon Witch was about to turn the tide, a message suddenly reached every apprentice's identity token.

"Break out and bring the news from here back to The Furnace!"

At that moment, the identity tokens at every apprentice's waist issued a clear command, and Lynn's group all received the same message.

Originally, all apprentices had been bound by contract and forbidden from leaving the battlefield without authorization.

But now, The Furnace seemed to have made its decision, allowing them to retreat and deliver vital information.

High above, Lionheart Knight stared coldly at Astrid, who had just taken the potion.

Her little face was flushed an unnatural red from the medicine's effects, like freshly picked fruit—tempting and fragile.

"You certainly have plenty of little tricks, but do you think the people below can still escape?"

Lionheart Knight bared his teeth in a meaningful smile, his voice carrying cold mockery.

Astrid's heart tightened. This mysterious man had clearly prepared in advance, carrying potions capable of restraining both her and the Black Dragon's power.

His words seemed to imply something. Could it be...

Her heart sank as she realized that the situation had already slipped beyond her control.

Gritting her silver teeth, Astrid decisively cast aside her hesitation and resolved to give it everything she had!

The next moment, Astrid parted her thin lips and rapidly uttered a string of wizardry incantations. The Black Dragon beneath her also released an earth-shaking roar, as if answering her resolve.

She and the Black Dragon became a shooting star streaking through Night Shadow Bunker's Sky Curtain. Yet the formation, warped and empowered by negative energy, not only slowed them down but also eroded their bodies.

Enduring the formation's damage, woman and dragon struggled free from the Sky Curtain's restraints. After finally breaking through layer upon layer of obstacles, they flew in a straight line toward Emerald Island Forest.

Lionheart Knight, Night Shadow Lord, and Bitter Heart Sect Master naturally gave chase with all their strength. Yet even under the negative energy's assault, the desperate woman and dragon remained incredibly fast.

They watched Astrid and the Black Dragon vanish into Emerald Island Forest, their auras disappearing completely, and silence filled their hearts.

Seeing this, Night Shadow Lord and Bitter Heart Sect Master opened their mouths, wanting to speak but holding back.

"They can't escape." Seeing their expressions, Lionheart Knight merely chuckled softly. His gaze remained calm, as though he did not care about their escape at all.

He snorted inwardly. Going there is truly walking into a trap.