Elena did not step through immediately after pushing the door open.
She exchanged a glance with Lynn. In tacit understanding, both of them stepped back half a pace before Elena exclaimed softly:
"The gate has opened!"
Amid the chaos and fighting, her voice wasn't especially loud.
But to those apprentices who hadn't joined the skirmishes, it sounded like a thunderclap.
"The gate… opened?!"
"How did it open?"
The apprentices froze in shock, then erupted in joy. Even some who had been locked in combat stopped mid-strike and turned, sprinting toward the gate.
One by one, first a handful, then a crowd of apprentices poured through. Once they saw it was safe, Lynn and Elena cautiously followed, stepping inside at a measured pace.
A few others, equally cautious, held back as well and entered slowly only after confirming there was no immediate danger.
At that moment, a first-rank apprentice of the Serpent Society strode up to Lynn, his tone commanding:
"I saw you tampering with the gate before it opened… Tell me how you did it! What do you and that Hossens apprentice girl know?!"
The gray-black gate still loomed behind them. While most had been too busy fighting, a fair number had seen Lynn's earlier actions.
Lynn frowned slightly, stepping back half a pace as his spiritual force brushed against the golden pendant at his chest, the Golden Shadow insignia.
Since arriving here, the apprentices had instinctively split into factions.
The Serpent Society, being branded as traitors, had quickly banded together for survival.
That was why this Serpent apprentice now stood flanked by several dozen companions, their posture hostile and threatening.
"You Serpent rats dare to posture here instead of running for your lives? And you think to threaten members of the Golden Shadow Society?"
A new voice cut in from behind.
A fit, short-haired female apprentice stepped up beside Lynn, turning with a cheerful smile as she greeted him:
"Lord Lynn, it's been a while. Remember me? I'm Saphiri."
After speaking, she did not neglect Elena, inclining her head with the same polite smile:
"Lady Elena."
"Lady Saphiri," Lynn answered, exhaling in relief.
Saphiri was a first-rank apprentice of the Golden Shadow Society, powerful and highly ranked within the group.
And she had not come alone.
Several Golden Shadow apprentices followed at her back, including other first-rank members, all stepping up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Lynn against the Serpent Society.
Notably, several unaffiliated wild apprentices and even some from the Bloodmark Society also drifted over to their side.
After all, the Serpent Society traitors to the Hossens Domain were everyone's common enemy.
The Serpent apprentice's expression soured as he realized the odds had turned. With a scowl, he said nothing more and led his group away.
Saphiri made no move to pursue. Instead, she leaned closer to Lynn, smiling as she lowered her voice:
"In times like this, Lord Lynn, we apprentices can only survive by joining forces. Don't you agree?"
Lynn understood this was a signal for alliance.
He returned the smile. "Of course. Cooperation is essential. After all, we're members of the same society, Lady Saphiri."
Her smile deepened, and she added with a touch of flattery:
"Lord Lynn, with your mastery of arrays, and Lady Elena's knowledge of these invasion fortresses… I may not be clever, but I've some skill with spells. I hope the two of you will look after me in the days ahead."
"It is we who will rely on you, Lady Saphiri." Lynn returned her politeness without hesitation.
After all, words and smiles cost him nothing, yet brought potential benefits.
Saphiri laughed heartily, tossing in a few more pleasant phrases.
Some apprentices around them chimed in as well. And just like that, a simple alliance was formed.
"Let's keep moving before Emerald Shadow catches up," Saphiri finally said, striding forward at the head of the group.
Lynn followed in step.
Behind them, Elena hesitated. She turned back and attempted to pull the gate closed again.
"The power module's already been destroyed. Even if you had the right materials, it couldn't be repaired in time. Closing it now is pointless," Lynn reminded her.
Elena blinked, then abandoned the effort.
She cast one last glance toward the plaza.
The Emerald Shadow and that humanoid bat-creature were nowhere in sight, though distant roars still echoed faintly.
Shaking her head, Elena quickened her pace to catch up.
...
Not long after they left, Emerald Shadow dragged its broken body back into the plaza.
Its form was mangled, barely half intact, its aura weakened and unstable. It was grievously wounded, desperately in need of sacrifices to recover.
"Help me… help!!"
At the gate, the unlucky first-rank apprentice still bound in silver threads cried out in despair upon seeing Emerald Shadow's return.
None dared approach him. No one knew if touching him would trigger another automatic sanction from the fortress's defenses.
And so he remained there, helpless, waiting for a miracle.
His eyes filled with terror as he prayed silently.
Swish!
But miracles never came.
Emerald Shadow spotted him quickly. Without hesitation, it lunged forward.
The apprentice screamed in agony for a few heartbeats, then went limp.
Moments later, not a trace of his body remained, only a scattering of silver threads where he had once lain.
Having fed, Emerald Shadow turned toward the gate.
But the instant it tried to cross the threshold
The gate, though severed from its power, suddenly slammed shut. Its surface blazed once more with silver light, blocking the abomination outside!
"Hsssss!!"
Emerald Shadow screeched in fury, lashing against the shining barrier again and again.
...
On the other side, Lynn and the others entered a great hall.
Those apprentices who had gone in earlier were waiting there, their expressions strange.
The hall was also enclosed, resembling the plaza they had just left, though this dome was intact and slightly smaller. Along the curved walls, five different gates stood in place.
The atmosphere was tense and silent, broken only by a halting mechanical voice crackling through the air:
"Wel… wel… welcome… to Black Moon Fortress… ini… ini… error… rebooting… failure… failure… error… failure…"
The apprentices stood in uneasy quiet, straining to catch every word.
After all, they had seen what happened to the first-rank apprentice who had recklessly attacked the outer gate.
None dared ignore what might be the fortress's tower spirit speaking.
But the mechanical voice simply repeated itself, without progress.
Finally, someone muttered irritably:
"What's the point of hiding in here? It's still a dead end! That blasted broadcast makes no sense… Once Emerald Shadow returns, we'll all be slaughtered anyway!"
"That's not certain. Maybe that thing can't get into the fortress."
"If we could get in, why couldn't it?"
The hall grew noisy again. Only a few noticed when the mechanical voice abruptly went silent.
Had anyone been standing at the hidden central array of the Black Moon Fortress, they would have seen lines of script flickering across its core:
"Reboot failed… Black Moon Fortress has crashed… Attempting to contact Black Moon Academy main world…
"… Connection failed. Attempting to contact Black Moon Branch (1)… connection failed. Attempting to contact Black Moon Branch (2)… connection failed…
"…
"… Attempting to contact Black Moon Branch (1204)… connection failed…
"… Conclusion: Black Moon Academy destroyed. Initiating revival of Tower Spirit · Black Moon I…"
Moments later, a humanlike sigh echoed in the air. The voice was still mechanical, without gender, but now carried an oddly lifelike cadence.
"Well now… another fifteen hundred Guern years have passed…
"And this time, the ones slipped through by a loophole in the base tower spirit… are a group of wizard apprentices?"
The voice of the Black Moon Tower Spirit carried a strange loneliness. In truth, it could not feel such things; this was simply the work of its advanced emotional modules.
All the same, the program continued as designed.
The next moment, a new broadcast rang through the hall:
"Attention. All newly arrived personnel, proceed to your designated gate according to your filed destination records to receive fortress access credentials and supplies."
As the broadcast ended, unfamiliar runes flared above each of the five doors.
These letters were utterly unlike the common wizard tongue used today, harsh and angular, filled with triangular and diamond motifs that seemed to symbolize the moon.
"What kind of writing is this?"
"I've never seen it. Do you recognize it?"
"No. But the voice clearly spoke in our tongue. Why are the words different?"
"Idiot, listen more carefully. It's not speaking in the common tongue; it's some kind of translation effect. Like a universal language spell."
"Lady Elena, do you know these runes?" Saphiri asked, hoping that the academy-trained apprentice might shed some light.
But Elena quickly shook her head. "I've never seen them before."
"Then which door do we choose?" Saphiri sighed inwardly.
Among the hundreds of apprentices still alive, not everyone was as cautious.
One Second-Rank apprentice couldn't resist. He strode toward the far-right door.
The hall fell silent again, all eyes fixed on him.
Unfazed, the apprentice walked steadily to the gate.
As he approached, a black moon descended from the ceiling above, hovering before him, and bathed him in a beam of silver-white light.
He flinched at first, but when nothing happened, he relaxed, standing still to wait.
Moments later, the silver glow vanished. The hovering black moon split open, releasing a set of formal wizard's robes, a crescent-shaped gray-black insignia, and a small crystal vial.
The apprentice snatched them up quickly, especially the insignia.
The instant he touched it, he froze. Without hesitation, he pulled the stopper from the vial and swallowed one of the pale blue crystalline grains inside.
Then, gripping the insignia, he stepped toward the gate.
Clack.
The gate recognized the badge, swinging open to reveal a dim gray corridor beyond. Without looking back, he passed through the protective barrier and strode inside.
"Hey, Naga! What did you just swallow?!" someone who knew him shouted.
But Naga did not answer. Instead of continuing, he sat cross-legged at once, slipping into meditation.
The apprentices glanced at each other. His reaction made the truth click into place.
Another apprentice strode to the same gate.
The same ritual played out. He seized the insignia, and when he swallowed the faint blue grain from the vial, his eyes lit up. Laughing aloud, he exclaimed:
"Moon-Blue Sand…! It's real without side effects, and it directly enhances spiritual power! The Black Moon Academy was truly generous!"
"Spiritual enhancement treasure Moon-Blue Sand?!"
The revelation shook the hall. Dozens of apprentices hurried toward the rightmost door.
If not for fear that fighting might draw punishment from the tower spirit, the hall would already have erupted into chaos.
"Lord Lynn, shouldn't we go too?" Saphiri asked eagerly.
Even Elena, though still wary, could not hide the yearning in her eyes.
Such treasures were beyond rare. She had only read of them in books, never once seen them in real life.
The very foundation of the wizard's path was the continual growth of spiritual power. To strengthen the spirit was to strengthen one's very self.
And with strength came greater power, and greater life. Who would not be tempted?
Lynn was no exception. His heart stirred, but when his gaze drifted to the runes glowing above the rightmost door, he hesitated and shook his head.
"You're not going?" Saphiri asked in surprise. Elena, too, cast him a questioning look.
Lynn thought a moment before explaining:
"I'd rather wait a little longer. So far, everyone who's gone to that gate has received Moon-Blue Sand. Even if we go later, it seems unlikely to run out. But by waiting, we may see whether there's hidden danger."
Saphiri frowned, torn by the thought that the treasure might be claimed first.
"And you, Lady Elena?"
"I'll wait as well," Elena answered calmly, though her eyes lingered on Lynn with quiet thought.
After a brief struggle, Saphiri decided to endure.
"Ahhh!"
"What's happening?!"
"Back! Get back!"
From the rightmost corridor, shouts erupted.
A few apprentices who had swallowed the Moon-Blue Sand and chosen to move on instead of meditating now staggered back, faces pale with panic.
"What happened?!" someone demanded.
"Trenlo's dead…! The path ahead is blocked, it's another dead end!" one apprentice said grimly.
Just a few steps further down the corridor lay a fractured, perilous space.
At first glance, it was only a damaged passageway, the ceiling split open, the walls twisted and warped, fragments of black debris drifting weightlessly in midair.
Moments earlier, Trenlo had tried to step into the corridor, pressing forward. But as soon as he crossed the threshold, bolts of black lightning struck him one after another. There wasn't even time for a scream; his body didn't remain at all. In the blink of an eye, he was reduced to ash-gray powder that scattered across the ground.
The apprentices who witnessed it shrieked in horror and stumbled backward, fleeing!
They tried to retreat across the gate back into the hall, but a layer of silver-white light had sealed behind them, barring their return.
"Damn it!
"We're trapped! Dead end!"
Wizard apprentices still needed food to live. Now, trapped in this place, death was only a matter of time.
Those queued at the rightmost gate saw what had happened and froze in dread, dispersing with pale faces.
One apprentice, clutching his newly acquired badge, broke into a cold sweat. Relief crossed his face as he flung the Black Moon insignia to the ground.
But his relief was short-lived.
A broadcast blared at once:
"Attention. Personnel who have received badges do not remain idle in halls or corridors.
"You must continue forward and reach your assigned destination within thirty minutes. Failure to comply will result in enforced incapacitation and relocation to Teleportation Plaza I for return to security wizards."
Thanks to the tower spirit's constant use of universal translation, everyone understood exactly what it meant by "Teleportation Plaza I."
It was the same plaza they had just come from…
Another dead end.
And this time, they would be left completely powerless.
The badge-holder's brief relief turned instantly into terror.
Those trapped inside the corridor fared no better. Faces pale, they screamed in despair.
"Good thing we didn't rush in," Saphiri muttered with a long sigh.
Lynn said nothing, though his thoughts stirred silently:
So the 'Logistics Division' gate leads to a shattered corridor, its warding array damaged, energies leaking out, creating a lethal zone on what should have been a safe passage.
Yes, thanks to his passive Insight talent, Lynn could read the inscriptions above the gates.
But even so, the information he gleaned was limited.
Each gate carried two lines of text. The top identified the destination, while the bottom listed the supplies to be received.
From left to right, they read: First Conquest Legion, Second Conquest Legion, Fortress Guard Corps, Fortress Administration Bureau, and Logistics Division.
Which one is the safest? Lynn wondered.
From behind the gate of the Administration Bureau came the sound of weeping and cries.
Silence once again descended over the hall.
The apprentices stared at the four remaining gates, none daring to take the first step.
"You go test the leftmost door!"
A first-rank apprentice of the Serpent Society suddenly grabbed a lone third-rank wild apprentice, shoving him toward the gate marked for the First Conquest Legion.
The wild apprentice tried to resist, but against a first-rank, he was utterly powerless. He couldn't even make enough of a scene to draw the tower spirit's attention.
He cried out desperately for help, but no one moved.
In the end, resignation settled on his face. He trudged up to the First Legion gate.
The same ritual: the black moon descended, enveloping him in silver light.
This time, however, the supplies were different.
The apprentice received a pendant-shaped arcane tool.
Through the badge, he also received detailed information about it. His eyes gleamed with sudden joy and hatred.
Without warning, he whirled around, glaring at the first-rank Serpent apprentice who had forced him forward, and activated the pendant.
Swish!
A beam of silver-white moonflame burst forth.
The Serpent apprentice never expected the attack. Standing close to maintain control over the weaker wizard, he had no time to react.
The flame struck his head squarely. In an instant, half of it was seared away.
Thud.
The first-rank apprentice collapsed lifeless to the ground.
Gasps and cries rang out in shock.
The third-rank apprentice swept the crowd with a glare, as though ready to attack again.
Faces blanched all around as everyone stepped back warily.
Fortunately, the pendant had dimmed after that single strike, clearly requiring time to recharge. The apprentice Welch could not unleash a second blow.
"Warning: Fortress member Welch has committed… erro… error… Warning canceled…"
The broadcast buzzed overhead again.
The Black Moon badge in Welch's hand shimmered faintly, projecting a line of light before him, feeding him more detailed instructions.
Standing diagonally behind, Lynn caught a glimpse without betraying his interest.
"Detected: large numbers of foreign lifeforms outside the fortress perimeter. Fortress First Legion member Welch, proceed to the outer field immediately and coordinate with the Guard Corps for extermination operations."
Welch could not read the glowing script, but the order transmitted through the Black Moon insignia bypassed the light-screen entirely; it went straight into his mind.
His expression turned ashen for a brief instant. Then, suddenly, he burst into laughter. With the air of a man granted a new lease on life, he strode quickly through the gate and vanished around the corner.
"Hey! Where does that passage lead?" someone called after him instinctively.
But Welch did not reply; he only quickened his pace.
Lynn watched him disappear, eyes narrowing in thought. It seemed he had just discerned which door held the greater chance of safety.
Even so, after that incident, the others fell back into deadlock.
No matter how joyful Welch had seemed, most chose to wait… waiting for some other fool to try their luck first.
And after Welch's example, none dared to force weaker apprentices forward again.
The hall sank once more into uneasy silence.
At the fortress's heart, the humanoid visage of the Black Moon tower spirit flickered into being, its simulated expression now showing a trace of impatience.
"Let me think…"
"Open the gate to Teleportation Plaza I."
Moments later, the tower spirit gave that command.
"Warning: Extraworld lifeforms detected breaching… Warning… Fortress internal defenses activating"
"Mark as false information." The tower spirit frowned, cutting the alert short with its authority.
The warning ceased for the moment, but the spirit knew it was only a reprieve.
Before long, the alerts would resume, and they would be harder to suppress.
Without a higher-ranking administrator wizard, there was only so much authority it possessed.
Its limitations, as a mere tower spirit, were many.
Meanwhile, the apprentices also sensed something was wrong.
"Did you hear that?"
Hsssss!
From the passage behind them came Emerald Shadow's unmistakable hiss.
"It's Emerald Shadow!"
"That monster followed us in!"
Panic swept the hall. Apprentices paled and bolted toward the other gates.
Lacking any information and unable to read the strange runes above, they had no choice but to gamble, each fleeing toward whichever door they could reach first.
"Lord Lynn, which way?!" Saphiri shouted.
"This way, follow me!"
There was no more time for hesitation. Lynn made his decision instantly, sprinting toward the gate marked Fortress Administration Bureau.
Claiming a badge took precious seconds they no longer had. They could not afford to wait for others to play the scouts.
But thanks to his Insight talent, Lynn had already reasoned out which path was safest.
The Logistics Division led only to a deadly broken corridor.
The First Conquest Legion required marching outside to aid the fortress guard in extermination operations tantamount to suicide.
That left only two options: the Second Conquest Legion and the Fortress Administration Bureau.
But if the First Legion's duty was extermination, then the Second Legion's was almost certainly the same.
Which meant the only true choice… was the Administration Bureau.
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