This Lich Requests More Remuneration
Chapter 505 - 464: Trial of Destruction

Chapter 505: Chapter 464: Trial of Destruction

"Master Ultraman, why is the spirit of His Majesty the Holy King in your hands at the end?"

Airel’s tone was very serious, her eyes fixed intently on Amberser.

Amberser said expressionlessly, "It was Aige who gave it to me; we are both members of the Elegy Poetry Society and our relationship is quite good. Haven’t you inquired about recent events at sea? I am assisting Aige in taking control of the Volcanic Ocean Region."

"I’ve heard about it, although it’s deep-sea business, it’s intimately related to us who live above the waves."

Airel said this, but inside, she felt a strange sense.

She didn’t know what she had discovered, but the feeling of déjà vu along the way made her feel uneasy!

This sensation was decidedly odd, as if nothing was amiss yet her heart was restless.

So, Airel couldn’t help but press on, "Have you known the master of the Silent Night Sea for a long time?"

"Not too long, oh, counting the time I’ve been a Lich, I’ve joined the Elegy Poetry Society for less than a century. But from a human perspective, we’ve been old friends for more than half a lifetime."

The answer had no issues, but Airel’s doubts did not dissipate.

Something was very wrong.

But where exactly was the problem?

Just as Airel was about to continue her questioning, she saw Arthur Laine draw his longsword, pointing into the distance, "Both of you, now might not be the time to chat, there seems to be something up ahead."

The two of them looked toward where Arthur Laine was pointing.

Behind the immense arch was originally a mist, but now, large shadows emerged as though some enormous creature was about to burst through the fog.

Amberser was about to sense around when he noticed the shadows in the mist quickly dissipated, unclear whether they had hidden or departed.

"It seems that Talos’s protection can’t let us walk unabashedly here. Let’s brace ourselves; this place might actually be lethal. Her Royal Highness the Princess, I presume you don’t intend to become Undead, right?"

Airel also understood that now was not the right time, picking up her Hammer again, she watched the front vigilantly.

With a grand gesture, Amberser said to Arthur Laine, "Your Majesty, please lead the way."

Arthur Laine let out a bitter smile, without objecting, and strode towards the mist.

Although Arthur wasn’t much of a liar, he too noticed something off about their recent conversation; he carelessly slipped up letting Amberser start deceiving the young girl again. It was better to keep quiet; after all, a Lich was capable of anything.

Arthur Laine was enveloped in radiant Holy Light as he stepped into the mist.

The Holy Light was still conspicuous in the dense fog, like a guiding light leading Amberser and Airel forward.

All three were on high alert, not letting any small disturbance go unnoticed.

This might be the most powerful War-Magic-Priest Trio in the world.

Arthur Laine was the most famous Paladin in history, the absolute Chosen of the Lord of the Dawn, the legendary hero who slew the Magic Dragon Tyrant.

Airel was a chosen of Talos, the Storm Priest wielding a Divine Artifact.

Only Amberser was different, he was proficient in both prophecies and Necromancy, embodying several Legendary Graces, probably having more tricks than all the Mages in the world combined.

Together, this trio truly didn’t have to worry about any enemies.

But as they ventured deeper into the mist, they encountered no danger, giving them all a sense of being overly prepared.

Yet, it wasn’t that they discovered nothing. Amberser swiftly found traces left by the Githyanki.

Severe weathering left plenty of footprints and some bloodstains on the ground; it seemed they were moving with injured among them.

They must have also entered from the subterranean labyrinth; without Talos’s blessing, it’s unknown how many sacrifices they made to get here. Amberser decided to follow the Githyanki’s footprints, soon arriving at a large platform.

It looked like an altar, about two hundred meters in diameter, with three clear Lightning engravings on the ground, made of the same material as the arch, preserving its original appearance despite countless years.

The three Lightning markings were indeed the emblem of Talos; this place was clearly Talos’s altar.

Amberser made a round and found that the three Lightning marks each led in different directions. They were pathways built over the water, extending into the depths of the mist.

Unfortunately, Amberser was not very familiar with the faith of Talos and didn’t understand the difference between these three paths.

Luckily, they had a devout follower of Talos among them.

Airel, though she had not lived in the Ancient Era, was very clear about the meaning of these three Lightnings.

"This is the emblem of Talos from the ancient times, the three Lightnings should be green, blue, and red respectively, but the colors have worn off due to lack of maintenance. According to ancient records, the three colors of Lightning represent three different trials: green for calamity, blue for destruction, and red for fury. But I am not very clear about the specifics."

"Based on my guess, this should be the entrance to the Storm Coliseum. The warriors participating in the duel need to complete the first ritual to the Lord of the Storm on this altar, then choose a direction to enter. After passing the trials, they should be able to enter the final Arena and compete for the ultimate victory."

Having said that, Airel turned to look at Amberser, as the final choice of path still required his decision.

Amberser didn’t pay much attention to the content of the trial; instead, he carefully examined the traces left in each of the three passageways. He then noticed that two of the passageways were marked with the blood and footprints of the Githyanki, although the footprints were so muddled it was difficult to discern the direction they were headed or to estimate the number of Githyanki.

"Take a look at these footprints and bloodstains," he said. "They’re interesting."

Airel said in confusion, "Could it be that they split into two groups?"

Arthur Laine, however, said, "No, they must have entered one path and then turned back, choosing the second path instead. Look here, the path of the Trial of Destruction has more footprints and more bloodstains. I guess the Githyanki chose this path first but didn’t pass the trial, so they returned the way they came and then chose the path of the Trial of Fury."

Amberser nodded in agreement with Arthur Laine’s deduction.

Indeed, only a legendary figure who had worked his way up from nothing could notice such details, thanks to his rich adventuring experience. Before Arthur Laine had taken up the rebellion, he had been traveling and accumulating a wealth of adventuring experience.

Although Airel was also considered a prodigious youth, she had always been the princess of the kingdom, so her experience in this aspect was much less.

"Shall we follow them?" asked Airel.

Amberser had come here to find the Githyanki, and now that they had entered the Trial of Fury, it was only natural for them to give chase.

But Amberser said, "No, I think it might be worthwhile to take a walk down the road where the Githyanki failed. Your Royal Highness the Princess, don’t forget what the Lord of the Storm said; he wants us to reenact the gladiatorial battles of yore. If we follow the Githyanki, whether we kill them all or simply follow them through the trial, it might not be what the deity wishes to see."

Right now, the Childish God was gleefully watching mortals battle, and if Amberser cunningly followed the Githyanki to pass the trial or launched a surprise attack, Talos probably wouldn’t be pleased.

Airel understood Amberser’s point. Indeed, worthy of being chosen by the deity, he still knew what the Lord of the Storm desired. Airel felt she had to reflect on herself; since entering this place, her mind had been in chaos.

"I must pull myself together. I should now focus on passing the deity’s trial!"

Airel’s face changed, and her hammer pulsed with the glow of lightning, as if responding to her inner thoughts.

Amberser pointed to the passage that had stymied the Githyanki and said, "Let’s choose the Trial of Destruction. If we can take care of an opponent that the Githyanki couldn’t defeat, I think Talos will be very pleased."

Airel held a certain admiration for Amberser at this point. The courage the lich displayed at a crucial moment was indeed worthy of Talos’s favor.

But in reality, what Amberser was thinking was that the three trials probably weren’t too different in terms of difficulty, and since the Githyanki had already traversed this path once, it might have weakened somewhat, allowing him to potentially take advantage.

Having made their decision, the three headed towards the middle passageway.

Walking along the path paved with the Githyanki’s blood, they entered the mist of another stone archway.

After walking about three or four hundred meters along a narrow waterway, they finally arrived at a vast platform.

The moment they stepped onto the platform, violent thunderbolts fell from the sky, continuously striking the area around them.

Aside from the regular intervals between the lightning strikes, there was no pattern at all.

It seemed the Trial of Destruction involved combat amidst this tempest of thunder.

Amberser had long raised a Mage Shield, the lightning negligible upon striking him; Arthur Laine was the same, his body no longer vulnerable to ordinary lightning, he didn’t even bother to dodge.

As for Airel, her body was already wrapped in the glow of lightning, integrating with the surrounding thunder, unaffected and seemingly able to harness this power.

That’s the might of the Chosen ones; Talos’s great power would bring Airel a strong enhancement.

By the time the three of them entered the arena, three towering figures also descended from the sky.

The thunderous crash shook the ground, making even Amberser nearly lose his footing, and before they could get a clear look at what had emerged, a hammer was already spinning towards Amberser.

The hammer head was as large as a carriage, and despite its immense weight of who knows how many tons, it emitted a whistling sound as it was thrown. What kind of monster could wield such a thing?

In mid-flight, the hammer was continuously struck by lightning, the power of the thunder converging upon it and emitting a blinding light; if hit directly by it, one would likely be smashed to pieces before being charred to a crisp.

However, Amberser did not need to worry about that as Arthur Laine’s sword had already met the giant hammer, with a flick of his blade, the Thunder Hammer flew off at an angle.

Without much effort, Arthur Laine had neutralized the thunder strike, a testament to his swordsmanship honed over a millennium.

Only then did they get a clear look at the newcomers.

Three giants, averaging over four meters in height, each wielding an axe, a hammer, and a giant sword, their fingers thicker than the three adventurers.

"For Talos!"

The three giants roared and then started charging towards Amberser and his companions from three different directions.

Their ferocity was reminiscent of the Headless Knight Gareth’s charge.

Amberser was dumbfounded. Was this what they called a trial?

Were the followers of Talos always this brave? Who among normal people could defeat them?!