All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 263

132. Erasing the Trap – 1

As always, Ian nodded nonchalantly.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“I am surprised, though.”

Ian replied with a face that showed no surprise at all, making the magician feel awkward.

Aranse was even more surprised than him.

“Ruins in the Forgotten City?”

“Haven’t you heard? The Forest Keepers and the Magic Tower are jointly investigating the Forgotten City. Even magicians belonging to the Academy are participating.”

The magician asked, puzzled, and Aranse nodded.

“I’ve heard about that, but…”

“Along with the families who manage the Forgotten City, we conducted a large-scale investigation. After combining the information from each family, we discovered a passage that leads underground.”

Going through that passage, they found ruins that seemed to have been operated by the ancient Magic Kingdom.

The magicians of the Magic Tower were excited and continued exploring the ruins.

And they found out.

There were traces that someone had recently entered the ruins.

That’s why they entered more cautiously, and when they reached the lowest level of the ruins, the dormant ruins activated.

“The ruins moved, receiving power from the many ley lines [naturally occurring lines of energy] in the Forgotten City. And because of that, Hell unfolded.”

“This is serious. Does that mean demons are coming out of Hell?”

“Well, that’s a bit strange. Demons didn’t come out.”

Only mindless hellish monsters came out.

That’s why the Forest Keepers sensed something was wrong and immediately told them to contact Ian.

“What’s going on… No, more than that, can Hell be connected through the ruins?”

“It’s not impossible. It would be quite inefficient and one-way, though.”

“Oh? Count Ian, do you know about it too? Several Lords who investigated the place also said that.”

Since it’s a zone connected to Hell in the long term, we might be able to explore Hell if we do well.

So, some of the Lords risked their lives and went inside.

However, they couldn’t enter like the hellish monsters that were coming out.

It was as if they were blocked by an invisible wall.

“It’s really strange. Hell’s mud keeps coming out, but it doesn’t spread beyond a certain range. And you can’t go in either…”

“I see.”

“So… Count Ian. Is there any way you can enter Hell through that place?”

“I can go, but I don’t want to.”

“I understand. Then I’ll talk to Hiral-nim as well. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

The magician bowed and left, and Aranse looked at Ian.

“Why is that?”

“Hell is similar to the Spirit Realm. Ah, there he is. Nuave.”

Nuave, who was coming in with a lump of meat in his mouth, sat down in front of Ian.

Ian stroked Nuave’s fluffy fur, who was wagging his golden tail, and immediately asked.

“Can a being from this world go to the Spirit Realm?”

“Can’t go. You have to abandon your body and maintain only your mental body to enter.”

“Then spirits can go to Hell.”

Aranse, who was listening from the side, was impressed.

But Nuave flatly denied it.

“It’s possible, but I don’t want to go. After all, Hell is overwhelmingly advantageous for demons. Your power will be greatly reduced, and you’ll be eaten by demons right away.”

“Oh. Is it that bad?”

“Yeah. So, don’t even think about going to Hell. The same goes for the Spirit Realm. Those with a body must live where there is a body.”

Nuave spoke quite seriously, and Aranse sighed.

“Ian. Is it dangerous even if you go?”

“It’s not extremely dangerous, but it’s troublesome in many ways.”

Going to Hell directly.

And making demons come out.

If you compare which one is more efficient, the latter is overwhelmingly more efficient.

There are many powers that you can’t use when you become a mental body, and the trump cards you’ve prepared for emergencies will become meaningless.

“Then it’s a dangerous place with no meaning. Shouldn’t it be closed right away?”

“That’s true. So, I’m going to go and check it out later.”

“Really? Then go quickly. Don’t worry about this side.”

Ian nodded to him and immediately left the lobby.

Hiral, who happened to be at the Academy, came with the magician who had come earlier and asked.

“I heard the situation. Are you thinking of going to the Forgotten City?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. You’re going too, right?”

“I have to go.”

Ian went straight to the Academy’s gate with her.

When they passed through the gate and headed straight to the Forgotten City, there were already quite a few people blocking the entrance.

“Let us in!”

“Don’t block us! You bastards!!”

The words ‘Forgotten City Ruins’ were the same as saying ‘Magic Kingdom Ruins.’

Ian had already captured the tower of the Forgotten City and obtained the Magic Kingdom’s legacy.

But he hadn’t completely obtained all the legacy here.

Explorers who wanted to get even the remaining scraps were flocking like ants at the news that the ruins had been discovered.

“Get out of the way! Get out of the way!”

“We’ll open it after the investigation is over! It’s very dangerous down here right now…”

“Get lost!!”

“You’re going to eat all the good stuff while investigating!”

“Get out of the way! Get out of the way!”

A growling explorer reached out his hand.

In an instant, an aura blade was created in his hand.

“Everyone! This won’t do! If we leave it like this, those guys will take everything!”

“There’s no control in the Forgotten City!”

“Let’s go in!”

He shouted, inciting them, and the explorers responded.

If left like this, they seemed likely to push their way in.

That’s why Ian took a step forward.

“Stop and go back.”

Some of the explorers who saw him tilted their heads.

But the skilled ones who had explored the Forgotten City were horrified.

“No way?!”

“C, Count Ian?!”

A powerful figure who had obtained the Magic Kingdom’s legacy.

In the Empire, he had defeated the Magic Dragon and crushed the Iron-Blooded Duke.

That such a strong person would appear here.

“D, damn it. When did he come?”

“I came a while ago. And I’ll say it again. Stop and go back.”

Ian said calmly, and the explorers hesitated.

But not everyone was like that.

“No matter how strong you are, we are adventurers and explorers who want freedom!”

“No one can give us orders!”

Some of those who stepped forward boldly had only heard stories about Ian.

Perhaps that’s why they stepped forward without fear, and at that moment, their heads fell.

“Do you really think there isn’t?”

“Huk…”

“If you want to resist my orders, you can continue. I like that look too.”

Of course, dying in the process is a separate matter.

As Ian was about to swing his sword again, Hiral frowned.

“You there.”

“Yes?”

The middle-aged explorer who had spoken to Ian earlier asked, puzzled, and Hiral flicked her finger.

“You, and you there. And you.”

Three explorers were chosen.

As they approached, Hiral looked at the explorers and said.

“Take these three as witnesses.”

“Why only those three?!”

“Me too! Me too!”

The explorers, blinded by greed and jealousy, shouted, but Hiral ignored them.

“You three. Go in and see for yourselves.”

“Hmm. If that’s the case.”

“If you do anything foolish before the investigation of these ruins is over, I won’t forgive you.”

“I understand.”

“Then let’s go. Ian. It’s about time…”

As Hiral spoke, Ian shook his head.

“We don’t need to go in.”

“Huh?”

Hiral’s expression, which had been tilting her head, suddenly hardened.

She raised her staff, and a huge guardian barrier unfolded around them.

The explorers who saw the guardian barrier were about to say something.

Those at the entrance of the ruins were puzzled by the sound coming from inside.

“What…?”

There was a sound from inside.

Heavy footsteps.

“Get out of the way!! Run away!”

“Damn it!! Too late! Magicians, put up a barrier!! We have to block it somehow!!”

The magicians who came out of the ruins were trying to block the entrance with barriers.

An old man, a Forest Keeper, who was among them, saw the barrier created outside and Ian and Hiral inside and felt relieved.

“Hiral-nim! And even Ian-nim!!”

“What’s going on?!”

As one of the magicians shouted, one of the knights who barely came out trembled and said.

“The ruins have begun to go berserk.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

A terrible malice-filled mud erupted from the entrance of the ruins.

“Hiiiik?!”

“Wh, what is that?!”

The mud of Hell began to engulf the Forgotten City.

As it emitted immense malice, the explorers inside Hiral’s barrier trembled.

Hiral, who clicked her tongue briefly at them, who were terrified, raised her staff.

“Elemental Wall.”

The energy of the four elements, water, fire, wind, and earth, gathered to create a huge wall.

As the flood of mud was blocked by her power, Ian shook his head.

“That’s meaningless.”

“It’s better than doing nothing.”

“It’s not that… The mud is just to create a domain…”

The path was already open, and something would come out through that path.

-Kuuooooooo!!

A terrible scream erupted from the mud.

The Forest Keeper gripped his sword tightly.

“Hell’s demonic beasts are coming out.”

“What did you do to make it like this?”

“We didn’t do anything. We were just investigating. We didn’t touch anything special…”

“Perhaps entering those ruins was the trigger.”

“Yes?”

“What if that trace itself was a trap? A lure to make you go in?”

“Then… entering the lowest level of the ruins was a trap to connect to Hell?”

“It could be.”

“Then that trace is…?”

“Who knows? It could have been made by Kesin.”

Ian nodded lightly and then raised his sword.

The mud was rippling, and something was appearing from within.

It was a corpse.

A corpse made of countless demons.

A hellish monster made of those corpses was revealing its body from the mud.

“U, uaaaaaa!”

“Wh, what is that again?!”

“Run away!! Run away!”

They had explored the Forgotten City and seen quite a few monsters from other dimensions, but this was the first time they had seen something so terrible.

Most of those in this place were trembling in fear.

Some were even driven mad by the terrible sight.