Falca did attempt to attack Loki earlier, but Loki still decided to explain Falca’s question. In fact, he didn’t hate Falca at all.
The nature of a naughty kid.
Also, despite Falca’s rebellious dressing style, he was only around the age of 15, which was not much older than Loki. There were very few apprentices around such young ages here, and Loki would like to be friendly to all of them.
Falca felt puzzled upon receiving Loki’s “friendliness”, yet he chose to listen to the boy’s advice. He was the one asking that question after all.
He spread his spirit feelers around his gray Meraid’s Sword. Previously, this wouldn’t yield any results, but Falca was surprised that he actually sensed something strange this time.
He saw the Altar of Demise from above in a bird’s-eye view, which helped him notice that the area was divided into five zones.
The central zone was giving out a dim light and was where the embodiment of the purification law was located. Starting from there and going outward, there was the golden zone, silver zone, white zone, and at last, the gray zone at the edge. The golden zone was the smallest one while the gray one was several hundred times larger.
Falca quickly took a guess. “So, the colors of our swords determine which zone we can enter?”
“Yup!” Loki nodded. “Someone captured and interrogated some Duon priests. They told us that less than a hundred people are allowed into the golden zone. A thousand for silver. As for the other two ones... I’m not sure. Many people.”
“But how does it work? Do we acquire more purification power if we stand closer to the center?”
“Basically, yes. But it doesn’t matter if you have really little impurity in your body. Standing in the gray zone will help you cleanse it all. I heard that the purification power got amplified or something, so gray zone will enjoy really strong purification too.” Loki made a duck-face and glanced at Jebra. “That guy’s body is completely pure. He took a spot in the golden zone just because he wants to.”
Falca frowned.
In order to cultivate his Blood Bats, he gained a lot of impurity and old injuries. He really wanted to receive the best purification if possible.
But how did so many people survive? If more people died out there, I can find a better place!
His arrogant mind never thought about the possibility that he might well be one of the victims if the challenge were harder.
Loki saw Falca’s sad look and rolled his eyes. Then he also took out a gray sword. “Come on, the garden is not the only thing that helps us purify our bodies. Being alive now is the biggest destiny we can have. And think about the law of purification... standing closer to the core has nothing to with who can comprehend the law. You need talent and some serious luck for that. Who knows, maybe one of us will succeed.”
Again, Falca felt uncomfortable with Loki being so amiable. Regardless, he didn’t protest.
Yeah... the law of purification. Everybody wants that.
“I find the entrance in the demon fish world because I’m smart. I found a Meraid’s Sword in the Sea of Purification, and I’m lucky enough to get sent somewhere closer to the altar at the beginning...”
Brain, destiny, luck, and talent, I have them all! Of course I should be the one who receives the enlightenment of the law!
When thinking in this way, Falca felt great hope surging in his heart.
Little did he know that most people were considering the same thing.
Every single survivor believed that he or she was “special”, was the “chosen one”, and was very likely to win the rare chance.
While Falca enjoyed his own fantasies, Loki looked at his partner who was also sitting on the white rhino.
“What’s wrong, Alan? You look so sad.”
Alan was always a carefree and happy-go-lucky little chef. Loki easily noticed something was wrong since Alan had not been speaking for quite a while.
Alan sighed. “Five minutes left...”
Loki tilted his head and checked the countdown.
“Yeah, it’s almost up, but it means we’re going to enjoy the law of purification soon. Shouldn’t you be happy?”
“When I was with Hermes, I looked around and didn’t find Angor anywhere. He got left behind?” Alan looked at the protective barrier around the area and still couldn’t find Angor.
They were not really close friends, yet Alan only knew a handful of people in the entire wizarding world. Besides, Angor seemed to be a powerful alchemist. Alan would really want to keep him as a long-term acquaintance.
But he was beginning to get a bad feeling now. Was Angor dead?
“Dunno, I can’t see him either.” Loki didn’t share Alan’s concern. “He’s probably still on his way. I don’t think many people can beat him in a fight,” Loki said. He then paused and lowered his voice to a whisper, “Who knows, maybe even Jebra will get his a*s kicked if Angor’s here.”
“I’m just worried...” Alan looked down. If something bad happened to him...
“Angor? Angor Padt?” Falca crept closer to the rhino and showed a strange expression.
“Yes, that’s him. You know him too?” Alan asked.
Falca visibly grew excited about something. “So, he didn’t make it to the altar? Ha, nice! That’s the best news I’ve heard ever since I came here!”
“Huh? You hate him or something?”
“Nah, I just don’t like him,” Falca said as he revealed a cruel smile. He fully blamed Angor for getting caught by a Rune Monitor last time. Also, Taurus spoke highly of Angor’s talent for more than once, which made Falca really irritated.
We’re both level-2 apprentices, so what’s the deal? That guy got nothing apart from his handsome face!
Falca always believed that Angor’s fame was forged out of lies.
And why would Mister Taurus tell me to learn from him?? He hadn’t even met Angor personally yet!
Now that Angor failed the challenge, Falca was going to tell Taurus that he didn’t have to learn from a loser who died in the garden.
As the countdown ticked down, there was more than one individual who was concerned about Angor’s fate, such as those who escaped from the Lord of Tentacles because of Angor’s help—Sinehowze, Carveline, and Shayaron.
“Angor’s not here yet...” said Sinehowze. She and Carveline also managed to occupy a position in the sky.
“He’s too far. That fight between us happened somewhere ten thousand kilometers from the altar. We can get here because of our static teleportation. I don’t think Angor has anything like that... It’s too hard for him to travel so far even if he moves at full speed.”
Away from them, Jebra was also glancing at the barrier anxiously.
No one could see him across the thick vapor curtain around him. He kept checking the barrier because he felt terrified.
There were multiple apprentices here who wanted to kill him, such as Keely and Maine. But compared to them, Jebra was very afraid of the water manipulator apprentice who bullied him for good. Even at this moment, some residue of the poisonous water in his body was still torturing him. Jebra hoped that the purification could do something about it later. Otherwise, he would have to ask his professor for help.
Jebra kept praying that the madwoman wouldn’t show up here. He put up his water barrier just so that the others couldn’t see his terrified look. Otherwise, it would ruin his hard-earned personal image.
His legs trembled again when he thought about that terrible woman.
[Time remaining: 1 minute]
Alan shook his head as he gave up on waiting for Angor. He always trusted Angor’s strength, but it seemed his faith was forsaken.
“The promotion ceremony is soon. Let’s find a spot in the white zone,” Alan sighed and said to Loki.
“Hermes already helped us clean out some space, let’s head there.” Loki nodded and beckoned Falca.
Since Hermes just taught him a painful lesson not long ago, Falca felt really embarrassed about receiving Loki’s help. However, he still complied since he only had a gray sword.
Sinehowze shook her head as she murmured, “Angor failed... I was looking for a chance to sign a Spirit Contract with him so that he can help me craft stuff. Well, I should forget about it.”
Jebra checked the ticking number in the sky and felt his mood eased a lot.
That woman’s dead! Nobody will know about my weakness, and one less enemy for me!
...
Outside the barrier and away from everyone’s view, a bolt of black lightning was approaching the barrier with great speed.
Ten, nine, eight...
When the number reached “1”, the protective magic array around the Altar of Demise that stopped anyone without a Meraid’s Sword from entering slowly changed its color from transparent to milk-white.
When the barrier completely sealed up, the last phase of the blood sacrifice would begin.
When that happened, the entire Sea of Purification, including everything that called it home as well as apprentices who had not entered the barrier, would become fertilizers that would facilitate the growth of the purification garden.
Before the barrier became completely white and shut off everything outside, the black lightning barged inside and caused a violent air current to go off.
“We made it?!”
“Yes, we did!!”
“Gods bless us!”
As several strange voices celebrated to their hearts’ content, those that arrived at the Altar of Demise earlier, as well as the observing wizards outside the purification garden, widened their eyes in shock.
Whatever is that thing?!