Entering The Secret Plane
Chairman Siley turned around and said to Leylin and the group of acolytes, "You are all the most outstanding students of my Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, who have experienced deaths with blood and fire. You are not just a flower that is nurtured in a greenhouse, but ferocious young lions. I want you to seek your preys, stalk them, and ambush them. Finally, rip them to shreds!"
After finishing the last sentence, Chairman Siley’s eyes turned a crimson red, and a blood red light was radiated, making his face seemed somewhat contorted.
Leylin’s face was extremely solemn, and he did not know how to react to this anymore.
Following which, the chairman promised many different rewards. They were all involving precious resources and advanced information that would be given as a bounty whenever the opposing acolytes were slain. This made the acolytes face gleam with greed.
"As per rumours, our chairman is indeed an extremely aggressive person!" Leylin thought, "I wonder how long this group of people will last?"
On the other side, the chairman of Sage Gotham’s Hut and Whitewoods Castle were also giving their speech. Although their acolytes were cheering loudly and nodding their heads vigorously, Leylin was in glee.
The academies in the south coast had been influenced by the styles of their respective headmasters. Abyssal Bone Forest Academy was advocating a more bloodthirsty and theory of the law of the jungle. Overall, it was leaning towards the side of Dark Magi.
As for the two opposing factions, they were obviously leaning more towards Light Magi types. Although many acolytes were already level 3 acolyte, Leylin did not see the astuteness and craftiness in their eyes. Many of them even seemed innocent, which was extremely similar to the acolytes that were in Extreme Night City.
"If it’s this way, there is still a chance!"
Leylin’s eyes gleamed. His target was only to gather enough contribution points in exchange for Grine Water, so he had no reason to create more trouble for himself.
As for the price of Grine Water, it was 50 contribution points. This is to say, Leylin had to kill 5 level 3 acolytes on the other side, or even more level 2 acolytes, before gathering enough points.
"The acolytes do not have the defensive force field that an official Magus has. If only I have time, I can analyse and choose my opponents, giving me enough contribution points!"
Leylin sized up the opposing acolytes and eyed some of the level 3 acolytes who obviously had low energy waves.
They will be his prey!
"Alright! This secret plane will hold on for 3 days. In these 3 days, you will all be transported to different places in the secret plane. Protect your chest badges well. They are proof of your contributions and contains information on the return route!"
Siley waved his hands, and the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy acolytes formed a long line, entering the entrance of the secret plane in an orderly fashion.
Under the mediation of Lighthouse of the Night, it obtained a few benefits. For example, they could enter the secret plane first, giving them a territorial advantage.
However, Leylin understood that in front of his opponents’ immense force, this little benefit for Abyssal Bone Forest Academy is simply a joke!
The acolytes on both sides numbered almost the same, at 200 or so. However, the amount of level 3 acolyte on their side was at least 5 to 6 times more than what Abyssal Bone Forest Academy had.
As for the acolytes of Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, not to mention that most of them perished in the war, many of them could not make it back in time. Some even betrayed the academy and were killed while escaping. Such a result made Abyssal Bone Forest Academy inferior to the enemy in terms of elite forces.
Under these circumstances, the chairman of Abyssal Bone Forest Academy still provoked the enemy in such a fashion. This made Leylin convinced of a rumour - The cause of this war was exactly the provocation by this Chairman Siley.
As Leylin pondered on, he followed the acolyte in front of him into the secret plane.
......
* Weng! *
After entering the plane, Leylin’s sight turned black. When he regained his senses, he was already standing on an unfamiliar plot of land.
He felt dizzy, as it there were millions of bees flapping their wings. Leylin’s face contorted, almost puking.
[A negative effect is discovered on the Host. The symptoms are dizziness and vomiting. The primary diagnosis is that it is the aftereffect from travelling through spatial areas!]
The A.I. Chip’s voice intoned. Leylin slapped his forehead, and opened his water bottle, splashing the cold water on his face, which made him feel much better.
Looking the surroundings, what entered his sight were some small trees and shrubberies. There were always a few unknown fruit trees grown. On them were a type of purple-red fruit, and was slightly hairy on the surface.
"A.I. Chip, scan the surroundings!"
Leylin ordered. Immediately, a light blue 3D image was projected in front of Leylin’s eyes.
"There doesn’t seem to be any danger!" Leylin nodded his head and chanted an incantation.
Along with the chanting noise, Leylin’s face took on a morphing process. His eyes became larger, his lips paler, his hair changed colour, as if a totally different person. Even his height was shorter by a few inches.
What was surprising was that after this rank 0 spell, the energy waves from Leylin’s body gradually weakened. It regressed from a level 3 acolyte to that of a level 1 acolyte slowly.
[Shapeshifting spell (Modified), able to the change the height and appearance of a person, even the energy waves radiation! Consumption: 3 magic power, 3 spiritual force!]
Shapeshifting spell was a spell that Leylin specially chose back when he was leaving the academy.
After he advanced into a level 3 acolyte, he managed to reach the requirements for the A.I. Chip to make modifications to it. Back in Extreme Night City, he had already completed the modification for this Shapeshifting spell.
Of course, no matter how much the A.I. Chip modified it, the Shapeshifting spell was after all a rank 0 spell. It could only conceal his energy from acolytes, but not the detection from official Magi. If not, Leylin could have used the spell to make himself be a level 2 acolyte when he returned.
Moreover, the Shapeshifting spell could only slightly lower the energy waves, allowing him to pass off as a low-level acolyte. It could not be used to conceal as a regular human or official Magus.
However, the bloodbath in the secret plane was only for acolytes. So the disguise would not be found out by other acolytes.
"It’s done!" Leylin looked at his reflection in a mirror.
A blonde male acolyte, with the energy wave of a level 1 acolyte. Under this state, even if it was Bicky or Merlin, they wouldn’t be able to recognise him.
"However, a person’s habit cannot be changed so easily. I had better avoid meeting any familiar people. "
Leylin’s eyes flashed, and he disappeared into the shrubbery.
......
As for other places in the secret plane, many acolytes had already begun to face off and there were several explosive yet short-lived battles.
Beside a small pool, a black haired acolyte with a black cloak used lightning to obliterate an Abyssal Bone Forest Academy acolyte into ashes.
On the other side of the plane, Jayden’s expression darkened, and suddenly countless vines shot out from his body, wrapping around an opposing acolyte from Whitewoods Castle into a ball of vines. Along with the contraction of the vine, fresh blood seeped through from the gaps of the vine, falling drop by drop on the floor.
Battles like these happened constantly throughout the plane. On the whole, the level 3 acolytes from Abyssal Bone Forest Academy has an advantage in 1 versus 1 combat. As for other level 1 and 2 acolytes, if they meet with these level 3 acolytes they would be killed immediately.
A pockmarked brown haired acolyte wore the uniform of Sage Gotham’s Hut. His eyes were not big, but it was filled with anxiety and wariness, as he continuously scanned the surroundings.
"Damn it! I was actually sent here. The distance from the gathering point with the academy is too far..."
The acolyte hurried his step as he berated incessantly.
* Peng! *
Suddenly, a few large holes appeared from the ground. Yellow brown mud spikes emerged from it. In that instant, it pierced through that acolyte’s grey robes and inner armour, rupturing a huge hole in the stomach area.
With a look of anguish and disbelief, the acolyte’s eyes were drained of life gradually with the blood and innards flowing out from his body.
A dozen minutes later, the grasses in the surrounding shook. Leylin took off his green costume and walked towards the corpse of the acolyte.
He crouched down and retrieved a red badge from the acolyte’s chest.
"It’s only a level 2 acolyte! Value is 3 contribution points!"
Leylin kept the red badge in his robes. The various academies had different badges. Abyssal Bone Forest Academy’s was black throughout in colour, while the ones from Sage Gotham’s Hut were red. Naturally, the badge from Whitewoods Castle was white. Moreover, there were different shapes for the different levels of acolytes.
"A.I. Chip! Bring forth my stats!"
[Beep! Leylin Farlier, level 3 acolyte, Knight. Strength: 3.1, Agility: 3.3, Vitality: 3.7, Spiritual force: 8(13.2), Magical Power: 8(13) - (Magical Power is in synchronisation with spiritual force). Status: Healthy]
"A Shapeshifting spell and Ground Spear has already consumed 5 points of my magic power and spiritual force. I have to conserve my spiritual force and try to use potions to battle!"
Leylin’s eyes flashed.
This bloodbath between academies was not a competition or anything of that sort. According to the latest information received earlier, Leylin could already confirm that the opposing academies had chosen a few gathering points. It was for their acolytes to hurry to the area and then launch a joint attack on Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.
As for the acolytes in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, their strength was greatly diminished. They could not agree on gathering points, if not they might be eradicated in one fell swoop. They could only scatter and fight their enemies.
Leylin could already foresee that on the very first day, the level 3 acolyte in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy would be able to kill just a few acolytes of the enemy, and obtain a clear advantage. Once the enemies have gathered together, however, they would begin to hunt the acolytes from Abyssal Bone Forest Academy similar to chasing after wild ducks.
Once he thought of the scenario where the magic spell formation set by the acolytes - when completed - could cover a large area and hone in on the acolytes, Leylin’s scalp tingled.
"I could only rely on now to obtain more contribution points! If not as the time passes the difficulty will increase!"
Leylin’s expression turned gloomy.