https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-167-Let-s-Give-the-Guild-Master-a-Break/12810406/
Chapter 166: Team Voice Chat
Chapter 166: Team Voice Chat
As Rod and Cana landed at their destination on the back of a Sharpbeak, they noticed that Mest and Wang Qiangji's names were already written on the bulletin board at the foot of the mountain.
" spatial magic sure is convenient," Rod said, picking up a pen and writing their names down alongside Cana.
He briefly considered erasing Mest's name but decided against it. They were all in the same guild, and there was no need to be so underhanded.
"Alright, let's get started!" Cana pulled out a deck of cards and began her divination right there.
Rod summoned a pack of Shadow Wolves to scout ahead and find the key. He also sent two River Crabs to hide near the starting point, acting as a kind of "ward" to provide vision, just like in the game.
The main force for finding things was the Shadow Wolves. Rod had them track the scents of the Guild Master and Erza, who had set up the key. It would have been even more secure if he could find the scent sources of Laxus and Mystogan, but those were harder to come by.
Cana performed a series of card tricks that Rod couldn't understand, and finally held up one card. "Going northwest will bring us good luck."
Rod nodded. "Alright, let's go."
They identified the direction and chose a path to the northwest.
He didn't summon more monsters to conserve his magic power for potential battles.
The canyon was filled with tall, peculiar stone pillars that blocked sunlight in many areas. The surroundings were mostly devoid of vegetation, with only a few ferns and mosses clinging to the slippery mountain walls. Walking through this place felt chilly and far from comfortable.
Rod glanced at Cana. If it were Mira here, it might feel a bit better.
Cana noticed his look. "Any findings?"
Rod shook his head. "Not yet. The area is so large; it will take some time."
The maze itself wasn't difficult; the real challenge was finding the key. Searching for a few wooden signs in such a vast canyon was indeed troublesome.
A figure flashed in the sky, and Cana looked up. "That was Mest, right?"
"Yeah, he's probably doing aerial reconnaissance," Rod said, thinking aloud. "I wonder if he can sustain his magic power for continuous use of spatial magic."
"It would be to our advantage if he can't," Cana replied. Everyone's goal was to find the key as quickly as possible. No one was as meticulous about conserving magic power as Rod.
They walked carefully, searching as they went, and chose their paths according to Cana's divination results. It wasn't out of superstition; Cana's predictions were usually quite accurate.
"Mishi and Joey have written their names," Rod's River Crab at the starting point reported.
One of the crabs followed them as they neared the edge of the vision range.
This was part of Rod's plan. The two River Crabs would track the two teams. If Rod and Cana couldn't find the key and someone else did, they could always intercept them.
"Mishi... I have a feeling your tracking won't go smoothly," Cana said. "She might just keep heading north and blaze a trail."
Rod paused. "That's a possibility. She and Joey are starting to climb the mountain."
Cana laughed. "That's just like her!"
Rod was truly exasperated by the guild's reckless members, who were all equally impulsive, regardless of gender.
Fortunately, Mishi didn't plan to keep climbing. Instead, she stood atop the mountain to survey the area and released Bixi to help find the correct path.
Her strategy was to find the exit first. If they encountered the key along the way, great; if not, they would wait at the exit for a confrontation.
Rod and Cana conferred for a moment, deducing Mira's likely plan, and they both felt a bit disdainful about it.
"If she doesn't even try to find the key, who are we supposed to steal it from?"
After a while, William and Marcus finally arrived at the starting point, signed their names, and hurriedly ran into the maze.
Another river crab followed them, and Rod noticed William pressing his index and middle fingers to his temple before leading Marcus on a fast pace.
"This direction... seems to be heading towards Mira and the others," Rod deduced. "They don't plan on finding things on their own either, do they?"
Cana remarked, "William's magic can track everyone's position. We might be under his surveillance right now."
Rod felt a bit disheartened. He had only been tracking two teams, and both were planning to slack off.
Myst had been teleporting around, making it impossible to follow him, so Rod had to rely on his own efforts.
After searching for a while, there was a new development from William's side.
He suddenly pulled Marcus to the side, veering into a fork in the path.
The river crab lost sight of them and hurried to catch up.
Just as it approached the intersection, a large amount of sand burst out from the ground, lashing out like a whip and flipping the crab over.
"Sand Terrain! Wait, isn't this Rod's Swift Crab?" Marcus recognized the creature. "Rod's summoned monsters are from this canyon?"
"No, I'd rather think Rod sent it to track us," William said.
The attacked crab immediately returned to the Summoner's Rift, following Rod's pre-emptive command to preserve its strength.
"Figures, he's thinking the same way we are," Marcus confirmed as the crab vanished. "Hey, William..."
...
"Hey, Rod, sorry about that!"
A somewhat smug voice echoed in Rod's mind, sounding like Marcus.
"Marcus? Is William using telepathy?"
Cana stopped in her tracks. "William is communicating with you?"
Rod nodded and then heard William's voice follow:
"Yes, it's me. You can talk as you did just now, and I'll hear you. How's your progress?"
Rod replied, "If we had any progress, we wouldn't be tracking you, right? I told it to stay hidden. You must be really good to have noticed it."
"Tracking won't work on me."
William, being a seasoned magician of the same age as Laxus, had unique magic that made it almost impossible for anyone to track him without being detected.
Rod silently marveled at the guild's abundance of talented individuals.
Cana asked, puzzled, "What's he saying?"
"He's asking about our progress. Hold on." Rod continued, "Do you want to include Cana in the conversation? It's exhausting to relay everything."
"Sure, Cana, can you hear me?"
Cana laughed, "Ha! Actually, I'm curious how you got down from the cliff."
"Ha, I know that one. William, he..."
They hadn't had this much to talk about even when they were on the train together. Now, unable to see each other, their conversation was getting livelier.
Rod was reminded of the lively voice chats he used to have with his friends while gaming, even though they were in different places.
Unfortunately, the communication was abruptly cut off just as Marcus was about to reveal the crucial part.
Privilege had its perks.
However, this also suggested that William hadn't come down the cliff in a conventional way, which piqued Rod's curiosity.
(End of Chapter)
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