Chapter 182: Unexpected Changes
Chapter 182: Unexpected Changes (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Recommendations)
The observation point in Greenhouse Three was actually a high ground that offered a clear view of most of the greenhouse. On this high ground, three stone slabs were laid out, each carved with Magic Runes that occasionally glowed blue.
"Those slabs have a Far-Seeing Charm on them. Once you stand on them, you can observe distant objects. Please maintain order and take turns. Those who are not up can move around a bit on this platform", Professor Ferdinand said, addressing everyone.
Everyone decided to draw lots to determine the order. Liam was lucky and was among the first to step onto the slab. As soon as he stood on it, he realized that despite its ancient appearance, the slab was much easier to use than binoculars.
A screen appeared in the air as soon as he stepped on it, displaying a distant view. The screen would change its position as he moved his eyes. By gesturing with his arms, he could easily zoom in and out, much like the holographic images in sci-fi movies.
It seemed that Magic wasn't much worse than technology. Since everything had been smooth so far, Liam relaxed a bit and began observing the rare plants.
The greenhouse was meticulously designed, creating a small ecosystem with plants and small animals. Through the Magic on the slabs, Liam could see Walking Grass stealthily moving under the tree shadows, and some Fairies collecting nectar and petals in a flower bed. Liam kept changing his viewpoint, hoping to see more of the rare plants that were hard to find outside.
However, when he turned his attention to a patch of Silverleaf Burr, he saw something that made him shudder: a set of footprints appeared on the burr, and upon zooming in, he noticed the burrs slowly standing back up. This indicated that the person who left the footprints had only just left a few seconds ago.
Could there be an ambush? Liam's first reaction was to observe the area around the burrs. Sure enough, he noticed some plant leaves moving unnaturally, but he couldn't see anyone. He could only roughly determine that an invisible person was slowly approaching the observation point.
In this situation, a stealthy person approaching didn't bode well. Liam remembered the Headmaster's warning from the previous day. But this was inside the School; how did they manage to get in?
Thinking too much now wouldn't help. Given the circumstances, it was unlikely that there was only one assailant. As the distance between the attacker and the observation point grew shorter, it was too late to find all the other attackers before they struck.
Based on his previous combat experience, the only way to survive was to disrupt their plans. With this in mind, Liam quickly ran down from the slab and approached the railing. He drew his wand and aimed it at the approximate location of the invisible person, tracing a rune and casting a Life and Nature Magic Scrying Spell.
Sure enough, there was someone hiding in that area. They had intended to use their invisibility to get close to Liam and the others, but neither the Disillusionment Charm nor the Invisibility Cloak could hide them from a direct Magic reconnaissance. The moment Liam's Scrying Spell touched them, they knew they were exposed.
Clearly, the attacker hadn't expected someone to use a reconnaissance spell so suddenly on an open area, so they hesitated for a moment. However, these were seasoned operatives who had managed to infiltrate the School. They quickly reacted, firing a blood-red spell at Liam on the platform.
Fortunately, the attacker's hesitation gave Liam just enough time to use his wand to successfully cast a Thunder Art attack.
"Thunderclap." With Liam's spell, a purple thunderball flew toward the attacker. The attacker, slowed by his own spellcasting and somewhat relaxed because he saw Liam as a low-grade student, failed to dodge the magic. When the thunderball hit him, a blood-colored barrier appeared around his body but quickly shattered, allowing the thunderball to strike him solidly.
The thunderball forced the attacker out of his invisible state, and he collapsed, convulsing. At the same time, Liam dodged to the side, easily avoiding the blood-colored spell.
The entire exchange happened in just seven or eight seconds, and only after it ended did everyone react. Professor Sprout, who seemed prepared, shouted, "Everyone, gather around me. Reinforcements are on the way." She then pulled a handful of seeds from a pouch at her waist and scattered them on the ground.
The seeds took root and quickly formed a green barrier around the elevated platform. Just as the barrier rose halfway, several spells struck it. Fortunately, the barrier only wavered and did not break.
Looking in the direction from which the spells had come, over a dozen wizards emerged from their invisible state. About half of them wore blood-colored robes, while the others wore a variety of different outfits.
This was the joint assault by the Blood God Cult and the Chimera Society, but where were the reinforcements Headmaster Fernando had promised? He had said he would lure these people out and then surround and destroy them. Now, they had been lured out, but where were the reinforcements?
As Liam was pondering this, several holes appeared in the ceiling. Headmaster Fernando and Skorzeny, the former Saint, descended with a dozen others, landing around the attackers before they could react.
As soon as they landed, Skorzeny aimed at the leader of the attackers, a small man in a magnificent magic robe, and fired a silver spell, taunting, "Hey, Dietrich. You finally decided to drag your minions out of their rat holes?"
"Hah, it's been so long since we last met. Other than your sharp tongue, what else do you have? My minions are quite fond of the taste of your kind", Dietrich said, waving his wand to block the spell. He then raised his wand and shouted, "Come out, my darlings. Show them your power."
As he spoke, several patches of ground began to tremble, and then seven or eight monsters emerged from the earth. Each monster had a patchwork appearance. For example, a giant ape with six arms, a creature with a spider's lower body and three fire-breathing dog heads, and most impressively, a chimera the size of a basketball court, which immediately launched an attack on Headmaster Fernando and his team, its three heads spewing ice, fire, and poison.
However, Headmaster Fernando and his reinforcements were all powerful. Their wands soon emitted a rainbow of light, and they fought the monsters and attackers to a standstill.
Naturally, with the battle raging, fewer spells were directed at Liam and the others, and under Professor Sprout's protection, everyone finally had a chance to catch their breath.
But there was a significant question: how had so many monsters and attackers been brought into the school? The more Liam thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. A voice inside him told him that an enemy capable of such a grand scheme would certainly have more tricks up their sleeve, and this ambush was far from over.
(End of Chapter)
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