Destroyer of Ice and Fire (Web Novel)
chapter-247

Chapter 247: Deception of a Five Gate Arcane Master

“An arcane master of House Eclipse Moon…”

Rinloran’s face suddenly froze as if it had been covered by a layer of frost.

The environment of the forest in which members of House Eclipse Moon resided and trained in was no less savage than the Southam Demon Forest, so House Eclispe Moon arcane masters should feel at home here.

Only a terrifying existence would be able to kill a House Eclipse Moon arcane master here.

“How did you end up here? And how did you discover this House Eclipse Moon arcane master?”

Complex emotions began to emerge atop Rui’s previously emotionless face.

For Ayrin, the point of these missions was very simple and straightforward. He was to complete as many as possible so that he could win the national tournament alongside his teammates.

But Rui knew that these missions were more than that. They would also decide the fate of Doraster. Only if every single one of the many arcane teams strived to accomplish their missions, and only if the encirclement of Fallen Shadow Valley was successful, would they be able to win the war. Otherwise, the Kingdom of Eiche and the rest of Doraster could very well be on the verge of experiencing an unimaginable calamity.

For this group of four, encountering a powerful enemy here would drastically lower their chances of reaching their assigned Path of Evil on time and also put them in incredible danger.

“I just got up to relieve myself. But when I turned around after finishing my business, I suddenly saw this fllow here,” Stingham said with a serious expression.

“You came this far to relieve yourself?!” Although he tried his be to contain it, Rinloran couldn’t help but shout at Stingham as veins popped out over his forehead.

“I was afraid of waking you up?” Stingham retorted as he looked at Rinloran as if he were an idiot. “Furthermore, how can I let anyone see me and destroy my image? Although I am the most handsome, I still make vulgar noises and take an inelegant posture when I am relieving myself.”

“You are already an idiot to us, so what image is there to think about?” Rinloran replied as black lines emerged across his face.

“The battle should have occurred shortly before we reached our current rest area. If we had arrived ten minutes earlier, perhaps we would have heard the sounds of battle,” Rui stated as he looked at the scars in the ground.

“Considering how darkness makes it hard to move through the forest, could the killers still be around here Teacher Rui?” Ayrin asked as he looked toward Rui, “Moreover, after fighting, one always needs to replenish their arcane particles.”

“It’s possible,” Rui replied as he looked Ayrin in the eye. “But more importantly, there is no way that this House Eclipse Moon arcane master was moving by himself, there must have been others traveling with him. The question here is whether the others also died nearby or if they managed to flee. And if they managed to flee, if they are being pursued.”

“Should we search around?” Rinloran immediately asked as a glint flickered in his eye.

“As an arcane master, we should try to support our comrades if they are in danger,” Rui responded as he looked at Ayrin, Stingham, and Rinloran. “House Eclipse Moon is a part of our Kingdom of Eiche after all. But for them to appear here, it is likely that they were trying to kill Golden Stag Academy’s team members. So I fear that they encountered and were killed by an arcane team of House Baratheon rather than the Evil Dragon Followers. In the end, however, I am only here to assist you in completing the mission. An attempt at this side mission might make it impossible for us to complete the mission handed to us, or worse, cause you all to lose your lives. I cannot make the decision here. What you do is up to you.”

“It’s too dangerous. And it’s already so late. Let’s just go back to sleep,” Stingham said while desperately shaking his head.

“Of course we will search for them. Perhaps they did encounter the Evil Dragon Followers,” Ayrin said as fighting intent appeared over his face.

“Let’s try searching around here.” After hesitating for a moment, Rinloran continued, “If it is the Evil Dragon Followers, then we are in danger either way.”

“Two versus one. Then let us immediately start searching.” Rui nodded as he gestured for the three to follow him.

“I knew being in the same team as you two was a mistake,” Stingham mumbled to himself as he helplessly followed.

“Such a strong stench of blood!”

Due to the darkness, Rui lost the trail after just several minutes of searching. But as he searched around the last clues, he was hit suddenly hit by a suffocatingly thick stench of blood.

“Prepare for battle!”

The moment he felt a slight breeze gust by him, he immediately stopped as a cold light flashed through his eyes.

“Teacher, have you found the enemy’s trail?” Ayrin vigilantly observed his surroundings but didn’t see a single clue.

“Heat Sense!”

Rui’s body faintly glowed black, signifying the usage of an arcane skill. Afterwards, he whispered as quietly as possible, “Within this kind of forest, such a thick smell of blood will definitely attract beasts. Yet it is still so quiet here. I don’t see any kind of trap, so the reason these beasts don’t come here is because there is a presence which instills them with fear here.”

“From now on, remain within three meters of me at all times. If we encounter an enemy, don’t move unless they do first.”

Just now, Rui had used an arcane skill which could detect human body temperature, yet he hadn’t discovered anything. Thus he was very cautious as he moved. With such a complex setting, it was possible for a three gate arcane master to instantly kill a four gate arcane master.

As they slowly inched forward, the stench of blood became even thicker and the atmosphere became tense.

“That’s?!” Ayrin abruptly exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock as he finally saw the source of the bloody stench.

It was yet another withered tree. From where Ayrin stood, he could clearly make out the outline of a person who had been ruthlessly impaled on a large branch.

Several thin, hollow metal needles faintly protruded from the person and dripped with blood.

The person was also drenched in blood. Blood flowed in streams down to their feet and dripped onto the ground, landing on the thick layer of moss around the base of the tree.

The corpses of countless beasts were scattered around the withered tree.

“The blood is still flowing? Could they still be alive?”

As Ayrin squinted, he could faintly make out the silver crescent mark on the person’s forehead.

At this moment, Rui’s expression became even more grim.

With slow motions, he motioned for Ayrin, Stingham, and Rinloran to retreat.

The inexperienced Ayrin thought this was simply a bloody arena, but Rui could immediately tell that this was a trap!

The mastermind had caught a House Eclipse Moon arcane master and left him here to die slowly to lure out other House Eclipse Moon arcane masters.

As for the dead beasts, they were likely killed by something which had been scattered around the tree to prevent them from eating the dying House Eclipse Moon arcane master.

Even if this trap was meant to lure House Eclipse Moon arcane masters, now that they were here, they were in danger!

“Anyone who uses a method like this definitely won’t be anyone good!”

Rinloran immediately felt an air of danger descend over him. His eyes lit up as he watched Stingham ignore commands yet again and remain standing where he was. At this moment, Stingham had narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to get a clearer look at something.

“What are you doing now?” Rinloran nearly gnashed his teeth together as he silently mouthed several swears towards Stingham.

“Teacher Rui!”

Stingham’s eyes narrowed even further as he shouted and motioned for Rui to go over.

“What is it?” Rui asked as he snapped out of his daze.

“This guy… this guy who is bleeding…” Stingham didn’t dare to breathe loudly as he pointed at the hanging House Eclipse Moon arcane master and continued, “There is an issue with this guy.”

“Look at the shape he’s in, of course he has an issue,” Ayrin said as he looked towards Stingham.

“You are really dragging down our team’s average intelligence!” Stingham suddenly shouted, scaring everyone present.

“There’s an issue with the arcane particles and arcane gates within his body! This fellow… has already opened five arcane gates, and they are all full of arcane particles.” As Stingham spoke, he felt like he was being too loud as his voice began to tremble.

“The innate ability of a high level Green Dragon Bloodline which allows one to see an arcane master’s arcane gates and arcane particles, True Sight!” Ayrin immediately remembered the words which Carter had once told him.

“Are you sure?”

A strange chill surged through Rui’s body.

Liszt had only just opened his fifth gate. As for Rui himself, he was still at four gates. It was impossible for such a younger arcane master of House Eclipse Moon to open five arcane gates. Furthermore, there was no way a five gate arcane master would be defeated and impaled on a branch while they had yet to use any arcane particles.

“How can I be wrong when I’m so handsome?!” Stingham responded, his eyes glowing a strange green color.

At this moment, not even Rinloran could think of the Stingham’s narcissism and make fun of Stingham as an intense chill surged through his body.

If it was like this… then the person was deliberately pretending to be a dying House Eclipse Moon arcane master. If other House Eclipse Moon arcane masters came to the rescue, they would suffer his ambush.

“A five gate arcane master using this kind of deceptive trap. Could it be…”

A name suddenly emerged in Rui’s mind as a rare look of shock and unrest appeared within his eyes.

“He really is a pig…” At the same moment, Rinloran felt speechless once more as he remembered how True Sight allowed Stingham to see his opponent’s gates and arcane particles. In this case, why did Stingham still decide to fight head on against the Green Snake arcane master at the outpost?

“A five gate arcane master… if he’s an enemy, how to defeat him?”

Ayrin powerfully clenched his fists as he quickly began brainstorming.