114: Chapter 114 The Magic Circle That's Complete and Activated

Mihe's escape magic was very strange.

Being pulled by the wrist, Zhang Mu felt the surrounding space blur; with one step, he instantly crossed a distance of over ten meters.

Thanks to this, after half an hour, the death-knell-like roar behind them finally vanished.

Now safe, Mihe stopped and let go.

Zhang Mu suppressed the urge to vomit caused by the spatial turbulence, patting his chest to ease the discomfort while asking, "What magic is this?"

"Swift Travel Technique."

"Spatial magic?"

"Yes."

Alertly scanning the surrounding woods and grass, Mihe said earnestly, "You shouldn't be so reckless."

Since he couldn't explain the system panel, Zhang Mu just nodded: "I understand."

He keenly sensed Zhang Mu's perfunctory attitude: "So, do you still intend to enter the Silent Forest alone to find the Earth Venomous Scorpion?"

"Haha..." Zhang Mu laughed awkwardly.

Sighing, he said with some emotion: "I am very surprised by your luck. Speaking of which, you're an Apprentice Magician, right?

Violent Bear cubs are usually Rank Five. How did you defeat it?"

"It got into a fight with a giant python, and both were severely injured. By the time I arrived, it only had one breath left, so I just took advantage of the situation."

After a moment of silence, he said, "Since we're already in the Silent Forest, I'll help you hunt an Earth Venomous Scorpion."

"No need, I can do it myself..."

"Zhang Mu." Mihe's expression was solemn, "After seeing the Song of the Forest, I trust Domit's persistence.

As Domit said, you have created a miracle.

However, no matter how extraordinary your talent is, you only have a future if you're alive."

"You want me to help the Resistance Army?"

"I believe you can solve the Resistance Army's current predicament, but I won't force you to help us; that is your personal freedom."

Stroking his chin in thought for a moment: "Will you be in any danger?"

"I'm more than capable of handling an Earth Venomous Scorpion."

Alright then.

Zhang Mu was indeed in a hurry to refine the Owl puppet. With the help of a Magister like Mihe, it would certainly be much faster.

He thought to himself that Mihe had the Swift Travel Technique; even if they were outmatched, escaping wouldn't be a problem.

He could use the barrett to provide cover fire, ensuring Mihe wouldn't face any life-threatening danger.

He nodded in agreement.

Then, Mihe, who knew the location of the Earth Venomous Scorpion's nest, led the way, with Zhang Mu following half a step behind as they walked through the forest.

With nothing else to do, the two chatted casually.

Mihe kept steering the conversation toward the topic of Apothecaries.

Clearly, he was very curious about how Zhang Mu, an Apprentice Magician, had enough Mental Energy to control the fire's temperature.

Zhang Mu didn't intend to hide anything and explained the concept of tools.

Without seeing the actual items, Mihe didn't seem to quite understand the difference between tools and magic items.

Getting a bit of a headache from the questioning, Zhang Mu used the excuse of explaining with the actual items once they returned to end the discussion.

Later, he asked about the history of the Resistance Army's formation.

Mihe told him that the Resistance Army hadn't been established for very long, only about ten years.

There were two founders: himself and an old friend.

At first, they simply wanted to provide a way to survive for the starving commoners. Later, the Lord of Gur City named them the "Resistance Army" because they didn't pay the grain tax.

They thought it sounded good, so they accepted it with a smile.

Hearing this, Zhang Mu laughed: "That City Lord is quite creative."

"What do you mean?"

"Is catching a group of tax-evading commoners the same as wiping out a rebel army that's wreaking havoc on the kingdom?"

After a moment of silence, Mihe shook his head: "It doesn't matter anymore."

Next, Zhang Mu curiously asked if the traces of Resistance Armies in other parts of the kingdom were also their groups.

The answer was no.

Thinking for a few seconds, Zhang Mu began to worry about his senior.

Falsely reporting rebel intelligence—what was the motive?

Nurturing the enemy to enhance one's importance.

The Lake Kingdom now seemed to be facing both internal and external troubles; it wouldn't be surprising if it one day split into dozens of small countries.

Thinking of this, Zhang Mu's thoughts turned to the Resistance Army.

He was just one person after all. Even if he became incredibly powerful in the future, it would still take him over a month just to cross the Lake Kingdom, let alone the Saul Continent.

There was a need to establish a power base.

He would think about it more carefully after returning to the Magic Array.

Zhang Mu temporarily set the matter aside and chatted with Mihe as they walked, soon arriving at their destination—a forest halfway up a mountain.

Telling him to hide well and not run around, Mihe gripped his staff and walked forward alone.

He didn't expect him to leave so suddenly; with the Swift Travel Technique activated, he vanished in a second.

Zhang Mu, who had intended to provide support, was left standing there helplessly.

About an hour later, Mihe emerged from the dim woods nearby.

He must have had a major battle. His linen short-sleeved shirt and shorts weren't damaged, but even Zhang Mu, an Apprentice Magician, could sense his turbulent mana fluctuations.

"Let's go back."

Grabbing Zhang Mu's wrist, he prepared to head back to the Magic Array.

Hum—

Suddenly, a low hum descended from high above, and a powerful mana surge swept over them.

The cause wasn't hard to find.

About five mountain peaks away, an incomparable beam of deep blue light shot up into the sky, piercing straight into the high clouds.

Zhang Mu quickly climbed to the top of a tree, his voice filled with surprise: "What is that?"

Standing beside him, Mihe frowned and gazed into the distance for a while: "It looks like... a Sealing Magic Array."

"What is its purpose?"

"To seal off an area."

Pointing at the beam of light, Zhang Mu asked in confusion: "Then it lighting up means..."

"The key has come nearby, and the Magic Array has started the irreversible unsealing process."

After saying that, Mihe instinctively looked over: "The area where the Earth Venomous Scorpion is active is on the edge of the core region of the Silent Forest. I've been here more than once, so the key definitely has nothing to do with me."

His mouth twitching, Zhang Mu pulled the Treasure Map out of his Storage Pouch: "Is it this?"

Mihe closed his eyes, carefully enveloping the Treasure Map with his Mental Energy. He opened his eyes a few seconds later: "Yes."

"I..."

Who knew this Treasure Map was a key? It would automatically "open the door" once it came within a certain range of the treasure site.

Zhang Mu almost cursed out loud but managed to hold it back: "Can't the Storage Pouch isolate the connection between the Magic Array and the key?"

"I don't know much about Sealing Magic Arrays, but judging by the light beam, no."

Looking up at the deep blue light beam piercing the white clouds, Zhang Mu asked hopefully, "Maybe Gur City can't see it?"

"When it turns from deep blue to transparent, it means the seal is broken. The process takes about three months."

Mihe smiled: "In three months, it's impossible for the weather to be bad every day. There will always be clear days without a cloud for miles."

"So, it shouldn't be a problem for most cities in the Lake Kingdom to see it."

"Then, will many Adventurer Groups gather here?"

"It's different from a labyrinth." Mihe grabbed Zhang Mu's arm and jumped down from the tree, heading toward the Resistance Army's Magic Array. "Places where labyrinths appear..."

...are usually near cities and are basically in safe zones.

But this is the Silent Forest. Weaker Adventurer Groups can't even break through the outer perimeter, let alone go deep into the core area.

Zhang Mu endured the abnormal fluctuations of the surrounding space: "You mean there won't be many Adventurer Groups coming, but they will all be very strong."

"Yes."