Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe Chapter 986: Magic Word

The disorientation that ca from teleportation through the fabric of space did not assault rlin.

First, he was used to it. Second, and more importantly, the distance teleported wasn’t that great.

The coppery-red-haired youth opened his eyes, his pale blue pupils scanning his surroundings.

His smile faltered ever so slightly before returning to normal.

Sothing’s not right, rlin thought to himself.

The sky was a perpetual slate-gray, never truly day or night. Light bled weakly through the clouds like it was struggling to exist.

No sun. No stars. Just an endless pale glow.

The air was cold and dry, but the ground was wet, warm, and soaked in... crimson.

Everywhere rlin looked, all he could see was crimson stretched below and gray lood above.

However, what caused rlin to frown wasn’t the appearance of the secret plane, but the unseen presence that perated the air.

It was the presence of violence and murder.

His smile turned deeper.

Did the cultists truly tamper with this secret plane? Are there spies who have infiltrated the other Pillars?

Either way... what a bloodbath this is going to be!

Chuckling to himself, rlin made his way towards his nearest party mber, whom he had already sensed through the Sphere of Resonance.

***

Eleiney crouched low and intently stared at the crimson sludge before her feet.

Pools of similar red sludge nestled between ridges of broken bones and red trees dotted the landscape.

The marsh bubbled occasionally, causing the young woman to frown. It felt oppressive, grotesque, and unnaturally alive.

She squinted her eyes as she tried to peer deeper into the bloody pool. For a mont, she felt like she saw a ghostly figure move in its depths.

Hallucination or not, she quickly retreated.

Were those... blood beasts? She wondered, alard.

Just what is this place?

The bloody marshes stretched like an open wound across the land. What was once water had turned viscous, stained red with blood and decay. The air was thick, humid, and slled of at left too long in the sun.

No bird sang. No insect buzzed. The silence was broken only by the faint breathing of the land itself.

Suddenly, she tensed up when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from a far distance. She quickly conjured two short swords and gripped them tightly as she turned toward the sound.

A mont later, she sighed in relief.

It was the pair from Coral Cove - Kahn and Charlie Smith.

Several monts later, Arthur and Aiden also arrived. Finally, rlin was the last one to join them.

As Professor Whitaker had said earlier, the party mbers had been teleported to roughly the sa location, and the furthest distance between them hadn’t exceeded fifty ters.

"So... what do you guys think?" Eleiney asked as she scanned the bloody marshes sprawling before them.

"Truth be told, this wasn’t what I was expecting, really," said Charlie as he gazed at the marsh bubbling before him.

"Yes." Kahn nodded, his eyes narrowed. "Sothing feels wrong."

Aiden and Arthur remained silent. They, too, shared the sa sentint. In fact, they felt goosebumps crawling over their skin.

Sothing about the secret plane was terribly wrong. They couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

Finally, Eleiney turned to rlin.

She lingered for a few monts, then asked, "What about you?"

rlin turned towards her and smiled. Then, he scanned the faces of the rest of the party mbers, his smile deepening.

"It would appear that none of you have been part of a war before," he said.

Eleiney frowned. "What is that supposed to an?"

Everyone else also turned to him with inquisitive gazes.

rlin laughed out loud. "Fafafa, isn’t it obvious?"

He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the blood-soaked marsh spread out all around them. "This was a battlefield. That strange feeling in the air... it’s the lingering echo of bloodlust and fear left behind by those who died here."

"...A battlefield?" Kahn frowned.

anwhile, Eleiney had a ruminative expression on her face.

rlin noticed that and couldn’t help but grin. "Hey, Leader. Do you mind explaining?"

Eleiney snapped out of her thoughts, then cast a deep look at the crazy Magus.

Then, she turned towards Kahn and spoke solemnly, "Blood beasts consu flesh for sustenance and power. If such creatures were placed in this secret plane, it’s reasonable to assu that other wild beasts were introduced as well... to create an artificial ecosystem."

Kahn’s expression darkened. "Are you implying that the blood beasts consud other creatures within this secret plane to sustain themselves and grow more powerful?"

A tense silence descended on the group.

"It is very likely," Eleiney said after a long pause.

"How long ago do you think these blood beasts and other wild animals were placed here?" Charlie asked, a grim look on his face.

This ti, it was rlin who answered: "For a secret plane of this size, it would take at least three to six months to stabilize after its creation. And considering its stability at the mont..."

He looked around the secret plane, his eyes flickering with a peculiar light. "I’d say this artificial ecosystem has been in place for at least a year? Hmm, perhaps more."

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. "How do you know so much about secret planes anyway?"

rlin turned to him and grinned. "Who knows? Maybe a jester told . Perhaps a butterfly told . Hmm, it might have been a dragon who said this to in my dreams."

Everyone’s expression paled.

This rlin Mathias was truly a madman!

Was it wise to trust him?

Eleiney spoke in a grave voice. "rlin, please be serious."

She paused for a mont, then asked, "What do you make out of this place?"

For so reason, despite the maniacal outward appearance, she found rlin’s words to be oddly... reassuring.

"Would you really take my word for it, young lady?" rlin grinned from ear to ear.

"Spit it out already." Kahn’s tone oozed with frustration.

rling turned to him and whispered, "Say the magic word."

Kahn gnashed his teeth. Then, a mont later, he spat, "Please!"

"Fafafa!" rlin laughed out loud. "Then, don’t mind ..."

His pale blue eyes flashed with a vicious light as he conjured a playing card. He coated it with mana—that radiated the fluctuations of a Mana Liquefaction Magus—and then...

Hurled it towards Kahn!