Chapter 974 - The Inner kingdom: The scheme of things

Chapter 974

(Unedited)​​

…

Large tree debris came crashing before the student of the Alto Magus and the other schools. Everyone immediately put up their shields especially the elders and seniors of the students. However, what surprised everyone is that the Alto Magus academy suddenly has someone cast a large protective array above them.

It was instantaneous that it seems like this person is able to predict and have experienced such a situation always and is able to react as such.

The person conjuring the barrier is the 5th prince, Ginlong Grav. As an array master, he has learned a lot in using array in battles.

Ever since that day when he saw Shin Jiao uses the array to block and absorb the spell of his opponent with ease, he knew that arrays are not simple as long as you can manipulate and use them quickly. He has been practicing array and alchemy in the virtual world in school.

This practice has made him experience true dismay as he discovers his own flaws and learns from them the hard way.

"Ji Wanxing! Get everyone to channel their mana on me!" shouted the 5th prince as he suddenly feels the barrier unable to hold with his weak level.

A large surge of mana suddenly enters his body as the array glowed golden in color. Everyone showed astonishment in their eyes as it grew to protect even the other students in that area.

Meanwhile, Shin Jiao who is watching this seen nodded his head in compliment to the quick reaction of the 5th prince. Although he is one of the lowest level mages in the group, yet he is an expert in arrays. Arrays seldom needed one to be strong when it comes to their mana and level.

As long as one has knowledge in arrays, one can trap even a Grand Magus as long as their mana could hold the strength of their opponent.

But of course, external factors could be used, like mana generators and mana stones.

But being an array mage is not that simple due to the complexity of drawing an array in the air.

However, it seems that the hard work of the prince has bloomed and is showing its worth right at this moment.

After seeing that the situation is stable and that the group is now able to protect themselves, Shin Jiao shifted his gaze to the mercenaries who started this thing.

His figure vanished in thin air and suddenly appears atop a tree.

"Boss, when are we going to move against the 5th prince?" one of them whispers to a tall and heavily armored man.

"We are waiting for a chance. I did not expect that the prince is able to wield such defensive strength. I thought that he is just a weakling that only knows alchemy… When I was told that he would come to this place, I was a bit skeptical… Well, I guess we can know the reason now." The tall armored man said while looking in the direction of the 5th prince.

"Boss,… look!... They are deactivating the barrier…"

"Haha… I knew they could not withstand such a strong barrier for a long time." The boss of the mercenary chuckled.

"Kill him now!" he commanded.

The person next to him suddenly takes out a sniper rifle staff that the Mystique Shop has crafted.

"If this assassination is successful, then the king and that shop will have a fallout and we might have ourselves a huge amount of money in our hands… Hehe…" the boss said with a sinister smile on his face.

Swoosh!!! Swaak!!!

Suddenly a figure fell down from the trees and landed in front of the person holding the staff and aiming it towards Prince Ginlong Grav.

The boss of the mercenary group and his gang who is hiding suddenly jumped back.

They did not know who this person is and did not even recognize him. But from his clothing, it seems that this guy looks like an assassin.

"There is an assassin out to kill the prince…!" suddenly the boss shouted as he felt that his plan had already failed.

He can just use this chance to implicate the culprit as someone from the Mystique Shop. But before he could continue, he saw a flash of light, and then his vision turned dim as he felt his world rolling.

"Is… is that my body?" he thought as the spinning stopped.

But his vision already turned dark as the only thing he can remember is that his body is missing its head.

Meanwhile, the soldiers on the side also notice the commotion but when they saw the black-robed man massacring the group of mercenaries, they all step back.

After the bloodbath, that figure walks to the side and threw a fireball at the bodies burning them to cinders.

"Focus on the battle… anyone who is thinking of doing anything else would be killed just like them…" said that figure with a stern voice.

Everyone is now afraid and so they concentrated on fighting the beast in front of them which is starting to get rowdy.

…

Meanwhile, Shin Jiao has already appeared above the tree looking down at the destruction below him. He could see some casualties, but it is minimal at best.

Seeing the rampaging beast, he could not help but heave a deep sigh.

"I guess I can only help them to neutralize the situation…" he muttered as he suddenly drew a bunch of arrays in the air.

After that, several wind blades came flying down from above the trees.

The wind blades are controlled by him as their trajectory was changed and began mowing down the horde of beasts in front of it.

He can only control around 100 meters, so he controlled the wind blade to fly below and freely let it fly to the forest cutting down trees, rocks, and beasts alike.

When the army saw this, they all cheered as the bigger beasts are mowed down like grasses.

Meanwhile, the 5th prince is already looking at Shin Jiao's figure above the trees and memorizing the array rune that he has written in the air. Instead of fear, the 5th prince felt a bit of excitement along with the rest of the assault and retrieval team.

Meanwhile, behind the group, the foraging team is busy gathering herbs and medicinal plants. It's like they are doing a scavenger hunt as every plant they could see felt like they found gold.

How could they not feel excited? This is a chance that they just got to apply the things they have learned in the virtual world.

As they compare the plants in the real world and the virtual world, they are amazed at the similarity. Even the condition of the plants and their growth is really similar making them feel that the one who created the virtual world has created a new world in another dimension.

And so the annual beast clearing hunt continues as the soldiers, mercenaries, adventurers, and students began to work together while slowly wiping out a large number of beasts around them.

…

The news that the mercenary group was unable to kill or hurt the 5th prince reaches the ears of those plotting the scheme.

"Damn it! Who helped save his life? I want that guy dead! If the 5th prince returns triumphant in the capital then our plan would not succeed!" shouted a man in a black hood.

"Do not be agitated… I have already sent my best assassins to succeed where you failed." Another man said who is calmly sitting in his seat.

"I think that there is someone watching his back. It may be a Grand Magus or a level 50 plus warrior." Another one said.

"Haha… The assassins that I have sent are the best of the best in our kingdom. So far, those whom they have hunted have never live to see another day… So I suggest everyone that we next move to our next agenda."

"Alright, after the 5th prince's demise, I will make my move and with this, the partnership of the king and the Mystique Shop would stop. Then we will sweep in for the kill…"

The group began to discuss their next plan as they waited for the good news.

…

Meanwhile, outside of the capital city, a large army is moving secretly deep within the cover of the thick forest. The army did not arrive in this place all at once but move in smaller groups.

And after some time they have already congregated into a large army waiting for a command for them to mobilize.

If one could see this army and the emblem on their black armor, one could remember the most fearsome elite soldiers of the believer of the dark god Ruel, the Crimson Dark Army.