Prolo Hawthorne's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Then we can split into two teams. One team will go to find the password for the core energy room and sabotage the energy supply, while the other team will go destroy the shield generator and enter the headquarters through a side passage. Then we'll meet inside and take down their headquarters together."
Dean Bruce thought for a moment. "This plan has some merit, but we still don't know the location of the core energy room's password or the shield generator. We need to analyze the clues we have more carefully. Leizor, have you found any hints in the Relics about the password or the generator's location?"
Leizor shook his head. "No direct clues, but there are some strange patterns and symbols. I haven't had the time to fully study them yet. I think these patterns and symbols might be related to the password or the location."
Krupp looked at Dean Bruce and said, "Dean, you've solved plenty of puzzles before. Maybe you can take a look at these patterns and symbols and see if you can figure something out."
Dean Bruce took the pattern and symbol records from Leizor and began to study them carefully. His brow furrowed, and he muttered to himself. After a while, he looked up and said, "These patterns and symbols seem to resemble an ancient magical language. I've seen something similar in the Guild's archives, though not exactly the same. I'll need some time to decode this."
Prolo Hawthorne said anxiously, "Professor, time is running out! The self-destruct mechanism is stable for now, but we don't know how long it will last. We need to move faster."
Dean Bruce nodded. "I know, but decryption can't be rushed. The more hasty we are, the more mistakes we make. Here's what we'll do: we'll find a safe place first, so I can focus on studying these patterns and symbols. The rest of you can take a break and recover your strength."
Krupp agreed. "Alright, let's find a safe place quickly."
They found a relatively hidden cave nearby and settled in temporarily.
Dean Bruce sat in one corner of the cave, pulled out the records of the patterns and symbols, and began studying them with full concentration.
The others rested nearby. Krupp and Prolo Hawthorne discussed the next steps of their plan, while Leizor closed his eyes to meditate and regain his magical energy.
Time passed, and Dean Bruce became deeply absorbed in the decryption process, sometimes furrowing his brow, sometimes having moments of realization.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as if he had discovered a key clue.
"I've found it!" Dean Bruce exclaimed excitedly.
The others immediately gathered around. "What did you uncover, Dean?"
Dean Bruce pointed at the patterns and symbols and said, "These patterns and symbols are indeed an ancient magical language. They represent a specific sequence and combination. After repeatedly comparing and testing, I've finally deciphered their meaning."
"So, what's the password?" Krupp asked eagerly.
Dean Bruce took a deep breath and said slowly, "The password is 'Stars guide, moon shadows entwine, the key of light, the door of shadows.'"
"This..." Prolo Hawthorne scratched his head. "That sounds really complicated. How are we supposed to use this password?"
Dean Bruce explained, "Based on my interpretation, the password seems to be divided into two parts. The first part, 'Stars guide, moon shadows entwine,' probably points to the location of the core energy room. The second part, 'The key of light, the door of shadows,' may refer to the key object or method needed to open the energy room."
"We've unlocked it!" Dean Bruce shouted.
They walked through the passage into the interior of the crystal ball. Inside, the walls were lined with magical runes and devices. At the center of the space, there was a massive energy core, continuously releasing dark energy.
"This is the core energy. We need to find a way to destroy it," Krupp said.
Dean Bruce studied the energy core, thinking for a moment before replying, "I believe we can use the spell from the scroll to channel the power of the key of light into the energy core. That should destabilize it, triggering an explosion."
"Great idea!" Krupp agreed.
So, they began chanting the spell, channeling the power of the key of light into the energy core. The core started to tremble violently, its light growing increasingly bright. Finally, with a loud explosion, the core detonated.
The entire cave began to tremble as the dark energy was completely destroyed. They had successfully sabotaged the core energy room, making a critical step toward dismantling the Black Hole headquarters.
"That's great! We got it right!" Prolo Hawthorne shouted excitedly.
Dean Bruce looked at the rubble before him, a faint smile of satisfaction crossing his face. "Finally, we've made a breakthrough."
Krupp nodded in agreement. "That's true, but our mission is far from over. Next, we need to locate the shield generator and destroy it before we can enter the Black Hole headquarters."
Stay connected through m-v l|e'-novelhall.net
Leizor picked up on the conversation. "Right, time is running out. We need to move quickly. I've already got some clues. Some of the symbols we found earlier in the Relics might be connected to the location of the shield generator."
Dean Bruce clapped Leizor on the shoulder. "Good. Let's head out now and follow your clues to find the shield generator."
Once again, they set out on their journey, this time with a clearer objective: to locate and destroy the shield generator. Following the clues Leizor provided, they navigated through the complex underground tunnels, avoiding traps and enemies along the way.
After some time, they finally arrived at a massive underground cavern. The entrance to the cave was surrounded by a powerful magical shield, its shimmering light making it clear this was the place they were looking for.
"It looks like this is where the shield generator is located," Dean Bruce said, gazing at the glowing barrier.
Krupp unsheathed his long sword, pointing its tip at the shield. "So how do we get in? Do we just break through it?"
Dean Bruce shook his head. "No, doing that might trigger an alarm and bring more enemies. We need to find a more subtle way."
Prolo Hawthorne's eyes suddenly lit up. "Professor, I remember seeing something in the Relics about how to deactivate a shield. It wasn't very detailed, but it might give us a clue."
Dean Bruce turned to him immediately. "What do you remember? Tell me."
Prolo Hawthorne focused, trying to recall the information. "I remember it said that to deactivate a shield, you need to locate the energy source connected to it and sever the link between the source and the shield."