Trapped within one of the Black Wind Barriers in the magic stone mine.
Ivan’s eyes gleamed as he moved away from the Raw Stone Array Disc and looked towards Heidi at his side.
“I have a plan,”
Upon hearing the message transmitted through his mental power, Heidi stared blankly at him, lifting her head, seeing determination and resolution in his eyes.
Realizing something, Heidi then lowered her head once more after reacting.
“Are you confident?”
“It’s a do-or-die attempt.”
Indeed, what else could they do now but a do-or-die attempt? Considering this person was reliable and recalling the distinct aura he previously radiated, Heidi decided to trust him. After all, she had no other options, and having a plan was better than sitting duck.
“What do I need to do?”
“We need more magic stones, the more the better, and give me a Mental Power Recovery Potion. Soon, I will activate the Raw Stone Array Disc and use its power to pry open a gap for you, then it’s up to you.”
“Okay.”
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In just a few seconds, the two reached a consensus and informed Cooke to prepare for the desperate attempt.
Heidi handed Ivan a Mental Power Recovery Potion and gave Cooke a defensive magicalized item.
The two glanced at each other and nodded imperceptibly.
As a universal currency, magic stones were rather small. A large number of magic stones were placed on the Raw Stone Array Disc, including the three mid-grade magic stones they had found earlier.
Ivan took the mental power potion into his mouth directly, and Heidi did the same after seeing him do it.
The next second, Ivan placed his left hand over the Raw Stone Array Disc, extending his mental power over the disc.
The runes on the disc burst into a brighter light, and the Raw Stone Array Disc was fully activated.
In an instant, the light from the disc became dazzlingly bright, and the magic stones within transformed, their energy pulled out and transmuted into a somewhat crude form of mental energy.
One by one, the magic stones turned to dust, starting with the low-grade magic stones, followed by the mid-grade ones.
A mass of dark energy swirled between the Raw Stone Array Disc and his left palm.
‘Black Magic Hand’
Ivan raised his right hand and pushed casually toward the Black Wind Barrier at one side.
The dark energy collected in his left palm and was expelled from his right, forming a giant hand that lightly struck the Black Wind Barrier.
This was something he had comprehended after expending a portion of the Light of Great Wisdom, modeled after the Mage’s Hand and formally named by him as ‘Black Magic Hand.’ The Black Magic Hand at this moment bore all his hopes for life’s dawn.
Such a massive and refined strike undoubtedly filled Cooke with hope. He stood not far in front, implicitly protecting the two behind him, with an especially solemn expression on his face.
Dispelling all her concerns, Heidi tightly gripped the crystal-clear Token in her hand, wholly focused on connecting with the defensive array surrounding Kanda magic stone mine. If she could tap into the overwhelming power of the array, she could flatten everything in her path.
The condition was that Ivan could open a sliver of opportunity for her.
Black Magic Hand, borrowing the power of the Raw Stone Array Disc, was of the same essence as the surrounding Black Wind Barrier. As it landed on the barrier, it didn’t cause much resistance but slowly began to merge with it, creating a linkage between them.
Using this linkage as a fulcrum, Ivan began to pry at this dense barrier.
Accompanied by a faint rumble, the Black Wind Barrier below the hand of Black Magic Hand began to twist, and a flowing vortex emerged. Through the fist-sized vortex, they could see the rocks within the magic stone mine.
“We’ve got it!”
Heidi’s heart shook violently; he had actually done it.
At that moment, Heidi reconnected with the defensive array surrounding Kanda magic stone mine.
She quickly calmed her heart, focusing on drawing in the external power.
They just needed to hold on for about 60 seconds.
On the Black Wind Barrier, vortex rifts sometimes widened and sometimes narrowed, always keeping a connection to the outside.
This was the most critical minute, and the three of them felt both tumultuous and calm inside.
“Hm?”
In the center of the cage, the man in the black robe suddenly changed his expression; he had sensed something, and in disbelief, stared at a spot on the barrier.
His formation, which had taken years to perfect, had actually been cracked by someone?
And by the two fools he dismissed as unworthy of his attention? The man in the black robe was both ashamed and furious.
“You’ve got some nerve, wanting to die earlier; I’ll grant you your wish!”
The enraged voice of the man in the black robe rang out, making the surrounding Black Wind Barrier tremble along with it.
He made his move with a wind cannon, the size of a basketball, gathering within the Black Wind Barrier and in the blink of an eye, it plummeted towards the cage where Ivan was located.
Cooke decisively stood in front of the two, activating the magicalized item given by Heidi, forming a wide energy shield, and intercepting the falling wind cannon with precision. The energy shield strained but held unwaveringly against the incoming impact.
“Come at me again, you mongrel beast, Cooke Grandpa isn’t scared of you!” Cooke taunted, trying to attract more attention.
The man in the black robe was a product of many factors, including the special aura of the magic stone mine, the particular resentment within the magic stones themselves, and the grievances of the dead miners; he was not just some mixed-species creature. Cooke’s words undoubtedly hit a sore spot for him.
Immediately after, two more Black Wind Cannons fell in succession.
They struck the energy shield in Cooke’s hands, which began to crack.
“Kill!”
On the other side, Wolban sensed something odd; the Black Wind Barrier had a weak spot, though it was subtle. He hurriedly called for Gina and himself to attack, vowing to break through the cage that trapped them.
Opposite them, Zoier’s expression lifted as he sensed an opportunity had come.
“My apologies.”
He commenced the plan he had long been scheming. Two fireballs formed and struck precisely at the corpses of apprentices nearby; his intent was to destroy the behind-the-scenes manipulator’s carefully arranged sacrifices, forcing the opponent to reveal greater vulnerabilities.
The man in the black robe was fully focused, and everything happening around him did not escape his senses, especially Zoier’s actions, which nearly made him blow his top with rage.
“Outrageous! You dogs, all of you, go to hell!”
A barrage of Black Wind Cannons formed one after the other, indiscriminately falling towards the four cages. True to his word, the man in the black robe wanted everyone dead, scattering their ashes to the wind.
Within the cage, one Black Wind Cannon after another came hurtling down.
Cooke pooled all his strength into the magicalized item in his hand, making the cracked energy shield regain some stability. He adamantly intercepted the falling Black Wind Cannons, but the sheer number of attacks was overwhelming, and the energy shield was on the verge of shattering.
His eyes bulged and turned red with the effort, still trying to channel the last ounce of strength into the shield before he was utterly drained, hoping to delay for just a second or even half a second longer.
Just as his defensive line was about to collapse, the remaining magic stones atop the Raw Stone Array Disc behind him were completely depleted, and the Raw Stone Array Disc itself sprouted fine cracks, unlikely to withstand much longer.
Ivan swallowed the Mental Power Recovery Potion in one gulp.
“Cooke, get down.”
Ivan called out sharply, as a wooden shield appeared out of thin air, rapidly growing thicker and larger, turning into a wooden wall angled overhead. It shielded him, Heidi, and Cooke, who had just ducked down below.
The wooden shield’s surface was tightly covered with a defensive membrane, the lower part resting on the ground, the upper part hanging not far above their heads, covering the three at an angle.
This was the low-level magicalized item ‘Green Tree Star’ he had created.
Borrowing some of the power from the Raw Stone Array Disc, Ivan maximized the effect of the Green Tree Star, blocking the enemy’s furious assault at the critical moment.
Survival or sacrifice, it all came down to these final few seconds.