“Oy! You guys… Can you let me go?”
Listening to Lathel, Arine pouted: “I’ll just hug you for a little bit; don’t be so stingy. I’m so scared; something just exploded outside.”
“But… you said you would protect me earlier, right?” Lathel frowned and asked.
“Oy! Are you a man or not?”
“Whether I’m a man or not, just check me, and you’ll know.”
“Good! I need to check to see if you are a man or not.” Arine started taking off her shirt.
Iritellis: “…”
Lathel: “…”
“Alright! Please be quiet for a bit.” Lathel immediately stopped Arine’s actions. He sighed, feeling that this girl’s thoughts were not normal at all.
“Why? I want to see if you are a man.
“No! I am truly a man.”
“I don’t believe it. Unless I see that ‘thing’.”
Lathel: “…”
He wanted to cry as he wondered if all women were this bold. He felt that men were not so bold.
“Oy! Are you really the Holy Maiden of the Church?”
“Of course!” Arine immediately answered.
“So… why are you so bold? Maybe…”
“Do not get me wrong. Because… hm… I don’t understand why, but I feel that you are very trustworthy. I feel… I can rely on your shoulders for the rest of my life.”
Lathel: “…”
He sighed. He didn’t want to listen to Arine anymore, so he pushed her away.
“Ah! You…”
“Alright.” Lathel immediately interrupted her: “We don’t have much time to sit here talking about nonsense.”
After he finished speaking, he pushed Cauldron away, and then Cauldron shrank into his palm.
Looking at the scene around him, Lathel frowned. The cave had collapsed, and the dust slowly settled to the ground, revealing an extremely majestic structure behind it.
This place is like a palace for giants; pillars with a diameter of more than 5 metres and a height of more than a hundred metres supported an extremely majestic roof.
“This place is…”
“It seems to be the place where the Demon Lord is imprisoned.” Arine pouted as she spoke: “Besides… how did you know this place would explode just now?”
“It’s the smell of rotten eggs.”
“Heh?!” Arine and Iritellis tilted their heads and looked at him in confusion.
“This is difficult to explain; however, the smell of rotten eggs is the smell of an element that can burn easily.” “It can easily explode if the space is too tight,” Lathel explains.
Arine looked at Iritellis, then they both looked at Lathel as they both felt confused.
“Okay, you don’t need to worry about this problem. You should find the remaining people and see if they are still alive.”
“Of course I’m still alive!” Suddenly, a voice rang out. Ikarys stood in a protective dome, and around him, the rest of the group was also uninjured.
“Don’t use your limited knowledge to deceive others.” Ikarys smiled disdainfully: “I use light magic; it is the magic of the gods. That’s why, thanks to my magic, I could protect my place.”
“In the end, it was thanks to me that we actually got to where we needed to go.”
Hearing that, everyone looked towards Ikarys, then looked towards Lathel. However, Lathel shrugged and said: “Yes, you are right, everything you said is right; I am the one who is wrong.”
“You…”
“Heh?! Are you telling the truth, Holy Son?” Arine suddenly smiled and asked.
Hearing that, Ikarys immediately replied: “Of course! You also know that I am a natural possessor of light magic. In this world, the darkness fears the light.”
“Thanks to my magic, the magic that created the fake cave disappeared.”
“Wow! You are amazing.” Arine smiled and said: “Sure enough, Holy Son, you are the true leader of the Geniuses.”
“Hahahaha… Holy Maiden, you don’t have to praise me like that.” Ikarys replied with a smile; however, his face showed arrogance and confidence. Besides, his eyes were filled with contempt as he glanced at Lathel.
That look seemed to be saying: ‘Do you clearly see the difference between me and you?’
Lathel shook his head and sighed. However, Iritellis hugged his arm and said softly: “Master, don’t worry. I trust you.”
Lathel smiled and patted her head. While Arine glanced at Iritellis with jealousy.
“Holy Maiden…”
“Heh?!” Arine was startled: “What’s the matter, Holy Son?”
“Ah! I just feel like you don’t seem too focused.”
“Sorry, I was looking around.” Arine smiled and said very cutely: “I don’t know where this place is.”
Ikarys now began boasting about his own knowledge: “Do you see the pillars around this place?”
Everyone nodded, and Lathel also listened attentively.
Ikarys continued to explain: “According to ancient texts, each pillar represents a challenge. Each person must go through a trial inside that pillar before it will radiate light.”
“If more than half of the stone pillars here are lit, the next door will be opened.”
“However, the challenges inside each pillar are different. Therefore, we cannot predict or prepare anything in advance.”
“That’s why I think we should split up; each person should touch a pillar, activating the magic in it, okay?”
“I have no opinion!” Doran spoke up.
Alec stood behind everyone, his arms crossed, as he silently stared at Lathel.
“Can’t two people enter the same trial?” Arine spoke up innocently at this time.
Ikarys shook his head: “No! If so, the difficulty of the challenge will increase greatly, which will be dangerous for both of them.”
“One person, one challenge—that is the best condition. However, I think this is just the first door; the challenge on the other pillars probably won’t be too difficult.”
Everyone looked at each other; no one wanted to be the first to do this. At this time, Doran sighed and said: “A bunch of cowards, let me try.”
He walked to a nearby stone pillar and placed his hand on a magic mark engraved on the stone pillar.
Immediately after that, that stone pillar emitted a blinding light, and Doran also disappeared. However, on the stone pillars appear images that appear to be painted.
That is the image of Doran climbing to the top of a mountain; however, his expression is extremely painful because the road he needs to go through is full of sharp spikes sticking into his body.
“Good! I’m not a coward either, that’s why…” Ikarys smiled and said: “See you later.”
He walked to another stone pillar, then placed his hand on it. The stone pillar lit up, and he also disappeared. On that stone pillar appeared an image of Ikarys standing on a lake of lava.
Everyone looked at each other, then Iritellis bowed and said: “Master, I will try to overcome the challenge.”
“This…”
“Master, I don’t want to be useless here.” Iritellis smiled confidently.
Lathel saw this and nodded: “Prioritise your own safety first, understand?”
“Uhm!” Iritellis nodded, then disappeared as he touched another stone pillar.
Everyone disappeared one by one, leaving only Lathel, Alec, and Arine. Arine sighed and said: “Lathel, you don’t have to enter the trial. You just need to stay here, and wait for everyone to complete the challenge, understand?”
“I understand. I also don’t want to be in danger, that’s why… Good luck.” Lathel shrugged in response, his expression extremely indifferent.
Hearing that, Arine was not angry at all but instead happily walked to a stone pillar, then activated the magic above it.
“Wait until I get back; don’t go anywhere else.” Arine waved to Lathel, then disappeared.
When Lathel saw that everyone had left, he breathed a sigh of relief, then looked towards Alec.
Alec also looked at him and slowly took off his hood. His cold voice rang out: “Kekekeke… Lathel… long time no see… Do you still remember that… Heh?!”
Before Alec could finish his sentence, a sound like the cry of a hawk rang out, accompanied by a strange sound.
In a small moment, Lathel suddenly appeared in front of Alec, his hand containing Lightning element magical energy radiating blinding light.
“Gondori!”
…
Elsewhere, Lusha suddenly felt something. She smiled and waved her hands: “Hahahaha… let this world admire Lathel’s strength and feats!”
Two magic formations appeared in her hands; they emitted a dazzling aura, as if announcing to the world what she was preparing to do next.
In the Royal Palace, Catheryne suddenly received a stream of information appearing in her head and frowned: “Strange, they just left less than 30 minutes ago; could it be…”
She raised her hand and ordered the servant: “Let all the high-
ranking nobles and officials in the Royal Family observe the proceedings of the Genius Congress.”
The servants immediately bowed their heads: “Yes, my queen.”
Seeing the servants leave, Catheryne smiled and muttered: “It seems… I was right to let Lathel participate in this genius congress. The world will admire the miracle my son created.”
Claire also received a text message from Lusha at this time. She frowned and decided to tell Akna the news from Lusha.
Akna heard that and thought for a moment, then said: “You just do as she says. Anyway, I believe that Young Master will definitely create a miracle.”
“Use this opportunity to gain more followers and the faith of your current followers.”
Hearing that, Claire nodded: “Uhm! Summon all the believers present here to the gathering yard; I will let them see the God they are worshipping.”