The next day, soon after dawn, a golden blur silently passed through the treetops and landed lightly on the stone platform of the watchtower.
Gavi had returned with intelligence as usual. Her clothes were still clean and neat, not even a wrinkle on her skirt.
If not for the notebook in her hand densely filled with recorded intelligence, it would be hard to imagine she had just completed a tracking reconnaissance mission.
Gavi walked up to Helos, who was drinking tea, and bowed slightly.
“Master.”
“The target’s movements have been confirmed.”
Helos put down her teacup and raised an eyebrow with interest.
“So? Has that red-haired kid already thrown a tantrum and found a place to hide and cry? Or is he planning to give up on the exam and go home to his mom?”
“No, he hasn’t.”
Gavi shook her head, and a strange light flickered in her gray eyes.
“On the contrary, after leaving here, he displayed extremely strong initiative. According to my observations, in just a few hours he not only gathered several medium-grade mana crystals again, but his route was also very clear.”
“Oh?”
Helos was a little surprised.
“This kid is pretty resilient. So where is he now?”
“The Inner Ring area.”
Gavi raised her hand, pointing to the area deep in the forest shrouded in thick fog.
“He went straight to the center of the ruins, the Underground Temple Ruins that students call a forbidden zone.”
Hearing “Inner Ring,” Julius, who had been resting with his eyes closed nearby, suddenly opened his eyes. Even the smile on Helos’s face faded a little.
That was the core area of the entire Trial Ruins, and also the place with the highest mana density.
According to the student handbook issued by the Academy, although the highest-value top-grade mana crystals were stored there, it was also home to a large number of high-level magical beasts left over from ancient times.
It was said that even upperclassmen dared not venture there alone during exams. For freshmen like them, it was basically equivalent to a forbidden zone.
“Is he crazy?”
Julius frowned.
“In his current state, no magic staff, no tools, not even a decent set of clothes, running there—how is that any different from suicide?”
“Maybe he’s desperate.”
Helos rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“After all, he’s penniless now. If he wants to turn things around in the remaining two days, taking a gamble there is his only option.”
She stood up and walked to the edge of the watchtower. Through her mind’s eye, she could clearly see the massive mana flow swirling above that area in the distance.
“Interesting.”
A smile curled at the corner of the girl’s lips again.
“It seems this guy isn’t a complete fool. At least this spirit of going all in is commendable.”
“So what do we do?”
Julius walked over to her.
“Should we stop him?”
“Stop him? Why would we stop him?”
Helos turned her head and looked at Julius as if he were an idiot.
“Someone volunteering to scout the path for us—isn’t that a great thing?”
“Think about it, the Inner Ring is so dangerous, there must be countless traps and mechanisms. If we charge in recklessly, we’ll waste a lot of time clearing mines.”
“But now it’s different, we have a ready-made pathfinder walking ahead of us.”
Helos smiled like a sly little fox.
“He triggers the traps for us, he draws the aggro of the magical beasts. We just need to follow behind him, keeping a safe distance. After he clears the way or gets the crystals…”
“Then we make our move?”
Julius tentatively finished her sentence.
“This is called efficient resource utilization.”
Helos snapped her fingers.
“And if he really encounters a life-threatening danger, we can conveniently save his sorry ass. Then he’ll not only have to thank us but also obediently hand over the crystals as a ‘thank-you gift.’ Isn’t that a win-win?”
Julius looked at this girl full of malicious ideas and could only shake his head helplessly.
Helos turned to her maid.
“Gavi, what do you think?”
“The plan has extremely high feasibility.”
Gavi voted in favor without any hesitation.
“The target’s mana fluctuations are unstable, but enough to attract the attention of most magical beasts. Using that as cover, we can greatly reduce the risk of infiltration. It may sound scummy, but I have to admit, this is indeed the most efficient and safest plan at the moment.”
“Then it’s settled!”
Helos waved her hand and made the decision.
“Pack up! We’re moving!”
“Target is the Inner Ring of the ruins! Follow that red-haired kid! Don’t let him get away!”
After simply packing up their camp, the three set off immediately. With Gavi around, tracking Kelaode was not difficult.
They followed the traces left by Kelaode, passed through the dense Central Ring Forest, and headed north all the way.
As they got closer to the Inner Ring, the surrounding environment began to change noticeably. The trees became taller and more twisted, and the humidity in the air grew heavier.
The sounds of birds and insects that could still be heard earlier gradually disappeared, replaced by a deathly stillness.
The soil on the ground turned dark red, as if soaked in blood. Helos could feel that the mana density here had reached an astonishing level.
The ‘curse of silence’ inside her began to stir restlessly, like a starving man seeing a feast, eager to open its mouth and devour everything around.
Julius walked at the front. The holy sword ‘Dawn’ in his hand had its brilliance restrained, but still emanated a sacred aura that kept nearby magical beasts at bay. He was constantly alert to the surroundings.
This was no longer a place where they could leisurely vacation. Traces of battle were visible everywhere. Charred tree trunks, blasted rocks, and the corpses of some low-level magical beasts.
“These were all left by Kelaode.”
Julius crouched down and examined a magical spider burned to charcoal on the ground.
“This level of casting intensity, for someone without a magic staff, is practically overdrawing his life force.”
“Isn’t that perfect?”
Helos stepped over the corpse, her tone relaxed.
“The harder he fights, the fewer troubles we’ll face. Maybe by the time we catch up to him, he’ll have already worn down half the HP of the beasts inside.”
The three continued forward. The surrounding fog began to thicken. This fog wasn’t ordinary water vapor; it was formed from highly concentrated mana.
It flowed slowly through the trees, not only blocking vision but also interfering with perception. Even Gavi was considerably affected here.
“Master, there’s movement ahead.”
Gavi suddenly stopped and lowered her voice.
“About 300 meters from us, a huge mana source is converging. It seems to be the entrance to the ruins.”
“We’re here?”
Helos perked up. Through the layered mist, she could vaguely see several giant stone pillars standing in front. It was a ruin. A magnificent and desolate ancient temple ruin, forgotten by time.
After about an hour of stealthy movement, the forest ahead finally became sparse. A vast ancient ruin shrouded in thick fog appeared in their view. At the entrance, beside a broken stone tablet, the familiar figure was leaning against the tablet, gasping for breath.
It was Kelaode.
He looked even more bedraggled than before. His already tattered clothes had several new wounds, clearly the journey had not been easy for him either. But he hadn’t given up. He was now pouring some unknown potion into his mouth, seemingly recovering his stamina.
A few mana crystals he had just acquired were scattered around him, emitting an enticing glow. But he currently didn’t even have the strength to pick them up.
“He’s resting.”
Julius lowered his voice and pulled Helos behind a bush.
“It seems he’s making final preparations to enter the Inner Ring.”
“Perfect.”
Helos observed the red-haired youth adjusting his state through the gaps in the leaves.
“Let’s rest too. Once he goes in, we’ll follow.”
The three waited like patient hunters, lurking in the shadows. They watched Kelaode finish his potion, watched him stand up again, watched him tidy up his tattered gear, and then resolutely turn and step into the surging mist. His back even carried a sense of tragic heroism.
“Let’s go.”
Helos gave the order softly.
Julius and Gavi immediately followed.
The three kept a moderate distance and silently slipped into that unknown territory.
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