by Feng Yue
-
The next morning, they were at the center of Auschwitz. If one looked down from the sky, one would see a yawning hole in the circular area. The eerie crack was like an eye in the earth staring up to the heavens. Within the eye was bottomless darkness.
According to scholars, Auschwitz was built on a complex but fragile geological rock formation. The smallest earthquake would cause a chain of disasters. If the crack enlarged, everything might be swallowed into it.
One could vaguely make out some rusted machines and the remains of a helicopter around the crack. Those were the digging equipment that the Chainsaw Fraternity gave to Romulus. They were only able to enter the mines with these things. However, they were abandoned when the relic was discovered. Now, only the scar-like hole remained.
At daybreak, the musicians gathered here, waiting to cross through the mine and enter the relic. Of course, many of them held mysterious maps and suspicious unreliable mine road maps. They did not know if the maps were useful but they only costed around two to three hundred dollars. They could use the maps as commemorative gifts.
Soon, the grandmasters supervising the trial appeared. After publicly taking away the dozens of rule-breaking musicians, the trial officially began.
The sealed entrance to the mine was opened.
Some musicians flew down, some started climbing, and others summoned phantom beasts that could fly. Seeing everyone use their tricks to enter, Ye Qingxuan casually got into the line for the lift.
The lift was a piece of equipment from before. It used to transport the miners and heavy machinery every day. It was dozens of square meters and could easily transport dozens of people and their luggage.
Beside him, Baro had wanted to summon his griffin and fly down. However, due to his promise, he followed Ye Qingxuan’s command with a dark expression.
“You don’t have to waste your energy at the start. Attracting attention at the start will make you a public enemy, right? The Sacred City won’t care what we do once we’re in.” Ye Qingxuan carried his package to the very front. Compared to the other light travelers, he looked like a snail.
Sam eyed his own giant bag with a pained expression. “Is all of this necessary?”
Ye Qingxuan patted his shoulder. “I hope a lot of it is unnecessary but you’ll be happy to have it when we need it.”
Sam sighed. He obediently put on the heavy bag and walked into the lift, lowering into the darkness under the loud rumbling.
Another rumble sounded under their feet. Blinding red light illuminated in the darkness. Fire was burning. Screams spread…
-
Far from the entrance of the mine, a middle-aged Easterner stuck his hands in his sleeves and watched the chaos with a smile. Beside him, a few white-haired youths and girls anxiously wanted to do something but could only stand there obediently.
“Sir, are we really not going to help?” someone asked softly.
“All is destined by the heavens so just let it be. Those who understand this fact will not stand under danger.” Mr. Hu patted the youth’s shoulder and remained still. “After all, this is not the East, and we are not locals here. For complicated matters, it is not good to be involved but there is no harm in watching…” He paused and watched as the white-haired youth enter the mine. “No harm in watching.”
-
The chaos started in the entrance. Someone said that two musicians who were fighting for space in the lift were squished together, and one of them touched the other’s chest. Others said that they kissed publicly and blinded the singles in the crowd. Others said that they already had feelings for each other and this was a well-planned conspiracy.
Anyway, many rumors came out of this event. And the end result was that there was a fight. It was an all-out fight! This meant that…other people were dragged in as well.
In the beginning, Ye Qingxuan saw sparks fly from below the lift and heard the commotion. Someone in the first batch awoke the music score sealed in his instrument, transforming aether into a hungry fire. It exploded in the center of the crowd!
Amidst the explosion, the lift began to shake furiously. The steel cable pulled taut and swept over Ye Qingxuan’s head, popping in the air. Then there was a huge quake. People screamed and the lift visibly tilted.
Amidst the grating sounds of steel warping, three of the six poles under the lift cracked. The other three were warped under the music score’s effect. Inside the mine, the riot had grown uncontrollable. As competitors, they did not have the grace of being friendly and calm. It was an everyday matter to fight now. For these musicians, survival of the fittest was the way! The intensity of the fight burned white-hot.
Under Ye Qingxuan’s observation, dozens of aether waves shot out one after another in the darkness peppered with sparks. This meant that…dozens of musicians were part of this messy fight. Most of them were for self-preservation and covered themselves with shields. Then…they started messing with the others!
The Eye of Silence immediately sensed reactions from six different music scores: a sonata that got a head start, an overture that planned slowly, a symphony performed by multiple musicians, a concerto, a fantasia famous for explosive power… The high and piercing sounds was interwoven in indistinguishable cacophony. Chaotic aether were guided by the music theory and came crashing with the destructive music.
Boom! With an earth-shattering explosion, immense pressure shot out from the darkness of the mine and into the air, making Ye Qingxuan’s vision go black. This time, he was unable to keep observing. The wobbling lift had finally toppled over!
The musicians quickly showed off their skills to escape the sinking ship. However, some were unlucky and did not prepare music scores for this situation. They had no time to perform one from scratch so they could only grab onto other musicians or equipment and pray.
The moment Ye Qingxuan felt the shaking, he was grabbed by someone. He felt a boom above his head and heavy wind whistled by. A griffin with a wingspan of a few meters had emerged from the air. With a caw, it began flying.
Its claws were agile like a man’s hands. It hooked onto Ye Qingxuan’s collar and grasped his waist. The other claw grabbed Miller, who had not yet processed everything. Baro and Sam sat on the griffin’s back.
Seeing Ye Qingxuan’s pathetic state, Baro huffed sadistically. “Who was the one that said it’s best to save our energy—ah, f*ck!” The last half of his sentence was swallowed by a scream.
Metallic light surged like a thunderstorm in the darkness. Under the eerie bamboo melody, countless steel edges emerged out of thin air and swept in all directions like rain. Either meaningfully or not, they blocked the griffin in place.
“I told you…” Ye Qingxuan sighed and activated the shield on his ring, getting ready to charge. No matter how many times he had failed in Avalon, Ye Qingxuan still liked to act cool. However, he also had learned some things. If everyone else is suffering and you’re acting all majestic, of course they’re gonna come for you!
“Bro, don’t hit my face!” He only had time to raise a hand and block his face.
The metallic light swept over with a roar. The griffin had just been summoned and Baro had no time to control other music scores. He could only yell, “Sam! What are you waiting for?”
“We-we’re fighting now?” Sam finally realized. He was so excited he even stuttered. “You could’ve said so!”
The mass of iron had not come yet but the griffin suddenly cried out. Their altitude decreased as if an invisible hammer had pounded its head. This was because of the Copper Mountain!
The majestic yet wild melody shot out, extending the music theory, performing equations, and connecting the shaking aether. Then, a gale of red wind appeared in thin air. It transformed into a tornado that stretched from the sky to the ground like a wildly dancing snake. In the eye of the storm, Sam’s eyes were ablaze with flames. They shone like lava.
Wild wind swept through. This was not the music score’s effect; it was only the
prelude.
This was…
336 I Want to Fight Ten!
“Sound of heart?” Ye Qingxuan looked up in shock. His Eye of Silence looked past the semi-transparent griffin and fell onto Sam. In his semi-transparent body, countless rhythms had combined into one tempo. The tempo resonated with the sea of aether. It poured into the music score, performing its own effect. This was ‘Foehn Wind,’ the sound of heart that only musicians loved by Saint Agni!
Burning wind instantly swept through. The mass of iron was swept in and burned instantly, creating a stream of melted iron that solidified in midair. In the crowd, the musician’s expression flipped. He tried to escape but it was too late!
“It’s not over yet!” Sam cackled. He slammed his fists into the air. A passionate melody shot out. The flowing melted iron was pounded by invisible hammers and instantly began to weather. Countless music notes flowed within it, adding to the music theory until it transformed into a terrifying alchemy weapon. This was Les Preludes by Saint Liszt. It was also known as the Score of Damocles!
Everyone held their breaths because a sword hung in the sky. In the silence, Sam held his breath too. He reached out cautiously as if cutting the invisible thread. The sword descended instantly. Hundreds upon thousands of red meteorites fell. The shooting sword multiplied and returned under the giant boom!
The musician who had performed the secret attack was aghast. With a scream, he tried to escape but it truly was too late now. The wild aetheric vortex was born in an instant and disappeared in the next.
Amidst the continuous rumbling, countless gaping holes opened in the deep end of the mine. The swords that lost their strength pierced and melted into the rock. They gradually dimmed and all that remained was evaporating bloody vapors and dots of shocking dark red.
“Hey, that’s a bit…overdramatic?” It was not just Baro. Even Sam was frightened and wiped at his cold sweat. Now, he finally realized the eyes on him. They were full of fear, darkness, hatred, shock, murderous intent, terror, awe…
“Sam, I have a question,” Ye Qingxuan uttered. “How many can you destruction musicians fight at once?”
“Uh, if we’re at the same level, maybe three?” Sam answered uncertainly. “Why are you asking?”
“So you can’t win if there are more than three?”
Sam nodded.
With so many eyes full of malice on them, Ye Qingxuan could not help but bury his face and sigh. “Baro, what are you waiting for? Run!”
This time, Baro did not need Ye Qingxuan’s urging him, and cast a bunch of music scores. The griffin’s wings shook and it rushed into the darkness.
“Get him!” someone yelled. The crowd swarmed after them like an angry beehive.
Sam’s aggressive reaction had been too over the top and had attracted everyone’s attention. They were all competitors here, so if one performed so well…they would go after him, as usual!
Numerous music scores were cast in an instant, targeting the extremely visible griffin in the air. Next, an attack much denser than before swept through the air. At the same time, explosions sounded outside the mine.
In that instant, waves crashed in the aether sea. Outside the tolerance range of most aether balls, the fragile crystal balls exploded, blinding their owners. Faced with an intensity that was more than enough to kill them, the group paled collectively.
“Sam, do you have any solutions?” Baro glanced at the culprit.
Sam thought seriously. After wasting the last bit of time they had, he stated, “I don’t think so.”
Baro almost coughed out blood. He was ready to accept death when he heard Ye Qingxuan’s voice.
“Speed up,” he said. “I’ll take care of the rest.” In the next moment, a hymn rose up. Beside Ye Qingxuan, Choir musician Miller felt boundless radiance emerge from the darkness and illuminate the earth.
“Holy?” In awe, he sensed the Choir music theory brewing within and murmured, “The realm of God has descended onto Earth and operates as if in the heavens…”
In the light, the boundless realm unfolded in thin air. Music theory of the School of Abstinence joined with Choir theory, creating a perfect shield. There were no shakes, hits, or explosions. All attacks disappeared into the shield and landed in an unknown place. When the dust settled, they were already gone, as if they had disintegrated.
In the crowd, Colt Flagg gazed through the sky. His gaze turned meaningful as if his Starry Eyes saw something.
After the chaos, the musicians spread out into the mine. A rope was gradually lowered into the darkness, falling into the riddled mine. Baro and Sam were close to collapsing. They were practically carried down by Ye Qingxuan. They had no time to escape and instead hid in the crevices of the wall. In order to stay hidden, they did not even dare to use any music scores. They depended on pure physical strength.
Ye Qingxuan would not have been able to hold himself without the Governor, let alone care for the other two. In comparison, Miller was relaxed as if he was vacationing. He was not even out of breath.
“The School of Choir studies life, you know?” Miller explained with a smile. “My research field is the resistance of the physical body. Many techniques do not require music scores. The theory is simple. You just need to adjust the ‘four liquids’ inside your body and maintain equilibrium. It’s just like how you Modifications uses changes of formulas. One of our seniors survived two days in the deep sea by maintaining the equilibrium to study the limits of the body. This is a small case.”
Hearing that, Baro sprawled onto the ground listlessly. He decided not to ask anymore.
“Let’s get going after a ten minute break.” Ye Qingxuan looked around. He pulled some chant consumables and created an illusion barrier. “We’re already behind. Hopefully, we won’t fall too far back.”
“Shouldn’t we be fighting every second now?” Sam asked.
“That’s for the last step. Right now, it’ll be okay if we catch up. If we’re too far ahead, the others would probably team up against us.” Ye Qingxuan held his chin emotionally. “Trust me, I’ve dealt with these situations too much. You don’t want to experience it.” Hearing his words, everyone else’s expressions grew strange. They wondered what this white-haired guy had actually experienced in the past. “I’m sure everyone understands after that riot that you can’t survive by yourselves. Now, even the ones who didn’t want to join groups will try to find someone.”
Miller sighed. “The rest of the journey will be difficult.”
“You can’t do it by yourself but explorations aren’t the more the better,” Ye Qingxuan mumbled with a mouth full of breakfast food. “The Eastern Empire called for tens of thousands to excavate the ancient royal tomb but only a handful is actually useful. The four of us is enough. In fact, we have advantages.”
Ye Qingxuan had joined this team as a Revelations musician. He was responsible for investigating the path and exploring the relic. When needed, he would decode enchantments. The destructive Sam was responsible for martial power. Miller’s job was healer and backup. Baro was multi-talented and had many phantom beasts. He was responsible for filling in the holes. They made up a pretty standard exploration team and were enough to explore the Dark World, let alone a relic.
They restarted the journey after a short rest. However, Ye Qingxuan cautiously pulled out a sealed flagon this time. It was the size of a fist but heavy as if it was solid steel.
“What’s this?” Baro scooted over but Miller dragged him away after taking a whiff.
“Live mercury?” Miller furrowed his brows. “This is fatal poison. You won’t want to get a drop on you.”
“Relax. It’s just a chant consumable.” Holding his breath, Ye Qingxuan carefully opened the lid. Inside, the endlessly and silently flowing mercury rippled. This mercury was transformed by an alchemist. It was more active. Even in this flagon, it was still moving. It began bubbling slightly under the gentle melody. Strands of silver snaked out and hung in the air.
&nb
sp; Ye Qingxuan let out a breath. “Done.”
Next, the gentle melody repeated. Two, four, eight…countless strands of mercury extended from the flagon into all directions with the Bolero melody. Under the intensifying song, the entire flagon was transformed into microscopic strands. They flashed faintly in the darkness.
The mercury perception threads extended, allowing Ye Qingxuan’s senses to stretch into the deepest darkness. This was Charles’ creation. After realizing that Ye Qingxuan’s water vapor perception threads were too weak and hard to use, he suggested directly changing the material.
The two had stayed up the entire night, adjusting intervals and music theory. They had finally applied it onto mercury, overcoming water vapor’s weakness. The mercury threads were flawless, save for the fact that it was slow to prepare.
Ye Qingxuan soon put back his empty flagon. The group began foraging deeper into the mine. The darkness swallowed their figures. A serene breeze blew from the distance, light as a laugh.
337 A Good Start?
Using the mine map from the church, the group moved quickly. In fact, they had even overtaken many people. Under Ye Qingxuan’s perception, a complex yet detailed map formed in his mind. There were barely any fights during their journey. Ye Qingxuan had avoided all the musicians. However, he suddenly halted during their wordless walking.
“Wait, there’s a situation.”
During the journey, his teammates had acknowledged his exploration abilities. Hearing his words, everyone grew guarded. Ye Qingxuan tossed down his bag to lighten to weight and cautiously walked forward.
One step, two steps… The mercury threads extended and sank into the soil, sensing something hidden under the decaying dirt. Ye Qingxuan froze and was immediately covered in cold sweat.
“Who the f*ck did this cruel thing?” With his Eye of Silence, he looked past the disguise. The entire tunnel was covered in alchemy arrays and carved music scores. It looked like a wall covered densely in Boston ivy. Though beautiful, it was terrifying.