am-books Chapter 60: Chapter60-Multiplayer Trial
Chapter 60: Chapter60-Multiplayer Trial
As John entered the twelfth layer of the trial, changes were also afoot in the outside world.
[Someone in this round of the trial has achieved an SSS-level rating, unlocking a highlight replay!]
Seeing the prompt, the crowd outside the Bones Tower had grown accustomed to it.
It wasn't surprising anymore; they were used to it.
Without a doubt, the only one capable of achieving an SSS-level rating was that newcomer from Hidden Stars.
Baron and the others had grown used to it as well.
They were engaged in an important mind power conversation and initially had no intention of watching John's footage again.
However, the murmurs of astonishment among the crowd caught their attention.
Old Dog exclaimed, "Damn, that reaction speed, that strength, are you telling me he's a magus?"
Gold Flash was equally incredulous, saying, "How could his melee abilities be so terrifying? I couldn't have reacted like that in that situation. Is he sure he didn't awaken as a warrior class?"
The rest, looking up at the scene displayed in the sky, were equally flabbergasted.
Baron, Victor, and the other powerhouses were puzzled, unsure of what trick the young man had pulled off this time.
Their gaze turned skyward.
Then, in the sky, they saw John, clad in golden armor and wielding an ice spear, boldly intercepting the Bloodwing Slaughterer's sneak attack!
Alexander looked as if he'd seen a ghost, gasping, "Isn't this kid a magus? How does he possess such terrifying strength? That's a trial boss of the same level, how can he withstand its attack?!"
Someone lamented, "Exactly! How is that fair?! Can't you, a magus, just cast spells from the back? Why possess such terrifying melee capabilities as well? Who can deal with that, it's just too unfair!"
Eldritch, after closely observing for a while, remarked, "Most of this young fellow's strength comes from equipment skills and his skill fusion technique, not his innate attributes. It's all additional attributes. However, his melee abilities must be very strong, or he wouldn't have been able to dodge that monster's sneak attack."
With Eldritch's explanation, it dawned on the others that it was the effects of the equipment and skills.
Just then, Albertus suddenly interjected, "But seriously, why is a magus wearing warrior's equipment? What's he trying to do?"
The air instantly grew tense, and everyone fell silent.
What could a magus do wearing a warrior's equipment?
That would be nothing short of deceptive!
After all, what self-respecting magus would wear warrior's gear?
...
Unaware of the outside world's perceptions, John continued his journey in the trial.
In the eyes of others, he had already been categorized as cunning and deceitful.
After slaying the Bloodwing Slaughterer, John chose to proceed to the next layer.
A portal appeared before him, and stepping through, John's vision blurred momentarily before he found himself in a grand, resplendent palace hall.
John was also taken aback by this revelation.
He hadn't expected that the entity lying within that sarcophagus was the Crimson Demon himself; no wonder merely glancing at it had made him feel so uneasy!
What astonished John even more was the existence of a being capable of inflicting such grievous wounds on the Crimson Demon, leaving him near death.
What kind of entity could that be?
The mere thought sent shivers down John's spine.
It took John quite some time to calm his emotions before he continued reading.
Initially, the twelve Apostles dutifully guarded the Crimson Demon's sarcophagus, even constructing this palace and waiting with their followers, always ready for the Crimson Demon's return.
However, as time passed, people's hearts inevitably change, especially for the twelve Apostles, who were the type to betray the world for power, hardly virtuous to begin with.
Thus, in less than a century, the twelve Apostles, who had been faithfully guarding the sarcophagus, began to suspect that the Crimson Demon might have perished and decided to collude to steal the treasures left by the Crimson Demon.
The plan of the twelve Apostles progressed smoothly.
After all, they possessed the Crimson Key required to unlock the Crimson Demon's treasure, which they were originally instructed to safeguard by the Crimson Demon himself.
Little did he know they would harbor thoughts of embezzlement.
Everything went according to plan, but an unexpected incident occurred at the crucial moment of unlocking the Crimson Demon's treasure.
It wasn't that the Crimson Demon had awakened, but rather, an internal conflict erupted among the Apostles over the division of the loot, leading to a violent confrontation.
In the chaos of the battle, the Ghost Wizard seized the opportunity to steal the Crimson Key and awakened the Crimson Demon.
Enraged, the Crimson Demon transformed the eleven Apostles into grotesque forms, neither human nor ghost, and turned this place into the Crimson Realm, trapping everyone here forever, unable to escape.
Although the Ghost Wizard was gravely injured, he managed to leave the Crimson Realm in the final moments and vanished without a trace.
The story on the mural ended here.
Based on John's speculation, although the Ghost Wizard escaped the Crimson Realm, he was severely injured and greatly weakened, eventually dying in his own church.
Until the advent of virtual reality into the real world, he became the dungeon boss of the Phantom Ruins, while the Crimson Realm from the same world descended near Stellarburg, only recently discovered by House Foster.
John shook his head.
He had hoped to find clues about the location of the Crimson Demon's treasure within the mural, but there was no specific information.
It might have been deliberately omitted, or perhaps the person who recorded the mural didn't know the treasure's whereabouts either.
He didn't gain many clues.
Where could the Crimson Demon's treasure be hidden?
As John pondered, a notification suddenly popped up before him.
[Notification: The twelfth layer of the Heritage Trial is about to begin. Please prepare, trial participants!]
[Current number of participants: 4/4]
[Trial task: Eliminate all players!]