"Did you meet anyone else?" Liam only finished talking when another loud bang resounded, followed by what seemed like the crumbling of walls. Liam and Lan Deming peered through the broken structure to see a short guy heaving and panting.
Madan grinned at the two of them, his face fully flushed and the hunter sweating profusely. "Sorry, boss. I knew you hadn't cleared this immediately for some reason but I tried to hold out as long as I could." He spoke with a sheepish tone, clearly embarrassed by his situation.
Liam couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "Well, at least you made it out. That's what matters."
Madan nodded, still trying to catch his breath. "Yeah, it was... intense."
Turning back to Lan Deming, Liam reiterated his question. "Did you see Rey?"
Lan Deming shook his head. "No, I didn't see anyone else. This place... it's a maze. Easy to get lost and... distracted."
"It doesn't matter, my Lord. Sooner or later, we will all meet on the special floor. Let's just hope it's later rather than sooner." Eldrin as well walked out of the ruins. He gave a slight bow to Liam adding, "I am sure nothing happened to your subordinate. They are all very talented." The elf gave a gentlemanly smile to everyone.
Liam snorted as he did not care for the half-hearted flattering words of the elf. More than anyone, he knew Rey's situation and how his soul was almost torn apart and put back together. The guy had truly gone through a lot in his life and if he did not make it, then there would be more opportunities. Liam was willing to give him more than one chance to prove himself. Rather, he wanted to ask what special floor the elf was talking about but a towering aura appeared the next moment, leaving them no time to talk further.
An intense shockwave spread out and it contained more than just physical attack. Immediately Lan Deming and Madan dropped to their knees, blood seeping out of their pores. Only the elf was still standing, although it was clear that he was also having discomfort.
Liam frowned as he saw that he could not delay this fight any longer. Otherwise, he would risk the disqualification of two more of his team mates. Also, he had a feeling that this fight wasn't going to be easy.
Before another shockwave came out, Liam's figure blurred as he headed inward towards the nucleus of the attack.
He closed in on the source of the shockwave and the environment around him became increasingly warped and distorted, a clear sign of the immense power at the heart of this disturbance.
He navigated through the chaos with agility and precision, his Black Dragon Sword at the ready. Finally, he arrived at the center of the turmoil.
Considering his opponents before, Liam expected to find an enormous creature or monster at the center of these events. Perhaps one that had a leg into a dao path related to the mind. However, he met with something else entirely.
An array formation? Liam blinked. In front of him was a mess of various talismans and gems, like insects caught in an elaborate spider web. This was nothing like the array formations of the system shop he had used before or any other array that he had come across until now.
His experience with arrays might have been limited, but he could tell that this setup was unorthodox, almost like it was put together by someone with raw talent but lacking refined skills. This was why it was so shocking that the array was so damn powerful.
Hopefully, destroying it wouldn't be that hard?
Liam had read a little bit about the basis of array formation from the information manuals in his possession. Destroying an array wasn't a simple matter. There were typically many traps inlaid.
He approached cautiously as a direct attack might trigger a backlash or even strengthen the array. The array's crude nature made it unpredictable. Liam tried to gauge the focal points of the messy web but the talismans and gems scattered around seemed to serve as both focal points and energy sources, creating a chaotic yet potent field of energy.
There seemed to be no effective way to sus out what was important and what was not important. The clock was ticking as Liam could sense the presence of another attack building up.
Of course, there were always two methods to break open an array. One method was the sophisticated method and could be performed by someone who knew how to. The second method…
If it was not enough, then apply more brute force, enough to overwhelm whatever traps there might be.
Liam decided to go with the dao seed of ice as he activated the ice shard and churned the energy it contained. He mixed it in with the mana that he was automatically gathering on the side.
Together, the two created a dense aura and Liam shaped it in the form of an ice lance. He would have typically gone with an ice sword but after many trial and errors he knew that the penetrative power of his attack was higher in this form.
As the spear came into fruition, Liam did not hesitate and threw it with all his might towards the center of the array or rather the center of the room.
The ice lance cut through the air with a chilling intensity. It collided with the array network and there was a momentary silence before a massive explosion of energy erupted. The talismans and gems that formed the array's core were overwhelmed by the sheer force of the attack. They shattered, sending shards of energy and fragments of the array in all directions.
Liam shielded himself with a quick mana barrier, deflecting the flying debris. The shockwave from the array's destruction rippled throughout the space, causing the very air to tremble.
Liam blocked the shockwave adding more and more layers of mana barriers, trying to contain the attack within the room but he was only able to block the physical attack. The mental attack still managed to ripple through.
Thankfully, the array must have already gotten destabilized when the wave rang out so the mental attack was just a shadow of its former self.
As the debris cleared, it also became evident that his brute force approach had worked. The array, the source of the oppressive energy and shockwaves, everything was completely dismantled.
And the golden glow also started enveloping him without wasting any time.
Liam let out a sigh of relief as he instantly used his movement skill to arrive next to the group. "Good luck." He mouthed and he was once again plunged into darkness. This floor had been close but everyone had made it except for Dante and Rey. It was an outcome better than what he could have asked for.
Maybe if they did not arrive on the special floor that the elf mentioned, they could keep going on and even cross the second segment? Liam wondered what could be the rewards for the next segment. The Spire kept changing the rewards so it was unclear what they might get but whatever it may be, it was bound to be really good and tailor-made for them.
As his mind began to wander, the next floor materialized and Liam's eyes widened. All good things must come to an end.