The group began searching overnight for the entrance to the Curse Formula Research Institute at the heart of Corinth City-State's castle.
They meticulously examined every detail of the castle, fearing any oversight might cause them to miss the research institute's entrance.
Locke also employed the Summon Graveyard Spirit spell, conjuring two invisible grave spirits to roam the castle in search of the entrance.
His mastery of the Summon Graveyard Spirit spell model had grown increasingly proficient, allowing him to simultaneously summon two invisible spirits to perform the task of deciphering Moduo Language texts in two locations at once.
"The Curse Formula Research Institute must consume enormous resources daily—likely thousands of Magic Stones' worth of Magical Resources per day. Such massive resource expenditure would leave traces, no matter how well hidden," Locke pondered. "However, this castle seems to house many Dark Wizard Apprentices. Even with Niels covering for us, I must remain cautious."
"These nameless minor figures among the Black Wizards may lack the ability to accomplish great deeds, but they certainly possess the power to ruin them. Achieving success is complex and difficult, but causing failure often requires nothing more than a shout or two."
Late at night, a crescent moon hung in the sky.
Locke wandered alone through the courtyard. A Second-Class Wizard Apprentice from the Blood Curse Court spotted Locke, who was disguised as an ordinary person, and frowned in suspicion. Approaching, the apprentice casually attempted to cast a Fear Curse on Locke, only to be shocked when the crude spell model failed to take effect.
Setting aside Locke's extraordinarily high Magic Resistance due to his 505 Magic Pressure, even the effects of the Bear Spirit Emerald Bile Potion alone would have rendered him immune to such low-level Curse Magic.
The Second-Class Wizard Apprentice immediately grew wary. "Who are—?"
In the next instant, Omen Mandrake Vines sealed his neck and mouth, rendering him unable to escape or make a sound.
The vines coiled around his throat sprouted clusters of purple Poison Berries, releasing deadly toxins. The apprentice soon perished.
This was Poison Berry Catapult.
For Locke now, even casually cast Spells were lethal poisons to low-level wizard apprentices.
Sophia's voice whispered in Locke's ear. "Locke, it seems you encountered an enemy. You handled it cleanly—well done."
"Among us, only your use of Spells is nearly undetectable by the Wall of Unbelievers. Especially when you employ low-level spell models."
"Locke, Andy has found the entrance. Come quickly to the castle's second floor."
Locke was surprised. Of the five of them, the one to locate the entrance first was Andy, the Incinerator specialized in combat.
Still, this was for the best.
Far better than the alternative—where, half a day later, Gabriel would be forced to take risks, using first-circle divination Spells right in the heart of the Blood Curse Court's stronghold under the watch of the Wall of Unbelievers.
Locke swiftly stored the Black Wizard's corpse in his Astral Ring and headed for the castle's second floor.
The moment he stepped onto the castle's second floor, he found Andy, Albert, and the others gathered in one room.
Everyone was already waiting there.
Incinerator Andy spoke first: "Good, everyone's here. The entrance to the Curse Formula Research Institute is inside this room's mirror."
"Since I often fight on the frontlines, I have some understanding of the Blood Curse Court's spells. If the entrance isn't in the physical world or the shadows, then it's most likely within the mirror world."
"The Blood Curse Court has a highly developed Blood Curse—the Mirror Blood Curse. They can use Curse Magic to carve out a special Blood Curse Space behind certain mirrors."
"The method to confirm it is simple."
Andy placed a faint Magical Flame in front of the room's dressing mirror. Stimulated by the weak flame, the mirror's surface immediately began oozing streams of fresh blood.
"A slight stimulus like this won't alert the Research Institute's entrance or the Wall of Unbelievers, but it will provoke the Blood Curse, making it manifest."
"Ordinary weak magic wouldn't be enough to trigger this kind of Blood Curse Space."
"But based on my battlefield experience with them, I've noticed that fire magic has a suppressive effect on this mirror-based Curse Magic. The curse manifests under the influence of flames."
Black Wizard Niels quietly voiced his thoughts. "It's possible that this Blood Curse's Curse Formula happens to be weak against high temperatures. Heat might disrupt some of the Formula's connection points. My guess is that high-level curses rely heavily on those geometric Formula overlaps and their junctions."
"Sometimes, to achieve certain curse effects, the connection points must retain vulnerabilities that can't be reinforced."
Andy shot him a glare. "Don't speak to me, Black Wizard."
Niels looked aggrieved, turning his gaze toward Sophia—and even Locke.
Andy faced the group again, his expression calm, completely different from the hostility he'd shown Niels. "Everyone, forcing our way in will definitely alert the people inside the Curse Formula Research Institute."
Gabriel smiled faintly. "No need to worry. I brought a [Digo Feather] in advance."
She retrieved a white feather from her Astral Ring—though Locke noticed that at first glance it was white, the next moment it turned black, and then red, its shape shifting as well.
The Digo Feather, a one-ring-level Magical Creature's feather, could be transformed into a one-ring Enchanted Item using Alchemy School and Divination School magic.
Its effect was a high-priority Confusion Spell, capable of disrupting and bypassing Protection School magical locks, identity verification, and similar defenses.
Gabriel stepped up to the mirror. "As long as we find the entrance, we can figure out a way to enter the Curse Formula Research Institute without alerting them."
"The Nibelungen Astrology System can assist me in cracking it."
She placed the Digo Feather before the mirror, and Locke sensed the Nibelungen Astrology System accelerating its operations—so much so that the magical energy transmitted through the sub-ring increased.
Madam Morgana said, "Be careful not to disturb the Wall of Unbelievers. Since the Blood Curse Court purchased five sets of this defense system, infiltrating has indeed become much more difficult."
Ten minutes later, a blood-red cursed gate materialized within the mirror.
Gabriel curled her lips into a smile. "Success."
"I've successfully deceived the magical lock and opened the entrance to the research facility. Everyone, let's hurry inside."
Gabriel placed the Digo Feather into the mirror. As the feather entered, ripples immediately spread across the mirror's surface.
Madam Morgana's voice echoed in everyone's ears. "Everyone, next, I will use the Nibelungen Astrology System in conjunction with the Digo Feather to confuse their Sixfold Curse Barrier, rendering it completely ineffective."
"However, at the same time, my support for you will largely vanish. The Nibelungen Astrology System must operate at full capacity to obscure the Sixfold Curse Barrier for you and, when necessary, reverse it once."
"Regardless, please stay safe."
"I want all of you to return."
Albert addressed the group, "Let's enter together. That way, we should stay in the same location."
"Niels, you stay outside and keep watch."
Niels had a contingency left by Sophia, and since he seemed to have fully thrown his lot in with Lilith's Cottage, he had earned a degree of trust from the others.
Locke and the others stepped into the mirror together and opened the Blood Gate.
The sensation was bizarre—walking into a mirror and opening a door within it.
But just as they all passed through the Blood Gate, a river of blood surged toward them, brimming with cursed energy.
This sudden anomaly caught both Sophia and Gabriel off guard. Yet, at this moment, the Nibelungen Astrology System was already working at full capacity to obscure the Sixfold Curse Barrier for them, leaving Madam Morgana no opportunity to offer guidance.
Gabriel reacted swiftly. "Sophia, don't use first-circle magic yet. It's not the right time."
"This is the research facility's automated defense mechanism. It must have detected an anomaly and launched an indiscriminate curse attack. If it were their own people, nothing would happen."
"Albert, Andy, and Locke—you must protect Gabriel and me. It's not yet our time to act. The three of you don't have enough Mana to directly trigger the Wall of Unbelievers' detection, which is your advantage."
"Make good use of it, especially... Locke. You can fight at full strength in this environment with a high chance of avoiding detection by the Wall of Unbelievers."
The next moment, the river of blood engulfed all five of them.
Locke immediately retrieved a vial of Bear Spirit Emerald Bile Potion from his Astral Ring and drank it. Simultaneously, he used three Omen Mandrake Vines, employing the Green Cleansing Grasp to encase himself in a protective green cocoon.
Though he could have used Perseus' Eye for defense, doing so would have been tantamount to launching an attack, risking unnecessary attention.
The next moment, Locke felt the river of blood violently crash into him, relentlessly invading his Magic Plant and his own body. However, the Bear Spirit Emerald Bile Potion within him generated corresponding Magic Resistance, repelling all the Curse energy from his system.
Clang!
A deafening roar echoed in Locke's ears—amidst the blood river, he couldn't hear anything clearly. At the same time, a resentful wail seemed to whisper beside him. Only when all these sounds faded did Locke furrow his brows, dispel the Spell, and retract the three Omen Mandrake Vines. His clothes had partially dissolved from the corrosive Curse energy, but it seemed he had successfully entered the research facility.
There was just one problem now—he stood alone in a corridor.
It appeared that the mishap during teleportation had scattered them all.
"Troublesome," Locke muttered, frowning as he found himself alone in the heart of the Black Wizard's stronghold. "I must regroup with the teacher and the others as soon as possible. They can't use magic right now—if they encounter enemies, what then?"
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