Chapter 290 – The Escaped Experiment

Faced with this sudden turn of events, not only were the apprentices and the two-headed monstrous bird stunned, but even the leading mentor, who had just been communicating through his ring, looked in horror toward the tower where the explosion had occurred.

An irregular-shaped opening had actually appeared on the body of the Magic Tower, with massive elemental currents dancing and leaping at the breach. The outer colorful protective barrier of the Magic Tower had been forcibly blasted open, leaving an energy gap.

What truly shocked and horrified this Formal-Level Mage was not the blinding flash of light, nor the thunderous explosion, but the fact that the Magic Tower had been breached.

Through the curtain of the Torrential Rain, though the gap appeared minuscule from a distance—visible only to Formal-Level experts with keen eyesight—this seemingly insignificant damage was enough to unsettle the newly promoted Formal-Level Mage.

This was a Magic Tower, after all—a structure with arrays personally arranged by a Master-Level expert, where the master resided. The entire Gray Rain Country Truth Division had only seven such towers, each possessing exceptionally strong defenses. Even if several Formal-Level Mages joined forces and attacked for three days and three nights, they might not be able to inflict the slightest damage. Yet now, without any warning, such a shocking explosion had occurred on one of these towers. Most terrifying of all, the Magic Tower, long perceived as “indestructible,” had been breached… Even a Master-Level spell likely couldn’t achieve such destructive power!

At this thought, the face of the Formal-Level leading mentor turned pale, and a chill ran down his spine.

If this were an enemy attack… then the situation would be truly dire.

“Now is not the time to stand frozen.”

After all, this mentor was a Formal-Level expert. He channeled magic into a ring on his finger and stared intently at the small Projection that appeared before him, exclaiming loudly:

“This is Peter, this is Peter. I have led over three hundred apprentices to Stone Gate Number Four. What exactly happened in the branch? Did you hear the explosion just now?”

This mage named Peter seemed to be inquiring with the Mission Hall supervisor. However, before the Mission Hall’s responsible party could respond, his communication ring automatically connected to the public channel in the next instant.

The reply came from another, icy-cold, unfamiliar voice:

“All spellcasters, do not panic. I am Punk Cyan. What just occurred was an accidental experiment mishap. There is no enemy attack. I repeat, it was merely an experiment accident—no enemy attack!”

Hearing the words of the one who called himself Punk Cyan, Peter let out a heavy sigh of relief. Although accidents during Master-Level experiments were not common, they were not unheard of. It seemed this incident was nothing major.

However, Punk’s subsequent announcement once again made Peter’s recently eased heart tighten with apprehension.”Attention all spellcasters at branch entrance and exit points: Due to a laboratory accident, my five experimental creatures—the Iron-Toothed Ravens—have escaped. All five Iron-Toothed Ravens are now flying toward five different exits. Each raven possesses combat prowess equivalent to a tenth-level warrior. However, I will personally intervene and expect to resolve all escaped specimens within five minutes. Please do not worry!”

Punk’s completely emotionless “announcement” ended there. He had merely issued a routine notification, and couldn’t care less about the panicked reactions of these Formal-Level Mages.

As a Master-Level powerhouse, Punk had fulfilled his obligation to announce the incident. Now he only needed to observe the apprentices waiting at the five entrances under the pretext of capturing the Iron-Toothed Ravens. But for the unfortunate Peter and other leading Formal-Level Mages, the real trouble was just beginning.

Peter stared bitterly at the empty stone gate. Every mage behind it—whether Formal-Level or Apprentice-Level—had already fled. The Iron-Toothed Ravens were clearly troublesome creatures, and these magical beasts wouldn’t be easy to handle. Moreover, who knew whether injuring or even killing a Master-Level powerhouse’s test subjects would incur retaliation? Thus, all mages were desperately avoiding the approaching Iron-Toothed Ravens.

Only Peter was unlucky. With a contorted expression, he glanced back at the panicked apprentices.

This batch of apprentices was not only large in number but included several promising talents. If he fled his post and caused a massacre of apprentices… well, the branch leadership certainly wouldn’t punish the Master-Level troublemaker, but a minor tenth-level Formal-Level Mage like him would face severe consequences.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! This is a huge mess, a huge mess!”

Peter muttered anxiously to himself. He could already sense a frenzied presence rapidly approaching—undoubtedly, the long-imprisoned and now deranged Iron-Toothed Raven was about to arrive. But Peter was completely unprepared. As a newly promoted Formal-Level Mage, he could barely cast a handful of spells!

While the instructor Peter frantically prepared his spells, the apprentices behind him grew even more frantic and disoriented.

Standing among the crowd, Anya tightly hugged the trembling Moli. Though terrified herself, an indescribable intuition warned her that something dreadful and dangerous was imminent. Against this approaching threat, she—just a little girl—felt utterly powerless.

Clenching her silver teeth, Anya desperately moved toward less crowded areas, trying to reduce the chance of being targeted, though she had no idea if this would help.

“How… helpless! How… weak!”

Holding the sobbing Moli close, Anya felt that despised sense of powerlessness resurface in her heart.

The crisis was inevitable. Punk’s statement “I will personally resolve this” had implicitly warned all Formal-Level Mages not to interfere. Thus, in this apprentice zone with few Formal-Level Mages present, no one intercepted the five Iron-Toothed Ravens.The darkness of the night was profound, and the sound of the blizzard lashing the swamp was exceptionally terrifying and eerie.

“Screech!”

A piercing, high-frequency shriek echoed from afar. Simultaneously, accompanied by a bolt of lightning that tore through the cold wind and rain, a metallic raven exuding an aura of danger shot through the downpour and low-hanging clouds like a sharp crossbow bolt. Its four crimson eyes, brimming with madness and resentment, fixed intently on the group of apprentices and the reserved Formal-Level Mage on the ground.

“Bang!”

Without hesitation or pause, the Iron-Toothed Raven’s wingbeats sent a spray of rainwater flying as the frenzied magical beast transformed into a black streak, hurtling straight toward Peter!

Crisis had arrived!

(End of Chapter)