"No," a person near her said, "They didn't attack us, and they didn't fight back against our magic. They only eat the dead bodies of the monsters and that's it." He stopped, then added, "We can't even be sure these creatures are following us, there are so many and they are everywhere."
Lilith knew he was correct. Now she was becoming aware of how strong these things she used to ignore could be. They had traveled through a silent, desolate area where regular creatures transformed into continuously quiet monsters. All antimage apprentices and magical beasts had been killed. Thankfully, these monsters didn't have extraordinary powers. If they did, Lilith feared even they could be torn apart by the sheer number of creatures.
"Get Larry," Lilith requested after a silent moment.
Larry was the most skilled apprentice in potion research in the War Alliance. His magic potions were so powerful and odd that even the most experienced people would not risk making him angry.
"Lilith? What's happening?" Larry asked, coming closer.
"Is there any news on the monster samples study?"
Larry shook his head, revealing a big chunk of compact flesh. He pointed at the weird tentacles growing out of it. "All we're certain of is that this is some type of advanced virus. The infected aren't single entities, but appear to be part of a network. There must be a puppeteer behind all this." Larry's face glowed with enthusiasm. "This is an amazing method, removing the creature's spirit and letting the virus keep the body alive. I can't do it, and I don't know anyone who can."
Lilith looked at the compact flesh and asked, "Do you think they could change again?"
Understanding her worry, Larry quickly answered, "No chance. This virus has already reached its maximum mutation. There's nothing in their genes that could develop into extraordinary powers. The infected can, at best, remain in their current state."
While they were talking, a message came from the apprentice in charge of the realm, "The Aum family's people are less than 20 kilometers from the trap. Four level-two mages, sixteen level-ones, and about a thousand apprentices."
Larry was surprised, "Twenty mages? But why are there so few apprentices?"
Lilith pointed to the huge group of infected creatures and explained, "Because of them." She then ordered, "All of you, take your places. Start charging the magic arrays. If the infected show any changes, kill them immediately."
As everyone else rushed to do their jobs, Larry asked, "Lilith, do we need to be so careful? These infected aren't a threat to us. Their power is much weaker than ours, and no matter how many there are, they can't match us."
Lilith let out a deep sigh, "I hope you're right, but I've got a bad feeling."
In a flash, the twenty-kilometer distance was covered. The Aum family ran like frightened dogs from their land, their information network completely shattered, blindly retreating inland. They thought the enemies were still gathering at the edges; they never suspected the elite troops were right under their noses.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the magic array sprang into action. Earth, water, wind, fire, light, darkness, metal, frost, and many unrecognizable magical glimmers all sparkled at the same time. Thousands of students from the Aum family were reduced to ashes before they could even scream. The official antimages, after a moment of shock, desperately used their survival skills to endure the first wave of attack.
A newly promoted level-one mage from the Aum family, with the least experience and weakest abilities, was severely injured in the first wave. He asked with a pale face, "How did you get here? How could you know our escape route?"
The magic array on the ground was charging quickly. Cook bit his tongue hard, and with his blood, he summoned several desperate monsters as a shield. Then he yelled, "Run!"
Lilith's voice echoed clearly from the ground, "Second wave, now!"
The shields couldn't even endure a round of attack before they were shattered. The huge magic array, composed of countless smaller ones, exploded with an amazing power far beyond a single apprentice's strength. The power of the magic circle was amplified to a terrifying ten times its original strength.
Outside the underground lab, the devil fused with Garfield watched the live stream with interest. Adam had ordered him to release the second-generation virus right away, but the devil didn't obey.
Even though Adam said he didn't care about some minor issues, the devil didn't want to give others advantages that easily. Plus, this was a fun game. He decided to finish the virus's evolution when the antimages were barely holding on, then use the abilities given by the second-generation virus to steal the glory. Even if all these infected bodies were destroyed afterward, it wouldn't matter.
"Keep going, don't stop," the devil mumbled to himself. Although he wasn't there, witnessing the power of magic still made him excited. After five rounds of attacks, the magic array finally broke under the pressure. All the apprentices rose into the air, blocking all escape routes for the official Aum family mages.
By this time, these antimages could no longer keep their proud look, each appearing completely disheveled. Their protective magic had been shattered multiple times, and the special items they had saved for emergencies were almost entirely used up.
"Oh, oh, oh! Leveled up!" the devil yelled in delight. On the Rubble Plain, three apprentices released their seals, connecting heaven and earth with their ether gifts. The antimages were increasingly suppressed.
"Fire, earth, ice. Is this the magic after promotion?" The devil noted these details with great interest, knowing Adam would be fascinated by them.
Seeing the inevitable defeat of the antimages, the devil laughed maniacally and lifted the control on the second-generation virus. The virus cheered and eagerly sent the new gene fragments to all the infected bodies.
On the Rubble Plain, the apprentices were focused on attacking the antimages, with only Lilith dividing her attention to the infected bodies while fighting.
"Darn it! They've mutated! Everyone, attack the infected bodies. Stop them, whatever they're trying to do. Destroy them!"
"Haha, too late!"
The infected across every corner of Ceylon Island began to roar in agony. The weaker ones exploded at the start of the evolution, their remaining bodies were consumed by other greedy infected beings to support their own mutations. After a few moments, the number of infected creatures reduced by a third, but the survivors started to emit secondary elemental energy.
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