Chapter 592 The Earl's Secret Passage
A dim tunnel, flickering candlelight, and a chill wind brushed against people's faces as grim shadows flitted across the walls.
"According to the map I found, this should be Count Donald's secret chamber."
The Flying Witch held a lantern, cautiously peering ahead, whispering to Charlotte beside her.
Charlotte glanced at her and couldn't help but complain, "Why the hell are you holding a broken lantern? You can't see anything." He tapped her on the back of the head with his staff.
"Ouch!"
Rubbing her head, the Flying Witch protested, "Guild Master, why hit me? I was just trying to set the mood, like in a tomb raiding scene, super thrilling."
"Thrilling my ass. Hurry up and grab the stuff so we can leave. It'll be a real pain if Count Donald wakes up."
"Alright..."
The Flying Witch raised her staff while still rubbing her head and softly chanted.
[Light Spell]
Instantly, countless beams of light shot out from the tip of her staff, illuminating the dark tunnel in a flash, making everything within clearly visible.
The Flying Witch looked at the iron door in the distance and said excitedly, "That's it! The secret chamber specially marked by Count Donald."
She mounted her staff, preparing to fly over—as a Flying Witch, her actions had to match the nickname.
However, Charlotte yanked her robe, dragging her back.
"Guild Master, what are you doing?"
"Are you a fool? Did you forget the lesson Langpu taught us?"
Recalling the devastating trap set by Langpu back in the day, the Flying Witch immediately lowered her head and fell silent.
Charlotte took out a spherical metal device from his pocket and threw it forward.
The device rolled a few times on the ground, then sprouted four legs, raised its tail, and let out barking sounds.
Charlotte patted its head and whispered, "Go, Robo-Dog!"
"Woof! Woof woof!"
The robo-dog bit its tail, circled around Charlotte, barked a few times, then charged toward the iron door.
Watching from the side, Mingyue couldn't help but marvel, "The stuff the Mechanist Church makes is getting weirder—now they even have robo-dogs."
Charlotte replied, "Ain't that the truth. And it's pretty cheap, easy to carry, already a must-have for dungeon explorers. It's just that some of the developers have questionable tastes. I heard one party got ambushed by Shark-Lizard Beasts in the Underdark because the barking attracted them. They even tried to sue the Mechanist Church for compensation."
"Awoo—woof!"
Mingyue sighed, covering his forehead as the noisy barking continued.
The robo-dog darted down the corridor, rapidly changing positions, and with a loud "click," it triggered a floor trap.
Instantly, a dense poisonous fog billowed from the ceiling, quickly engulfing the area.
Arrows shot out from crevices in the walls, densely packed like a torrential downpour, but the robo-dog agilely dodged among them.
Charlotte raised his hand, conjuring an invisible magical wall before him to block all the arrows and darts.
He patted the Flying Witch's shoulder and said earnestly, "See? If I hadn't pulled you back, you'd be a pincushion by now. Still too young."
"Got it."
The Flying Witch shrugged, wearing a nonchalant expression, clearly not taking it to heart.
"Woof woof! Woof!"
Amidst the swirling black fog, the nimble silhouette kept darting around.
Truly a top-rated product among players, the Mechanist Church's craftsmanship and magical ingenuity made it even more versatile than real hounds.
"Boom!"
An explosion erupted within the black fog—another magical trap had activated, blasting the robo-dog in half.
Charlotte exclaimed, "So many magical traps! No wonder it's the Kingdom of Thrace. Their spellcasting is leagues ahead of the Northern Territories."
He reflected on the earlier experience and silently thanked the heavens that Count Donald was just a lecherous idiot with no magic knowledge, and hated being interrupted during pleasure—giving them this opportunity.
Otherwise, with Thrace' spellcasting level, approaching any noble would mean instant death.
On the corridor, the blown-apart robo-dog twitched, then split into two functioning halves.
"Woof woof!"
They yipped excitedly and continued running ahead, scanning for traps with their magical sensors.
Suddenly, a deep, unfamiliar voice came from ahead.
"What is the password?"
"Woof woof! Woof!"
But the only reply was the robo-dog's excited barking.
"Intruders! Die!"
"Boom!"
Loud thuds echoed; the barking stopped abruptly. Silence followed, save for a faint electric buzz.
Charlotte waved his staff, eyes narrowed, chanting.
[Wind Spell]
Air currents swirled, a 50-mph gust whooshing from his staff and blowing down the corridor.
The deadly black mist cleared, revealing a new enemy—an armor suit wielding a heavy hammer.
Though unoccupied, the empty plate armor stood upright, eyes glowing red beneath the helmet.
At its feet lay the shattered remains of the robo-dogs.
Charlotte winced, heartbroken. "My robo-dogs! Theoretically they're reusable—these ones didn't even last once!"
Mingyue studied the enemy, feeling strong magical fluctuations emanating from the armor.
"That's... an Animated Armor?"
"I know that thing. A magical construct created by powerful spells to carry out its maker's commands. Usually includes scripted language functions—might demand passwords or pose questions. High-level ones can even hold conversations."
"Looks pretty tough too..."
Charlotte squinted at the name above the armor's head, his expression turning grim.
[Animated Armor of Thrace]
Challenge Rating: 12
Mingyue, known as the 'Erezaghe Encyclopedia' within the guild, naturally recognized such magical oddities.
Sure enough, before his words even faded, the armor dragged its hammer and strode forward, its heavy steel steps ringing loudly.
"Clang. Clang."
Stopping about 30 meters from them, it fixed its glowing eye-slits on the group.
An icy mechanical voice rang out: "Outsider. What is the password?"
Staring at the blood-stained hammer bigger than a human head, Charlotte tugged Mingyue's sleeve and whispered, "You know this one?"
Mingyue snapped, "These scripted lines are set by the creator—how would I know?!"
Sweating profusely, Charlotte stared at the map they'd gotten from the count and thought hard. Eventually, he blurted out a guess: "Count Donald is wise and mighty?"
"Incorrect password!"
The armor's eye-slits flared red. It hefted its hammer, emitting a menacing roar, as steam billowed.
"Intruders! Die!"
Mingyue grumbled, "You seriously guessed? You think you're lucky or something?!"
"By Count Donald's order: All intruders must die!"
The Animated Armor charged with its massive hammer, swinging it directly at Charlotte's head.
"So fast!"
Charlotte quickly cast Misty Step, transforming into a cloud of white mist and disappearing from sight.
"Boom!"
The Animated Armor struck nothing but air, its heavy hammer smashing into the ground, sending debris flying and leaving a deep crater.
Thanks to the spell, Charlotte reappeared over ten meters away. He had just sighed in relief when the Animated Armor turned its head and charged toward him again.
Mingyue urgently reminded, "It locked aggro! Looks like it won't stop until you're dead."
"Damn it, don't just stand there! Think of something!"
Charlotte buffed himself with Cat's Grace and Mage Armor, then staggered backward, fleeing.
But in the narrow space, facing a high-level Animated Armor with overwhelming strength and speed, he had little to work with.
"Intruder—"
"Boom!"
The heavy hammer came down again. Charlotte rolled backward, narrowly dodging another deadly blow.
"Focus all attacks on the Animated Armor! We must protect the Guildmaster!"
"Use lightning-based evocation spells if you can. They're more effective against constructs!"
Mingyue finally raised his staff and softly chanted a spell.
With a crackle of electricity, an orb of searing lightning arcs appeared at the staff's tip, shooting swiftly toward the Animated Armor.
It was a 5th-circle spell:[Ball Lightning]
But the moment the orb touched the back of the Animated Armor, a pale blue membrane unfolded and blocked it.
"Buzz—"
Lightning exploded, arcs danced, but not a scratch appeared on the armor. Instead, it let out another roar.
"Under attack! Outsiders, you are all enemies!"
Mingyue gasped, "It's got an anti-magic shield! The spellwork in the Kingdom of Serres really is advanced. Even a mere earl has stuff like this!"
"Mingyue, stop analyzing and help me! If nothing else, evacuate!"
Charlotte was already running ragged, the massive hammer raining down endlessly. He had to rely on a dozen spells just to dodge.
As if it understood the players' words, the Animated Armor extended its right hand. A heavy wall dropped at the tunnel's entrance.
A deep voice echoed from within the armor: "Intruders... none shall escape!"
Mingyue's face changed again. "It's not just a machine! Once it identifies you as an enemy, it gains basic thinking ability!"
"Damn it, less commentary, more saving me! Are you guys reliable or not!?" Charlotte shouted, narrowly dodging another strike using Wind Step.
Within the passage, players from the Magic Coin Guild unleashed spells—fireballs, poison arrows, lightning—but all were blocked by the thin blue membrane.
"Guildmaster, I'm coming to help!"
Flying Witch shouted boldly, raising her Wonder Wand and pointing it at the towering Animated Armor.
Her lips curled with confidence: "As long as the spell ring level I cast exceeds the shield limit, I can destroy this armor directly!"
"My turn! I draw a card!"
All players watched with anticipation, hoping she would once again draw a powerful 8th or 9th-circle spell.
"Poof!"
A puff of white mist emerged. Under all gazes, Flying Witch transformed into a fluffy sheep, bleating shyly.
"Baaa\\"
Hearing that familiar bleat, Charlotte, battered and nearly crushed, shouted, "You useless sheep!"
Are we really going to wipe here?
They had fooled the earl—the hardest part. Now, would they all be killed by this hunk of metal? Was it over?
His spell slots were nearly empty. Charlotte cursed internally and clenched his staff tightly, yelling, "Hmph, metal freak, let's see if you can find me now! My title 'Phantom of the Arena' isn't just for show!"
[Greater Invisibility]
Charlotte's body turned transparent, then vanished completely.
The Animated Armor's voice remained firm: "Master's orders: all intruders must be eliminated."
It touched its helmet. The red glow in its visor shifted to white, then swept upward and forward.
Mingyue muttered, "That's probably True Sight! Guildmaster, you need to stop it quick, or it'll find you!"
"Think! What kind of password would the owner of this Animated Armor—that Earl Donald—set?"
Charlotte was sprinting behind the Animated Armor. Hearing that, he panicked, brain spinning at top speed.
What password would Earl Donald create?
What are his quirks? Traits?
Images of the "Fat Pig Earl" swarmed Charlotte's mind.
Greedy, lecherous, vain, power-abusing, cowardly—
Yes, cowardly!
Seizing the blind spot behind the Animated Armor, Charlotte pulled from his dimensional bag the recently-used[Shapeshifter Cloak]and put it on.
"Squelch, squelch"
The transparent fluid enveloped Charlotte's legs, waist, up to his neck, wrapping him like a skintight suit.
He took a deep breath and recalled Earl Donald's grotesque face. The gel slowly spread over his own face.
If not for being a mage, he couldn't manage such detail.
But just imagining it gave Charlotte a mental breakdown.
The translucent gel squirmed and expanded, forming a bulging belly, bloated limbs, and a grotesque face of stacked fat.
At last, he looked exactly like Earl Donald from memory, as if sculpted from a mold.
Charlotte canceled Invisibility, puffed up his chest, and shouted, "Beast! Look who it is! Recognize your master!?"
The Animated Armor froze in place, mechanical noise whirring inside.
"High-authority individual detected."
With the clank of metal on stone, it dropped to one knee. "Master, welcome back."
"Whew, that was close."
Only now did Charlotte breathe a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from his forehead. He had feared it could detect the shapeshift.
As expected, that cowardly Earl Donald had input his own image into the Animated Armor. He wouldn't let even a shred of risk threaten himself.