booktalesy Chapter 4244 The Upside-Down Arena
Chapter 4244 The Upside-Down Arena
Chapter 4244 The Upside-Down Arena
The rabbit girl looked at the fire-patterned gem in her palm, her fingertips gently tracing the dancing patterns on its surface.
Apart from the constant, gentle warmth, she detected nothing else unusual.
It's impossible to tell that this is a product of the Fire Emblem Demon's true fire.
However, it's also possible that she's currently too weak to see the true form of the Fire Pattern Gem... After all, the starting point of Dream Crystal's physical body is too low.
She gripped the Fire Pattern Gem tightly and, following the instructions given by Angor, headed towards the Triangular Magic Circle.
The closer you get to the magic array, the more you can feel the troll's oppressive aura.
She suppressed her physical urge to flee and looked at the three sharp corners of the magic circle.
Sure enough, she saw a shallow groove at the sharp corner, which, if she wasn't mistaken, was the inlay hole that Angell had mentioned.
She raised her hand and placed the fire-patterned gem into one of the slots. As soon as the gem was firmly set, the entire triangular magic circle emitted a faint red light. The red light flowed slowly along the array patterns, as if coating the cold magic circle with a layer of warmth.
Under the red light, the trolls sleeping in the formation also changed their reactions.
The previously heavy breathing became noticeably shallower. The strong wind that accompanied each exhale before carried a pressure that could make one's chest feel stuffy, but now, the strong wind was not only much weaker, but the chill in the air had also dissipated considerably.
Seeing this, her eyes lit up instantly, and her hand unconsciously clenched in her sleeve: her judgment was correct! The Fire Emblem Gem really could restrain and weaken trolls!
Although the troll still feels like an unbeatable foe to her, she no longer feels the same utter helplessness she had before.
In other words, if she finds two more inlays similar to Fire Emblem Gems, the trolls could very well be weakened to the point where they can be easily defeated!
Thinking of this, the rabbit girl turned to look at the remaining two oil paintings.
Based on speculation, the inlays in the other two mounting holes should be inside!
Without hesitation, the rabbit girl prepared to step into the painting, but just then, Ingres's voice suddenly rang out again.
Are you free over there?
"You're free? What's up?" the rabbit girl asked, puzzled.
Angel sighed: "I didn't think I'd need your help so soon, but... something unexpected happened."
"I really need your help right now."
……
Time goes back a few minutes.
After watching the rabbit girl's challenge, Angell was basically certain that there was no obvious positive correlation between the ritual props and the challenge content.
The proverbs also have little to do with challenges and trials.
Having confirmed this, Angell decided to stop waiting and embark on his first challenge.
After bidding farewell to the gray porcelain, Ingres, holding the proverb, entered the aperture.
The next second, he arrived in the vast, black challenge space.
Because he was still discussing with the rabbit girl, Angor didn't carefully observe his surroundings and continued to talk about his guesses about the "triangular magic circle".
After the rabbit girl made her decision to choose the "Fire Emblem Gem," Angel disconnected the communication and refocused his attention on the present.
To Angell's surprise, there didn't seem to be much change in the scene.
I just felt that the space was a bit brighter, and that there seemed to be a figure in front of me.
However, the figure simply stood still and did not make any movement.
Is it a trigger-based test?
Angor originally thought it would be a comprehensive puzzle-solving game like the one with the rabbit girl, but it seems that it isn't?
He walked towards the figure.
But after taking a few steps, Angell felt something was wrong.
Why is the space so bright?
Or rather, why is it so bright above my head? Is the light on?
Angell subconsciously looked up at the ceiling, and then his pupils suddenly contracted...
What did he see?
Why is there a giant arena upside down on the ceiling?
The ceiling might be tens of meters above the ground, but it's still clearly visible that it's an inverted arena. You can even see upside-down lampposts surrounding the edge of the arena!
It is also the presence of these lampposts that illuminates this dark space so brightly.
"This is... an anti-gravity upside-down arena?"
The purpose of a ring is to compete. If the goal is truly competition, why not simply place the ring on the ground? Why invert it and mount it on the ceiling instead?
Angell was very puzzled and wanted to fly up to the ceiling to see what was going on, but he held back.
He knew very well that if he wanted to find out the truth about the upside-down arena, the key answer to this mystery was most likely hidden in the figure in the distance.
A moment later, he walked to the vicinity of the figure and saw "her" true face.
She had long, fiery hair, jet-black skin, and a tall, graceful figure.
The phrase "flaming hair" doesn't mean her hair is flame-colored, but rather that her hair is actually burning, with flames at the ends distorting the air.
Angor didn't recognize her, but judging from her appearance, she should be a Fire Luo from the Grand Plane.
The reason why her origin could be recognized at a glance is that there is also a Fire Luo person in the Ethan's Dream instance, whose characteristics are exactly the same as the one in front of her, except for the gender.
Angell walked up to her, about to speak.
But when I opened my mouth, I found that I couldn't say anything... as if I had been silenced.
...This "silencing" trope is so familiar.
The same thing happened when the rabbit girl first entered the study.
Could it be... that he's also going to follow the plot?
Angell glanced at the text bar instinctively, and sure enough, he saw the same dialogue options as the rabbit girl's.
"Are you the one who set the questions for me?"
"Please tell me, what is that arena in the sky?"
Angel paused for a moment, then chose the second option and inquired about the situation on the arena in the sky.
He didn't speak, but his voice echoed in the air.
Clearly, the dialogue has begun.
Ms. Huoluo, who triggered the dialogue, looked at Angel and said in a calm but unquestionable tone: "I am the examiner for this challenge, or you can think of me as the one who set the questions."
Angell: "..."
Just like with the bunny girl, the choices were completely unimportant; no matter which one you chose, the dialogue followed the same flow. It's like some Earth games on holographic tablets—you think the choices are branching paths, but they're just going through the motions.
Huh?
Could it be that this model was copied from me by Wonderland Power?
While he was silently grumbling to himself, Ms. Huo Luo continued, adding a touch of ceremony to her tone: "According to the rules, if one wants to enter the seminary and listen to the teachings of the scholars, one must first pass a test of knowledge."
What is a seminary? And who is a Bachelor?
Angel didn't think much of it, assuming it was just a fictional background created by the powers of the fairy realm.
"The test is simple. You will enter twelve special spaces in turn. These spaces are cages that the scholar built for his 'little pets'. The exterior of each cage is a complete replica of the corresponding pet's original world."
"What you need to do is observe the scene in the cage space and discern what the original world of the cage space is."
She then changed the subject, revealing the core of the rule: "There are twelve cage spaces in total, corresponding to twelve small pets."
"For every question you answer incorrectly, the corresponding pet will leave its cage and wait for you on the arena above. In the end, you will need to have a battle with them."
"If you answer correctly, you can avoid fighting the pet in the corresponding space."
"If you get all twelve questions wrong, you'll have to face the attack of all twelve pets at once; conversely, if you get them all right, you won't have to fight any of them and will pass the test directly."
Finally, Ms. Huo Luo raised an eyebrow and reminded you with a slightly flippant tone, "Oh, by the way, let me remind you. In the words of the scholar, they may be called 'little pets' without fangs, but for you, their strength is by no means weak. Answer as many questions as you can, otherwise... you can imagine the consequences."
Ms. Huo Luo explained the rules very clearly.
Simply put, the core of this test is this: either you have unparalleled knowledge or you have unparalleled combat power!
Unparalleled knowledge: Recognize the prototype of each world, and you can easily pass the game.
Unrivaled Power: If you can defeat all twelve "little pets" in one battle, you will pass the level.
Although he understood the rules, Angel felt a headache coming on.
Because... his understanding of transdimensional planes is very superficial.
Moreover, this test, though seemingly simple, actually requires drawing upon a vast amount of fundamental knowledge across various dimensions. From geography and landforms, celestial phenomena and climate, to material properties, biological ecology, energy fields, and traces of civilization… the knowledge involved is extremely profound.
If it's about talking about other worlds in general terms, Angell thinks he could give it a try.
But he was completely clueless when it came to tests involving local knowledge.
After all, it's hard to understand some concepts if you haven't experienced them firsthand.
As the book says: In the world of gaseous life, the earth is seen as a disaster and hurricanes as a home.
It's difficult to understand their worldview just by thinking about it; you can only gain insight by seeing it with your own eyes.
Angell's disadvantage was that he was too young and had seen too little of the world and visited too few places...
Or, why not turn this knowledge test into a combat test of "unparalleled combat power"?
As Angell thought this, he had Ms. Huo Luo open the first cage space.
It was said that they were going to "enter" the cage space, but there was actually no movement of moving around.
With a flick of her finger, Ms. Huoluo caused a change to occur in the previously empty, dark space: thick red soil sprang up from nowhere beneath her feet, unknown yellowish plants sprouted from the cracks, and cotton-like clouds slowly gathered above her head, with a pale purple halo projected onto the clouds.
This directly reflects a corner of the original world.
As everything around her changed, Ms. Huoluo suddenly smiled slightly: "The little pet is coming."
Angell turned around abruptly and saw a triangular snake's head slowly emerging from the shadows behind the towering tree not far away.
hiss--
It emerged, its tongue flicking out as it crawled out.
This is a python that is over ten meters long and has a body so thick that it takes two people to hug it.
At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but as it swayed and moved, Angell could clearly see green slime left on the ground. Wherever the slime touched, plants withered, and the surrounding insects cried out in despair.
Most importantly, it exudes a distinct sense of oppressive energy.
Although it didn't reach the level of intimidation, it was only separated by a thin veil.
In other words, this is a super python that is just one step away from reaching the wizard level!
At this moment, this "little pet" was leisurely wandering on the ground, occasionally raising its eyes to look at Angel, its vertical pupils carrying a kind of cold malice.
There's a feeling that if Angell answers incorrectly, he'll pounce on you.
“Now, you can go and observe this ‘cage,’” Lady Huoluo’s voice came. “You can answer at any time, but please note that you have no chance to change your answer. Once you speak, it means you confirm.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Angell clearly felt the air around him relax.
His "silencing" effect disappeared.
He could speak at any time, but after thinking about it, Angel decided not to open his mouth yet. He was afraid that as soon as he opened his mouth, Ms. Huoluo would raise her sign and say "Wrong answer," even if he had no intention of answering at all.
Angel stepped into the "cage space" and began to observe every plant and tree around him, even taking a close look at the unknown species of python.
Aside from the fact that it is highly toxic, nothing else can be discerned.
Two minutes later.
Angell chose to give up and decided to seek help from outside.
Although there were still many details he hadn't observed, he decided not to push himself too hard... After all, their time was very limited.
The first person Angell thought of was the rabbit girl.
Her true form resides in the Sea of Empty Mirrors year-round, observing the projections of various planes. She possesses an unparalleled knowledge of the appearances of each world, and can discern the significant from the minute details.
It's safe to say that if even she couldn't answer this question, no one else could possibly have a chance.
With this in mind, Angell, through God's perspective, contacted the rabbit girl again.
……
After Angel finished explaining his situation,
The rabbit girl immediately said, "Leave this question to me! As long as it's not a very remote world, I guarantee I can recognize it!"
At this point, the rabbit girl muttered a complaint: "It feels like we should switch topics. You're good at magic arrays, so you'd be more suited to work with me..."
Angell wholeheartedly agreed, suggesting that if they swapped questions, their answering speed would likely increase significantly.
However, the current situation is acceptable as long as we can help each other.
Then, Angel manipulated the Nightmare Node left in the rabbit doll, recreating the scene in the cage space in the form of an illusion.
The rabbit girl was instantly drawn to the illusion before her and stepped into the dreamscape to examine it closely.
“These are the sights,” Angell said at the right moment, his tone somewhat relaxed. “If you can’t recognize them, it’s okay. We can just send that python into the arena and deal with it alone. I should be able to handle it.”
As soon as Angel finished speaking, the rabbit girl said, "Why go to the arena? Isn't this just the Savage Realm?"
"The Wilderness?" Angell was taken aback.
He knew a fair amount about the Wilderness Realm, but had never been there.
“Yes, this is definitely the Wilderness.” The rabbit girl said, “There are many ways to tell, such as the soil, insects, and plants. But the most direct evidence is the purple sky.”
"This is a special celestial phenomenon in the Wilderness Realm, known as the Purple Moment."
"At dawn, before the morning star rises each day, the clear, cloudless sky will be illuminated by a special amethyst-like halo, which is the purple hour."