I've Got A Mana Processor In A Magic World-Chapter 200: Void Phantom

The orc variant, twitchy and eager for action turned and stared directly at the elf variants, "It's been five minutes…" he shrugged like a boiling kettle about to pop off, "no one's out yet…"

"Be patient," the dwarfs interjected, just to pacify the orc, but even they had doubt written all over their faces.

It wasn't until after another five minutes that everyone became sure something was wrong.

The orc didn't even have to speak this time, the elf variant girls were fuming with anger after reading the situation wrongly.

A heated argument was about to start as the orc and demon variants turned to the elves—

"Perhaps every tunnel leads somewhere." The single female elf variant spoke for the first time, dousing the flames that were about to start.

The orc huffed, snorting a literal steam of air from his boar-like nostrils before turning to face the elf speaker, "Clearly it does—"

"I say we split up and pick different holes to explore," she continued unabated.

"Finally! A fucken splendid idea!" the demon variant suddenly chipped in like he'd heard the single best thing all day.

"We'll take that hole," the single female elf motioned at a tunnel off to the right and closer to the ceiling of the large wall than it was the ground.

One of the other elf variant girls snorted, mumbling something about 'a terrible idea' and 'pompous ass would get you', under her breath.

"We?" The first dwarf instead picked out what stood out to him. "I thought you said we should split up?"

The tall male elf that stood right next to the female elf like a knight bound to her every wish suddenly stepped forward menacingly, sweeping his gaze across everyone in challenge, "We go together," he said, as if daring anyone to raise a challenge.

The demon variant chuckled, stepping away as he picked a random hole "Relax, hound. No one's separating you from your owner. Take whatever path you need." He spread his arms wide. "It's a free world, after all." With that, he backed swiftly into the nearest dark opening and was gone.

The orc grunted with a dismissive laugh at the interaction, glancing at the tall male elf with a passive gaze. "You are a blade. But you should have the sense to know when to be unsheathed," he left those words before disappearing into one of the dark tunnels.

The two dwarves, however, were totally unconcerned with the petty squabbles, fully focused on the tunnel openings instead. "Right then," the first, shorter dwarf said, pulling a piece of chalk from his belt like it was something natural to have in such a life or death trial.

"We should be logical. If any of us has to double back and try another route, we need to know the clear ones."

"Agreed," the second, taller dwarf nodded, eyeing a couple of openings near the floor. "We'll use these chalk marks to signify which tunnels we've entered, and if we return, we'll put an 'X' through it to mark it cleared. We'll take those two." He pointed to two holes that seemed structurally sound. "They look stable enough by the natural rock structure alone."

The four elf girls nodded after the dwarfs, actually complying and marking their openings before dropping the chalk for the last two champions as they entered their separate openings, but not without letting out a harrumph directed at the single female elf.

The female elf sighed and turned to the male elf, whose posture was still taut with suppressed anger. "Calin," she said, using his name with a gentle but firm voice. "Why are you so overbearing at times? It's unnecessary."

He instantly relaxed his shoulders, releasing the built-up tension he held back. "It is my duty, Elara," he replied. "I swore an oath… And they provoked you."

Elara only shook her head slightly, walking towards the right side of the wall.

Calin frowned, looking up at the small, high-up opening near the ceiling that Elara was now contemplating. "Why in the twelve moons did you choose a hole that high up?"

Elara offered no verbal response. She simply took a step closer to the wall, fully focused on the dark opening above. She lifted her hand and whispered a few quick, resonant words. A low chant that barely broke the silence.

Immediately, the air around her grew shimmering and translucent, coalescing into an invisible cushion beneath her feet. With an elegant, silent ascent, the air gently and swiftly lifted her straight up, depositing her with barely a rustle into the opening.

She looked down at Calin, with a playful, yet slightly challenging smirk on her face, "Come on then," she called down, "we don't have all day…"

Calin shook his head, allowing the trace of a smile to play on his lips for the very first time.

He leaned in and whispered a few words of his own, though his were harsh and guttural, lacking the soft finesse of Elara's words. He took a sudden, powerful run-up, and then leapt upward, his body rocketing skyward as the air magic exploded around his feet, propelling him with violent speed into the same opening.

He landed just in front of her inside the tunnel, with perfect control, just at the point where the force of his air-enhanced leap had reached its peak and gravity was about to take its toll.

"You always have to make it an entire show, don't you?" he grumbled, though his eyes held amusement.

"And you always have to be the first one to charge into danger," Elara countered, about to step forward and further into the dark tunnel, but Calin gave her a brief, sharp look. "Precisely. Stay at alert behind me, Elara. I'll pave the way." He didn't wait for her reply, instead pushing forward into the darkness of the passage ahead, his heightened senses already at alert.

Elara tsked but followed right after, disappearing into the darkness behind him.

.

.

.

"That was way too close!" Zephyr recalled as he reached the end of the tunnel he was treading through. It was a miracle the other champions hadn't seen him.

From the voices he'd heard, and how close they were, he'd already accepted the fact that he would be exposed and was simply waiting for the feedback from the pulse he sent to be deciphered then he'd confront the champions.

But as if the heavens were watching, the echoes came back and he was able to filter and decipher it just in the nick of time. By the time the champions noticed the wall, Zephyr was already at the mouth of the correct tunnel, with {Silent Mirage} fully running.

"That took up precious time," he muttered. "This next chamber better be straightforward, no curveball this time—"

Zephyr had not even finished his words, and the Voice of The World had barely started announcing the name of the level to him when alarm bells flared in his head, and he dodged to the side with inhuman reflexes.

But he was still grazed on the arm.

Zephyr tumbled out of a roll to the side and glanced at his arm quickly before searching around for his attacker with his eyes.

"Aegis, I thought you said the first few levels would be easy?!!"

Correction, host. I said 'should' be easy. The meaning is different.

"Nahh, Aegis! I can handle any other thing… but this," he glanced at his bleeding arm, then at the formless, ghost-like figure that seemed to be phasing in and out of reality like a phantom.

"This is fucking space magic!"