Chapter 1625: It’s Time

Five minutes was a short amount of time under ordinary circumstances. It was barely enough to accomplish anything important, and most people would not notice its passing.

However, five minutes under the current circumstances felt very long. Erebus felt every passing second deep in his heart as he continued restraining the monsters attacking him from all sides.

He extended his shadow Magic across the ground and sent countless tendrils rising to intercept the creatures. They struggled violently against their restraints, they continued snapping their jaws and thrashing their mutated bodies as though they could no longer recognize anything around them.

Erebus watched them with a heavy heart. Their bloodshot eyes had once belonged to ordinary people who had lived their lives in Scadri.

They had once laughed, spoken with their families, and walked through these streets without knowing what kind of suffering awaited them.

Now those eyes held nothing but mindless aggression. There was no recognition or reason left in them, only the relentless hunger and madness imposed by the curse.

Every time one of the creatures struggled against his shadows, Erebus felt another pang of sorrow.

He knew they were no longer capable of understanding him, yet he still found himself hoping that some part of them remained somewhere beneath those horrifying mutations.

Perhaps they could still be saved if the curse ended soon. Maybe they could return to their former selves and live without being tormented by the darkness that had consumed their city.

That hope was the only thing keeping him from giving in to despair. He had protected these people for so long and he refused to accept that their lives would end like this.

"Please... let this be over soon." He silently repeated the words in his mind as he tightened his control over the shadows, desperately wishing that the five minutes would pass faster.

Erend was facing a similar situation. He also had to deal with the monsters attacking him from different directions, although his approach was considerably less delicate than Erebus’s.

Since he had promised not to hurt the inhabitants unnecessarily, he refrained from using his Magic to eliminate them. Instead, he relied on his physical strength to intercept their attacks and restrain their movements.

It was not particularly difficult for him to overpower the mutated creatures, but holding them back without causing serious injuries was very troublesome.

His strength was far greater than their strength and even a simple movement could send one of them crashing into a nearby wall if he didn’t control it properly.

He had to remain careful with every movement, catching their limbs, pushing them away, and forcing them to the ground without using more force than necessary.

A monster lunged toward him with its arms extended. Erend caught it by the shoulder and shoved it aside before grabbing its body to prevent it from attacking again.

The creature struggled violently, its bloodshot eyes staring at him with an empty and feral expression.

Erend frowned slightly as he held it down, then glanced toward Adrius’s position in the distance. "Is it still not finished?"

He understood why the Archmage needed more time, but dealing with these creatures while trying not to hurt them was troublesome.

He turned his attention back to the monster struggling beneath his grip and adjusted his hold before another monster approached from the side.

Erend intercepted its attack with his arm and pushed it away, continuing to restrain the creatures while waiting for Adrius to give the signal.

Adrius understood how crucial this moment was. He had already realized that the enormous structure floating above Scadri was connected to the curse, and there was a good chance that whatever lay inside it would bring them closer to understanding it.

He was just as eager as the others to explore it, especially after spending so much time investigating a problem that had remained unresolved for nearly a century.

However, he could not let his curiosity dictate his decisions. They had already disturbed something that had remained hidden for a very long time and the violent reaction spreading throughout the city had shown just how dangerous the curse could be.

If entering the structure triggered another reaction, they might end up making the situation even worse.

For that reason, Adrius had begun communicating with Sylmira and Lysander through telepathy. The three Archmages had agreed to probing the structure simultaneously while continuing to maintain their respective formulas.

Rather than attempting to enter it immediately, they carefully extended their Magic senses toward the enormous structure and began probing its outer surface.

They searched for traces of concealed formations, protective barriers, or any unusual energy that might react to their presence.

They focused on the energy surrounding the structure while also observing how it interacted with the formula they had activated. They examined any hidden patterns that might indicate the presence of a defensive mechanism. They also focused on detecting any sudden changes in the flow of energy.

The process took some time. They didn’t want to overlook even the smallest detail, especially when they knew so little about the structure.

They gradually expanded their probing range and examined the energy covering its surface from different angles.

At first, they found nothing alarming. The structure contained an enormous concentration of the curse’s energy, but they could not detect any clear sign that it would automatically react to someone approaching or entering it.

There were no obvious defensive formations waiting to activate, or energy surrounding it seemed to respond aggressively to their attempts to examine it.

Adrius exchanged several observations with Sylmira and Lysander as they continued their examination. They reached a similar conclusion.

Although the structure was undoubtedly connected to the curse, they didn’t find any indication that entering it would immediately trigger another retaliation.

That did not mean they could guarantee safety, since the structure might contain something they had not yet detected, but the possibility of an immediate reaction seemed considerably lower than they had initially feared.

Adrius remained silent for a moment as he considered their findings. He glanced toward the enormous structure before turning his attention to the metal plate beneath his hands.

The formula was still active, and the energy surrounding the city continued to behave violently, but their investigation had reached a point where waiting longer would provide little benefit.

Finally, Adrius made his decision.

He contacted Sylmira and Lysander once more, informing them that they would proceed with entering the structure.

They agreed without hesitation. Although they still had reservations about what might await them inside, they had done everything they could from the outside. Now they needed to investigate it directly.

Adrius drew a steady breath and glanced toward Erend and Erebus’s positions. The time for waiting was over.