Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Why Does It Seem Like He's Strengthening the Formation?
Before long, the others returned with the materials Luca had requested.
Kaman, Old Carl, and the rest were panting heavily as they rushed back.
They dumping all the materials in front of Luca.
"Here's everything you asked for..." they said between gasps, their sweat-covered foreheads showing just how much effort it had taken to gather the items.
"Thanks," Luca replied, wasting no time. He immediately began working on the runes needed to break the forbidden spell.
Rune crafting differed from creating magic runes or potions.
Aside from a few essential components, most of the materials for rune crafting didn't need refining.
They just had to be ground into powder and mixed in precise proportions.
The most challenging part of setting up a formation was how to draw the runes and place the core nodes.
Different formations had different node arrangements. For example, the Seven-Star Restriction Array that Luca had used before involved drawing seven unique nodes on an object, which, when activated, created a sealing effect.
The Blood-Sealing Formation was much more complex than the Seven-Star Restriction Array, both in functionality and difficulty. Given that this formation had been modified, even Luca didn't dare to take it lightly.
Seeing Luca actually working on breaking the spell.
Kurk and Bayou exchanged looks of disdain from inside the council chamber.
Kurk sneered, "Franklin, your student really doesn't know his limits. The Blood-Sealing Formation may not look dangerous, but its defensive mechanisms are incredibly strong. One wrong move, and even a high-level warrior could be reduced to ashes!"
Bayou nodded. "I don't know what your student is capable of, but it'd be best if he didn't waste his energy. If this goes wrong, not only will the spell remain unbroken, but he might also lose his life. You two will be the ones grieving afterward."
Being taken on as a student by both Franklin and Lucia clearly indicated that this boy, Luca, had extraordinary talent. Kurk and Bayou's comments were not just criticisms; they were also meant to warn Lucia and Franklin.
Hearing this, both Lucia and Franklin exchanged worried glances.
If something happened to Luca, they would regret it deeply.
Sophia, on the other hand, was a bit surprised.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "The high-level sealing magic Luca is using—wasn't it something you taught him?"
"High-level magic? What high-level magic?" Lucia and Franklin both looked confused.
They had no idea what Sophia was talking about.
Seeing their bewildered expressions, Sophia realized that Luca had lied to her earlier.
The spell he was using hadn't been taught to him by either Lucia or Franklin!
This made her feel both frustrated and shocked.
Where had Luca learned such an advanced sealing spell?
This kind of technique was a rare and well-guarded secret, even within the most powerful factions.
How could an ordinary adventurer like Luca have acquired it in such a short time?
Sophia's sharp eyes studied Luca, as if trying to see through the mysterious veil surrounding him.
She had a growing sense that Luca harbored significant secrets.
However, she didn't intend to probe further.
Prying into other people's secrets wasn't a good habit.
If Luca had things he wished to keep hidden, well, so did she...
At this moment, Luca had finished preparing the materials needed for drawing the runes.
Though the results were somewhat diminished due to his lack of specialized skills.
But it should still be enough to deal with the Blood-Sealing Formation—if his earlier assessments were correct.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
Luca's hands began to glow with a faint, eerie blue energy.
With a single thought, the materials he had prepared for the runes floated into the air.
The materials moved as if they had a life of their own, swiftly tracing the lines of the Blood-Sealing Formation's runes.
Under Luca's control, they moved with incredible speed.
What seemed like complex, arcane symbols to most looked remarkably simple in Luca's hands.
Each time he completed a rune, the blood-red glow of the formation intensified.
And the defensive restrictions grew stronger.
This left the onlookers dumbfounded.
Franklin squinted in confusion. "Is this kid really trying to break the spell? It looks more like he's strengthening it. Am I seeing things?"
Bayou let out a frustrated laugh, snapping, "Seeing things? Hardly! He's definitely reinforcing the spell! This formation was only supposed to trap us for one day, but now, thanks to him, we'll be stuck here for at least three!"
"This is madness! Someone stop him before he makes things worse!" Bayou growled.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Was Luca really reinforcing the formation?
Could he be a spy sent by their enemies?
The group looked at Luca, unsure of what to think.
Even Franklin's lips twitched in disbelief.
Lucia, ever the bold one, put her hands on her hips and defended her student. "Well, at least this proves he has talent! He's already doing better than you old fools—at least he's making something happen, unlike you lot who've been fumbling around without any results!"
Bayou didn't want to argue with Lucia—he knew better than to provoke her.
With a cold voice, he said, "We need to stop that kid immediately. If he keeps strengthening this formation, who knows how long it'll trap us. And one wrong move could spell disaster!" The others glanced at each other helplessly.
they all sharing the same thought.
The problem was, none of them had any way to communicate with the outside world.
Items capable of breaking through a high-level sealing formation were exceedingly rare.
Sophia let out a sigh.
She did have such a communication tool.
But she had already used it once to contact her father, Ryan.
The tool was still on cooldown and couldn't be used again.
After thinking it over, she said, "I trust that Luca wouldn't put everyone's lives in danger. He's never let me down before. Let's give him a chance."
Bayou sighed in defeat. "At this point, I don't think we have much of a choice but to trust him."
Bright added in a serious tone, "Let's not be too pessimistic. The kid's got some skills—most people couldn't even manage to strengthen a spell like this. Let's hope he knows what he's doing."
The group nodded, all turning their eyes to Luca, watching as he continued working on the runes outside the Blood-Sealing Formation.
Meanwhile, as Luca continued adjusting the runes and structure of the Blood-Sealing Formation.
The intensity of its restrictions grew stronger and stronger.
Before long, the energy fluctuations from the formation had reached a level that even those outside—like Catherine and the others—began to feel deeply uneasy.
Old Carl swallowed nervously. "Is... is this kid really going to pull it off? Something feels off here!"
Kaman and the others were also filled with anxiety.
Though they weren't inside the formation, they could still feel the discomfort building in their bodies.
Catherine clenched her fists, her gaze resolute. "Trust Luca Witch Doctor!"
Kaman nodded firmly. "Luca Witch Doctor was able to crack advanced potions; there's no reason to believe he can't break a high-level spell. We have to trust him!"
Old Carl, Bayou, and the rest exchanged wry smiles.
The reality was, they had no other option but to trust Luca now.
As the sealing power of the formation grew even stronger, many of the high-tier warriors inside began to feel its effects.
"My blood is flowing backward!" Bright, sensitive to such things, was the first to speak.
His face had gone deathly pale, and large beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
It was clear that the formation was having a significant impact on him.
The others weren't doing much better, though they managed to hold on.
Kurk's face had turned bright red, with blood even trickling from his nose. In a rage, he shouted, "This kid's going to kill us all! If he doesn't stop soon, we'll all die from reverse blood flow!"
Watching the blood-red glow of the formation intensify, Bayou felt a wave of helplessness wash over him.
He sighed heavily. "I never thought my legendary life would end like this—at the hands of some snot-nosed kid! Franklin, when we get out of here, I'm definitely settling this with you!"
Franklin and Sophia, along with the other mages, weren't feeling the same level of discomfort since they focused more on mental energy than physical blood flow. At most, they felt some tightness in their chests.
Hearing Bayou's complaint, Franklin still had the energy to mock him. "Humbled now, old man? Let's see if you'll still bad-mouth my student after this!"
Bayou's lips moved, clearly trying to form a curse.
But he didn't have the strength to argue anymore.
Just as many were on the verge of collapsing, preparing to break out by force.
A sudden sharp sound echoed in everyone's ears, like the shattering of glass.
Crack!
Everyone's spirits lifted as they quickly turned toward the source of the sound.
To their astonishment, the once impenetrable Blood-Sealing Formation now had a clear crack running through it!
And that crack was spreading rapidly, visibly growing across the surface of the formation.
With each new cracking sound, the fissures multiplied.
In just a few short breaths, the entire Blood-Sealing Formation was covered in fractures.
And then.
Under everyone's shocked gaze.
The formation exploded into a cloud of blood mist!
The Blood-Sealing Formation had truly been broken!
Bayou's face was full of disbelief. "How is this possible? That kid actually managed to break a high-level forbidden spell!"
How old was he? And he already had this level of mastery over formations?
And wasn't he supposed to be a Witch Doctor?!
Rudolph was even more shaken. "This can't be real—how did he pull this off?!"
This formation had been personally set by Lord Tia!
Even mid-level formation masters would struggle to break it!
Yet, it had been undone by a mere boy?
Rudolph now felt like he was living in a dream.