abcnovels
Chapter 463: Password
Chapter 463: Password
Chapter 463: Password
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As the shadows of sunset lengthened across the corridors of Saratoga, Adam leisurely walked with his hands behind his back while Valerian perched upon his shoulder, gracefully licking
his paw.
Along with the sound of footsteps that echoed in the hallways, the hushed murmurs of children could also be heard.
"We're finally going on a trip!"
"The last few months have been arduous."
"Thankfully, we advanced right before Professor's deadline!"
After months of diligent training and practicing mindfulness, Art, Aiden, and Eleiney finally advanced to the Muscle Stage Rank. And now, they were ready to depart for Stratford.
However, one thing they couldn't understand was why their mentor was guiding them to the depths of the castle instead of leaving through the front door.
Eleiney couldn't help but ask curiously, "Professor, why are we taking this route?"
"No reason in particular," Adam chuckled. "I just wanted to explore a certain place."
Saratoga Castle had many secret passageways that led to various parts of the surrounding lands. Some led to different locations within Ravenfell, while others led to areas that were further inland.
Adam's destination was a secret passageway that was known to very few students or faculty members. He had happened to find its entrance a few months ago when he was touring the place with Valerian.
Naturally, it was thanks to his Sphere of Resonance that he was able to find this entrance in the first place.
He arrived at a certain corridor in the North Wing where people rarely lingered. The corridor was deserted and the light from the high windows cast an eerie glow.
The children huddled up behind Adam, tightly grabbing onto his robes.
"Professor, where is this place?"
"It feels so spooky!"
"Can we please get out of here?"
Adam turned around to glance at the frightened kids and smiled, "Rest assured. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."
The kids could only nervously nod and follow closely behind their mentor. They arrived at the end of the corridor where the statue of a badger stood proudly on a towering pedastal.
Adam stood before it and solemnly stated the secret password, "As above, so below."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the stone badger seemed to have come alive. It bent over and touched the pedastal with its paws. Then, it magically separated the pillar from the middle, revealing a dark and narrow passageway hidden within.
"Oh my goodness!"
"The badger... did it just..."
"So there's a secret passageway here?!"
Adam glanced at the kids with an amused smirk. "If you ever wish to leave the castle through this passage, remember the secret password."
"Yes, Professor!" The young Magi excitedly nodded their heads.
As the group entered the secret passage, the entrance silently closed behind them. Adam expanded the Sphere of Resonance to the maximum output, trying to navigate his way through this intricate layout of tunnels.
"Don't forget to mark this route for future use," he reminded the kids.
Eleiney immediately took out a parchment paper from her storage ring and then began charting the map. The air was cool and musty, filled with the scent of damp earth. The walls were close, just wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
Thanks to an illumination spell, the group didn't have any trouble traversing the tunnels. The ground was uneven with a mix of dirt and stones. The tunnel twisted and turned like a
serpentine creature, occasionally widening into small chambers.
The passageway seemed endless, the minutes stretching into eternity as they walked. However, the kids didn't dare complain, afraid that someone lurking in the darkness would hear them.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint drip of water and the echo of their footsteps. Adam continued to sense for any possible dangers in the perimeter. Although he knew that the tunnels under Saratoga were safe, he still didn't wish to take a risk.
"Are we there yet, Professor?" Aiden whispered, looking around in vigilance.
Right at that moment, the tunnel started to gradually slope upwards. The air grew warmer and less oppressive. Soon, the fragrance of grass and wildflowers permeated the air.
"Yes, we're here," Adam smiled.
He deactivated the illumination spell and relied on the faint glow of sunlight to guide him. Finally, they arrived at the exit of the tunnel.
But it seemed to be blocked by a large boulder, and atop this boulder stood yet another statue of a badger. Adam walked toward it and stated another secret password.
"As below, so above."
The badger statue crouched and effortlessly separated the middle of the boulder as if drawing the curtain. Sunlight seeped in through the exit, shining on Adam and the kids.
The group walked out of the exit and found themselves in a cave. As the kids slowly made their way out of the cave, Eleniey couldn't help but ask, "Professor, is the secret password all that's required to enter and exit the tunnels?"
If this were so, then just anyone could enter the tunnels if they knew the password. This could very possibly lead to a breach in Saratoga's security.
Adam shook his head and chuckled, "Well, that's only one of the two requirements."
"What's the other one?" Art curiously asked.
Adam flashed his medallion that displayed the insignia of Saratoga Castle. "If you speak the secret password without having this item in your possession, the badger will kill you."
The three kids' bodies shuddered listening to him.
"So always remember to carry the medallion with you," Adam added.
The group then arrived at the center of the grove. Adam looked around and nodded. "Hmm,
this should be somewhere inland, further west of Ravenfell."
Art looked around and saw the grove was completely empty except for the few little animals glancing at them curiously. He couldn't help but grumble, "How are we going to get to Stratford? If we visited Ravenfell first, we could have at least gotten a carriage."
"Hehe, you don't have to worry about that," Adam chuckled. He then glanced at Valerian and
nodded.
"Finally!" He leaped off of the youth's shoulder and landed on the ground. "I can finally try
this out!"
The three young Magi were confused as to what this little cat, who always followed Adam around, would do now. But a moment later they were utterly dumbfounded.
Because Valerian was beginning to transform!