Chapter 432: Kindred Spirits [Part 1]
Chapter 432: Kindred Spirits [Part 1]
Ethan had just finished a tough battle against the "Father" of the Minotaur that he had slain some time ago.
Fortis Dud wasn't joking when he said that it was stronger than the first Minotaur that he had defeated at the beginning of the maze.
Since he did not want to guess where the Core of the Minotaur was, he just used his X-Vision and allowed his Other Half to temporarily take over his body.
His Other Half didn't want to help at first, but he also knew that Ethan was exhausted from the battles he'd had earlier.
Because of this, he decided to lend the young man a hand and help him find the weakness of his opponent.
After finding out that the Core was in the monster's head, Ethan focused on hitting that spot. However, the Minotaur didn't make it easy when it realized that its opponent knew where its weakness was.
A battle of attrition ensued, with Ethan winning at the end. However, he was already way past his limit, so he hoped that he wouldn't have to battle other monsters along the way.
"After this, you need to do some stamina training," Sebastian commented. "You're too used to fighting explosively and overwhelming your opponents with brute strength.
"In the lands of Alastor, it was fine since you had Lily and the other Tribesmen helping you. But there will come a time when you have to face multiple strong opponents by yourself alone."
Ethan nodded, knowing that Sebastian was right.
As much as he hated to admit it, without Illumina's help, he wouldn't have beaten the beautiful lady at the lake who also specializes in using Water Magic.
After making another right turn, Ethan found himself staring at a hundred numbered doors.
There were stairs leading to them, and some of them were hanging upside down. Ethan could feel a headache coming on. How was he supposed to traverse such a terrain?
However, he remained calm as he scanned his surroundings.
In order to reach those stairs, there were three pathways he could take.
One went to the left, one was in the center, and one went to the right.
Just as he was thinking about what to do next, Fortis Dud's voice reached his ears.
"Congratulations on reaching this far. You are now in the final stretch. All you need to do is open the right door, and you will be able to reach the exit. You only have three chances to pick the right door, so make it count!"
After hearing the explanation, Ethan decisively took the right path. After walking for a short time, he reached another intersection.
Once again, the young man turned to the right.
However, at the third intersection, he made a left turn.
At the end of this turn, there was a stairway that led to a door.
This was one of the one hundred doors located in the maze, but Ethan didn't hesitate to climb the stairs. He had a determined look on his face, making Sebastian and his Other Half smile.
When he reached the door, he looked at the number placed at its center and sighed in relief. This was the door number he hoped to see, which made him feel that the long journey had finally come to an end.
He could still remember the words written at the entrance of the maze, so he used that as a reference in order to find this particular door.
"When you hear my cry loudly, I am far. When it is faint, I am near. Take two right turns and one left turn in order to find me. Three is the magic number that will set you free."
Those were the words that were written at the entrance, so Ethan turned the knob and entered the door without any hesitation.
The moment he entered, he found himself staring at a familiar yet unfamiliar place.
He believed that he had already seen this view many times, and yet, something was missing.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Fortis Dud appeared right beside Ethan as he stared at the scenery in front of him.
"It is," Ethan replied.
"This is where I planned to build the best academy in Eastshire," Fortis Dud said. "A place where Wizards, Witches, and even Duds, like me, could come to study Magic and its wonders. It's such a beautiful place, and yet, it also has a very gruesome history."
The devilishly looking middle-aged man waved his hand, and the scenery in front of him changed.
They were still in the location where Brynhildr Academy was supposed to be, but now, the place was filled with Giant Monsters fighting against Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Beastkins.
It was a bloody battle, with everyone fighting for their lives.
The young man couldn't believe what he was seeing, but since the battleground was indeed the place where Brynhildr Academy was built, he was compelled to believe that the scene in front of him was what truly happened to the past.
Ethan's gaze landed on a beautiful lady with Fairy-like wings on her back.
She looked like a human from every angle, with the exception of her pointy ears which were a bit smaller than an elf's.
"She's known as the Fairy Queen, Titania," Fortis Dud said. "She ruled a place called Tir na Nog. But after this battle, she and her sanctuary were never seen again."
Ethan watched as the beautiful Fairy summoned a giant fireball and threw it at a ten-meter-tall Fomorian.
The giant crossed his arms over his head and endured the attack. A loud explosion erupted as the giant fireball created a hellish landscape around the Fomorian.
But the latter survived, and although his surroundings were destroyed, the place where he stood remained intact.
"That crater that you see and the place that remained intact eventually became the lake with a small island at its center behind the academy," Fortis Dud explained. "And that area over there, where the bloodiest battle is being waged, is where the Great Eagle Forest would grow."
Ethan watched as the battle raged around him and carefully observed the Fomorians that Vincent had warned him about just a few hours ago.