Chapter 447 - 445: Deep Sea Annihilation
Hilia followed the Holy Master to the place where they had previously teleported, and saw flashes of white light here and there, or spatial entrances appearing, as mages arrived at the site and began to take control.
Hilia took out the badge, intending to charge it, when Rose’s voice came: "Don’t bother charging it, it’s a one-time item. It’s useless now."
A question mark popped up above Hilia’s head, "Didn’t you say it could be reused when we came in?"
Rose smiled slightly, "I was just teasing you."
Hilia: "..."
After a moment of silence, the girl puffed up her cheeks, "If you trick me like this, what if I get stuck underground and can’t get out?!"
Rose laughed, "If you get stuck, then you get stuck. You could just switch jobs to become the Golden Apple Administrator and be responsible for managing the array in the Golden Apple Stone Forest."
Hilia looked at him gloomily, without saying a word.
Rose said, "I’m not joking. After things settle here, you’ll need to oversee the Golden Apple Stone Forest for a period, since there’s still an item you haven’t acquired."
Hilia was startled, "What item?"
"A magical item hidden within the Golden Apple Stone Forest."
"Magical... Oh, right, I remember now. Lord Rose did mention there was something in the Golden Apple Stone Forest. What is it?"
Rose chuckled lightly, "Since it’s the Golden Apple Stone Forest, naturally, that item is—"
"The Golden Apple."
Hilia’s eyes widened, "The legendary Golden Apple that caused the Goddess War, turning a piece of land into the Golden Apple Stone Forest?"
Hilia also had a "Golden Apple," given to her by Encore, using strange magic materials to dye a regular apple gold. While called a Golden Apple, it’s really just an enchanted apple, or an Enchanted Golden Apple.
The Golden Apple is a legendary item, holding a certain status in folklore, and many girls liked to be gifted a Golden Apple by their lovers, symbolizing being given to the most beautiful beloved.
Hilia knew the Golden Apple Rose was talking about wouldn’t be the kind dyed gold found in folklore.
Hilia eagerly asked, "Where is that Golden Apple?"
Rose said, "Once you’ve managed the array in the Golden Apple Stone Forest for a while, you’ll probably figure out where it is."
"Alright."
While conversing with Rose, Hilia had already followed the Holy Master and others out, returning to the surface.
By now, the Law Enforcement Knight Order had already taken full control of the entire fortress.
All resisting heretics either met their demise or were securely captured.
Some heretics, seeing the inevitable defeat, chose to surrender.
Those surrendering were mostly mages who had advanced through their own cultivation, whereas those ordinary heretics, driven insane, were a group of ’death-defying’ folks.
They madly charged at the Law Enforcement Knight Order’s formation, like moths to a flame, yet it was a blazing fire with absolutely no effect.
For the heretics still salvageable, the Law Enforcement Knight Order chose to capture and bind them.
Whereas for those whose corruption had seeped deep into their bones and couldn’t be saved, they could only raise the Wind Domain and give them their final blessing—a Purification Skill.
When Hilia emerged, she saw a captain of the Law Enforcement Knight Order within the Wind Domain, offering purification to the heretics rampaging rampant on the ground.
Under the glow of the Purification Skill, their madness and distortion gradually ceased.
Once all the corruption was expelled, they stared in bewilderment at the scene around them, before the burdened bodies collapsed before saying anything.
Besides the heretics, numerous corpses of the Law Enforcement Knights were being lifted onto stretchers and were being transported out.
The smoke of war shrouded the entire Deep Sea Fortress.
The glow of the fierce fire illuminated the whole grim Golden Apple Stone Forest, brightening the place even though sunlight couldn’t reach it.
"Hilia!"
Alina ran over excitedly, grabbing both her hands, "That’s great, you’re okay."
Hilia looked over and found not only Alina but many others gazing at her with fiery eyes, cheering for her survival.
Although she had anticipated this scenario after using the badge, facing it in reality still felt somewhat awkward.
Melina walked over, smiling, "Hilia is under the gods’ protection, she’s a favored child of the gods, how could anything happen to her?"
While Blake, escorting the Deep Sea Leader, interjected, "Indeed, I have always believed that Hilia would be unharmed, that the gods’ favor would keep her safe, like the Holy Master arriving immediately."
Blake finished speaking and then dashed off.
The Holy Master, who had drawn back his fist, shook his head, "What’s he running for? I won’t eat anyone."
Alina remarked, "Holy Master, Bishop, I’ll take Hilia back to rest now."
The Holy Master nodded, "Alright, go ahead."
Alina led Hilia onto her flyer, heading outward.
From high above, Hilia glanced down.
The resistance from the Deep Sea Mutual Aid Association was dwindling, with most areas releasing Purification Skills within the Wind Domain, resembling countless orbs of light spreading across the entire fortress.
The high-ranking forces were all slaughtered, and the leader captured.
From now on, the Deep Sea Mutual Aid Association would become history.
The scattered smaller bases outside, perhaps there remain a few Tier Four Mage remnants, and the bases without high-tier mages, only ordinary mages, or even without mages, are no longer a concern.
The flyer slowly ascended, the fortress shrinking in size as it was shrouded in gray mist, slowly becoming unclear.
Moments later, the flyer passed through the gray mist, arriving at the upper space.
Sunlight pouring down from the sky brought long-awaited warmth.
Hilia reached out to feel the sunlight, exhaling softly.
"It’s over."
Alina nodded, "Yes, it’s over, your trials have ended too, you can go home early."
"Thank you, Alina, for accompanying us~" Hilia blinked and said.
Alina laughed, "I was merely supervising, I should be thanking you all. If it weren’t for you, the team I led would have suffered casualties like any other team, and that’d be troublesome."
Hilia paused a moment, then asked, "What did the families of those senior students say?"
"The school has arranged compensation, most didn’t raise objections, although..."
Alina sighed and shook her head.
Though in such relentless extermination, deaths are quite normal, watching fellow students die right in front of you must be hard for many.
Hilia could understand.
"As of today, the Deep Sea Mutual Aid Association becomes history, we should be happy at a time like this." Hilia smiled and said.
Alina nodded, "Then let’s bring back this good news."
The flyer traced a line, skimming along the edge of the gray mist, flying outward.
From this view, the ground was out of sight, somewhat relieving Hilia’s fear of heights.
She tightly gripped the flyer’s handle, gazing at the seemingly endless gray mist, and thought to herself:
It’s not over for me yet.
I need to find the Golden Apple.
If possible, completely resolve the pollution of the Golden Apple Stone Forest.
Both tasks are difficult for her.
But with Rose around, Hilia believed it wasn’t an impossible mission.
"Hmm..."
As she looked below, Hilia felt like she had forgotten something.