Legacy of Hatred-Chapter 128: Barrier

Maxwell hadn’t summoned any Qi to unleash the bell’s power. The magical item already had everything it needed to be used, but the action destroyed it.

As the high-pitched noise spread and intensified, the cracks in the bell deepened until the item crumbled into copper shards.

Liam had read about disposable magical items, but his mind couldn’t focus on that connection since far more arrived. He frowned at the slight discomfort that hit his ears, but all that paled in comparison to the violent tremors that spread through the swamp.

An increasingly violent earthquake took control of the shallow waters and muddy ground below. Liam felt his feet sinking into that unstable surface while splashes and short waves rose everywhere.

Still, that was hardly the most concerning point.

The discomfort didn’t make Liam deaf. It partially hindered his hearing, but distinct noises reached his ears anyway, resounding over the loud tremors.

The earthquake wasn’t merely growing more violent. It was intensifying because its source was converging toward the area.

"You are crazy!" One of the rooting experts among the yellow group shouted, his higher position allowing him to see the destruction advancing toward his position.

"The Pale Moon Sect wants to condemn us all!" Cecilia cried. "Seniors, Juniors, we must rid ourselves of this evil!"

The other two teams had also confirmed the danger since some of their members had just finished using perception-oriented techniques. Despite that, their attention remained on Liam’s group, joined by evident hostility.

And that hostility soon transformed into something more tangible. Liam’s nape tingled to no end, drawing his gaze to the yellow team to his right, only to find a fiery sphere already descending toward his group.

Actually, the sphere of red flames wasn’t just shooting at Liam’s team. Its trajectory targeted him specifically.

The fireball was fast, but Liam could dodge it. Yet, Maxwell placed his hand on his shoulder before he could jump away, taking care of the attack instead.

Another small bell had appeared in Maxwell’s free hand, this time green, which he charged with his Qi before crushing it under his grasp.

The energy the item had amassed exploded outward in the form of windless gales that stopped right around the trio, condensing into an ethereal barrier that flickered as soon as the fireball crashed on it.

The impact highlighted the barrier’s spherical nature since the technique’s flames spread over it, unable to pierce it. That fire seemed to have become liquid as it flowed over the almost invisible curtain, which even kept its heat away.

Liam couldn’t even blink. The second sight of the fireball confirmed how cool it was, but the ethereal barrier had easily blocked it, seemingly hinting at the magical items’ superiority over martial arts.

Of course, that wasn’t necessarily the case, and Liam hadn’t missed how Maxwell had relied once again on a disposable magical item. Still, the situation degenerated before Liam could consider that a waste.

Something else slammed on the opposite end of the ethereal barrier. Cecilia had thrown herself at the trio, her fist pressing against the protective sphere, intensifying its flickering.

The assault didn’t end there. The other red rooting expert promptly landed at Cecilia’s side and started throwing punches at the barrier, set on taking it down.

Still, the barrier held strong, even shielding the Pale Moon Sect’s team from the noise those punches caused. Liam was merely a few steps away from rooting experts unleashing martial arts that only their superior Qi could fuel, but he had never been safer.

The ethereal sphere’s insides brightened as another fireball crashed on it and spread its flames over its flickering surface, but Liam couldn’t inspect that spectacle now since the grip on his shoulder tensed and claimed his attention.

"Brothers, listen carefully," Maxwell called, letting go of Liam. "I only have a limited number of these disposable items. They won’t last for the remainder of the mission."

The assault from outside continued, but Maxwell ignored it, looking meaningfully at Liam.

"Brother Joel and I will clear a path toward deeper areas of the Mutated Battlefield," Maxwell explained. "Don’t mind us. Just run ahead and trust that we’ll take care of everything."

That was mostly because Liam couldn’t keep up with rooting experts, so they had to adjust to his speed to ensure his protection.

"Once you are clear," Maxwell continued, materializing a few items in his hand, "Use these and hide. I’ll be able to find you as long as you have them with you."

Liam recognized the inscribed stone tablet in Maxwell’s hand, as well as the strips of paper carrying intricate symbols, which removed any potential doubt about that strategy.

Maxwell wanted Liam to create the underground chamber and spend the remainder of the mission there. He probably hadn’t planned for that to happen since he would have just left him there already otherwise, but that development had forced his hand.

Before Liam could think about how he felt about the plan, Maxwell placed the items in Liam’s hands and looked at the barrier’s surroundings, not forgetting to add a last reassuring statement.

"Brother, do not think of yourself as dead weight," Maxwell said. "You have already proved your worth."

Maxwell had meant that as a praise from his superior status, something that any proper Junior Brother would feel proud of. However, Liam couldn’t help but think of a far more exciting detail.

"Senior Brother, does it mean you’ll give me your bow?" Liam asked, excitement depicted on his face despite the deadly situation outside.

Joel chuckled but turned to prepare for the barrier’s collapse, while Maxwell restored his calm, authoritative stance, throwing a warning this time.

"Brother, don’t let greed blind you," Maxwell scolded. "You still have to carry the Sect’s duty of surviving. We’ll talk about your rewards once you succeed."

’Is he tricking me?’ Liam wondered but quickly put the matter aside. Whether that promise was real or fake, Liam still had to prioritize surviving, so he stuffed the items in his robe despite its already cramped state.

However, something else caught Liam’s attention, and it didn’t come from outside the barrier. Both Maxwell and Joel had dropped the blue team’s pouches, and one was floating right under Liam.

Then, something that even the barrier couldn’t suppress arrived. Tremors leaked inside the flickering sphere, which stabilized since the outside assault stopped, only to show the tens of huge beasts charging recklessly into the area from every direction.