Chapter 226

Chapter 226 Strongest Sage, Makes Use of Hidden Passage

『 . . . This one's busted too huh . 』

I murmured while looking at a blockaded hidden passage .

This is the third one .

There are numerous hidden passages that lead into the Sixth Source, but the 『normally usable』 ones seem to have all been blocked off by the Waterworks Bureau .

Since traces on the blockages are new, the person behind Waterworks Bureau probably inform them about these passages' locations and have them block everything .

After all, a person who knows about the hidden room connected to that hidden warehouse earlier would know about all the 『generally known』 hidden passages in the Sixth Source .

『The blockades are quite rigid . . . Think they won't notice if we break these, I mean it's a back pass after all no?』

『It's possible to destroy these blockades without alerting them for a time, but once they've done the regular checks, they'll surely find out . I'm still unsure if we can finish this quick, so I'd like to avoid resorting to that if possible . 』

『 . . . Should we give up entering the Sixth Source then?』

『No . There's one last hidden passage I'd like to check . If that one has been blocked off too, then we're going with frontal attack and try to finish it quick . 』

The hidden passage we're heading to is one that only I know among all other hidden passages .

There is no possibility of that passage getting blocked off no matter who the other party is .

. . . It might be a different story if the enemy possessed the magic to see through that hidden passage . . . but I don't remember putting such a low level camouflage on it .

I headed to the passage while thinking that . . .

『Yes, this one is open . 』

Just as I thought, the passage known to no one but me has been left completely untouched .

Looks like our enemy is really someone who knows the layout of the Sixth Source .

But for details on hidden passages to have been passed over . . . the person who's leaking the information might still be alive even now .

If it's someone from previous era who has allied themselves with the demons, they might prove more troublesome than the demons themselves .

Magic combatants of that era were far stronger than the current batch of demons, and above all, they were well experienced in battle .

The chance is low, but I can't deny the possibility of a survivor who had used immortality magic .

I should plan my moves with that assumption in mind from now on .

. . . But if it was simply demons finding documents pertaining the Sixth Source or something, dealing with this situation would be easier .

Alma throws a question while I'm thinking that .

『 . . . Open passage? But this just looks like a wall . . . 』

『It looks like an ordinary wall to me too . . . The ruins' entrance from that time we were looking for magic swords also looked like a wall, but that one had joints on it . . . 』

『Ah, I forgot to mention it . This has been put with a camouflage several ranks higher than that ruins . 』

I put my hand on the wall and circulate specific mana into it .

And then . . . The short-range transfer spell installed in the wall got activated, transferring us four to the other side of the wall .

『Alright, we got in . 』

『Instantaneous Movement!?』

『Yeah . This Source's walls have been furnished with measures that block off transfer magic, but only if it's not installed in the walls . 』

I beat the wall we passed through earlier .

The moving type hidden passages are on the easier side to discover .

But plain walls that don't look any different than other walls installed with transfer magic transparently are best possible camouflage there is .

I made this one without expecting to actually ever using it, who would have thought that it would be useful thousands of years later .

『Which means . . . We're inside the Source right . We've gotta be on alert for enemy . . . 』

『Yeah . Just in case, augment this magic on everybody clothes . 』

I handed over a paper drawn with a magic circle to Ruli .

『What kind of magic is this??』

『It's to protect you from the poison . The poison in water was of low concentration so drinking it wouldn't cause any problem, but inhaling the poison powder in its raw form would be fatal . 』

We're already using magic that protect us from common poison, but since life force absorbing poison is quite unique, we need specific magic to counter it .

There's more than enough possibility of our enemy scattering the poison powder around when we raid them inside the Source .

『 . . . That's very important . I'll augment a lot!』

Ruli carved multiple defensive magic on our clothes .

With this, the poison won't affect us .

『Is this much enough to completely prevent the poison?』

『This magic circle can completely nullify even the re-amassed form of all poison in the waterworks . . . . It's useless against any other unique poison though, the magic that can block out all unique poisons is too advanced for you right now . 』

I replied as such to Ruli who were done augmenting .

Preventing poison is simple yet complex .

Even if say, you cover and seal up your body entirely in iron plate, there will still be poisons that cannot be blocked by such .

『But we've got nothing to worry about if none of their poison works!』

Alma gave a positive outlook after hearing me .

However, the situation is not that simple .

『It may be effective against the poison our enemy brought, but there's a chance they have synthesized a new type of poison if the demons are really inside the source's hidden room . It's far more easier to make a poison to kill humans than one that absorbs life force after all . . . The way to deal with that will differ depending on the poison, so make sure to follow my instructions . 』

『Understood!』

『Alright, for now let's stop the folks who've been mixing poison in the waterworks!』

『Yes!』