Chapter 257: You Cheated
The moment the two stepped through the Hellgate, the vault was instantly filled with a thick, metallic scent of blood. Amidst the restless magical turbulence, roars and furious howls echoed, sometimes near, sometimes far. Through the flickering light of the Hellgate, everyone could vaguely make out a horde of infernal creatures: fiends dripping with fire and blood, Demon Imps spewing thick smoke, and grotesque, twisted Yaksha...
At a glance, it was a sea of monsters and demons. No one knew which corner of hell these two Hellgates led to, but just from the sight of those infernal creatures, it was clear this was no simple battle. Even the lowest-ranked fiend was a genuine Level 20 being, and dozens surged forth all at once—not to mention the scattered Demon Imps and Yaksha, and the inevitable appearance of Cerberus and Infernal Warhorses. Even a Title Archmage would be lucky to escape with their life after entering...
Yet, separated by the two Hellgates, the battle inside was a complete mystery to those outside. All anyone could do was wait anxiously outside the gates, nerves stretched taut, hoping for the final outcome...
Time crawled by, each second feeling unbearably slow. The entire United Exploration Team—more than twenty people—fell utterly silent. Aside from the sound of breathing and heartbeats, not a single other noise could be heard in the vault.
Everyone waited, anxious and suffocatingly tense...
No one knew how much time had passed—maybe an hour, maybe two...
In this maddening, oppressive wait, Lance was the first to notice one of the Hellgates suddenly flickering...
Then...
Lance's expression froze instantly...
At the same time, a sinking feeling gripped everyone’s heart.
The first to step out of the Hellgate was Fran...
It’s over. Of course it was Fran.
Having reached the rank of Title Archmage, Fran held an unmatched advantage in this contest of strength. Merlin,
though his abilities were unfathomable, wasn’t a true Title Archmage. In this contest of power, it was Fran who had the last laugh...
Even though everyone had mentally prepared for this outcome, seeing Fran emerge first from the Hellgate still made Lance force a bitter smile.
So in the end, Fran still won...
"Fran..." Lance opened his mouth, but his voice was uncharacteristically hoarse. The long-disputed right to choose magical materials first had finally fallen into Fran’s hands. For the first time since becoming a Grandmaster, Lance felt powerless. With a bitter smile, he shook his head and slowly walked forward...
Yet just as Lance was about to admit defeat, the other Hellgate began to flicker as well.
And then, Leon—disheveled and battered—staggered out from the Hellgate.
"Master Fran, you let me win."
"Huh?" Lance was momentarily confused. What was going on?
Wasn't Fran the one who came out of the Hellgate first?
Wait a minute...
Something must be wrong. Lance steadied himself and looked at Fran, who had been the first to step out of the Hellgate. Only now did Lance notice that Fran’s expression was off. By rights, having emerged first, Fran should at least be gloating, if not openly mocking him, or wearing a triumphant smile.
But Fran’s face was ashen...
Especially when Leon walked out of the Hellgate and greeted him with, "Master Fran, you let me win," Fran reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up on the spot: "Matthew Merlin, you cheated!"
"Master Fran, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. In front of all these people, you call me a cheater and I'm supposed to accept it?" Leon retorted with a cold snort.
"You still claim you didn’t cheat? Why was there no Hell’s Heart in my Hellgate?" Fran, face ashen, pointed at Leon, shaking with rage.
At this, Lance finally started to understand...
So, it turned out that although Fran was the first to step out of the Hellgate, he hadn’t actually destroyed the Hell’s Heart. From their conversation, it seemed that after entering the Hellgate, Fran hadn’t found the Hell’s Heart at all—in other words, his trip was pointless.
But...
How could there be no Hell’s Heart in the Hellgate?
As a Grandmaster, Lance hadn’t mastered the Hellgate yet, but he knew a fair bit about this Creator-level alchemical array.
The so-called Hellgate is actually an alchemical array that carves out a region within Hell. All the infernal creatures in that area become guardians of the array’s power, and all of it is controlled by the Hell’s Heart. In a sense, the Hell’s Heart is both the source of magical energy and the core of the array.
Even a novice alchemy apprentice knows that without the Hell’s Heart, the Hellgate simply can’t function.
How could Fran not find the Hell’s Heart?
Not only was Lance baffled by this, but Fran himself was just as confused.
So Fran decided on the spot: "No, this round doesn’t count!"
...
As soon as Fran said that, not only Leon and Lance were left speechless—the entire United Exploration Team was stunned. For a moment, everyone’s eyes turned to Fran with undisguised contempt. William Merlin, who was closest to Leon, even let out a loud boo.
Even Sylas West’s face turned ashen...
Shameful. This was truly shameful...
A disciple of Mercury Tower, acting so shamelessly in front of everyone—if word got out, the entire reputation of Mercury Tower would be ruined by Fran...
"I said it doesn’t count, so it doesn’t count!" Fran didn’t care about any of that. Eyes bloodshot, like a gambler who’d lost his mind, he waved his hands and shouted, spittle flying: "Matthew Merlin, you must have rigged something—otherwise, how could there be no Hell’s Heart in the Hellgate?"
"Master Fran, that's going too far..." Leon rubbed his nose, glancing first at Fran, then at Sylas West. For a moment, he couldn’t understand—how could two direct disciples of Nolan, both from Mercury Tower, be so different from each other?
Sylas West might be arrogant and sometimes ruthless for Mercury Tower’s interests, but one thing was truly admirable—he could accept defeat.
But then there was Fran...
"Let me be clear, Matthew Merlin—I'm taking these magical materials. Since you broke the rules and cheated with the Hellgate, don’t blame me for breaking the rules too!" At this point, Fran was in too deep to back out; the bet he was sure to win had ended in a shocking loss.
But there was no way Fran would give up those magical materials...
Now, Fran was left with only one option...
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Fran uttered a spell. The power of a Title Archmage erupted—magic in the area was instantly drained, and everyone felt as if they couldn’t breathe. Fran raised his staff, and twin halos of ice and fire spun toward Leon...
"Fran, don’t you dare!" Lance reacted first, raising his staff and casting a runic shield.
But...
The power of a Title Archmage was far beyond what a runic shield could withstand. Even though Lance was famous for decades in Seaview City and considered a peer of Salomon, he was still too weak before a Title Archmage. As soon as the shield appeared, the ice and fire halos smashed into it with a thunderous crash—Lance was sent flying.
Behind him, a dozen crates packed with magical materials toppled over, spilling their contents and burying Lance beneath a pile.
"Lance, you dare raise a hand against me!" After the halos missed, Fran sneered. From a distance, he raised his staff and unleashed a surge of irresistible magic, binding Lance tightly amid the mountain of magical materials...
Then they watched as Lance slowly emerged from the pile, floating into the air. He struggled and gasped, but couldn’t break free from the invisible, terrifying magic—it felt like an unseen giant hand was gripping his throat.
"I was going to let you off out of old friendship..." Now, Fran seemed like a different person. With Lance bound by magic, Fran’s eyes gleamed with cruelty and excitement...
"I never thought you’d actually fight me for Matthew Merlin’s sake. Fine, fine—since that’s how it is, I won’t hold back. Now, die!" Fran’s grip on his staff tightened, and the magic choking Lance grew stronger...
Fran knew that things had gone too far to turn back.
He was now completely at odds with the United Exploration Team. All he could do was assert his dominance, showing these bumpkins from Seaview City that the authority of a Title Archmage is not to be challenged. Even Lance, president of the Seaview City Alchemist Guild, would pay with his life for provoking him.
"Huh?" But a few seconds later, Fran realized something was wrong.
He had pushed his magic output to the limit—so why was Lance still perfectly fine?
No, not just fine—Lance actually seemed much better than before. He’d stopped struggling and was breathing easily.
What was going on?
Fran’s first thought was that maybe the Crystal Balance had malfunctioned, and the power of a Title Archmage had left him.
No, that couldn’t be...
But Fran quickly dismissed that thought. He could clearly feel that his power remained at the Title Archmage level—he was just as strong as before.
But Lance...
Why wasn’t Lance dead yet?
Boom!
While Fran was still reeling, he suddenly saw a mass of flame growing larger in his vision. Damn—it was a Fireburst spell. Fran’s heart skipped a beat; he didn’t have time to keep tangling with Lance. He withdrew the magic binding Lance and instantly cast an elemental shield.
Only Title Archmages can master such a defensive spell, combining earth, water, fire, and wind elements. Whether facing physical or magical attacks, its protection is nearly absolute. Compared to it, a mage’s runic shield is nothing but a child’s toy.
But Fran never expected that, in the face of this nearly invincible elemental shield, the Fireburst spell was as destructive as a sheet of paper. Fran’s vision blurred—before he could even react, the Fireburst had pierced through the shield.
Then, it slammed into Fran’s chest...
This hit was far more powerful than the ice and fire halos that struck Lance earlier...
A dazzling burst of flame exploded, and Fran, like a kite with its string cut, was sent flying dozens of meters, trailing fire behind him...
"I told you, Master Fran, you’ve gone too far..."