Chapter 256: Gate of Hell
What is the so-called mirror imaging technique?
Often, alchemists need to replicate certain alchemical arrays for research or experimentation. At such times, the Mirror Imaging Technique comes into play. It doesn't require analyzing the array itself, nor does it demand excessive skill from the alchemist—it's like tracing the entire formation onto a blank sheet of paper.
This is a skill every alchemist must possess...
Fran himself is a top-tier Grandmaster, and now, under the influence of the Crystal Balance, has stepped into the realm of the Creator. How could he possibly not know about the mirror imaging technique?
But the problem is...
It seems Leon Merlin has completely lost his mind; otherwise, how could he say something so ridiculous...
"Alright, Leon Merlin, save your cold jokes for later. You don't have much time left..." Fran said, stepping forward, already pulling out a quill and a vial of snow-melt ink.
That's right, Fran had already decided to end this game of cat and mouse.
Yet...
Just as Fran uncorked the vial of snow-melt ink, he suddenly sensed a strange magical fluctuation emanating from the alchemical array beneath his feet...
"What's going on?" Fran was momentarily stunned, thinking he’d accidentally triggered the array. He was about to call upon the Crystal Balance Avatar to analyze it again.
But unexpectedly...
Before the Crystal Balance Avatar could react, the alchemical array beneath Fran’s feet erupted with a world-shaking surge of magic...
"How... how could this be?" Fran instinctively stepped back, his face awash with confusion and disbelief. The array had been perfectly stable—how could it have been triggered so suddenly?
The Crystal Balance Avatar had clearly stated that this array required magical power to activate. Fran hadn’t released a single trace of mana—so how was it triggered?
Fran stood there in a daze, staring at the faintly glowing dark red lines beneath his feet, his face a mask of utter disbelief...
"I told you, it's the Mirror Imaging Technique..." Leon merely shook his head, flicking snow-melt ink with his quill. In the blink of an eye, an isolation array was completed—seventeen white lines forming a barrier that instantly suppressed the erupting magical surge.
None of these arrays were especially advanced, but in Leon's hands, each one linked seamlessly to the next. In the blink of an eye, the dozen arrays formed a complex network. Individually, their power was modest, but woven together, they became an impenetrable net, utterly suppressing the surging magic.
At last, Fran saw it clearly...
From start to finish, Leon Merlin had only been inscribing arrays in front of himself. They were separated by at least a hundred meters, yet every time he wrote a new array, the one beneath Fran's feet would change in strange ways...
It was as if a string was pulling a puppet.
Mirror Imaging Technique—it really was Mirror Imaging!
Only the Mirror Imaging Technique could do this: break an array from a hundred meters away as if it were a reflection...
But how was this possible?
From beginning to end, Leon Merlin never touched the array beneath Fran’s feet. By what right could he mirror it? Where was he mirroring from?
Could it be that when Leon Merlin first entered the vault, he discovered this array and dug a pit for Fran to fall into?
But that's impossible too...
From start to finish, barely a minute had passed. Even if Leon Merlin were already a Creator, it’s impossible to locate and crack an array in such a short time. If he were that powerful, why bother with this wager—he could simply crush Fran and claim all the magical materials for himself.
At this thought, Fran finally calmed down a bit...
That's right, I haven't lost yet!
"So what if it's mirror imaging? Cracking an array isn't just about who starts first!" With those words, Fran was completely calm again.
Because Fran suddenly remembered...
The Crystal Balance Avatar had once said this array was different from ordinary ones.
The final step—that was the real key!
With this realization, confidence returned to Fran's face. He dipped his quill in snow-melt ink and, together with Leon, began to break the array.
Although the other side started earlier, Fran's confident smile never faltered. Even his quill moved at a steady, unhurried pace—calm and efficient. Now that he was fully composed, the mirror imaging technique no longer mattered. In the end, breaking an array was always about strength.
With the help of the Crystal Balance, Fran held the dual titles of Title Archmage and Creator. In this United Exploration Team, he was utterly dominant.
So what if Leon Merlin used mirror imaging to start cracking the array first?
As a Creator, was he really inferior to a mere Grandmaster?
Besides, the final step of this array was all about magical strength. As a Title Archmage, Fran’s advantage was overwhelming.
Both men focused intensely on cracking the array. In moments, they stripped away the outer disguises, revealing the entire structure to the crowd. Now, everyone could see it clearly: two identical arrays, like mirror images, beneath their feet—interwoven dark red lines, perfectly matched...
At this point, it seemed Leon’s speed was greater...
Yet Fran’s progress was equally astonishing. He’d started ten minutes later than Leon, but in just twenty minutes, he’d caught up. Now, with the true array exposed, everyone knew the decisive moment was coming...
Next, the two would compete to break the core of the array. Whoever succeeded first would gain an unshakable advantage—in the end, even a minor mistake wouldn’t change the final outcome...
Leon struck first at the core of the array...
Just like before, he deployed a multitude of low-level arrays, weaving a net over the entire formation. His quill flew, leaving streaks of snow-melt ink in its wake...
Fran's approach, however, was different. He appeared unhurried, yet his efficiency was astonishing. Every line was carefully considered, every node precisely calculated. But once his quill swept across, it would inevitably shake the very foundation of the array.
Time ticked by, and their progress was neck and neck...
Everyone's heart was in their throat at that moment...
Especially William Merlin, Lys, Saruman, and Sarth—those closest to Leon. They instinctively held their breath, fists clenched so tightly they barely dared to exhale.
Leon and Fran brought down their final strokes almost simultaneously.
In an instant, two beams of dark red light shot skyward. Then, two massive dark red Hellgates opened within the vault. No creature emerged, but the magical aura that spilled out sent a chill through everyone present...
"Hell... the Hellgate?" Lys was the first to react, staring at the doors, his face pale. "Then... then this array is an Infernal Array?"
"That's right, Lys. At least you have some sense. Now you see it—the Infernal Array. Only by breaking the Hell's Heart at the center can you truly crack it. Now you understand why I said you were doomed, right? Leon Merlin, you’re a fine alchemist, but sadly, your strength doesn’t match your skill. With your current ninth-level Archmage power, entering the Hellgate is suicide. If you concede now, it’s not too late—you’ll lose your priority to choose magical materials, but at least you’ll save your life..."
"Merlin..." As Fran spoke, even Lys didn't dare contradict him, only gazing at Leon with worried eyes.
The Hellgate was no joke; no one knew how many powerful infernal creatures lurked within. Even a Title Archmage wouldn’t dare claim they could escape unscathed. Merlin was strong, but entering the Hellgate really was as Fran said—practically courting death...
"Worry about yourself, Master Fran. Don’t celebrate too soon..." Leon replied, then stepped into the Hellgate.
"Heh, let’s see who regrets it in the end!" Fran snorted coldly and vanished inside.
Indeed, the Hellgate was perilous. Even Title Archmages couldn’t guarantee their survival—but Fran was no ordinary Title Archmage.
With the Crystal Balance at his side, what was a mere Hellgate to him?
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