Comprehensive network wizard, magic emperor.

Chapter 254 Thunder and Lightning
After the thunderous roar of the dragon's incantation, a faint commotion of spirits could be heard coming from the west side of the second floor of the Great Archives.

In the corridor, Lin Bo met up with his teammates. He and the ranger [Tree Eagle] who had been freed from the curse exchanged greetings, which was considered a formal introduction.

The mage pointed at the wanderer's throat and said gently, "Are you injured? My medical skills are quite good, come here."

[Tree Eagle] glanced at the half-giant and orc lying dead on the ground, swallowed hard, and his throat hurt so much that his eyes twitched. He gestured to express his gratitude in sign language, moved closer, and let the mage's steel-armored hand press against his neck.

As the sound of wind and sand drifted from beneath the three-eyed skull mask, [Tree Eagle] sensed a chill seeping from the opponent's gauntlets, as if a gentle, cool mist was brushing against his entire body. Immediately, a sharp, itchy sensation came from his throat, and the skin and flesh of his wounds were rapidly clenching, pulling at his peripheral nerves.

"Cough! Cough cough!" The wanderer couldn't help but cough, and immediately found that the pain had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a faint feeling of rawness.

Lin Bo took out his throat lozenges, which he usually used to maintain his vocal cords, from his backpack. They were individually packaged in small portions and were suitable for use after reciting the Dragon Language. They had a rich fruity flavor, a sweet taste, and a gentle and long-lasting effect.

"Thank you!" After finishing the small bottle of ointment, the ranger couldn't help but lick the rim of the bottle.

[Frosty Soup Stew Pot] revealed a greedy, longing expression, sniffed, and stared at the plaster bottle.

Seeing this, Lin Bo simply gave a bottle to each of his two teammates, saying with a smile, "It's homemade, it's not worth much."

"Delicious!" That was the halfling's opinion.

"A very refreshing fruity flavor, oh, is this a potion?" the elf said in surprise after tasting it.

Lin Bo was quite satisfied with the positive feedback and appreciation he received for his homemade medicine.

He waved his hand to stop the conversation, then pointed to the two bound players on the ground, "After you help them free, the difficulty of the dungeon will increase again. I suggest you clear out the remaining enemies first. Otherwise, they may become more troublesome and there will be more of them as the difficulty increases."

The teammates naturally agreed.

"The increased difficulty and the fact that enemies don't spawn in cleared areas actually reduce the challenge," the Ranger rubbed his chin. "The only price is a bunch of unlucky guys trapped in the dungeon."

Everyone laughed. They left the two trapped players in the corridor and headed to the western arenas to clear out the enemy hordes.

The wax casting room has been cleared out. This was the place where experimental subjects were sealed with wax. Their heads were wrapped in warm molten wax, which solidified to form a sealed shell. This prevented the melted brain matter from leaking out and allowed it to be preserved in the cranial cavity for a long time, giving the experimental subjects more time to shift their consciousness.

Inside the venue is a row of pools filled with molten wax, where living creatures burrow into the wax to sculpt themselves. The curse that [Tree Eagle] suffered was connected to one of these wax pools.

Next to the wax casting room is the claustrophobia, a dark building with many iron chains hanging from the ceiling, the ends of which are sharp, sea urchin-shaped spikes. Experimental subjects are forced to walk here, in darkness, pain, and fear, which can sharpen their minds and make them more susceptible to magical energy.

Lin Bo led the team through the gates of the claustrophobia cell, through a small, windowless corridor. The environment grew increasingly dark, and from behind the iron gate at the end came the tinkling of wind chimes and the sounds of laughter.

The closer they got, the clearer, more frequent, sharper, and louder the sounds from behind the door became.

As soon as Lin Bo pushed open the iron gate, all sounds vanished instantly. A cold, bloody wind blew out of the dimly lit room, silently inviting them in.

The halfling couldn't help but sneeze twice, muttering, "This place is really hostile."

The light emitted by the players' lighting tools could not dispel the shadows gathered inside the hall; the living spirits here had created a magical, dark, and shrouding environment.

They lurk in the darkness, spying on the people outside the door. Their ghostly, translucent bodies are hidden from view. Sometimes they wield long, thorny whips, creating a whistling sound like laughter, and sometimes they hold a candle, like a lantern used by a deep-sea anglerfish to lure its prey.

Elite monsters lurk on the ceiling, their wide, flat, black bodies resembling a carpet or a manta ray. When they attack, their bodies float down, enveloping the player and releasing a highly corrosive blood poison mist that can digest the prey into nothing but bones in less than half a minute.

After listening to his teammate's explanation, Lin Bo asked, "Are there any valuable documents or files here?"

"There are only execution records left by the previous executioners and some leisurely books." [Huanji] nodded firmly in assurance.

Lin Bo nodded slightly, and a noise came from under the mask. He unscrewed the cover of the Ming Lei Lantern, letting the plasma flow out like water. Bright and scorching lightning flowed back into the air, gathering in his hand like a brilliant azure vortex.

His teammates' eyes twitched, and they silently took two steps back, shielding the mage in front of them. The bright vortex of lightning maintained its stable shape, and with Lin Bo's gentle wave of his hand, it flew out from his palm and disappeared into the thick magical darkness, as if a stone had been thrown into a lake, leaving no ripples.

However, a violent, terrified scream suddenly erupted from the claustrophobia room.

The creatures dwelling within it clearly realized that something was wrong with this thing.

Lin Bo slammed the door of the claustrophobia cell shut.

In the darkness, a vortex of lightning began to grow, its spherical shell spreading out in all directions with branching arcs of electricity at incredible speed. The electric branches leaped and traced a giant net across the chains in the room. Almost instantly, it spread throughout the entire room, the dense arcs like thousands of needles and threads piercing every living being.

Immediately, the lightning ball began to spin, causing the electric branches on its surface to sweep across the atmosphere again and again. The metal melted like mud in the high temperature, and the blinding light shattered the magical shadows in one fell swoop. All the living beings were placed under the high-speed swinging lightning whip, which was ten thousand times more terrifying than the blood-stained thorn whips in their hands.

Just before the power was about to run out, the lightning ball suddenly exploded, creating a sweeping electromagnetic shockwave, and intense light swept across every corner like a tidal wave.

Tiny arcs of electricity flickered across the stadium doors, and faint, eerie howls and crackling sounds emanated from the cracks, but these lasted only a few seconds. With a muffled clap of thunder, all was utterly silent.

Numerous notifications began appearing on the integrated network information board.

[The "Lighthouse Keeper" has delivered a fatal blow; judgment passed! The enemy (the whip-wielding vengeful spirit) has fallen.]

[...Fatal attack, judgment passed! Enemy (Candle-Holding Wraith) falls]

[...The enemy (the Shadow Punisher) has fallen]

Ionized air drifted out from behind the door, emitting a faint stench. Lin Bo turned the lantern knob back, and the plasma converted from mushroom oil gradually filled the fire chamber, making the lantern shine again.

"Let's go." He turned around and greeted his teammates, who nodded vigorously and followed Lin Bo out of the confined space.

As I returned to the corridor, I heard a gruff male voice calling out, "Hey! Over here! Help me, I can't see anything!"

The curse on the orc rogue had been lifted. He was bound like a pill bug, with only one arm exposed. He was now supporting his body with one arm, hopping around in place with great effort, like a one-legged bird.

Lin Bo formed the Three Mountains Seal, waved his hand, and untied the iron chains binding the orc. He pushed off with all his might, his body soaring into the air, and after a graceful full-body rotation, he came to a stop.

He has rough, grayish-green skin, sharp, long lower canines that protrude from his lips, and a drooping mouth when expressionless, but he suddenly grins when he sees his teammates.

"Phew! God of Hunting, thank you! I thought I was going to be stuck in this dungeon forever. Thanks a lot, buddy, and thanks to [Frost Stew Pot] too." The curse on the orc rogue originated in the claustrophobic sanctuary, which was destroyed by lightning, allowing him to escape.

Lin Bo bowed with his hands on his chest, and the orc stepped forward and gave him a bear hug, patting the mage's back forcefully and laughing, "You look skinny, but you're really strong. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone catch my hammer so easily. My name is Kuna-Slaying Python, a white dragon hunter of the Frosttooth tribe, and my online nickname is [Silent Little Hammer]."

The orc was very warm and cheerful, but he scared the three elves so much that they shook their heads repeatedly.

Lin Bo paused for a moment, then smiled and patted [Silent Little Hammer] on the shoulder, "You're welcome."

The orc looked at his teammates, puzzled, "Why do you guys look at me like that?"

"It's nothing. I just suddenly really admire you. When it comes to courage and recklessness, we all lose." The ranger gave him a thumbs up. The elves and halflings did the same.

"What does this mean? This is weird... Hey, [Crack Gate] brother, what happened to you?" The orc turned his head and saw the half-giant lying dead, his heavy armor looking like a tattered can. "Did you get trampled by a mammoth?"

Lin Bo explained, "His curse has not been lifted yet, so it's best to maintain the status quo for now."

"This corridor looks weird, like it was hit by a tornado. I heard thunder when I was being controlled earlier. What happened?"

[Silent Hammer] scratched his head vigorously, but seeing that everyone else was heading to the next venue, he stopped asking questions and strode after them, "Hey, wait for me!"

(End of this chapter)