We evil gods must hide.

Chapter 63 The Sudden Appearance of the Abyss

Lin Qi snapped out of his daze and said, "Just call me by my name."

"Okay, Horton, are you a descendant of Mentor Catherine's family? But I've never heard of my mentor having any relatives."

Lin Qi shook his head.

"No, I'm her friend."

Eve gently covered her mouth.

"Friend, look at him, he's about my size."

"When I was young, I accidentally ate a strange high-level magic fruit, and I've been stuck in my teens ever since. Actually, I'm over fifty years old now."

The evil god never thinks before he boasts.

For a deity, being in his fifties is a bit too young.

God!

it is as expected.

Catherine, your mentor, really has a partner!

"No wonder she never..."

Eve muttered to herself unconsciously, "He wouldn't even look at someone like my uncle."

"What?"

Lynch didn't hear clearly.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing!"

Eve was about to say something when footsteps came from not far away. The two turned around and found that it was Catherine returning from her patrol, carrying a huge, bloody bear head that was as tall as her leg.

Lin Qi's eyes narrowed.

The mountain bear's head, which looked to weigh at least several tens of kilograms, felt as light as a feather in Catherine's hands.

Lord Evil God, suddenly I feel a little scared.

Catherine forgot about him once he went in; he might not even be as good as this bear.

...

The Imperial Academy team has assembled.

Fourteen trainees, fully equipped and ready to go, stared intently at the fortress ahead.

Catherine stood at the front of the group, dressed in a silver-white knight's dress, holding a sapphire longsword, exuding a heroic aura. She held a magical device in her hand, which looked like a tablet from Earth, and was taking attendance.

"Eve".

"arrive."

"Alright, everyone is ready. This is the final assessment of our summer internship. According to intelligence, there is a legendary blue dragon inside that is seriously injured. If there are no special circumstances, it should not make things difficult for us. Of course, if any student has the ability to retrieve something from the legendary dragon, I will give full marks to this assessment."

The room immediately erupted in laughter.

"However, based on my discussion with Mentor Karen, our main target is the Whispering Abyss cultists inside."

"The assessment score is based on kills and contributions."

"Of course, intelligence is also essential. I saw that some clever students have already consulted with Mr. Horton, the monster investigator over there," she turned around, looked at Lin Qi standing at the end of the line, and gave him a gentle smile that melted everyone's hearts.

The trainees looked around and whispered among themselves.

But Catherine didn't care at all.

Of course, Catherine wasn't praising Eve.

Instead, it was the tall warrior who had brought Lynch to her earlier—White.

This student may look rough, but he is actually quite meticulous. He politely inquired about the situation of all the Abyss Cultists inside from Lin Qi.

Lin Qi naturally answered all his questions.

The evil god was eager for these cultists to be wiped out, otherwise Baal would come out and hunt him down relentlessly.

There was really no other way. He had used a little of his divinity on God, Baal, and Catherine, and he was saving the rest of his faith to activate his skills. He had no more trump cards left.

One trouble after another left no time or opportunity to cultivate faith.

Catherine withdrew her gaze and announced loudly, "Everyone, enter in formation, target the Abyss Cult followers, and stop their possible sacrificial ritual."

"Set off!"

"yes!"

The trainees responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, echoing throughout the valley. As they were about to enter the Blue Dragon Fortress in pairs, a voice rang out from inside.

"Wait."

Lynch looked up and saw that it was the Imperial Academy tutor named Karen.

The opponent was holding a small, exquisite staff, inlaid with a ruby ​​the size of a fist. A strong aura of fire magic emanated from it, which Lin Qi, with 109 points of mental power, could sense.

"Karen, what happened?"

Catherine frowned and went to meet her.

The other person shook their head.

"I went inside and investigated for a long time, and I discovered a problem."

"What's the problem?"

"That blue dragon seems to have used some spatial magic. Without someone skilled in detection to lead the team, it's easy to get separated and encounter danger."

Catherine frowned and said, "We are not a professional adventurer team, so we don't have people like that."

At this moment, Lynch noticed that Karen's gaze had casually landed on him.

"Isn't this Mr. Horton the best candidate?" Karen glanced at Catherine, ignoring her hesitation, and continued, "Since Mr. Horton is the Duchy's monster investigator and also a thief, and was able to get entangled with the Whispering Abyss cultists and escape unscathed, he must be quite professional."

"How about?"

The other person's probing gaze carried a hint of scrutiny.

Lin Qi sighed inwardly, realizing there was no escaping it now. He then nodded and said, "Since Lord Karen thinks so highly of me, Horton gladly accepts the order."

"There's just one thing: I've only followed those cult members on a small part of the outskirts, so I can't guarantee that I'll find the right path."

Karen laughed heartily.

"This is just a summer trial for the academy; we're not forcing anyone."

"Let's go then."

Lynch nodded to Catherine and stepped into the fortress first.

at this time.

Old Morgan and Gold stood in the woods on the outskirts of the valley, watching this scene from afar.

"Master Morgan, did you see clearly?"

Gao De gritted his teeth and said, "This liar has actually gotten involved with the Imperial Academy."

"Are all the people in the Empire idiots?"

Old Morgan frowned, his eyes filled with surprise and uncertainty.

He watched Lin Qi's retreating figure, feeling that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

That kind of authority in every gesture is something a young person could not possibly possess. Could he really be an elder of the Rhine family?

However, the contradictory reactions of the young master beside her could not be faked.

The old master was confused by the mix of truth and falsehood.

"Young Master, don't be impulsive."

Old Morgan advised, "We can't afford to offend the people from the Imperial Academy, and besides, that Lord Horton... is definitely not an ordinary person. Let's follow them and see how things go."

"Maybe I can snag a bargain?"

Gao De snorted coldly and didn't say anything, but the anger and resentment in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

...

[Notification: A high-level dragon domain has been detected approaching. Divine authority is being suppressed by 15%...28%...]

[Hint: The stability of the [Forgotten Mask] cognitive lock has decreased; current stability is 91%...]

The cold system notification sounded in his mind, but Lin Qi's steps did not falter in the slightest.

The glow of the magical artifacts flickered in the passageway.

The pressure from the Dragon Domain gradually increased, like an invisible giant hand gripping the hearts of everyone present.

He turned his head to look at Eve beside him.

The water-elemental magical girl frowned, her slender fingers gripping the spellbook tightly, seemingly unwell. Beside her stood a girl with red hair, holding a short sword in her left hand and a small shield in her right, clearly a warrior, who appeared calm and walked with ease.

This is Eve's teammate, Serah.

"Feeling unwell?"

Sera noticed her companion's odd behavior and asked in a low voice.

"Um."

Eve nodded.

"His mental power is being suppressed very severely; it might be the legendary Dragon's Might."

"Did Mr. Horton sense it too?"

Sera noticed that Lynch's face was also somewhat pale.

Lin Qi nodded. He could clearly feel that as the team went deeper into the passage, the suppression of the Dragon Domain became stronger and stronger, and the stability of the cognitive shackles had dropped to 82%.

Just as Lin Qi was secretly planning his next move, a sudden change occurred.

That overwhelming dragon's might, like Mount Tai pressing down, vanished without a trace, as if a string on a musical instrument had been snapped in an instant.

Without any warning or transition, the suffocating oppression of the previous second vanished completely the next, as if the terrifying dragon's might had never existed.

Eve was stunned for a moment, then let out a long sigh of relief. Her legs went weak and she almost fell to the ground, but Serah caught her in time.

"No, no more pressure?"

She looked bewildered, and subconsciously circulated the magic power within her body, discovering that the mental power that had been suppressed before had instantly recovered by more than half, and the color in her face gradually returned.

The other trainees in the group also realized what was happening, and the paleness on their faces faded, replaced by disbelief and astonishment.

Whispers immediately broke out.

"What happened? Why did Dragon's Might suddenly disappear?"

"Could something have happened to that blue dragon? Or have we strayed beyond the Dragon Realm?"

"Something's not right. This is still the fortress passage, how could we possibly have left the Dragon Domain?"

Karen frowned, a faint aura of flame emanating from her. She warily scanned her surroundings and said in a low voice, "Quiet! Don't let your guard down. The sudden dissipation of the dragon's might is definitely not a good sign. Be careful, it might be a trap!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a completely different aura swept in from the depths of the passage like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire group.

It was an extreme chill, decay, and madness, carrying a strong sulfurous odor, a hundred times stronger and more terrifying than the scent of the evil cultists' blood that Lynch had smelled outside the fortress. The aura, like an invisible poisonous fog, seeped into the nostrils, stimulating everyone's nerves, chilling them to the bone, and inexplicably stirring a frenzied urge within them, as if they were about to be swallowed by this aura and turned into mindless monsters.

Aura of the abyss!