Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength-Chapter 1234 - 1228: Inside the Pipeline

"Of course, of course you can!"

Ronald was taken aback by Lulu's question.

Because in his mind, the mermaid was already a member of his team, why would he need to seek his own consent for this?

Lulu noticed Ronald's confusion, so she took the initiative to explain:

"Ronald, I know you might find it a bit strange."

"But in our civilization, exploring a brand new realm is a very important matter. Now that I'm with you, the host, from a courtesy standpoint, I certainly need to ask this."

Only then did Ronald understand:

"I see, thank you for explaining."

"..."

The minor interruption ended, and Ronald and his group began to head toward the summit of Barrier Mountain.

He wasn't the type to go back on his word, so while leaving, he removed the black mist of Hell and freed the pirates within the mountain.

Most pirates chose to immediately flee the plaza, but still wreaked havoc inside Barrier Mountain, clearly intending to get one last score before leaving.

There were also bold ones like the 'Pirate King,' who began reorganizing their underlings, planning to make a name for themselves in the drastically different environment within Barrier Mountain.

Ronald could predict the behavior of these pirates as well.

Yet among the thousands, there was a distinctive minority of pirates.

A group of about a dozen—Pete and Lair were among them—these pirates did not escape or seize the opportunity to do anything else.

Instead, they followed behind Ronald's group, intending to see what these powerful people would do.

Within this group of pirates, some hadn't even thought through their true intentions.

They just instinctively realized that this was a chance to witness an entirely different world, so they simply followed along.

"..."

If these brave fellows weren't part of such a profession as pirates.

Ronald would have been entirely impressed and might even have offered them some help—but unfortunately, he couldn't.

Those who started on the wrong path.

Even if you can see their shining potential, it isn't something you can overlook just like that.

With a somewhat conflicted sentiment, Ronald neither punished these people nor said anything extra.

He simply ignored the pirates trailing them and began analyzing the information he had just received.

—Grey light.

This piece of information obtained from the pirates struck Ronald as quite interesting.

Because when he and Bapulor exited the "Field of Infinite Negatives," they had passed through a grey cloud.

However, the colossal magic formation that encompassed all of Barrier Mountain at that time appeared in the sky, clearly different from where the pirates saw the light.

Perhaps these two occurrences were the same thing.

But due to the subsequent battle, it finally led to its fall?

Thinking this through, Ronald had already led his companions to the base of the Judgment Well.

Unlike the pirates who must climb from the outside, Ronald knew the internal structure of Barrier Mountain like the back of his hand and soon approached the colossal volcanic pipeline running through the mountain.

At this point, a powerful spell barrier appeared, blocking all would-be intruders.

"Ronald, the technology behind this barrier is truly impressive."

Before Ronald could attempt to break it, Lulu, who had seen such things multiple times, spoke with admiration:

"Under the rigid spell system restricted by dogma, achieving such an application is definitely not a result born overnight."

Ronald had gotten used to the mermaid's demeanor; Lulu saying these words was only natural.

But nearby, Herois thought of something:

"Lulu, judging by your tone, can you actually enter?"

"Destructive measures are absolutely not permissible." Although still maintaining a disdainful attitude, Lulu was very serious about this and promptly responded, "Unless it's to protect one's life, we must strictly adhere to this law!"

Law...

Listening to Lulu's reply, Ronald couldn't help but recall his past encounters with mermaids.

In his experience, this race rarely initiated combat with humans.

Like today when Lulu unleashed the flood on the Barrier Mountain plaza, it was truly a result of being in a dead-end situation after being blocked by him.

The young girl beside him expanded the discussion on this topic.

Though thoughtful, Ronald extended his hand, using the techniques Costate taught him to invade the barrier before him.

...

The enormous magic power coalesced to form this spell.

Upon contact, Ronald first sensed the great magnitude of this spell. To protect the entire Judgment Well, it must extend nearly ten thousand meters from top to bottom.

Don't even mention small-scale barriers used by ordinary casters.

Even the spells employed by [Grade] to protect a fleet couldn't compare.

Can humans truly cast a spell of this scale?

Despite the shock in Ronald's heart, his hands worked without pause.

The spell before him was indeed grand enough to cause bewilderment, yet its defense was not so exaggerated on a small scale.

Utilizing techniques honed by his maid over centuries.

Ronald still managed to carve a hole in the barrier, then ushered his companions inside.

Moreover, it must be mentioned that after completing this feat, Lulu also praised Ronald's technique.

Clearly, in the mermaid's eyes, Costate's spellcasting methods were indeed quite formidable.

...

Ronald led the young girls closer to the mountain, finally passing through a safety gate to enter the long vertical passage of the Judgment Well.

The spectacle was awe-inspiring, leaving everyone deeply moved.

Ronald alone felt a bit regretful.

For this Barrier Mountain floating at sea, its central connection beneath did not lead to subterranean magma but was a dark sea surface concealed beneath the mountain.

Compared to the original setting, it lacked some character.

Soon, Ronald discovered another thing.

—The no-fly spell of the Judgment Well was still in effect.

He had no further plans to study breaking it, thus the group ascended honestly.

As they climbed, Mermaid Lulu couldn't help but chat with Ronald:

"Ronald, this volcano pipeline of the mountain seems off."

"Considering the proportion to the mountain size, I don't believe a normal volcanic pipe would be so spacious; this must be a result of human intervention—so, why did you create such a thing? This is extremely unsafe!"

How would Ronald know the thoughts of the mountain's wizards!

He didn't want to disappoint Lulu, so he started explaining the mountain's background:

"Lulu, this place was once ruled by a group of wizards; they were defeated long ago in battle and sealed despite themselves..."