The residents of the Undersea Temple didn't show any hostility toward the group—on the contrary, they actually seemed quite welcoming.
"Wow! People from the outside!"
"How rare!"
"Everyone, we've got visitors for the first time in ages!"
"Hey, those cloaks... aren't you with the Magic Knights?!"
"Wow, it's been ten years since anyone's come down here!"
"Tell us about the world outside!"
Surrounded by the temple residents, Asta exclaimed, "I thought this place would be as dangerous as the dungeon!"
Yami took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Well, reality doesn't always match your imagination."
Vanessa, fending off the crowd with a smile, said, "In any case, let's find someone who might know about the magic stone."
Yami turned and, in his best mob boss tone, barked, "Alright, bring out the boss of this place!"
To everyone's surprise, the locals didn't seem intimidated at all. They even mimicked his tone.
"You're probably talking about the High Priest."
Another person eagerly pointed the way. "If you're looking for the High Priest, just head up those stairs."
It was almost suspicious how casually they gave away such important information. Were these people just... too pure?
But Charles wasn't fooled by the Undersea Temple residents' friendliness. He could sense they weren't nearly as harmless as they appeared.
That feeling... how to describe it? Like a child gleefully pouring boiling water into an anthill—pure, innocent malice.
Did they not realize they were pointing the Black Bulls toward the most dangerous place in the temple? Or maybe they simply didn't see anything wrong with that.
Not that it mattered much. The magic stone was there. Dangerous or not, the Black Bulls had no choice but to press on.
Charles paused... something felt off. Under normal circumstances, wouldn't they carefully investigate the temple first and develop a safer plan?
So why was he now thinking it was fine to just charge in?
Could it be... that he'd been with the Black Bulls so long they were starting to rub off on him?
Before he could say anything, the enormous stone gate—adorned with seashells—swung open.
Through the crack, a figure could be seen inside.
Suddenly, something massive shot out. It looked like an eel, but had an anglerfish's head. In short, it was a monster.
"AAAAHHHH!" Asta and Noelle screamed in fright—but others reacted even faster.
A fireball, a lightning strike, and a light beam all flew at once, slamming into the creature and knocking it down immediately.
"What the hell is this ugly oversized thing?" said Magna, Luck, and Gauche in unison.
"Hohoho! Seems like we've got ourselves a fun bunch!"
The silhouette stepped forward, revealing an old man with long hair, eyebrows, and beard—though the two tufts of hair above his lips made him look a little creepy.
"Welcome to the Undersea Temple. I am the High Priest!" the old man declared.
Charmy, eyeing the defeated monster hungrily, suddenly noticed that it was disintegrating into bite-sized pieces.
"Interesting! Does defeating monsters drop ingredients?" Charles mused, having already guessed the nature of the High Priest's magic.
Sure enough, before Charmy could dig in, the remains vanished.
The High Priest grinned smugly. "That was my magic!"
High Priest of the Undersea Temple. His magic: Game Magic. This allowed him to designate a specific area as a game zone and set corresponding rules. Everyone inside—even himself—was bound by those rules.
This was rule-based magic, one of the most absurd and unfair types. Within the zone, the caster could use various magic types, including traps, space manipulation, or even summoning giant monsters like earlier.
Coupled with his immense mana, the High Priest was easily above Grand Magic Knight level.
Unfortunately, his magic's name said it all. The man lived for games. His playful nature likely led to awakening this kind of power, but it also meant he could never be a true warrior—he treated everything as a game.
"You're after the magic stone, aren't you? Why don't you play a game with me?"
The High Priest then slinked toward Vanessa and Noelle, his already creepy grin turning unbearable.
"Let's play the... Squeeze Game!"
BOOM! Noelle punched him flat before he could finish.
Magna growled, "Hey, old man! We don't have time for games. And how do you know about the magic stone anyway?"
The High Priest chuckled, "Hohoho! I've got a keen eye! And come on, you really want that stone, don't you?"
"What now? Do we beat him up and take it?"
"Fastest option, not bad. Should we kill him?"
"Sounds great! That geezer looks like he's strong—fighting him would be fun."
Asta quickly jumped in to stop the trio of violence. "What are you guys talking about?! We're Magic Knights! We can't just rob people!"
Meanwhile, on the opposite end, the lazy trio was practically horizontal already.
Finral: "That old guy's no joke. Let's avoid unnecessary trouble."
Vanessa: "Yawn... I'm a little sleepy."
Charmy: "Excuse me, where do we eat?"
The High Priest: "If you win the game, not only will I give you the magic stone as a prize, I'll also prepare a grand feast. Top-tier food and drink, and the most beautiful maidens in the temple to accompany you!"
Lazy Trio: "Let's play!"
With the energy of the three revived, Yami sighed, "Geez... fine then. Alright, old man, I'll be your opponent. So what are we playing? Cards? Dice?"
The High Priest grinned and raised his hand, shouting, "The game is... Temple Battle Royale!"
"...?"
Everyone stared blankly, unsure how the High Priest suddenly got so hyped on his own.
"Game Magic: Undersea Temple Reformation!"
As the High Priest opened his grimoire, a surge of mana rippled through the air. Nine holes appeared in the wall behind him.
"Temple Priests, come forth!"
Nine figures stepped out, standing in formation behind the High Priest.
They wore the same robes as him, but each had a mask shaped like a different sea creature.
Each of them gave off powerful mana—on par with upper-rank Magic Knights.
The High Priest exclaimed with glee, "Everyone ready? Then let the game begin!"
Massive waves of water suddenly appeared out of nowhere, engulfing the entire group. Charles didn't sense any danger from the magic, so he allowed it to take effect.
When the water receded, Charles found himself in a rocky cavern. The High Priest's voice echoed in his ears.
"The rules are simple. You've all been scattered throughout the temple. Each of you will face off against one of the nine temple priests. You've got ten people, so consider that a bonus!
Knock your opponent unconscious to win, or win by forcing them to surrender! The first team to eliminate all of the opposing side—or the team with more people standing after one hour—wins!
Battle styles are up to you—1v1, team-ups, anything goes! But don't forget, I'll be interfering with sabotage spells, so keep your guard up!"
Charles cracked his knuckles and focused his senses.
"So quick, huh?"
He sensed four magic signatures had already vanished from the field—someone had already finished their battle that fast.
He didn't worry that any of the fallen were from the Black Bulls.
"This mana... There you are—my enemy," Charles murmured, locking eyes on a figure walking down the corridor.
The person wore a hammerhead shark mask—he was the strongest of the temple priests based on Charles's earlier readings.
"Talk about hitting the jackpot," Charles muttered with a grin.
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