Realm of Myths and Legends-Chapter 1176: A Crushing Defeat

...

A few moments later...

The last remaining players who tried to escape from the Endless Blossom Array had been finished off by members of the Lotus Guard.

As for the group leaders, they struggled until the end; however, none of them were able to hold up against the onslaught of the Endless Blossom Array and Lotus Guard.

In the end, more than 500 players had met their demise in a failed assault on the Ore Cave.

The Endless Blossom Array had already been deactivated near the end of the battle as the Lotus Guard wrapped the situation up neatly.

"I knew that it would be strong. But, it still managed to surpass my expectations. An expert-ranked magic formation is terrifying. Even if I led the Lotus Guard to face it head-on, I'm afraid even if we were somehow able to break through, the losses we would suffer as a result would not be worth it. Palace Master Izroth, on behalf of Sleeping Gardenia, I want to thank you again for gifting us such a powerful magic formation." Valkyria said as she expressed her gratitude.

Izroth nodded and replied, "As I said before, this also is an opportunity for me. Commander Valkyria doesn't need to linger too much on it."

'It's more powerful than I anticipated. From what I witnessed, only two of the twelve variation were deployed in this battle. If all twelve can be used harmoniously and effectively, even I would find it difficult to escape from this magic formation without relying on something like Void Turning or my Boundless Nullifying Expanse.'

"Commander Valkyria! Palace Master Izroth!" Zinnia called out as she hurriedly approached the Izroth and Valkyria, who had made their way to the cave's entrance.

Zinnia halted her steps as she took a moment to caught her breath. Her appearance was somewhat tattered and one could see that she was currently fatigued.

"Section leader Zinnia, your appearance—are you alright? Did something unexpected happen while you were controlling the magic formation?" Valkyria questioned as she voiced her concern.

Zinnia quickly shook her head and responded, "No, commander! It was amazing! It was like I had control of everything in the area and could make it follow my will! I've never experienced something like that before! At first, it was hard to get the hang of it, but once I figured things out, it was like a breath of fresh air! It was a little tiring to maintain it for that long... But, still-!"

Valkyria held her fist up to her mouth and gently cleared her throat.

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Zinnia suddenly stopped speaking as it dawned on her what she had been doing and her messy appearance. Her cheeks flushed red out of embarrassment as she quickly fixed herself up and took a moment to catch her breath.

"P-Pardon my rude behavior. I was too eager to show my findings, so I... My apologies." Zinnia said as she tried to contain her embarrassment.

To behave in such an unsightly way in front of Commander Valkyria, whom she held a great deal of respect for, and Izroth, a friend of their guild leader, Zinnia wanted nothing more than to find the closest hole and hide there.

"Your enthusiasm is nothing to be ashamed of, section leader Zinnia. You've worked hard this time. Rest assured, I will make sure you and our other guild members in Kifa Karsts are rewarded for your efforts." Valkyria stated.

"While it can't be said that you brought out its full potential, controlling an expert-ranked magic formation to that degree is an impressive feat given that it's your first time. You have the natural talent to become a Formation Master." Izroth said with a carefree smile.

"Thank you for your kind words, Commande, Palace Master Izroth!" Zinnia said graciously as a smile found its way onto her face.

"Oh? Is that what Palace Master Izroth said true?" Valkyria asked as she looked over at him.

"I am not one to say empty words for the sake of others. Normally, with an expert-ranked magic formation like the Endless Blossom Array, one would find it difficult to control even one variation at a time. Section leader Zinnia, on the other hand, managed to employ two variations simultaneously even though it was her first time controlling a magic formation. Her talent is clear." Izroth explained calmly.

"I see. As I am inexperienced when it comes to magic formations, I did not realize how great a feat section leader Zinnia achieved. If I remember correctly, section leader Zinnia does not yet have a profession. Are you willing to give being a Formation Master a try?" Valkyria asked as she faced Zinnia.

'Oh? I suppose Sleeping Gardenia has their own way.'

Unlike common professions such as Blacksmith, Apothecary, Alchemist and so on, Formation Master was a rare profession. In other words, one could not simply walk into its profession building and learn it. It required a bit of luck to come across. However, from the sound of things, it seemed that Valkyria had a way to solve this issue.

"A Formation Master? This..." Zinnia spoke with hesitation.

The reason why Zinnia did not take on a profession in the first place was due to the fact that it would undoubtedly cut into her leveling time. Ultimately, her goal was to become a core member of Sleeping Gardenia and her time spent in the Kifa Karsts as a section leader as a part of that goal. She saw no point in taking on a profession when she would most likely not even advance past the first or second grade.

That being said, Zinnia was not foolish. She realized that this was also an opportunity. After all, if she become a Formation Master and showed promising results, the guild would undoubtedly do their best to nurture her. Nevertheless, it still came down to whether or not she wanted to risk an unknown path or stick to the path she had been working toward all this time.

Sensing Zinnia's hesitation, Valkyria reassured, "You do not have to give me your answer right now, but-"

"I'll do it." Zinnia answered with a look of determination in her eyes.

The hesitation she felt was nothing more than a fleeting emotion. Although the path she had been on could be considered the most secure, it was no different than other members of Sleeping Gardenia trying to claw their way up the ranks. If she stayed on the same path as them, her chances of becoming a core member may not be any worse, but it certainly would not become any better. That is why, Zinnia decided to take a risk and trust in not only Izroth's judgement, but also the faith Valkyria was placing in her by offering her a rare profession.

"Are you certain?" Valkyria asked with a firm gaze.

"Yes, Commander. I want to give it a try." Zinnia replied confidently.

A light smile found its way onto Valkyria's face as her eyes held a gaze full of expectations.

"Then, it's settled. I will prepare everything." Valkyria said calmly.

After exchanging a few more words and discussing some minor details, it was decided that Zinnia would return to her duties as the section leader of Kifa Karsts while Valkyria prepared to make her a Formation Master.

Since there was a lot of loot dropped by those who attempted to invade the Ore Cave, some members of Sleeping Gardenia originally assigned to Kifa Karsts had been tasked with collecting and sorting the loot.

As for the Valkyria and the Lotus Guard, after seeing the Endless Blossom Array in action and knowing that the Ore Cave was safe going forward, they prepared to depart back to their stationed area outside the Kifa Karsts.

"Our paths seem to always cross when there is trouble brewing. I hope the next time we meet, it is something worth celebrating instead." Valkyria said.

"Such an occasion might come sooner than you think. There will be an important event taking place at the Mystical Realm Palace soon. I have yet to relay the information to guild leader Mariposa, but she should be receiving the details from the manager of my Mystical Realm Palace. I hope that you will be able to visit when the time comes. Until then, stay safe on your journey, Commander Valkyria." Izroth stated.

"I will be looking forward to it. Until our paths cross again." Valkyria said before she departed with the members of the Lotus Guard.

After Valkyria bid farewell to Izroth, he set his gaze into the distance.

'Now that I've finished what I needed to do here, it's time I meet up with the 9th Division in Danaharpe.'