Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

"What's going on?!" Jin couldn't help but feel frustrated after being attacked.

"It might be a defensive formation art!" Giorgi suggested.

As Jin and Giorgi attempted to steel their minds against the overwhelming mental assault of the powerful Dragons, their resolve faltered in the face of the absolute pressure they were facing!

"Not good…"

Despite their efforts to dismiss the dragon apparitions as mere illusions born from the Formation Arts of the Castle, the intensity of the mental pressure bore down upon them with a crushing weight! It threatened to overwhelm their very consciousness.

"We have to focus!"

"Yes! It's just an illusion, a trick of the mind!" Jin insisted, his voice strained as he struggled to maintain a semblance of composure amidst the chaos unfolding within their thoughts.

Giorgi nodded grimly, his expression tense with concentration.

"If Chrono Veil doesn't work... Use Time Dilation! They cannot be real... We must break free from this mental prison!"

***

In the meantime, within the ethereal chamber where Orden and Ryzoir were resting, the ancient Dragons shared a knowing look before unleashing a surge of Draconic power that reverberated through the minds of Jin and Giorgi, intensifying the mental pressure with a new level of force that threatened to shatter their will.

"Time Manipulators… It's been a while since I've seen one." Orden commented as he saw the two unknown men enter Kyle's Castle.

"Mhmm… They're also quite young. Are they here to take his Immortality?" Ryzoir mumbled.

Time Manipulators were known for hunting Celestials or anyone with Divinity in order to obtain their Immortality. After all, Time Manipulators use a bit of their Soul Force whenever they use strong Time Spells. Because of that, taking Immortality was something they needed in order to survive.

However, the Dragons also knew that the Time Manipulators should've laid low for now. They should no longer be using Time Spells that could claim a part of their Soul Force. They should've prohibited such spells already.

The main reason for this was the destruction of the Celestial Realm itself…

Nonetheless, the two of them weren't inclined to know the situation of these two Time Manipulators.

"Should we just kill these intruders?" Orden asked.

"We should at least know their purpose for coming here since Kyle will surely ask." Ryzoir replied.

Soon, they poised their questions to the minds of the two Time Manipulators but they seemed to be unable to realize that they were real dragons and not illusions trying to scare them!

The Dragon's didn't feel upset about this, and they even found their reactions quite amusing.

As the Dragons' laughter echoed through the chamber, the two Time Manipulators were still struggling to escape from their Draconic Pressure.

However, in a moment of desperation, Jin and Giorgi decided to use their Soul Force in order to escape!

They tapped into the depths of their own Time Magic abilities, channeling their innate powers to push back against the overwhelming influence of Orden and Ryzoir!

Drawing upon their mastery of Time Spells, they cast a Layered Chrono Veil!

Jin and Giorgi unleashed a surge of temporal energy that rippled through the mental landscape, creating a barrier of distorted time that shielded them from the Dragons' mental assaults!

"They're gone!"

With a renewed sense of freedom, the two Time Manipulators focused their energies on finding the Golden Key within the castle!

"We're free! Quick! Find the Gold Key!"

"I'm on it!"

After breaking free from the oppressive mental grip of Orden and Ryzoir, Jin and Giorgi wasted no time in scouring every nook and cranny of Kyle's castle in search of the elusive Golden Key.

Their minds racing with a sense of urgency, fueled by the knowledge that time was of the essence!

The two Time Manipulators unleashed a flurry of Time Spells that allowed them to traverse the castle with unprecedented speed!

Even if there were androids or various guards in the castle, they were unable to catch a glimpse of these two!

They also didn't bother attacking other residents of this castle as they could not waste their time doing that!

They had to hurry before the Shadow Immortal returns!

'Just hold on there, Demon Lord!' Jin thought to himself, hoping that the Demon Lord would do a decent job.'

As they moved with haste, leaving no stone unturned in their quest, Jin and Giorgi methodically combed through the various living quarters and chambers, their keen eyes scanning for any sign of the coveted artifact.

They actually found several important artifacts and even potions that caught their interest.

However, they decided to ignore all of that. They simply marked the location of these things and considered taking those with them if they managed to find the Gold Key.

They rifled through belongings, overturned furniture, and probed every hidden alcove, yet the Golden Key remained tantalizingly out of reach, as if mocking their efforts.

***

"What are they trying to find?" Ryzoir commented as he watched the two go through every room of the castle.

These two Dragons had actually decided to watch them instead to find out what they were looking for! Anyway, they decided to do this since they were confident that the two didn't have any Time Spell that could break through the barrier they had created.

"It must be Celestial Item… However, did they not think that Kyle was carrying it?" Orden replied.

"Then, it must be a Cursed Artifact. There was no way Kyle would carry it…" Ryzoir added.

Orden could only nod for now as he also had no idea what they were searching for.

***

"Not good… We don't have enough time… The Demon Lord's Corrupted Divinity is weakening. He's going to be killed at any moment now." Jin said.

"Should we help the Demon Lord and eliminate the Shadow Immortal?" Giorgi suggested.

However, Jin shook his head at this.

"Even if we help the Demon Lord, we have a very low chance of winning with those three Legendary Relics being equipped by a single person. Just the Temporal Timepiece in his possession would already make it difficult for us."

"Right… Let's continue the search then."

After completing their search in various rooms of the castle, the two were still undeterred by the setback and continued with their search.

The two of them glanced in the direction that they hadn't searched yet.

It was the path leading to the basement of the castle.

"Let's do this…"

JinandGiorgiresolved to delve deeper into the heart ofKyle's castle…

As they got closer, they realized that the mysterious basement was shrouded in layers of enchantments and protective wards.

However, these types of enchantments were nothing in their eyes, that could manipulate time. After freezing the area of the Formation Nodes, they stopped powering the barriers or enchantments, allowing them to bypass the defenses freely.

With a shared sense of anticipation, theTime Manipulatorsbreached the threshold of the basement, expecting to uncover hidden secrets and untold treasures within its confines.

"This…"

However, as they stepped into the dimly lit chamber, a sense of déjà vu washed over them, sending a chill down their spines.

"We've made a mistake…" Jin muttered.

To their astonishment, the chamber unfolded before them in a surreal mirroring of the mental landscape where they had faced the imposing specters ofOrdenandRyzoir!

The twoDragons, once ethereal manifestations in their minds, now materialized beforeJinandGiorgiin all their majestic glory, their majestic forms exuded an aura of ancient power and wisdom!

"So they're real… We're in a huge trouble." Giorgi muttered as he knew very well that these dragons had the advantage over them!

As the realization dawned upon them that they stood within the very sanctuary of theDragonsthemselves,JinandGiorgiexchanged a silent glance, their hearts pounding with nervousness.

"Welcome…" The Red Dragon spoke, and this time, it wasn't through their minds. It was a voice that echoed throughout the whole chamber!

The other Dragon seemed to smirk at them as the chamber suddenly hummed with draconic energy!

Caught between fear and fascination,JinandGiorgibraced themselves for battle!

However, the two Dragons simply laughed, seeing them get ready to fight.

Orden simply blinked and unleashed the full extent of his draconic power within the chamber!

JinandGiorgifound themselves ensnared within the ethereal confines of the Dragon's Domain—a realm where time itself seemed to bend and twist under the weight of the creature's immense presence.

Their Time Spells were useless in this Domain!

They were completely caught!

"We surrender…" Jin immediately said as he realized that there was no escaping from these Dragons. It was just too much for them.

"Now, that's a good start." Ryzoir said.

The oppressive aura coming from himbore down upon the Time Manipulators.

"Tell us why you're here… We've been watching you search the whole castle. What are you looking for? We're curious."

Jin and Giorgi glanced at each other and sighed. They could only reveal the true purpose behind their daring intrusion into Kyle's castle if they wanted to survive.