Conquering The Novel

As soon as Ayla and her team completed Round 4, the Puzzle Relay, they were teleported to a cave-like room adorned with ancient drawings.

"So, this is where the final round will be taking place?" James mused.

As they examined the cave room, they noticed invisible partitions dividing it into eight areas, each allocated for different teams.

And to their surprise, they saw that the team from Shadow Academy had already arrived and was busy with their tasks.

"T-They have already arrived before us?" Alex stuttered in disbelief.

"We don't have time to waste. Let's hurry up," Ayla said, quickly making her way towards the area where the Soreh Academy's flag was located, which was next to the Shadow Academy team. The rest of the team followed her lead.

There, on a pedestal, they saw a scroll and a red button. Ayla took the scroll first, unrolling it to read its contents aloud to her team.

[Welcome to the thrilling final round: The Mystery Challenge! In this ultimate test of knowledge and skill, teams must use their wits and expertise to examine mysterious artifacts and uncover their true purpose.

But that's not all. The teams must also unlock the full potential of these ancient relics by discovering the secret to activating them. The stakes have never been higher, so prepare yourselves for an intense battle of the minds. May the most cunning and resourceful team emerge victorious. Good luck!]

As soon as Ayla finished reading the scroll's content, she pressed the red button without hesitation.

The ground beneath them rumbled as the pedestal moved forward, revealing a tomb that emerged with a loud stone sound.

The team was momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of the tomb, but Ayla quickly regained her focus and took charge, barking out orders.

"Marcus, Alex! Get over here and help me open this tomb. There must be an artifact inside, and we need to find it quickly!" Her urgency was palpable, and the rest of the team sprang into action.

As they pried open the top of the tomb, the creaking sound seemed to echo through the cave.

Inside, they beheld a weapon unlike any they had ever seen before - its intricate design and glowing gems left them in awe.

Emma gasped, "This is incredible! Do you see those gems? They're positively radiant!"

Ayla nodded, her eyes never leaving the weapon as she quickly stepped forward, reaching out to touch the weapon. "This is definitely enchanted," she whispered. "But what kind of weapon is it?"

Emma nodded, her mind already at work. She examined the weapon, taking note of its shape, the type of metal used, and the various gems embedded in it.

"It looks like it could be a magical staff or wand, but the type of magic it possesses is different from anything we've seen before," Emma observed.

Marcus walked around the weapon, studying it from all angles. "Maybe it's a weapon designed for use against dark magic," he suggested. "Look at the way it's been designed to emit a holy aura."

Alex leaned in for a closer look, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. "I'm getting a feeling that activating this weapon won't be easy," he said thoughtfully.

"There might be a certain spell or incantation we need to recite from that book." Alex pointed towards the book placed beside the artifact.

James picked up the book and flipped through the pages. "It seems to be a spell book," he confirmed, checking the contents carefully.

"Let's start by examining the gems on the weapon. We might be able to infer its function from that," Ayla ordered. They all nodded and got to work, each member of the team focusing on a different aspect of the weapon.

Ayla examined the gems, using her knowledge of magic to determine their properties. Marcus looked for clues in the design and materials used. Alex studied the way the weapon glowed, trying to decipher its purpose. Emma analyzed the various runes etched into the surface of the weapon. James recited different spells and incantations from the spellbook, attempting to activate the weapon with magic.

As the team worked together, time passed in a blur. They debated theories and tested different ideas, making careful observations and analyzing every detail of the weapon.

Emma had been scrutinizing the runes on the weapon, trying to find any clue as to their purpose. Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to a tapestry on the wall, depicting an ancient battle between two powerful sorceresses.

Her eyes widened as she studied the tapestry, "Look at this! The symbols on the weapon are the same as those on the sorceresses' robes."

Ayla leaned in closer to examine the tapestry, "You're right. These symbols represent celestial magic, and they are arranged in a very specific pattern."

Marcus joined in, "Perhaps the weapon was created specifically for use against dark magic. The celestial magic infused in it could neutralize dark spells and curses."

James nodded in agreement, "And that's why the weapon emits a holy aura. It's designed to protect the wielder from dark magic."

As the team continued to discuss and analyze their findings, a realization struck them.

"It's a ...Celestial Blade!" Ayla exclaimed, her excitement evident.

"...."

They all knew about the Celestial weapons, which were used to weaken the demon lord before sealing them. The thought of witnessing such a powerful weapon in front of them was both exhilarating and terrifying.

"...How does the Celestial Blade work?" Ayla asked, still curious about the weapon's activation.

Emma replied, "The Celestial Blade is designed to combat the dark magic of the Demon lords with the power of the constellations."

As Emma explained the alignment of the gems with different constellations and their magical properties, Marcus listened carefully, noting the information that would help him activate the weapon.

"Each gem has a different alignment and magical property. For example, this one aligns with the constellation of Orion, which represents strength and courage," Emma said, pointing to one of the gems on the weapon.

"And this gem aligns with the constellation of Lyra, representing music and harmony. It likely enhances the weapon's ability to create a peaceful environment," she continued.

Marcus observed the weapon concentrated, studying the way the gems aligned with the constellations. He began to piece together a series of movements that might activate the weapon based on their positions in the sky.

"I have an idea," Marcus said. "If we align the weapon with the constellation of the Divine Blade, and then perform these gestures..." He demonstrated a series of intricate movements, tracing the shape of the constellation in the air. "This might just work."

James listened intently as Marcus explained his theory, searching for incantations in his spellbook that would complement Marcus's movements. He found specific lines that he believed would complete the process of activating the Artifact.

"By the power of the celestial heavens, I call forth the might of the divine blade," James recited each line of the incantation, his voice growing stronger with each word.

'This is so cringeworthy to read!' James exclaimed inwardly, feeling embarrassed at the ancient spells he was reading. 'Why did the ancient people have to mutter these incantations that look like something out of an anime?' he thought to himself.

However, he shook his head and refocused on the task at hand.

"With this spell, I bind the weapon to the will of the user. Let the celestial blade awaken!"

!?

The team was in the middle of their attempts to activate the artifact when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

Tap—Tap—Tap

Turning around, they saw the team from Cherry Blossom Academy rushing into the cave room.

Ayla quickly regained their focus, "We don't have much time, let's focus on our task!" she said firmly. With only five minutes left before the end of the challenge, she knew that time was of the essence.

The Cherry Blossom team scrambled to their designated spot, hoping to quickly figure out the artifact's purpose and activate it. Ayla wasn't too worried about them, knowing they had arrived too late to have a chance at winning.

But what concerned her more was the Shadow Academy team, who had arrived before them and could be close to unlocking the artifact's true power.

Ayla shook her head and concentrated harder on the artifact as they continued to experiment with different movements and spells. Finally, after numerous attempts, the weapon began to hum with energy, and the gems on the weapon shone brighter.

"Look, it's working!" Emma exclaimed, noticing the holy aura getting stronger.

The team's excitement grew as they realized they were getting closer to unlocking the weapon's full potential.

"Great job, Marcus! James, recite the incantations with more power," Alex encouraged, observing the weapon closely.

At last, they discovered the correct combination, and the Celestial Blade burst to life, glowing with a holy aura that left the team in awe.

"We did it!" Marcus cheered, beaming with pride.

Beep— Beep— Beep—

...However, the team heard two more beeps simultaneously, indicating that three teams had completed the Brain Brawl Challenge at almost the same time.

Ayla's heart sank as the beeps echoed in the cave, signaling that time was up. She knew they weren't the only ones to figure out the artifact's purpose and activate it.

"...Looks like we have some tough competition," Ayla said, her disappointment evident. She turned to see the Shadow Academy and Cherry Blossom Academy teams, who had also completed the challenge.

As the teams were teleported back to the VR rooms, Ayla couldn't help but wonder how they had fared against the other teams.