[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-greatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe":3,"chapter-greatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe-greatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe-chapter-970":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},160314,309,"Chapter 970: Crab-Centaur","greatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe-chapter-970",970,"\u003Cp>The coral maze groaned as the lakebed trembled beneath it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Massive walls of coral and stone shifted with deep grinding force, sending up clouds of silt that blurred the visibility underwater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whole sections of the labyrinth rotated or shifted sideways, rearranging passageways and sealing off familiar paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once still labyrinth had now become a churning, ever-shifting puzzle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From above, the layout no longer resembled what it had just moments ago. New corridors opened where there were none before, and others closed off without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire structure felt alive, like it was breathing, adapting, and...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adam frowned when he noticed the abrupt change. He glanced back toward the path he had taken into the maze... only to find it gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In its place stood a solid wall of pink coral, its jagged edges glinting faintly in the dim underwater light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A second ago, when the labyrinth had shifted, he had felt something. It was for the briefest of moments, but he had undoubtedly felt it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this place...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head and gazed at his webbed feet. Then, he looked at the lakebed, his eyes squinting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, his pupils dilated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and took a deep breath, then turned around to head deeper into the coral maze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through his Sphere of Resonance, he had already sensed several areas emitting abnormal mana fluctuations. He surmised that these places must be where the magical keys were located.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he had also sensed something—or rather, someone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t the participants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edward had an extremely cautious expression on his face as he traversed through the maze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment, he was holding Lisa’s hands and walking through the corridor; the next moment, he watched in shock as the coral walls shifted, swallowing her up and separating them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, no matter how hard he clawed at the wall, it was all in vain. He couldn’t even leave a scratch on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with the maze constantly shifting every few minutes, he soon found himself in a completely different section, far from where Lisa had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth in frustration as he ran through the winding corridors, trying to look for Lisa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, she should be somewhere here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this unfamiliar, ominous place, being suddenly separated from Lisa filled him with deep anxiety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, it wasn’t for his own safety. He was worried about her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much so that he had shifted his priority from finding the magical key to finding her first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is she going to be alright?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if something happens to her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts came to an abrupt halt. As he rounded the corner, a monstrous, shadowy figure suddenly loomed before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could react, it lunged forward, thrusting a claw straight at his chest, aiming to incapacitate him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edward’s eyes widened as he clumsily leaned to the side, dodging the attack by a hair’s breadth. But his forward momentum carried him too close to the creature, and its second strike landed squarely on his torso.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue-eyed youth doubled over from the blow and was sent flying backward—no, swimming—several meters through the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edward adjusted his body mid-water and gracefully landed on his webbed feet, immediately getting into a fighting stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he saw the creature that had attacked him, his face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What in the world is that thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature standing before Edward was an odd amalgamation of crab and centaur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its upper body resembled a humanoid centaur, complete with a torso and arms, but its hands ended in massive crab-like pincers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whereas, the lower half of the creature was thick and armored like that of a crab with eight legs—four on each side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, it possessed an eerie blend of agility and brute strength, its very presence radiating a menacing aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edward’s eyes narrowed. He knew he was at a clear disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, this was enemy territory. Fighting underwater was already difficult for surface-dwelling Magi, where spellcasting was slower and mobility was highly restricted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, and more importantly, the crab centaur’s body was built like a fortress. Its lower half was encased in thick, natural armor plating, making it nearly impervious to physical attacks—and most likely magical attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the upper body, though more streamlined for agility, was still protected by a thinner layer of shell, offering both defence and flexibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue-eyed youth instantly understood that this was a difficult opponent to deal with. If he wanted to win this battle, it would require him some time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But time was a luxury he could not afford...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alter Selfhad a maximum duration of one hour. However, since he was a Mana Liquefaction Magus, he could barely stretch it to thirty minutes—forty, if he pushed his limits and risked instability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having come to a decision, Edward glared at the crab-centaur, fully focused on making the next move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the human’s intention, the crab-centaur brandished his sharp pincers, ready to incapacitate him just as instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like all the creatures dwelling in the depths, it had been ordered not to kill the Magi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment passed, and then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edward turned around and swam away at full speed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crab-centaur blinked in brief confusion, then let out a furious roar and surged forward in hot pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scenes such as these were unfolding throughout the coral maze. While some chose to stand their ground and fight the crab-centaurs, others simply opted to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter was undoubtedly the wiser choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the crab-centaurs were at the Mana Liquefaction Rank as well, the Magi simply couldn’t defeat them in a one-on-one battle—at least not while they were still underwater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a certain section of the labyrinth, the first person to overcome the First Trial was about to emerge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young elf with blond hair and green eyes swam swiftly through the winding corridors. Behind him, a couple of crab-centaurs pursued, their pincers snapping in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daneli Ambermind had a calm expression on his face as he lured his enemies straight into a trap he had prepared. Upon reaching the designated point, he came to a halt and turned to face the pursuers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they reached the trap zone, he yanked on a vine protruding from the wall beside him. Instantly, a net made of thick vines sprang out and ensnared the crab-centaurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without wasting another moment, Daneli swam back the way he came. The net would only hold the crab-centaurs for a few seconds, but that was all the time he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elf turned a corner and entered a small, secluded alcove within the maze. There, nestled against the coral wall, was a small wooden chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those crab-centaurs were guarding this item earlier. Knowing it was precious and something that he was most likely looking for, Daneli opened it without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, the underwater creatures had already broken free and charged into the alcove, their eyes locked on his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without an ounce of hesitation, all three of them thrust their pincers at the elf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as their pincers lunged forward...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elf grasped the copper key inside the chest and infused mana into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crab-centaurs ended up hitting nothing but water and bubbles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daneli had teleported back to the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>",1206,"2026-05-29T04:45:04.623Z","2026-06-01T04:29:11.309Z",1,"novelbin.me","5e4e74d0fb8f4eea6aa0eb6ca13f46cf08bfd879e60f1f9c24e30c9b232e8ec3","greatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe-chapter-971","greatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe-chapter-969",1765,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fgreatest-legacy-of-the-magus-universe-cover.jpg"]