Shannon and Adam were at the end of the group. When they saw the unending stairs, they merely pursed their lips.
Although the stairs seemed unending, in reality, it was made to seem endless due to an array barrier set up along the path, which stretched the already lengthy route even further. That way, it could prevent anyone from trespassing at the university.
Since Elliot was arranged to usher them, he was naturally aware of that. As such, the barrier being an entrance test for the newcomers became the most plausible explanation.
Shannon turned to Adam, who, thanks to his fitness routine, seemed fine. However, the majority of the cast members and crew—as well as Scott—were visibly exhausted. After some thought, she retrieved a talisman from her backpack.
The camera quickly panned to Shannon and zoomed in on her after noticing a movement from her. Then, she brought the talisman to one of the staircases and stuck it on. Subsequently, she took the rocks nearby and placed them in a circle around the talisman.
"What are you doing, Shannon?" Scott asked out of curiosity.
The cast members similarly stopped and turned to see Shannon crouching and playing with rocks.
She lowered her head, without caring about other people's opinions, and set down the last piece of rock. Then, she explained calmly, "I'm breaking the array."
"Huh?" Not only Scott but everyone watching her was stunned.
Juniper was dazed, likewise, but quickly regained his senses. He turned abruptly to Elliot and asked, "There's an array barrier on this path?"
Elliot smiled sheepishly and nodded. Then, he whispered, "But Shannon has broken the array already."
Everyone was baffled and stupefied.
"She's broken the what? Where even was the array? The curses to break the spell? The gestures? Where's the whole process?"
"Huh? She broke a spell? I didn't catch it. Can someone who has screen-recorded it post it?
"I saw it. It looked easy when Shannon was doing it. I feel like I can do it too."
"The most advanced techniques often rely on the simplest methods…"
"He's lying. I don't believe him! Wait, let me count."
"I used a dedicated counting app to scan the stairs earlier. He's right—there are 594 staircases!"
"Oh, my… Is he a genius?"
"I'm sorry to have alerted everyone. My husband is quite good at math."
"I want to know what that family did to deserve so many talents…"
Despite the remaining doubt, they actually saw a glimpse of the university after the members climbed the stairs! Suddenly, everyone perked up and watched with anticipation.
As the group ascended the stairs, the nationally acclaimed Seastone School of Mystic Arts, untraceable even from the satellite map, finally revealed its appearance on the Sixth Sense livestream.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Heiress Unmasked: Shaking the World With Geomancy