### 228

You squeeze yourself in among the barrels and offer up a silent prayer to Ishir to keep you safe from detection. As the smoke clears, the misshapen creatures scurry back to their experiments, urged on by the shrieks of their cadaverous lieutenant. To your dismay, you see that your route to the portcullised archway is no longer clear. It is obstructed by a group of minions that are attempting to dismantle a siege catapult and a two-wheeled field cannon. You quickly realize that if you are to have any chance of escaping from this laboratory alive, you will have to engineer another diversion.

You scan the archway and the surrounding area but no ideas spring readily to mind. Then you look up at the creature on the platform and you notice that it is standing beside a stack of wooden kegs. Branded on these kegs in Drodarin script are two words: Blasting Powder. You allow yourself a wry smile, for if you were able to ignite these kegs of powder, it would be sure to create just the kind of diversion you need.

If you possess a Bow and Magi-magic, and have reached the rank of Kai Grand Guardian (or higher), turn to 164.

If you possess Kai-alchemy and wish to use it, turn to 268.

If you possess Elementalism and wish to use it, turn to 81.

If you possess none of the above, or if you decide not to use any of them, turn instead to 293.