“`
The array-breaking drill, indeed a magicalized item developed for breaking through the runes sorcery array, finally connected its runes with those on the defensive membrane, creating a doorway in a clever way.
“Hurry inside!”
Wolban barked an order, signaling the others to enter the protective membrane first.
First it was Cooke, followed by the other apprentices, and finally Wolban himself, as they all entered the membrane one after another.
Wolban withdrew the array-breaking drill, which already showed cracks. The doorway vanished, and the magicalized beast was stopped, unable to advance through to the other side of the membrane.
His array-breaking drill was merely a low-level magicalized item, capable of being used only three times. Now that it had been used twice, significant cracks had appeared on the triangular drill, causing his brow to furrow.
“Be careful, it could be a trick.”
The guarded laboratory breathed a familiar pungent odor, the stench of the preserving fluids leaked from living specimen jars.
A survey of the surroundings revealed a spacious room with glass cabinets holding shriveled specimens, jars containing fearsome skulls, and various skeletons scattered on the ground, some with clear tooth marks on them.
The combination of these elements added a grim hue to the room, something the apprentices were accustomed to.
But the laboratory had been visited before, as if a horde of large rats had scurried through.
The group searched carefully, yet could not discern the focus of the laboratory, as all items of value had been moved out, and even the most secretive chambers had not been spared.
Enjoy new tales from empire
The empty chambers seemed to mock them.
Fortunately, there were no traps within the laboratory. They knew that, after all, this was a sorcerer’s laboratory, and they were still in their apprentice stage; setting up traps in this space would not have been an easy task.
At that moment, the ground shook suddenly. The tremor originated outside the defensive membrane and was transmitted through the defensive array membrane, shaking several more times in succession.
“Could it be that it’s collapsed outside?”
Cooke’s face turned a shade uglier as he voiced the fear held by the rest. With such a large tremor, it’s very likely that the passageway where the stairs were located had collapsed, which would be quite troublesome.
Wolban’s gaze was dark and frightening, “This madman, is he trying to bury us alive?”
If they all perished here, the death of so many 3rd Class apprentices would surely alarm the Mongna Ant Land Cottage, and sorcerers from the Hunting Team would certainly come to investigate. Then, nobody could escape which is why he said the other party was mad.
Fortunately, the tremor quickly subsided, and the laboratory was unaffected.
But they knew that outside, an unknown number of magicalized wild beasts waited for them, along with the hidden mastermind.
…
Near Stone Creek Town.
Heidi, with two in tow, had only stayed in Stone Creek Town for a day, also without any findings.
“Tomorrow I’ll take you to a place that must be kept absolutely secret.”
“Understood, I won’t reveal anything.”
“Same here, I swear not~ to let slip a single word.”
Hearing Heidi’s words, the two could not help but make promises.
No clues were found in Stone Creek Town, which seemed so normal that it gave the unsettling feeling of being abnormal, at least that was Gina’s feeling deep down. Without evidence, and as Heidi had not noticed anything unusual, it wasn’t her place to say more.
They left the declining little town early the next morning, crossing ridge after ridge of forest to arrive in a narrow valley. The valley was open with only low-growing trees and weeds. At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it.
“`
Heidi, however, stood in the center, gazing around for a long time without any other action.
“Once, there was a richly endowed magic stone mine here, belonging to our academy.”
“A magic stone mine that produces magic stones?”
Following her, Gina and Hawtherley couldn’t help but widen their eyes in surprise. They hadn’t expected to find a magic stone mine here. Magic stones were the foundation of their cultivation, intimately connected to every apprentice and sorcerer. No wonder Heidi had refused to reveal any information on the way.
“To protect this magic stone mine, I do not know how many sorcerers from Mongna Ant Land Cottage have been buried here. Among them were many ancestors from my Lidia family,” Heidi said evocatively, surveying her surroundings.
The other two could scarcely empathize, remaining silently contemplative as they meticulously observed the so-called magic stone mine.
By now, the magic stone mine should have been exhausted.
“The magic stone mine has long been excavated to depletion,” Heidi pierced their illusion with her words, “Let’s go, our mission is to inspect the Suppression Runes Array at the entrance for any disturbances. An empty mine still holds special value and must not be coveted by others.”
So that was it.
The two came to a realization. Swamp Forest City was not far from Stone Creek Town, and indeed, the events there could very well have been influenced by the magic stone mine. They feared that those who caused the trouble behind the scenes aimed for this place.
The magic stone mine, deep underground, had many mined tunnels for the sake of ease in management. The true entrance was actually only one and had already been sealed, leaving behind only a hidden path.
Under Heidi’s guidance, the two dug through the outer layer of soil, revealing an impenetrable rock wall.
Heidi took out a Token and pressed it against the rock wall while silently chanting a convoluted, secretive, and lengthy incantation.
Once the phrase was completed, the middle of the rock wall slowly melted away, revealing a passage just wide enough for one person to pass through, with the walls on either side flowing like water.
Heidi gestured with her hand, and the three of them entered the passage one by one.
Walking through the narrow passage, Gina could sense a terrifying presence emanating from all directions; a single misstep would likely result in an unbearable crushing fate, forcing her to set aside all distractions and closely follow behind Heidi.
After a minute or two, the passage suddenly opened up before them, and they arrived at a vast cavern permeated with a special aura, the entrance to the mine. The rooms left from the mining days were still present on both sides, forming a rudimentary camp.
Behind the camp was a bottleneck that had to be passed to delve deeper into the mine, and right now, a stone wall stood there.
Heidi approached with a grave expression, taking out another sparkling clear Token and pressing it against the stone wall. A fear-inducing, thick defensive array membrane revealed itself as the Token merged with the membrane.
Without disturbing Heidi, the two exchanged glances and cautiously guarded their rear in case other dangers arose.
After a moment, Heidi retracted the Token and shook her head at the two, indicating that nothing was amiss here.
“Let’s head back.”
“Okay.”
With the worst case scenario not materializing, Heidi’s tense body relaxed.
The three retraced their steps through the passage and headed straight for Swamp Forest City.
Midway, Gina noticed a fluctuation in her Secret Method Seal. Once activated, Ivan’s voice came through: Tell Heidi, another incident of madness has occurred. I think I’ve found a clue.
“What is it?” Heidi noticed her hesitation.
“A message from Ivan, there’s been a turn of events in Swamp Forest City, and he’s found some useful clues,” Gina said.
“I see,” Heidi replied nonchalantly. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe the message; it’s just that as long as the magic stone mine was undisturbed, nothing else seemed to be of much importance to her.
After this brief interlude, the three continued their journey towards Swamp Forest City.
