[Due to repeatedly thwarting the pns of his followers in Tulens, Ludiron, a petty and narrow-minded evil god, is trying to divine the cause and effect and mark the culprit for assassination. However, Ludiron is clumsy in divination, and Druelia has already protected you as a trade secret due to your prior trade with her, and the divination would become fruitless. Ludiron, who is very suspicious and insidious, will become paranoid, thinking someone powerful is truly targeting his cult. Even after discovering you are Qhiion's new Hero who ascended by sacrificing the bodies of his followers, he would highly suspect you have another backer. The good news is that he wouldn't send his peak tier 6 legendary assassin hero against you, partially out of fear of Qhiion's bloody retaliation. The bad news is that, as any intelligent bully would do, he will begin instigating other forces to attack you, specifically alien and evil gods with a vendetta against the ancient human god of Sughter, who wiped out a good portion of their believers and even beheaded fellow gods in ancient times. However, as you are the Hero of Qhiion, who thrives in war, this might not be that bad for you.]
"Well... that doesn't sound good." Rilden warily thought as he checked the second prophecy.
[If you take a shortcut between Osnines and Steorus, you will pass through the BckBlood Pass at noon. Its name originates from the blood that bckened the soil after hundreds of thousands of battles over millions of years, and no pnts or insects ever grow there! It has such a bad reputation that only desperate brigands and merchants dare to travel through it, and none dare explore it, and it is believed to be a pce of bad luck and death. Indeed, the nd is blighted with miasma that could harm the living, undead, and spirits. Exposure could eventually lead to long-term health complications, mental illness, spontaneous berserkage, reduced lifespan, and even death! However, even for a regur person, it would take weeks of continued exposure to die, and a tier 2 professional is immune. At least, that is the case on the ground. If you travel through the underground yers, the effects would be far worse. —]
"YIKES! Horrible! Why would anyone go there?!" Rilden shivered.
But then, he realized something.
"Wait, underground?"
[—That's right! An ancient and undiscovered cave system is buried under the BckBlood Pass, about 100m deep, which absorbed the blood and flesh of hundreds of millions of fallen warriors, magicians, and monsters, trapping the miasma of blood and death inside. Even worse, it was originally inhabited by peaceful Earth Elementals, but the miasma mutated them, turning them into frenzied triple-element BckBlood Rock Elementals. The most powerful among them is even at the peak of the Mythical tier 7!—]
"HOLY FUCK! That's a death trap! No, isn't tier 7 the most powerful in the entire empire?! And there are likely multiple of them underground?!" Rilden's face went pale as he continued listening.
[—Luckily, the cave system has seven yers, each corresponding to a different tier. Higher-tier elementals will delve deeper to submerge themselves in a thicker miasma, hence you won't find tier 2 elementals on the 1st yer. A regur human would suffer permanent damage within a day on the 1st yer and would die within an hour on the second yer. To be immune to the miasma on the 1st yer, one must be at least tier 3, which is perfect for you.—]
"Hoh... okay. That's more reasonable. But why go there?" Rilden wondered.
And soon, his eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
[—Killing the elementals will drop elemental hearts suitable for Earth, Blood, and Death elemental bloodline awakening and purification. Take all tier 3 and 4 warriors with you, along with Erose and Astrid, and clear the 1st yer while Wolfgang leads the rest of the army through the usual route. Not only would you gain 1,836 tier 1 elemental hearts that can empower your army, but you will also have access to the treasures and opportunities within the 1st yer. The hidden entrance is buried in—]
"NICE! Okay, I want to see what else it has to offer." Rilden thought and looked at the third prophecy.
[While most materials on the 1st yer are only tier 1, an ancient meteorite is hidden in—. Breaking it open will reveal a 44-pound lump of tier 6 Bck Starfall Iron. A legendary smith can forge it into legendary weapons and armor.]
"Tier 6 metal?! Right on the 1st yer?! What a treasure trove!" Rilden's eyes sparkled, and he eagerly looked at the final prophecy.
His expectations were not betrayed.
[While the most precious treasures lie in the deeper yers, there is a perfect one for you on the 1st yer! —]
"JACKPOT! HAHAHA!!!" Rilden wildly ughed, unable to control himself anymore.
Of course, this attracted the attention of those around him. They couldn't help but wonder why their Hero suddenly ughed so joyfully.
"My Husband? Why are you ughing?" Erose asked with a weird look.
"My Hero? Did something good happen?" Astrid also curiously asked.
Rilden calmed down and beamed at them.
"Oh, you will like this one."
.
.
.
At around noon-
Rilden marched with a hundred men through a bckened pass, the rocks and soil bck and bereft of life. There was a faint stench of iron and decay in the air, as if the seasons couldn't wash it away.
"My Hero, this pce is ominous..." Astrid said, her fair face pale.
Her ruby eyes, sensitive to sughter and death, saw better than anyone else how ominous this pce was, oozing with ancient bloodshed that killed all pnt life and drove away the wildlife. She even faintly sensed the toxicity in the air. If it weren't for Rilden's orders, she would be the first to order the immediate evacuation of the troops.
It wasn't just her. All the soldiers were equally distressed. Only their trust and loyalty in their Hero and Prophetess prevented them from leaving.
"My Husband, I don't doubt you, but this nd is blighted and forsaken by the gods. Is it worth the cave system underneath?" Erose warily asked, her eyes betraying her uneasiness.
"It is," Rilden said, focusing his
He could see the ominous aura of death in this pce, and would have normally fled if not for the
"It also expins why no one discovered this opportunity until now..." Rilden thought and focused.
Soon, a stable white path appeared, leading him to the hidden entrance.
"Heh... convenient." Rilden thought and motioned to everyone. "Follow me!"
Feeling nervous, everyone heeded his orders and followed him. After half an hour of walking through the pass, Rilden found an inconspicuous gorge in the cliff wall and walked through it, eventually arriving at a dead end. All they saw was a colpsed rock slide. If Rilden didn't see the clear white path leading to it, no one would believe it existed.
"This is it! We dig here!" Rilden ordered and went to start digging.
Astrid gave the order to the men, and while many were dissatisfied, they still complied. But they felt better since Rilden, Erose, and even Astrid joined to help them.
They finished their work within 15 minutes, revealing a hidden cave entrance. The men, who were initially unhappy, became excited.
"My Hero, the ominous air is even thicker down there," Astrid warned.
"I know. We will only stay on the 1st yer. Prepare your mps!" Rilden ordered while taking out an oil mp from a backpack.
After everyone was ready, Rilden took the lead and led the way into the abyss. But after merely 5 minutes, Rilden and everyone else put down their mps. They didn't need them.
"This is eerily beautiful..." Rilden muttered as he looked at the multi-colored glowing crystals on the walls, ceiling, and ground, some in brown, some in red, and some in dark green.
Rilden used his ability,
Name: Magic Crystal Fragment(Earth)Tier: 1Uses: Alchemy and Magic ingredient. It will glow when in a pce rich in the Earth element.Evaluation: A common magic and alchemy ingredient. It could be used as an expensive but perpetual light source in some unique pces.
The other crystals also belonged to either Blood or Death elements.
"Are these tier 1 magic crystal fragments? These are very valuable resources. A piece the size of a finger can fetch 1 gold coin. Yet there are thousands just lighting our way..." Erose muttered, awed by the natural extravagance and richness of this pce.
Astrid also noticed it, her eyes turning sharp, and she looked to the men, some of whom were already trying to pick out some of the crystals.
"FOOLS! Are you trying to excavate our light source?! There would be better treasures down below!" Astrid immediately reprimanded them in their nguage, causing the highly respected tier 3 and 4 warriors to blush in shame and stop their actions.
After putting the men back in line, they continued descending, eventually arriving at a huge dome. It was lined with many glowing crystals. Some were so rge that they grew like mushrooms from the ground near pilrs and walls, easily the size of a child. Adding to the artistic sense of the pce, there was even a small running creek to the side.
However, what caught their attention were the hundreds of earthen humanoids down below. Their glowing bodies were decorated with crystals of three colors, each having three crystals as eyes. They were about the size of a 10-year-old child each, but Rilden didn't underestimate them, knowing they were tri-element tier 1 elementals!
And right now, they were looking in their direction, their eyes filled with bloodlust and madness!
"Sughter them!" Rilden ordered.
While the elementals were powerful, and Rilden didn't underestimate them, he and his warriors were all tier 3 and 4. It was easy to kill these elementals.
"For Qhiion! Sughter and Pilge!" Astrid ordered.
The men, hungry for treasure and fighting, immediately drew their weapons and rushed at the elementals like wolves at fat sheep.
While the elementals shot stone bullets or used weird miasma at the warriors, it was merely a hindrance as they chopped and bashed the poor child-sized elementals to death. It was like adults killing a bunch of children!
"I can't bear to look at this..." Rilden averted his eyes, not wanting to look at the btant bullying.
Within five minutes, the hundreds of elementals were dead, leaving a bunch of Magic Crystal Fragments and pearl-like tri-colored elemental hearts.
Picking one up, Rilden
Name: Elemental Heart(Earth, Blood, Death)Tier: Intermediate 1Uses: When consumed by (Earth, Blood, Death) tri-element Elementals, it enhances their strength(Up to tier 2). If a creature with (Earth, Blood, Death) elements consumes it, it can awaken or purify their bloodline. It can also be used in alchemy or rituals.Evaluation: A very valuable and rare treasure that can change the fate of a regur creature.
Rilden grinned and raised the Elemental Heart to show the soldiers, "You see this? Gather these! They are for the growth of our army!"
Astrid transted it, and the men immediately complied, gathering the marbles. After putting them all in bags, they continued clearing the cave system, killing the elementals and taking their elemental hearts.
After about two hours, they finished their work, having a huge haul of 1,836 tier 1 elemental hearts.
"My husband, these Elemental Hearts are worth 500-1,000 gold coins each. Even in a conservative estimate, they are worth over a million gold coins, and are difficult to purchase even if you have the money. It is enough to buy a furnished castle." Erose said, feeling emotional.
She had never seen so much wealth in one pce. It was enough to cause a legendary powerhouse to turn green with envy and greed. If calcuted by a small city's annual tax income, it was about 5-10 years' worth! Even for Tulens, a Trade City, it was about 3-5 years of taxes! And only a small portion ended up in Varkas's pockets, with the rest used to pay for soldiers, workers, and public infrastructure.
"My Hero, it would be wise to use it on our soldiers rather than sell them. There are plenty of selble treasures here." Astrid reminded, afraid Rilden would decide to sell it rather than use it to bolster their forces.
"I know." Rilden nodded and looked at the eager soldiers. "Men! Feel free to mine whatever you want on this floor! Whatever you can carry is your reward!"
Astrid smiled under her face veil and conveyed his words, soon causing a cheer among the warriors.
But Rilden remembered something and added, "But stay together and don't head down that path to the 2nd yer! The miasma is too thick and will harm you!"
Astrid transted it, causing the warriors to sober up and nod, reminded of the foul air filling this cursed treasure trove. It was already great to mine a bag full of these crystals and precious ores.
Satisfied, Rilden took Erose and Astrid through a path, eventually finding a rge boulder.
"Erose, break it," Rilden said, pointing at the rge bck rock.
Erose wordlessly nodded, walked to the boulder, clenched her fist, and punched the boulder with her gloved hand.
BANG* CRACK* BOOM*
Under the monstrous strength of the Greybde bloodline, the boulder exploded into gravel, revealing a bck metal core the size of a head.
"My Husband, is this what you are looking for?" Erose asked, picking the core up.
"Yes, it is a 44-pound tier 6 Bck Starfall Iron." Rilden nodded.
Erose and Astrid widened their eyes, their breaths quickening.
"My Husband, this piece of metal is worth more than all the elemental hearts combined! No, it is priceless!" Erose shook, having the illusion that the core was several times heavier than it truly was.
"My Hero, this is enough to forge several legendary weapons and armor pieces. Many legendary figures can't even arm themselves with such weapons and armor..." Astrid said with a dazed look.
Indeed. Many didn't have suitable weapons and armor once they reached tier 6, lowering their combat potential on the same tier. Only those with a strong heritage, like Varkas, had a legendary weapon- the
"There are even more precious things on the lower yers... but for now, we will make do with this. We can use it to arm Wolfgang if we find a legendary smith willing to take on the commission." Rilden said.
Erose and Astrid then remembered that this was merely the first yer. There were six more to explore, each holding even more valuable treasures! Of course, it was even more dangerous down there.
"My husband, are there truly Mythical elementals resting deep within?" Erose fearfully asked.
"If these elementals were let loose... could the empire and coalition even withstand them?" Astrid wondered aloud.
"Don't overthink it. We still have one more treasure to pick up... And I am sure you will like it." Rilden mysteriously grinned.
Erose and Astrid looked at each other, eagerness in their eyes. If Rilden said they would like it, they definitely would!
Walking for another 20 minutes, the trio arrived at an inconspicuous cave wall. Strangely, there were no crystals there, not even one.
"Erose, smash that wall open." Rilden pointed.
Erose nodded, walked to the wall, and punched it.
BANG* CRUMBLE*
A hole was bsted in the wall, revealing a hidden path behind it.
"A secret path within the hidden cave..." Erose muttered, her eyes glowing.
"I can suddenly see something good over there..." Astrid added, becoming excited.
"You have no idea..." Rilden grinned and led the two.
After five minutes of walking, they arrived in a rge room with a milky white pool, lit by my crystals. Above, pure-white stactites slowly dripped the liquid into the pool, and it was unknown how long the pool had gathered there.
"This..." The two women were too stunned for words.
It was too beautiful and magical to describe in words.
"This is a tier 6 White Essence Pool, gathered from a fraction of hundreds of millions of fallen high-tier warriors, magicians, and monsters over millions of years of bloodshed on the pass above. Those who dip inside for 3 hours will have Mythical talent as warriors and magicians, and would even improve and purify their bloodlines. There is exactly enough here for three." Rilden grinned, already removing his clothes.
Erose and Astrid looked at each other with tacit understanding, then at the pool, and did the same, shame be damned.
Spsh* Spsh* Spsh*
The three entered the pool naked, submerging themselves as deeply as possible, and immediately felt their bodies rex.
"Ah... So good..." Rilden moaned like an old man.
"How is the water at body temperature? The cave is so cold in comparison." Erose, submerged to the neck, also closed her eyes in enjoyment.
"I never had such a luxurious bath before..." Astrid muttered, also submerged to her neck, forgetting she was still breathing literal miasma.
The trio continued enjoying themselves for the first hour, feeling the beneficial transformation in their bodies. And then, while Rilden was enjoying himself in the company of two beauties, Astrid swam next to him.
"Do I disturb you, my hero?" Astrid asked with hot breaths next to Rilden's ear, pressing herself against his arm.
"Eh... not at all," Rilden said, feeling somewhat embarrassed at how forward Astrid was.
"Hmhmhm... while I enjoy the bath... I think we can make it even more enjoyable." Astrid lustfully said, pcing a hand on Rilden's thigh.
"I... erm..." Rilden felt a bit awkward.
She was doing this right in front of Erose, his fiancée. He wanted to ask Erose for her opinion, but was suddenly hugged on his left.
"My husband, I also think we can enjoy ourselves more," Erose whispered, boldly pcing a hand on his other thigh.
"Holy shit... That wasn't in the prophecy. It merely hinted at female company... Not that I am compining." Rilden thought as he happily wrapped his hands around the two beauties.