Chapter 43 : A Quiet Discovery II

Chapter 43: Chapter 43 : A Quiet Discovery II

By the time Damon finished harvesting everything, several hours had passed.

"Haa..."

He stretched slowly.

"Not bad."

Freya still slept peacefully inside the second core.

Her consciousness remained faintly connected to him.

He could feel her.

Safe.

Comfortable.

Resting deeply after exhausting herself.

Damon smiled.

"Sleep well."

"I’ll handle the rest."

And so, alone, he approached the large door that had attracted his attention earlier.

The very place those two monsters had guarded.

Creak...

The ancient stone door opened.

And immediately, Damon felt the difference.

The density of Aether inside this chamber was terrifying.

The surrounding air almost felt liquid.

Wind Aether drifted everywhere.

Wind Ores littered the floor.

Aether Crystals glowed softly like stars.

And here and there...

Small veins of Lightning Ore could also be seen.

Not many.

But enough.

Which made sense.

The Drakelion had possessed lightning as well.

Still...

The amount of wealth before him left Damon speechless.

His eyes widened.

"How..."

"How does this much treasure even fit in one room?"

The chamber stretched far into the darkness.

Crystal clusters.

Elemental ores.

Ancient stones.

The entire place sparkled under the light.

Anyone who entered would lose their mind.

This was a fortune beyond imagination.

Damon’s breathing grew heavier.

If the families outside saw this place...

The entire Tempest Hollow would descend into chaos.

Yet just as he began exploring...

Thump.

He stopped as his second core pulsed.

Damon blinked.

"Hm?"

Another pulse.

It was stronger this time.

He immediately checked on Freya, but she remained asleep.

"No..."

His eyes narrowed.

"It isn’t Freya."

Thump.

Thump.

The white core trembled again.

Almost like...

It was calling.

Damon slowly turned his head.

His instincts sharpened.

Step.

Step.

He walked deeper into the treasure chamber.

And with every step... The pulse became stronger.

His heart started beating faster.

Something was responding to him.

Or perhaps...

His second core was responding to something.

Soon, he arrived before a cluster of enormous Aether Crystals.

And hidden between them... He saw it.

A small object no bigger than his palm.

Damon froze.

It looked like a seed.

Yet it wasn’t a seed.

Gentle green light flowed around it.

Tiny currents of wind circled around its body.

Its shape resembled a budding flower wrapped around a crystal core, almost as though nature itself had condensed into a single point.

The surrounding breeze moved peacefully around it.

Even the rich Wind Aether in the room seemed to gather toward it.

And the moment Damon laid eyes on it...

His second core pulsed violently.

Thump!

His breathing stopped.

"...A spirit?"

He stared blankly.

Then his eyes slowly widened further.

"No way..."

"No way."

His voice trembled.

"A Wind Core Spirit?"

*****

Meanwhile, outside the distorted zone, the various families had long established camps around Tempest Hollow.

Nobody dared leave.

Not when the value of the distorted zone had already exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Since the reports about B rank beasts had surfaced, every family had become even more serious.

Scouts continued entering the zone.

Elemental Users were sent in groups.

And every family kept their eyes on one another.

Nobody wanted to be the one left behind.

It had become a silent competition.

Everyone smiled on the surface.

Yet everyone was wary.

A family that gained more information would gain more resources.

And resources meant strength.

Strength meant influence.

Nobody wished to lose.

Especially after the heavy casualties they had suffered.

Fortunately, the latest reports had made everyone optimistic.

Surely, after sending so many scouts, they would finally discover something worthwhile.

And then, one evening... Chaos erupted.

A commotion near the entrance of the distorted zone attracted everyone’s attention.

Bloodied figures staggered out.

Two scouts supported each other while practically dragging their broken bodies across the ground.

Their clothes were torn.

Their faces were pale.

Blood covered them from head to toe.

The moment the guards saw them, alarm spread immediately.

"They’re alive!"

"Quick!"

"Healers!"

The family whose insignia they wore reacted first.

Several Elemental Users rushed over.

Their healers moved even faster.

One expensive healing potion was brought out without hesitation.

The scouts were their own people.

Their lives came first.

As for the information they carried...

That came second.

Or perhaps... Not second.

Inside their family camp, after their condition stabilized slightly, the survivors finally spoke.

And the moment they did, silence filled the tent.

"A floating ruin?"

The representative stood up immediately.

Shock appeared on everyone’s faces.

The scouts nodded weakly.

"We only escaped by luck..."

"The others are dead..."

Their voices trembled.

Then they described everything.

The ancient floating ruin.

The long stone staircase.

The countless dead scouts.

And finally...

The two monsters guarding the place.

The High B Rank Galefang Wolf.

And the Four Winged Drakelion.

The room beyond.

And the treasures they suspected lay inside.

Everyone inside the tent inhaled sharply.

High B Rank beasts.

Two of them.

No wonder the other scouts had died.

Even these survivors had escaped by the skin of their teeth.

Still, nobody looked fearful. Instead, their eyes brightened.

Treasures.

A floating ruin.

An unexplored opportunity.

How many fortunes hid inside?

How many resources?

Perhaps even inheritances.

The family representative immediately stood up.

"Seal this information."

"We begin preparations immediately."

"Gather everyone above Resonant Rank."

"And collect all information regarding the two beasts."

The survivors quickly explained the Arts used by the monsters.

Their attack patterns.

Their speed.

Their habits.

Every little detail became valuable.

It would take days to prepare.

Nobody intended to rush.

High B Rank beasts were not something to challenge carelessly.

But preparations had already begun.

Unfortunately... Secrets rarely stayed secret.

By the next morning, rumors had already leaked.

Representatives from other families began visiting.

Some tried to bargain.

Some tried to pressure.

Others simply sent spies.

"What do you want for the information?"

"We can exchange resources."

"We only need the location."

Yet no one trusted each other.

And behind closed doors, every family secretly gathered their strongest Elemental Users.

The atmosphere around Tempest Hollow changed overnight.

Nobody wanted to lose this opportunity.