The Verdant Underground

Chapter 81 — The Verdant Underground

The deeper they went, the more signs of civilization appeared.

The tunnel walls were no longer naturally formed.

Someone had carved them.

Smooth stone pillars stood along the passage, each covered in faded green patterns.

Aether slowed his pace.

His Origin Sense spread forward.

Thirty meters.

Several life signatures.

Then more.

Dozens.

Maybe hundreds.

He couldn't sense all of them at once, but the density was increasing.

Lyra noticed his expression.

"What is it?"

"People."

Sylvara looked surprised.

"People?"

Aether nodded.

"Many of them."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

"Then we're entering an inhabited settlement."

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They continued.

After another hundred meters, the tunnel suddenly opened.

A massive underground city stretched before them.

Buildings had been carved directly into the enormous cavern walls.

Bridges connected different levels.

Green crystals illuminated the streets.

Water flowed through narrow channels beneath the roads.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Aria stared.

"There's actually a city down here."

Seris looked around carefully.

"How old is this place?"

Aether couldn't answer.

But he noticed something.

The green energy flowing through the city was extremely stable.

The Verdant Key wasn't merely opening the passage.

It was powering the entire underground network.

Suddenly, several figures appeared on the bridge ahead.

They carried weapons.

One of them shouted.

"Surface dwellers!"

More people emerged.

Within seconds, the group was surrounded.

Aether's hand moved toward his weapon.

But Sylvara stepped forward.

"Wait."

She raised her hands.

"We aren't here to attack."

The people hesitated.

An older man stepped forward.

He wore green robes and carried a wooden staff.

His cultivation was around Origin Awakening Stage 5.

He looked at Sylvara.

"Where did you get that key?"

Sylvara glanced at the crystal.

"I found it while escaping people who wanted to take it."

The elder's expression changed.

"Blackridge."

Aether noticed.

He knew the name.

The elder looked at him.

"You know them?"

"They've already attacked us."

The elder's grip tightened around his staff.

"Then they have found this place."

Aether asked, "How long have you lived here?"

"Long enough that the surface became a forgotten world."

The elder looked toward the city.

"This place is called Verdantia."

Aether studied the city.

"What does the key do?"

The elder didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at Sylvara.

Then at Aether.

"The key maintains our barrier."

Aether's eyes narrowed.

"Then if Blackridge obtains it?"

"The barrier falls."

Silence.

Aether looked toward the distant tunnels.

"How many entrances does this city have?"

The elder's expression became serious.

"Six."

Aether immediately understood.

Six keys.

Six regions.

The underground network was connected to the ancient formation.

Before he could ask another question—

a deep explosion echoed through the cavern.

BOOM!

The city shook.

The elder's face changed.

"They found another entrance."

Aether drew his weapon.

"Then let's deal with them."

The people of Verdantia looked toward him.

For the first time, the elder smiled.

"Perhaps the surface hasn't completely forgotten how to fight."