Chapter 427: Inquiring of Nature

Contrary to what everyone expected and had braced for, as the metal wall slid from its position, no foul air assaulted them. There wasn’t even a wisp of wind.

“This is just an empty shell now,” Ron concluded slowly, sensing that the stale air on the other side was almost identical to that in the cavern. “There must be a leak somewhere else that equalized the pressure.”

He followed Aive inside. The metal wall behind them wasn’t some abrupt structure, but was connected to the surrounding walls. This seemed to confirm that Ron’s theory was close to the truth: if the purpose wasn’t to seal this space off from the outside, then building such a metal box was completely meaningless.

Wouldn’t it have been faster and easier to just dig a hole? And if they were so dedicated to craftsmanship, a simple stone wall would have sufficed.

“That’s right. My wife and I came to the same conclusion when we were here years ago,” Count Richthofen chimed in as Sera shoved him into the space. “But there was one strange thing: no matter how hard we looked, we could never figure out why this structure was built in the first place.”

“It looked pretty much as you see it now. Back then, there was nothing here but fungi.”

“So you collected a large number of fungal samples to study,” Ron said, recalling the fungi in the secret room of the Count’s bedchamber. Many of them did indeed match the specimens here. “What were your findings?”

“Nothing,” the Vampire shrugged. “Most of the fungi were common species. Only a few were particularly rare—at least, to a botanist. Then there was the Red Mould. Back then, it hadn’t mutated yet. It was the same kind of Red Mould everyone knows, identical to the type found in the Red Mould Ruins.”

“What a relief…” Anastina said, though it was unclear if she was just being sarcastic or genuinely relieved. “I was starting to think the ruins I’ve been exploring were fakes…”

“Aside from that, we made other discoveries—about the civilization that built this place, about Delusional Land, about power. But looking back on it now, I’m starting to think even that first discovery was a fabrication. We meticulously searched every corner of this place, but aside from a few fragmented records, we found no other trace of a civilization.”

“Even Elemental Creatures should have left *something* behind, right?”

“Maybe this was one of their abandoned outposts?” Silvia mused, looking to Jilannis for her opinion. “It wouldn’t be strange if they cleared it out and it simply fell into disrepair over time, would it?”

“But that doesn’t explain the documents we found,” Count Richthofen said, glancing at the Vampire Descendant. “Why would they leave behind such important information? And why *only* that? There’s no reason to set up an abandoned outpost that way.”

“Besides, if they relocated, they must have had a destination. I never found any clues leading to it. Have any of you?”

The group exchanged glances and shook their heads. They had only reached this side of the mountain by a stroke of luck. It was so far from their home base; how could they possibly start turning over every stone without even knowing what they were looking for?

“The Elven archives contain some fragmented records,” Jilannis said, racking her brain. “But they only mention a faction that occupied this region before quickly vanishing without a trace. Even if I had two brains, I doubt I could come up with any more clues.”

It wasn’t a matter of not remembering; the information simply wasn’t there. After all, the Elves’ sphere of influence was a considerable distance from this place.

“Looks like our only option is to split up and search,” the Goblin Hunter said, raising a hand to scratch behind his ear. “I suggest we form two groups. That way, if something unexpected happens, we won’t be completely helpless.”

Splitting up in an unknown territory was generally a terrible idea. However, with one, or even two, powerful Mages in the party, it became a trivial concern. Jilannis could surely keep an eye on both groups in case of minor trouble. And if something arose that even she couldn’t handle, sticking together would be pointless anyway. It was better to search quickly and see if, after so many centuries, some precious remnant might still be waiting for Ron and his companions to find.

Ron’s group consisted of himself, Aive, Anastina, and Victoria. Between the Priest’s Divine Magic and Ron’s own magical probes, they could ensure that no corner went unsearched. The other group was made up of Silvia, Delaford, Sera, and Jilannis, who were also tasked with guarding the Vampire Count. Their group was certainly more powerful than Ron’s, which was why they could afford to spare the attention to watch their prisoner.

Leaving him behind was out of the question. ‘I’ve seen this trope before,’ Ron thought. ‘You turn your back for one second and the prisoner vanishes. Then it turns into a horror story.’

“Seriously, what exactly counts as a ‘clue’ here?”

An hour later, the barbarian couldn’t take it anymore. She would rather pick a fight with Jilannis than continue foraging for mushrooms!

“It’s just mushrooms and more mushrooms! We’re not here to make mushroom stew!”

The Grip of the Vast Wave easily shredded a patch of fungi on the ground, but underneath was only dirt and more, even smaller mushrooms. As for ancient ruins or clues, she hadn’t seen a single trace.

“Have a little patience, Sera,” Silvia consoled her friend. “We haven’t finished searching the whole area yet…”

“Even if you do, it will likely be for nothing. We already searched this place centuries ago. If there were any obvious clues, they wouldn’t have been left for you to find.”

Count Richthofen wasn’t being sarcastic; he was simply stating a fact.

Any obvious clues would have been found long ago, and any obscure ones have likely crumbled to dust by now.

“Are you trying to say that this place I’ve been dreaming of finding is nothing but an empty shell?” the Sword-Singing Lion Armor retorted, her tone menacing. The Vampire Count immediately fell silent.

“So, what we need is a clue… something you didn’t look for, but that we *can*,” Delaford suddenly straightened up, beginning to question himself like a philosopher (a goblin philosopher, that is).

‘What do we have that the others didn’t?’

‘Divine Magic? Victoria obviously hasn’t had any luck with that. Someone who’s been to the… what was it… the Elven Red Mould Ruins? The Vampire seems to know a thing or two about that place as well. Besides, he’s a Caster, while Anastina is just a Warrior.’

Big White was crawling up and down inside his clothes, prodding at his greenish skin. The instant one of its tiny claws accidentally pricked him, a flash of inspiration struck Delaford. He knew what the Vampire Count hadn’t had back then!

A jade-green energy, symbolizing nature itself, enveloped the Goblin Hunter. Instantly, the party’s Casters all lost track of him, as if he had completely merged with his surroundings.

“We may not know, but nature is sure to have a clue!” The Goblin Hunter’s voice didn’t come from his mouth, but instead echoed from every corner of the structure. “I’ll just ask it!”