Chapter 77: What Was Inside the Spatial Ring 2

“Heh... don’t tell me the Second Elder and the others were deceived.”

Seeing the troubled look on Darkya’s face, the First Elder assumed that something had gone wrong.

“I knew it. The Bread Tree is something that exists only in legend. How could such a thing possibly appear in the subterranean world?”

There was already a hint of skepticism in his voice.

“No, Father.”

Darkya shook her head.

“The Bread Tree is real. I brought some of its fruit back with me. What the Second Elder wishes to report concerns something else.”

She picked up the bundle beside her and carefully took out several fruits from the Bread Tree, presenting them respectfully to the First Elder.

This was a personal gesture from Darkya rather than an official report, and so she addressed him not as the First Elder, but as Father.

“This...”

The First Elder picked up one of the fruits.

He brought it close to his nose and smelled it carefully.

Then he took a small bite.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Finally, his expression changed completely.

“This really is the fruit of a Bread Tree.”

Without another word, he seized the Message Stone sent by the Second Elder.

A Message Stone was activated through spiritual power. Once triggered, the recorded voices and images would appear directly within the user’s mind.

Not only did this make the message highly confidential, it also made falsification almost impossible.

The First Elder quickly absorbed the contents of the recording.

His expression grew increasingly grave.

“Darkya, wait here for me.”

“I need to report this to Her Majesty immediately.”

“This matter is far too important.”

The First Elder was deeply troubled.

Kent had not merely brought the Bread Tree to the dark elves.

He had also created an alchemical weapon capable of wiping out hundreds of thousands of kobolds.

If the other major powers learned of such a thing, they would undoubtedly do everything possible to recruit him.

Some might not even bother with persuasion.

They might simply try to seize him by force.

Then there was Darkya.

Anything involving her also touched upon the dignity and reputation of the dark elf race.

But even that paled in comparison with the Bread Tree.

To the dark elves, the Bread Tree was simply too important.

The First Elder found himself unable to make such a decision alone.

He had no choice but to seek the Dark Elf Empress’s judgment.

The moment he finished speaking, he rose into the air and flew away.

His destination was the immense trunk of the Tree of Life.

That was where the Dark Elf Empress and her personal guard resided.

Meanwhile, throughout the human settlements, the gnomish territories, and the dwarven cities, countless residents were already packing everything they intended to carry with them.

The month-long Grand Trial was about to begin.

This time, the trial would take place in an unexplored region jointly designated by the Dark Elf Council of Elders, the Human Senate, the Gnomish Mechanics Association, and the Dwarven Blacksmiths’ Union.

The requirements were simple to state, but far more difficult to accomplish.

Every participant had to survive within the designated region for an entire month.

During that time, they were required to kill at least one magical beast of the same level as themselves.

They also had to draw a map of every area they personally explored.

No one knew exactly how vast the trial region was.

Nor did anyone know what unknown creatures, dangers, or treasures might be hidden within it.

That uncertainty was precisely what made the Grand Trial so dangerous.

Back in Muan City, Kobi stood outside the door of Kent’s laboratory and knocked repeatedly.

“Kent!”

“Kent, are you in there?”

The door opened.

“What is it, Kobi?”

Kent appeared with excitement written all over his face.

Hank’s equipment had turned out to be every bit as valuable as he had hoped.

The greatsword was an advanced fire-element alchemical weapon.

Not only could it instantly cast a Wall of Fire, but the blade itself also carried an intense burning effect.

It was an exceptionally fine weapon, the sort rarely encountered even among high-grade magical equipment.

The armor was just as impressive.

Defensive magical formations had been engraved throughout it, greatly enhancing its protective ability.

And the boots contained wind-element magical formations that could drastically increase the wearer’s running speed.

Any one of these pieces would have been considered a rare treasure even on the surface.

“Kent, the Grand Trial is about to begin.”

Kobi quickly explained the situation.

“Our group from Muan City leaves in two days. The trial region is only about half a month’s journey from here, so you need to start preparing everything you’ll need.”

He then carefully explained the arrangements and everything Kent needed to know.

“Damn it!”

Kent slapped himself hard on the forehead.

“How did I forget about that?”

Without wasting another moment, he spun around and hurried back into the laboratory.

He had originally planned to prepare several hidden trump cards specifically for the Grand Trial.

But so much had happened over the past few days that the entire matter had slipped his mind.

Now he had only two days left.

There was no time to waste.

Kobi, seeing that Kent finally understood the urgency of the situation, did not linger either.

He quickly headed home to prepare his own weapons and armor for the coming trial.

While the entire subterranean world was busy preparing for the Grand Trial, the First Elder of the dark elves was in a thoroughly miserable mood as he traveled toward Muan City with Darkya.

When he had reported everything to the Dark Elf Empress, Her Majesty had given him only a calm reply.

“You are the First Elder. Handle it as you see fit. Just remember two things: do not disgrace the dark elf race, and do not repay kindness with betrayal.”

And that was the entirety of the Empress’s instruction.

The responsibility had been tossed straight back into his hands.

After thinking the matter over again and again, Kent finally decided to make a hand crossbow.

A hand crossbow was easy to use, yet possessed considerable killing power. More importantly, Kent had no intention of making an ordinary one.

He planned to build a repeating hand crossbow.

And naturally, it would be an alchemical weapon.

For ammunition, Kent decided to use enchanted bolts.

More specifically, explosive bolts of his own design.

Armor was not a problem either.

Hank’s armor was already excellent.

It did not fit Kent perfectly, but that hardly mattered.

Kent was an alchemist.

Adjusting the size of a suit of armor was nothing more than a minor inconvenience to him.

For the next two days, Kent did not show his face outside at all.

He remained shut inside his laboratory, working almost without rest on his magical hand crossbow.

The repeating crossbow he eventually produced had an effective range of more than a hundred meters.

Its penetrating power was equally impressive.

At distances within fifty meters, an ordinary bolt could punch through three layers of leather armor.

And if he loaded one of his explosive bolts...

the destructive power would be far greater.

“Kent, the First Elder wishes to see you.”

Kent had only just finished testing the hand crossbow when City Lord Hel arrived in person.

The First Elder of the dark elves had reached Muan City and specifically asked to meet Kent.

Before doing anything else, however, the First Elder had gone to inspect the Bread Trees with his own eyes.

“I don’t have time.”

Kent barely looked up from his work.

“I’ve still got too much to do. The Grand Trial starts tomorrow, and I need to finish preparing a few more things today.”

He waved a hand dismissively.

“Tell the First Elder for me.”

Kent truly was overwhelmed with work.

He still had far too few bolts for the crossbow.

He also intended to make several grenades and a few other items for self-defense.

Besides, the situation had changed.

Kent was now the one holding the initiative.

Why should he drop everything merely because the First Elder wanted to see him?

“Scared, are you?”

A familiar voice suddenly came from nearby.

“If you’re afraid, just admit defeat now. There’s no need to make so many excuses.”

Kent’s expression immediately darkened.

Darkya had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and was looking at him with open provocation.

Kent felt a wave of frustration.

From beginning to end, this woman had been the one constantly looking for trouble with him.

She was already more than a hundred years old.

So why did she still speak and behave like some stubborn little girl?

Kent had already decided not to pursue their earlier conflict.

Yet just because he had stopped making an issue of it did not mean Darkya was willing to let things go.

He gave her a long look.

“Hey.”

Kent raised an eyebrow.

“I haven’t even come looking for you to fulfill our previous wager, and now you’ve shown up at my door yourself.”

His gaze shifted toward the laboratory behind him.

“Since you’re already here, don’t bother leaving yet.”

He pointed inside.

“Go wash my dirty clothes first.”

“Hmph!”

Darkya’s face stiffened.

“I won’t go back on our last wager.”

She was clearly somewhat embarrassed after being cornered by his words.

But then she remembered why the First Elder had come to Muan City, and a new idea immediately began forming in her mind.

“I came here today because I want to make another bet with you.”

She lifted her chin.

“Do you dare?”

“A bet?”

Kent smiled.

“Of course I do.”

Then he looked her up and down.

“But what are we betting this time?”

His tone turned deliberately irritating.

“Do you even have anything worthwhile left to wager?”

Darkya looked far too confident for his liking, and Kent immediately became more cautious.

Still, after thinking about it, he relaxed again.

Even if he lost, what could he really lose?

Technically, he had won their previous wager.

But they had never established a magical contract.

Kent was only a Level Two mage.

There was no realistic way he could forcibly make a Level Eight magic archer like Darkya serve as his maid if she simply refused.

Once he thought of that, his worries disappeared.

Kent calmly studied Darkya from head to toe.

The look in his eyes practically said:

You already belong to me from the last wager. If you want to gamble again, you had better bring something valuable this time.

Darkya was rendered speechless by his attitude.

For a long moment, she could only glare at him.

Finally, she gritted her teeth.

“Hmph! Don’t get too pleased with yourself.”

She turned sharply.

“I’ll go find something worthy of betting against you!”

With that, Darkya stormed away.

Before leaving, she even turned back and shook a fist threateningly at Kent.

What Kent did not know was that Darkya was already imagining what she would do once she won him back in the next wager.

She would make this greedy human regret ever provoking her.

She would teach him one thing properly—

dark elves were not so easy to bully.