Chapter 328 - 287: Entering the Relic 2

Chapter 328: Chapter 287: Entering the Relic 2

When the goblins had accompanied him in the past, they never asked about the destination. The Centaurs hadn’t either after they joined. Having witnessed Shire’s capabilities, they had likely just submitted automatically. Only the Naga Prince, intelligent but lacking any sense of subordination, would be concerned about where they were going.

Shire surveyed his surroundings. The area was strange. The trees were sparse, and many had already toppled over. It looked as if they had withered and died from some unseen influence.

"There must be some kind of underground Relic here," Shire said, stomping hard on the ground. It felt no different from ordinary soil under his boots. "Everyone, spread out and look for anything unusual."

At his command, the group quickly scattered. The Centaurs formed a perimeter to stand guard while the goblins expertly pulled out various tools and began prodding the ground. Pazani, however, just stood there, watching everyone else work with a look of utter confusion on his face.

"I get the feeling this isn’t your first time doing this," the Naga Prince muttered under his breath. Shire, overhearing him, turned with a smile. "This kind of tomb raiding? We’ve done it more than once."

Whether it was due to luck or their experience with tomb raiding, it wasn’t long before a goblin shouted out. Shire immediately ran over. Beneath the excavated soil, he saw a section of dark gray stone. ℴ

The stone block was perfectly uniform, showing signs of having been worked by hand. Shire ran his hand over it. It didn’t feel like ordinary stone, but more like poured concrete.

"Start digging around this," he ordered his underlings. A group of goblins immediately got to work, swinging their shovels and pickaxes and sending dirt flying as they dug in.

"What do you think is down there?" Pazani asked quietly, sidling up to Shire.

"I don’t know." Shire shook his head.

"You’re digging even though you don’t know what’s down there?" the Naga Prince said, amazed. "What if inside..."

"There are no ’what ifs’," Shire said, waving a hand dismissively. He’d explored strange Relics before, and it had always turned out fine. Just as his Domain map indicated, anything truly dangerous would have a major warning, like the marker for the Fearsome Claw Bear. "We might run into a fight, but there shouldn’t be any major danger."

As the goblins continued their excavation, a collapsed entrance was soon revealed. It had been barricaded with several massive stone blocks, sealing the passage inside completely.

After Fulu confirmed there were no strange readings from behind the boulders, Shire ordered his minions to use ropes and tools to direct the Worker Ants. They began to haul away the massive stones. The strength of the Worker Ants was truly immense. Through the combined efforts of just a few of them, the boulders were soon cleared, revealing a crack just wide enough for one person to squeeze through.

"Go in and see if it’s dangerous," Shire said, patting Broken Tooth’s shoulder. "Remember, don’t go too deep. Just check the area around the entrance. Let me know if you see any strange creatures."

He clearly remembered how, after all the goblins had entered the Fortress, only he had triggered a reaction from the Brain-Eating Monsters. If there were more of them in here, he could be walking right into danger by entering rashly.

Broken Tooth nodded in understanding and immediately leaped into the shadows. Shire then saw a small, dark silhouette dart forward and disappear into the passage.

Everyone waited in silence; even Pazani made no sound. Surprised, Shire glanced over at the Naga Prince, who was leaning against a fallen tree trunk, apparently resting.

"What are you doing?" Shire asked, walking over and eyeing the Naga Prince with curiosity.

"It’s time for my break," Pazani said, holding up his Pocket Watch.

The corner of Shire’s mouth twitched. "We’re about to enter the Relic, and you’re taking a break?"

"That’s right. It’s almost evening," Pazani said, glancing at the sky. He then added with a smile, "Don’t worry. I’ve been keeping a log of my breaks. I’ll make up for this time once we’re able to go inside."

"You..." The corner of Shire’s mouth twitched again. "You’re certainly... flexible."

"Chief, he’s out!" Red Eyes shouted from a short distance away.

Shire immediately left the Naga Prince and hurried over. Broken Tooth leaped out from the shadows, once again standing before his chief.

"What did you find?" Shire asked.

"It’s a bit dark," Broken Tooth said after a moment of thought. "There are some glowing Mushrooms inside the cave, but not many. And there’s a fish right at the entrance."

Shire blinked, watching as Broken Tooth used his hands to gesture its size. "A fish? Was it in water?"

"On the ground. All dried out," Broken Tooth said.

"A fish on the ground?" Shire frowned. ’That means there must be water in this Relic. Did the fish crawl ashore on its own, or is something else going on?’

After Fulu once again confirmed there was nothing amiss in the area, Shire decided to enter with Broken Tooth. Holding a torch, he carefully maneuvered around some sharp-looking rocks. After traversing a winding, downward-sloping path, he finally stepped into the interior of the Relic.

Just as Broken Tooth had described, a few scattered Mushrooms grew here, emitting a blue phosphorescent glow. They showed no signs of being cultivated. In the middle of the path ahead sat a relatively flat stone. On top of it lay a desiccated fish nearly a foot long. It looked as if it had been placed there deliberately.

"It’s a little cold in here," Shire said, pulling his coat tighter. The ambient temperature was probably the same as outside, but the air was heavy with moisture, making it feel chilly. ’The fish didn’t rot, it just desiccated. I wonder if that has to do with the temperature.’

He circled the fish, then peered into the distance. ’Why does this look like some kind of offering?’

After confirming there was nothing else of interest nearby, he and Broken Tooth moved forward cautiously, afraid of making the slightest sound. After another ten meters or so, the area ahead opened up into a wide expanse.

Shire took out his telescope and began to scan the subterranean space. Aided by the light of the sparsely growing phosphorescent Mushrooms, he got a rough idea of the underground Relic’s layout. The area was large, only a little smaller than the Fortress, but it was just a natural grotto, showing no signs of artificial excavation. ’A natural cavern, completely different from the Fortress.’

"Wait a minute." He froze while scanning the cavern’s interior. ’What are those dark shapes in the distance?’

At the edge of the cavern, near the wall, stood several black structures. They were oval-shaped, each about the size of the passenger cabin of a car from his past life. Some of them were even stacked on top of one another.

’These, on the other hand, look like they were built by someone,’ Shire thought. He kept the telescope to his eye and took a few steps forward, trying to get a clearer view.

Unfortunately, his movement dislodged a few small stones. They tumbled downward with a series of soft TAPS before a few SPLASHES echoed up from the bottom of the cavern. It sounded like they had landed in water.

’So there’s a pool of water down below?’ Shire thought, peering downward. The light was too dim to see the cavern floor, but the sound was unmistakable.

"Chief, we’ve got a situation," a head said, emerging from the shadows beside him. "Something’s coming."

"Is it some kind of creature?" Shire asked in a low voice.

Broken Tooth shook his head, indicating that he didn’t recognize it.

Shire thought for a moment. "Try to knock it unconscious and bring it outside."

Broken Tooth nodded and melted back into the shadows.

A short while later, a muffled THUD echoed from a corner up ahead. Broken Tooth then emerged, walking slowly with a strange creature slung over his back.

"Let’s go. We’ll take a look outside," Shire said immediately.

The two of them quickly exited the Relic. As everyone watched with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity, Broken Tooth set down the creature from his back.

"What is this?" Shire’s eyes went wide. "It looks like an oversized frog?"