Chapter 143: Discovery of the Underground Palace.

[Oenomysis, what’s going on? Have we... have we reached the fire dragon lizards’ lair?]

Shu Li was utterly stunned.

Hundreds of fire dragon lizards had gathered nearby, each one as large as a bus. Even the smallest was roughly the size of a car. Despite their enormous bodies, they moved incredibly fast. A single push from their four pillar-like legs sent them surging forward like high-speed trains, their tails sweeping across the ground and throwing clouds of sand into the air.

What frightened Shu Li most was that they could burrow.

Their front claws tore through the earth at astonishing speed, digging out a hole large enough to accommodate their bodies in mere seconds.

This was a desert, where the loose soil made burrowing absurdly easy.

Shu Li was beginning to worry about whether it was safe for the mother tree’s roots to emerge here.

‘Yes. This is where the fire dragon lizards gather,’ the mother tree replied.

Shu Li continued extending his perception. By accident, he “saw” two fire dragon lizards mounted atop each other, engaged in an indescribable act. His eyes widened, and he immediately withdrew his perception.

I shouldn’t be looking! I shouldn’t be looking! I shouldn’t be looking!

[How did they find this place so quickly?]

Only a day and a night had passed, yet the adventuring party had already located the fire dragon lizards’ gathering place. They were incredible!

‘It was the Dark Elf named Murisi who suggested turning back to find the fire dragon lizard that had attacked them. They followed it from a safe distance until it led them all the way to this lake.’

Shu Li clicked his tongue.

Dark Elves really were clever.

Most people would be left with some degree of terror after being attacked by a magical beast. They would scramble to hide if they ever saw it again. But Murisi had dared risk his life to follow an eighth-rank fire dragon lizard.

Adventurers really were a bunch of gamblers.

Still, Shu Li was extremely grateful to them. They had saved him a tremendous amount of time and effort.

[Where are they hiding now?]

‘In the Gobi, three hundred meters from the lake.’

Shu Li gave an understanding hum.

They had certainly hidden far away. They were probably waiting for Fireday to end and all the fire dragon lizards to leave before investigating, right?

Shu Li did not share their concerns. With the mother tree’s miraculous assistance, everything was simple and convenient.

[Oenomysis, have your roots discovered a palace underground?]

He asked the question excitedly.

Since the Dark Elf suspected that the fire dragon lizards’ gathering place was the site of the Edas Temple, the mother tree could search underground with her roots.

There was nothing nearby but a lake. It was impossible to tell that a magnificent temple had once stood here.

In stark contrast to Shu Li’s excitement, the mother tree sounded deeply regretful.

‘My roots can only reach a little over two hundred meters underground. So far, I haven’t discovered any trace of a temple.’

[Huh? Then... this isn’t the place?] After getting his hopes up for nothing, Shu Li was bitterly disappointed.

‘Although I haven’t found the temple, that doesn’t mean this isn’t the site of the Edas Temple,’ the mother tree soothed him gently.

[What do you mean?] Sensing there was more to her words, Shu Li immediately perked up.

‘At a depth of more than two hundred meters beneath the lake, I discovered a stone paving slab.’

[A stone paving slab?]

‘Stone slabs like that would only be used to construct a palace. Therefore, I suspect that the Edas Temple lies beneath the lake.’

[Underwater?] Shu Li exclaimed in surprise. [Really? I have a water-repelling magic pearl. I can swim to the bottom!]

‘No. When I say beneath the lake, I mean below the ground under the lake.’

Shu Li froze. [Below the ground under the lake? Then the water-repelling magic pearl is useless?]

‘Yes. The temple may even lie several hundred meters underground,’ the mother tree said.

Shu Li stared in astonishment.

No wonder countless adventurers had failed to find the Edas Temple over the past ten thousand years. It had sunk hundreds of meters beneath the earth, with an entire lake concealing it from above.

[Is there any way for us to get down there?] Shu Li could only place his hopes in the mother tree’s powerful root system.

‘Sperien, are you certain you wish to search for the Edas Temple underground by yourself?’ the mother tree asked solemnly.

[I’m sure!] Shu Li replied resolutely.

He had already come this far. How could he give up so easily?

This was his only chance to find the fire spirit. He absolutely could not let it slip away.

‘If you encounter danger, I’m afraid I may be unable to save you,’ the mother tree said worriedly.

The Ergasha Desert was impossibly far from the Elven Kingdom. Even the Elven King would be too far away to help.

Shu Li unconsciously clenched his fists. After a moment of silence, he said stubbornly, [I’m going!]

Victory was right before his eyes. How could he shrink back now?

His father often said that half of every great achievement depended on fate, and the other half on human effort.

Since he had successfully found this place, it meant that fate itself had presented him with an opportunity. If he failed to seize it, he would miss his chance.

There would undoubtedly be danger, but if he surrendered to fear and refused to move forward, he would never make it any farther.

[Oenomysis, hurry and tell me how to get down there!] Shu Li urged.

‘...Very well,’ the mother tree said. ‘You need only cast a wood-element growth spell on me. Then my roots will be able to extend indefinitely underground.’

Shu Li’s eyes lit up, and he swiftly removed a high-grade magic staff from his storage ring.

[That’s easy enough!]

He immediately cast a silent wood-element spell on the mother tree’s roots. The wood elements in the air surged and gathered around the roots exposed above the ground.

The higher-ranked fire dragon lizards noticed something unusual and warily patrolled their territory. Yet they found no intruders, and a trace of confusion appeared in their piercing eyes.

Underground, the mother tree’s roots absorbed the pure wood elements and began growing wildly. They extended all the way to the lake, then plunged downward with astonishing speed.

Shu Li cast growth spells without pause, supplying the mother tree with an unending stream of energy.

Five hundred meters from the lake, the adventurers huddled inside a dry cave in the Gobi, sheltering from the scorching sun.

The white mage sat cross-legged in meditation, absorbing the fire elements in the air and drawing them into his body to condense them into magical power.

The goblin and dwarf sat facing each other, playing cards.

Five years earlier, a distinctive kind of playing card had suddenly become popular in Daoto City, within the Dalia Empire. It was particularly beloved by nobles and the wealthy.

There were countless ways to play with the cards. They offered endless amusement and could also be used for gambling.

More and more people became addicted to card games. In just one year, they had swept across the entire continent. Every casino began hosting card games, drawing gamblers in droves.

The goblin and dwarf often traveled to Daoto City to purchase ore, so they had been among the first to learn how to play.

Now, cards had become their favorite pastime. Whenever they were bored, nothing passed the time better than a game.

The beastman had hunted three desert rats. Holding a boning knife, he deftly skinned and gutted them in preparation for lunch.

The Dark Elf stood fully armed at the cave entrance, with only his blood-red eyes exposed. He silently extended his perception toward the lake three hundred meters away. Suddenly, his muscles tensed. His gaze sharpened as he stared straight ahead, radiating vigilance.

The adventurers inside the cave noticed the change and turned toward him as one.

The white mage ended his meditation and asked with a frown, “Is something happening?”

The Dark Elf withdrew his perception and replied with some confusion, “Something is strange near the lake. The wood elements are surging.”

Elements only surged like that when a mage was casting magic.

He had meticulously searched the area with his perception, but there were only fire dragon lizards near the lake. He had detected no other creatures or humans.

Strange. What exactly was happening?

The source of the Dark Elf’s confusion, Shu Li, continued casting silent spells without pause. The mother tree’s roots had already grown more than three hundred meters beneath the ground below the lake.

The soil had been loose at first, allowing the roots to grow extremely quickly. The deeper they went, however, the more difficult their progress became as they gradually encountered layers of rock.

The geological structure beneath the desert was extraordinarily complex. Aside from the rock strata, it contained abundant minerals and vast quantities of fresh water.

If the mother tree’s roots were to penetrate deeper underground, they would have to overcome all kinds of obstacles.

Four hundred meters, five hundred meters, six hundred meters... By the time they reached eight hundred meters, even Shu Li’s repeated growth spells could no longer force them any deeper.

[Oenomysis... have you found it?] Fine beads of sweat covered Shu Li’s face.

He had spent over an hour continuously casting high-level growth spells on the mother tree, consuming a great deal of physical and mental energy.

‘A layer of solid rock is blocking me,’ the mother tree replied.

Shu Li wiped the sweat from his face. [We’ve gone so deep, but we still haven’t found the temple... Could our guess have been wrong?]

‘Don’t worry. I’ll try going around it.’

The mother tree calmly changed the direction of her roots, attempting to bypass the obstructing rock.

Yet even after the roots had extended another hundred meters, they still had not reached the end of that enormous mass.

Shu Li lowered his magic staff and asked hesitantly, [Is it possible... that it isn’t a rock?]

Perhaps it was a stone wall.

A wall surrounding the Edas Temple.

At his suggestion, the mother tree spread out her roots like a spiderweb and thoroughly examined the “rock” from every direction. Ten minutes later, she reported her findings.

‘Your guess was correct. It is indeed a stone wall.’

Shu Li was overjoyed. [We found the Edas Temple!]

‘Yes, Sperien. You are exceptionally fortunate.’

The mother tree’s densely interwoven roots clung to the stone wall and quickly found a breach leading into the palace.

Shu Li waved his arms and legs in delight. If not for the fire dragon lizards near the roots, he would have shouted at the top of his lungs.

[Oenomysis! Hurry! Take me there!]

He could no longer wait.

‘Sperien, please calm down and listen to me first,’ the mother tree said, seeking confirmation from him once again. ‘The air underground is thin, there is no light at all, and terrifying creatures may be lurking there. It is fraught with danger. Are you truly certain you wish to enter alone?’

Shu Li nodded without hesitation. [Yes.]

The author Qingzun reminds you that I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom [Western Fantasy] is updated with the latest chapters first at... Remember—

He was now a Senior Archmage, capable of dealing with magical beasts below the sixth rank. In addition, his swordsmanship had reached the rank of Swordsman.

He might spend his days getting knocked all over the place by Ilio, but in the Human World, he would be more than qualified to serve as a noble’s bodyguard.

Seeing how determined he was, the mother tree stopped trying to dissuade him.

‘Then... please prepare yourself...’

In an instant, Shu Li felt himself being transported somewhere else.

When his senses returned, he was astonished to find himself inside an enormous palace built of stone.

Just as the mother tree had warned, the air was thin, the darkness absolute, and the silence eerily lifeless.

Shu Li swallowed.

Honestly, it was terrifying, but... nothing ventured, nothing gained.

He had to overcome his fear and take the first step forward.

Drawing a deep breath, Shu Li emerged from among the mother tree’s roots and immediately smelled damp mold.

He swiftly covered his nose and mouth to prevent himself from inhaling any spores. At the same time, he waved the magic staff in his hand and murmured an incantation.

There were scarcely any wind elements in the thin underground air, so he could only draw upon the magical power stored within his body. He cast wind magic to form a protective barrier around himself, purifying the air, removing impurities, and retaining only oxygen.

Once the barrier had formed, he lowered the hand covering his mouth and nose and breathed easily.

[Oenomysis, I’m going in.] He took out a cylindrical magic lamp, and a tiny point of light appeared within the pitch-black underground [N O V E L I G H T] palace.

‘Sperien... be careful.’

[I will.]

Shu Li raised his head and squared his shoulders, his gaze resolute.

A true hero knew no fear. He believed he would find the fire spirit.

In his tiny form, carrying the cylindrical magic lamp as he flew through the vast underground palace, he resembled a lone firefly.

Even if he encountered a powerful magical beast, it would pay no attention to such a tiny firefly.

Shu Li remained vigilant at all times. He beat his wings and flew steadily onward, periodically casting wind magic to replenish the oxygen inside his protective barrier.

As he ventured deeper, he saw towering stone pillars, lifelike statues, murals whose colors remained vivid, and imposing stone doors. Every corner possessed an air of splendor and mystery. Ten thousand years had left no trace of age upon the palace.

How incredible!

The more Shu Li saw, the harder he found it to believe his eyes.

When he passed through a stone doorway, he was surprised to discover light ahead. The air had also grown richer.

Shu Li did not remove his protective barrier.

He could not lower his guard merely because there was enough oxygen to breathe.

He flew forward cautiously and discovered that the light came from crystals embedded in the pillars.

Shu Li recognized them. They were harvested from the seabed and emitted light naturally. The merfolk prized them as decorations. They were called sea-moon stones.

Ten years earlier, the Mermaid King had sent Shu Li a large assortment of gifts in gratitude, including several precious sea-moon stones.

Shu Li had given them to the Elven King to decorate the Crystal Castle.

Yet every stone pillar before him was embedded with four sea-moon stones, each the size of a ping-pong ball, illuminating the entire corridor.

Shu Li marveled at the sight.

As expected of a temple dedicated to the Fire God—it flaunted its wealth everywhere. If the adventurers ever reached this place, they would probably lose their minds with joy and start tearing at the pillars to dig out every last sea-moon stone!

The light from the sea-moon stones made things much easier for Shu Li. He switched off his cylindrical magic lamp to conserve its energy, then continued beating his wings as he flew onward without encountering a single obstacle.

The place was utterly deserted. There were no magical beasts—not even an insect.

His mind brimming with questions, Shu Li flew to the end of the corridor.

Then a wall blocked his path.