Chapter 331 - 302: Ruins Level 1

Chapter 331: Chapter 302: Ruins Level 1

Every so often, a team of Adventurers would walk into one of the curtains of light.

The moment their bodies touched the light, they were like stones tossed into a lake, vanishing in a flash after creating a ripple.

"So this is the entrance to the Lost Ruins..."

It was Zelir’s first time seeing such a fantastical sight.

’It kind of looks like a wormhole...’

The team chose the third curtain of light.

When Zelir’s body touched the oval-shaped curtain of light, a strange, cool sensation instantly enveloped him.

This was followed by a slight, dizzying tremor.

The scenery in his vision stretched into countless flowing patches of color, a bizarre and motley sight.

One second, the clamor of the underground hall was still ringing in his ears.

The next...

HUM...

Zelir subconsciously shook his head and refocused his gaze.

The world around him had changed completely.

The stuffy heat of the crowded hall was gone, replaced by warm, humid air filled with the fragrance of plants that flooded his lungs.

"This is..."

Even though he had been mentally prepared, Zelir couldn’t help but let his eyes widen slightly at the scene before him.

This didn’t look like the depths of the underground at all; it was more like he had stumbled into some primeval forest.

An overwhelming vista of emerald green and deep blue filled his vision.

Giant mushrooms with caps the size of houses spread out wantonly all around, while large patches of fungi clung to the rock walls, emitting a faint, blueish glow.

They dotted the darkness like a multitude of stars, providing a surprising amount of light.

Zelir tilted his head back, trying to find the ceiling of this world.

The vault high above was hidden in a thick, humid mist, but he could faintly make out several massive stone pillars that stretched from top to bottom, thick vines wrapped around them.

Every so often, a few glowing, floating insects would flit overhead, their trails like shooting stars.

The feeling underfoot had also changed from hard stone bricks to soft earth.

Zelir looked back again.

The oval-shaped blue curtain of light was hovering silently in mid-air, about a foot off the ground.

Its surface shimmered as a vortex slowly swirled within it, looking mysterious and serene.

"It’s truly magical..."

Zelir couldn’t help but comment.

He tentatively reached his hand into the curtain of light. Other than the cool sensation, there was nothing unusual.

Zelir stepped into the light, and after a moment of disorientation, he was back in the underground hall.

The medical area was still filled with the wails of the injured, and the Trading Area was still bustling with activity.

He turned his head and stepped back through the curtain of light.

The world grew quiet again, and his four teammates were still there.

Marcus had already started scouting the terrain, while Valles was observing the plants.

Hill watched Zelir pop in and out, raising a slight eyebrow.

"Is it that much fun?"

"Don’t you think it’s amazing?"

Zelir clicked his tongue in wonder.

"That underground hall and this place are completely different. We don’t even know how far apart they are geographically."

"But just this thin curtain of light connects two completely different spaces, and you land in the same spot every time you pass through... What an exquisite method."

"It’s technology from an ancient civilization that appeared along with the Lost Ruins... It seems modern Mages have studied it before, but they didn’t find anything."

Marcus flipped through the booklet he had bought from Wells.

"The structure of the oval-shaped light curtain is very stable. The entry and exit points are fixed and don’t respawn randomly."

’An ancient civilization, huh...’

Zelir stared at the curtain of light for a good while.

’Oh well...’

’Technique Celestial Calculation isn’t reacting either.’

’It seems this isn’t a purely magical creation. There’s probably some highly complex technology involved.’

Just then, the curtain of light rippled again.

Immediately after, a six-person team appeared before them.

They looked like they had also just arrived to explore.

Only one of the six was a Middle Level Professional, and the others didn’t look particularly well-equipped.

The two teams exchanged a look.

Seemingly intimidated by the presence of Zelir’s group, the new team gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before immediately picking a random direction and scurrying away.

After all, the other party was a team with four Middle Level Professionals...

If a conflict broke out, they’d probably be team-wiped in an instant.

There are no laws in the Lost Ruins.

"Alright, let’s head out too."

The team spread out, advancing in an arrowhead formation.

Marcus served as both Vanguard and guide.

The ruins environment was quite complex, so Hill didn’t act alone. She took the right flank and Gray the left, each watching their side.

Valles was positioned slightly ahead of Zelir, with Zelir bringing up the rear.

As they moved away from the entrance area, the surrounding vegetation began to grow even more exaggerated.

Unknown species of ferns grew taller than a person, their leaves dripping with a viscous sap.

Giant, glowing mushrooms grew on tree trunks like streetlights, emitting a psychedelic blue luminescence.

Since this outer section had already been explored by quite a few people, they didn’t encounter any unusual situations.

Everyone was relatively relaxed, as if they were taking a stroll through the Gray Wood Forest.

If this had been the team’s first visit to the ruins, they probably would have wandered around for a while before finding the right direction.

However, with Wells’s map, the route was very clear.

For the areas Wells had already surveyed, he had roughly divided the first level of the ruins into three zones.

The first zone was the Outer Zone, the area extending forward from where they had just entered.

The second zone was labeled by Wells as the Central Courtyard Garden.

The variety of Demons and the difficulty of traps there would increase significantly.

Beyond the Central Courtyard Garden was an unknown region, where the entrance to the second level was most likely located.

Starting from the Outer Zone, entering the Central Courtyard Garden, and then exploring the unlabeled region beyond—this was the team’s main objective for this trip.

After advancing for some distance, the group had now left the entry area far behind.

"According to the map’s markings..."

Marcus looked ahead. "There should be a goblin camp here."

Hill’s nostrils twitched, a flash of disgust in her eyes as she looked pointedly to the front right.

The group carefully parted the bushes.

Sure enough, in a slightly sunken, moss-covered depression, there was a goblin camp.

They were in a relaxed state, their alertness not very high.

Zelir counted them: seventeen goblins in total, including three Beastman Goblins.

"Let’s go around them," Marcus said in a low voice.

The Adventurer’s Association hadn’t posted any bounties for killing Demons inside the ruins.

So whenever they encountered goblins or other Demons that didn’t drop any loot, they would choose the most hassle-free option—going around—unless they absolutely had to fight.

No one wanted to waste their energy on such things.

But...

"Hey, why would we go around?"

Zelir waved his hand. "We’re already here. Might as well take care of them."

"You think this is a commission quest or something?"

Valles gave him a strange look. "Goblins don’t drop anything. Why fight them?"

"We might run into a goblin scouting party on our way back. That’d be a pain."

Zelir drew Night Peace, his face full of eagerness. "Besides, I want to hone my combat skills."

"Fine then..."

Seeing Zelir’s insistence, the other team members had no objections.

In any case, this small goblin camp posed no threat to them.

Goblins, especially Beastman Goblins, were absolutely Zelir’s favorite type of Demon.

They looked ferocious, but in reality, a single spell could take one down.

And each one was worth nearly one hundred Experience Points.

A few more of them, and they would be worth as much as a Challenge-rated Demon.

They were the quintessential monster for grinding levels.

’Perfect. I’m currently Level 28 (601/650). I’m just a little short of leveling up.’

He tapped Night Peace, and a Rhombus Missile rapidly condensed at the staff’s tip.

Then.

WHOOSH!

The Arcane Missile shot forward.

With a flash of brilliant blue light, Zelir directly blasted the head of one of the Beastman Goblins to pieces!

A viscous mixture of red and white, along with bone fragments, splattered across the face of a nearby goblin.

The entire camp instantly erupted in chaos!

The goblins immediately looked in the direction the Arcane Missile had come from.

Unexpectedly, unlike the goblins of the outside world, they didn’t cower at the appearance of Magic.

Instead, their temperament became even more ferocious!