Chapter 76: Sudden Wealth, Clash 1

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Sudden Wealth, Clash 1

Andre cast the Witchcraft, Earth and Stone Manipulation, and steadily advanced toward the surface.

Soon, Andre reached the surface. The sun was already high in the sky.

’By the time I’m done with this, the moon will probably be setting.’

Andre glanced at the sun, took a deep breath, and expelled the stale air from his lungs that he’d inhaled underground.

After blowing out the last of the foul air, Andre felt his head clear considerably.

"Time to get to work!" Starting from the tunnel he’d created, Andre began to walk around the area.

With every step, the earth and stone at his feet bulged upward.

Once he had determined the rock’s general location, Andre downed a Recovery Potion to restore some of his Magic Power.

With his Magic Power fully restored, Andre began manipulating the earth and stone, causing it to continuously rise and shift outward.

Gradually, a deep pit began to form in the earth.

Meanwhile, about 500 meters away, Jesse and Ferguson were still debating whether Andre was still underground, or if he’d been buried by the attacks of the Lightning Leopard, the Wind-Chasing Giant Wolf, and the Gale Eagle.

To test their theory, they began digging, trying to unearth Andre from deep within the ground. But no matter how much they dug, they couldn’t find him.

Andre, meanwhile, was constantly downing Recovery Potions. He even used up all the ones in his Storage Ring and had to start concocting more on the spot just to keep up with his Magic Power consumption.

"HUFF... HUFF... Finally done!"

As the sun set, Andre plopped onto the ground. He stroked the Earth Element Crystal, a happy smile spreading across his face.

To speed things up that afternoon, he had even activated the Earth Armor Realm to enhance the Power of his Earth and Stone Manipulation Witchcraft, clearing away all the dirt and rock covering the massive stone.

Although activating the Earth Armor supplemented his Magic Power from the earth, the amount recovered was nowhere near enough to offset his consumption.

Faced with this situation, Andre had no choice but to keep drinking Recovery Potions.

In fact, over the course of the afternoon, he had drunk so many Recovery Potions that he’d developed a resistance; it now took two or three to achieve the effect of a single one.

’Digging more than ten meters deep and piling all that earth... it’s just too much work.’

’Still, everything’s ready now. I’ll just go down to double-check, and if all is good... it’s time for the fireworks!’

After resting for a moment, Andre got up and went back down the tunnel to check on Potato’s progress.

When Potato saw him, it shook the dirt and stones from its body and ran over, holding out its front paws to beg for a Honeycomb.

Andre activated his Eye of Truth to check Potato’s progress. After confirming the job was done, he placed a large Honeycomb in Potato’s mouth before recalling the happy creature to its Servant Bag.

He then returned to the surface and began his preparations. Andre took a large number of Witchcraft Scrolls from his Storage Ring and affixed them to the sides of the massive rock.

Next, he hung up numerous test tubes. Inside them were the very poisons he had concocted back in his room.

’Anyone would get greedy over this much wealth. Let’s hope no blind fools come knocking.’

As Andre hung the last vial of poison, an inscrutable smile touched his lips. He glanced back toward the spot where he had spent the previous night.

’You want the Divine Blood? The treasure my ancestors left behind? Fine. But first, you’ll have to get past my little cocktail of poisons!’

Then, Andre began to activate the Witchcraft Scrolls.

Soon, the Witchcraft Scrolls surrounding the rock flared to life as Andre activated them with his Magic Power.

A series of resounding BOOMS echoed as the earth and stone around the rock were blasted away.

After the first round of explosions, Andre took out more Witchcraft Scrolls and moved closer to the rock.

By now, the explosions had cleared away a third of the surrounding earth, but the rock was still buried about a meter deep.

Andre placed more Witchcraft Scrolls at the junction of rock and earth, using more or fewer depending on the thickness of the soil.

’Having to play miner just for some materials to raise a Battle Pet...’

After setting the Witchcraft Scrolls in place, Andre released his Magic Power to activate them.

At the same time, he kept a Recovery Potion clenched between his teeth, constantly replenishing his Magic Power.

By the time he activated the last scroll, the first ones he’d placed had already begun to detonate.

However, the deeper he went, the more concentrated the Earth Element became, making the earth and stone progressively harder.

This second round of explosions was even less effective than the first.

Andre wasn’t discouraged by this result. Instead, he simply took out more Witchcraft Scrolls and began to place them.

He was determined to take this rock and the Earth Element Crystal with him today.

Just as Andre was focused on setting up new Witchcraft Scrolls, the distant explosions caught the attention of the Lightning Leopard and the Wind-Chasing Giant Wolf. Their ears twitched. They scrambled out of the deep pit they were in and began sniffing the air, trying to catch the scent carried from afar.

Soon, they caught Andre’s scent. They turned and let out a howl to their masters.

"Storm? Are you saying Andre is over there?"

Jesse watched his wolf, Storm, who was gesturing insistently. Confused, Jesse climbed out of the pit and looked in the direction Storm was indicating.

Storm nodded and motioned for Jesse to climb onto its back, ready to carry him toward their target, Andre.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jesse climbed onto Storm’s back, letting the great wolf carry him in search of Andre.

Seeing the Wind-Chasing Giant Wolf’s movements, Rite also emerged from the pit. He leaped onto his Lightning Leopard’s back, ordering it to follow the wolf in pursuit of Andre.

"Is Andre over there?"

Ferguson watched the departing figures of Jesse and Rite, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

’How did Andre get from underground here all the way over there?’

’But it doesn’t matter now. The most important thing is to find Andre and get the Divine Blood he carries.’

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Wind-Chasing Giant Wolf and the Lightning Leopard bounded through the jungle, but they hadn’t gone far before a series of explosions brought them to a halt.

"Where on earth did Andre hide the Divine Blood?"

Jesse stroked his restless wolf, Storm, trying to calm it.

Rite, beside Jesse, frowned. ’If Andre were just retrieving the Divine Blood he got in the Secret Realm, he wouldn’t need to cause such a ruckus.’

"We’ll find out when we get there."

Just then, an eagle’s cry pierced the air. The Gale Eagle, carrying Ferguson, was also heading toward Andre’s location.

Soon, the Gale Eagle brought Ferguson to Andre’s position.

"This is where the Divine Blood is?"

From his vantage point in the sky, Ferguson watched Andre’s busy figure on the ground below. By the light of the moon, he could see Andre moving in circles, followed by the sound of repeated explosions.

’This looks more like a mining operation.’ "Go down!"

Ferguson had the Gale Eagle land and began walking toward Andre. He hadn’t gone far before an intense feeling of danger washed over him.

Ferguson froze, scanning his surroundings. But no matter where he looked, he couldn’t see anything that posed a threat.

Just then, Jesse and Rite arrived, and they saw Ferguson had stopped.

A flicker of understanding passed between them.

"Don’t go any further," Ferguson warned, seeing Jesse and Rite about to walk past him. "Andre has laid traps all over this area."

Hearing this, Jesse and Rite immediately halted the Wind-Chasing Giant Wolf and the Lightning Leopard. At that very moment, they too felt an intense sense of danger closing in around them.