With the experience gained at the bottom of the sea, Starlight’s Instant Movement was exceptionally smooth this time. Carrying only two people, he successfully transferred them several hundred meters away. When the three of them opened their eyes again, they were already in an alley several blocks away.
Thanks to the map Xia Duo had meticulously drawn, their movement this time had almost no deviation, and they landed perfectly shielded by the shadow of a building.
After Xia Duo carefully sensed their surroundings, she finally confirmed that the mysterious presence was no longer following them and breathed a soft sigh of relief.
After the three exchanged a nod of affirmation, Starlight immediately gathered the power within his body and initiated the second Instant Movement with the two girls.
After several consecutive movements, the three of them landed on the outskirts of the forbidden ground they had yet to explore, right in the middle of a dense thicket of bushes.
As they expected, even after nightfall, there were still a large number of patrolling soldiers on the outskirts of this area.
At the same time, Starlight noticed the presence of mages within the patrol teams. Their mana perception acted like sensitive radar, scanning the vicinity for any movement.
“I remember there weren't this many people here last time,” Starlight whispered. “Could they already know our intentions?”
“Unlikely. It might just be some special event for the Dark Tribe today,” Xia Duo shook her head and replied in a low voice. “Let me observe for a moment and see where we can slip in...”
Soon, she keenly discovered a blind spot between several patrol teams and immediately gave Starlight instructions.
“Attention. In five seconds, go behind that wall three hundred meters to the front right.”
“Wait three seconds after landing, then keep moving forward to the top of that big tree!”
Under Xia Duo’s precise guidance, Starlight initiated Instant Movement again, weaving through like a dancer on a knife's edge and successfully avoiding the patrol's gaze.
After successfully infiltrating the forbidden ground, Starlight and the two sisters smiled at each other, a glimmer of victory flashing in their eyes.
But just as they intended to explore deeper, an unexpected phenomenon caught their attention.
Unlike the situation outside, once they entered the restricted zone, the number of guards visibly decreased.
This change filled the three with doubt, but they also grew secretly vigilant. Perhaps the defense here wasn't as weak as it appeared on the surface, but instead employed more hidden and efficient means.
As they continued to push forward, the surrounding scenery gradually became open and monotonous. There were fewer places to hide, making the atmosphere even more tense.
A heavy atmosphere filled the air, as if every step they took brought them closer to some unknown danger.
Just then, Moen’s voice suddenly broke the silence, her tone carrying a hint of confusion. “Have you noticed? It feels like we’ve been heading downward.”
“Hmm? Really?”
“Hmm? Really?” Starlight asked, somewhat surprised. He and Xia Duo had been busy controlling the Instant Movement along the way and hadn't noticed the subtle changes in the environment. However, Moen had sensed something was off through the change in air pressure.
“Now that you mention it, sister... it does seem different from the start. Wait... what is that up ahead?”
At that moment, Xia Duo seemed to have discovered something. She suddenly stopped and pointed forward, lowering her voice.
The two looked in the direction she pointed and saw an unusually empty area not far ahead. As they gradually approached, the full picture finally became clear.
It wasn't simply an empty space or a lack of decoration, but a massive circular pit. Its edges were as smooth as a mirror, extending almost vertically downward into bottomless depths.
Standing at the edge of the pit, the three of them gasped in unison. The appearance of this pit was too abrupt and completely out of place with the surroundings.
“What... what is this place?” Starlight frowned, crouching down to gently touch the rock at the edge of the pit.
He tried to find clues from the texture of the rock, but aside from an inexplicable chill, he found nothing special. He could only be certain that this was definitely not a natural formation.
Xia Duo closed her eyes, focusing all her attention on sensing the situation inside the pit. However, her perception seemed to be hindered by some kind of interference, preventing her from clearly capturing information from the bottom.
“This pit is very deep, and there seems to be some power at the bottom interfering with my perception,” Xia Duo said with a heavy tone after half a minute.
“Should we... go down and take a look?” Starlight stood up and looked hesitantly into the depths of the pit. “At least for now, I haven't detected any signs of danger.”
Moen nodded in agreement. Although the cave was full of unknowns, they had already come this far, and it would be a waste to leave without achieving anything.
While carefully exploring the edge of the massive circular pit, they unexpectedly discovered a spiral stone staircase winding slowly downward along the pit's wall.
The staircase had clearly been carved into the stone wall by hand. Time had left mottled marks upon it, and it was wide enough for several people to walk side-by-side.
After confirming there was no obvious danger, the three exchanged a look and began to descend the stone steps.
Along the way, Xia Duo remained extremely alert, cautiously observing every detail of the staircase for any possible traps or mechanisms.
However, her concerns were unfounded; no such things existed on these stairs that led to parts unknown.
As they descended deeper, the surroundings began to change. The already dim light grew even weaker, and the air became thick with an ancient and mysterious aura, as if every step took them into a realm forgotten by time.
Starlight looked up and saw strange patterns and symbols appearing on the walls beside the staircase. Judging by their form, they looked like murals or graffiti.
“Hmm? This shape... why does it look familiar? Moen, come look. Have we seen this somewhere before?” Starlight suddenly stopped in front of one of the murals and pointed at a character.
His actions caught the sisters' attention, and they gathered around him, focusing their gaze on the ancient character on the wall.
Moen’s brow furrowed slightly as she studied it for a good while before speaking hesitantly.
“This shape... indeed, doesn't it look similar to the symbols on Taros's altar? Not just this one, but that symbol over there too!” She pointed to a corner above them.
Her words brought back detailed memories for Starlight. They had seen similar ancient script in the underground tomb of the Violet City-State, though no one knew their meaning at the time.
If only one character were similar, it might be a coincidence, but if there were multiple similarities, then this place might have countless ties to Taros.
Instantly, a light flashed in his eyes. After searching, he indeed found several more familiar ancient symbols.
“Let's keep moving. This place isn't right. Could the Dark Tribe really have some connection to an ancient god like Taros? But... don't they worship the Night God?”
Faced with the countless questions brought by the familiar characters on the murals, Xia Duo knew now was not the time to be lost in thought. She took a deep breath, pulled her wandering mind back to reality, and reminded them with a firm voice.
Starlight and Moen also quickly adjusted their state of mind, putting aside their study of the ancient script for now. They understood that Xia Duo was right; this was not the time to stop.
Rate on N.U.
