This group was much smaller than the one that had passed through the post house.
Only three guards, dressed in dark blue, near-black uniforms, formed a triangular formation around her.
They were highly focused, maintaining a high state of alert at every subtle sound within the fog.
These three remaining guards were experts specifically selected from the escort.
Not far away, on a patch of relatively dry mud, lay a massive, dark brown magical beast resembling an armored crocodile.
It lazily half-closed its eyes, exhaling clouds of white mist with every heavy breath.
Seated upon its back was the old man who had previously appeared in the carriage.
His eyes remained closed as if he were resting, but a faint, invisible ripple of mana slowly radiated from him.
This pulse silently pushed away or intimidated any low-level undead that dared to approach.
“The treasure signal flickered and then just stopped!” Amelia kicked a protruding clump of hard mud at her feet, pouting with disappointment.
“Did we come to the wrong place, Anna? There’s nothing here but stinky mud, foul water, and these stupid bones!”
Anna explained patiently, “Miss, the main area of the seventh floor, the Howling Bone Plains, has already been explored. Gemstone mines usually don’t form in places like the Undead Fog Marsh.”
“Our primary goal for descending this time is field reconnaissance, drawing accurate maps, and recording subtle changes in the undead ecology to accumulate precious knowledge for the family archives.”
“The real… well, the fun of exploration lies in the deeper, unexplored levels.”
She paused before adding, “Besides, that vibration earlier was likely just a common earthquake transmitted from deep geological activity. It’s not uncommon in these ancient underground structures.”
“More knowledge accumulation…”
Amelia grumbled softly, burying half her face in her crossed arms.
A flash of weariness, unbefitting her apparent age, crossed her violet eyes, only to be replaced by a more vivid irritation.
“That idiot Banner! We agreed to go treasure hunting together, but the moment he smelled a fight, he vanished! Grandpa Frank~”
She raised her voice, turning toward the old man on the giant crocodile.
Her voice carried a coaxing tone. “Can’t you use your powerful magic to drag that battle-maniac idiot back? Where exactly is he playing around and smashing bones?”
The old man, Frank, didn’t even open his eyes. His aged, steady voice drifted over. “Young Master Banner’s radiance is bright and stable. Right now, he is… stretching his limbs. His aura is high; there is no need for concern.”
He paused for a moment, appearing to sense something. “On this floor, as long as he doesn’t actively intrude into hidden places, there is no danger for him, given his strength and the protective and teleportation items he carries.”
Hearing this, Amelia puffed out her cheeks.
She looked like a sister who was helpless against her brother and a bit resentful.
“When he gets back, I’m definitely making him give me half of any treasure he finds! Otherwise, I’ll tell Father he ran off again!” she announced childishly.
Then, under Anna’s watchful eye, she began listlessly inspecting the bones looming in and out of the fog.
Amelia’s thoughts did not remain on the surface.
Since childhood, titles like “The Pearl of the Mulan family” and “A Treasure to be Carefully Nurtured” had followed her.
These labels were like another layer of an invisible corset, binding her within the framework of everyone’s expectations.
Since her father, her brothers, and even Anna wanted her to be an innocent, curious, and occasionally temperamental noble lady who needed guidance and protection…
Then she would play the part perfectly for them.
Hiding behind a mask of ignorance, she calmly observed the self-important arrangements of the adults.
Seeing through the reality beneath their euphemisms provided her with a rebellious sense of pleasure and control.
She knew that while this trip was ostensibly to broaden her horizons, it actually served two purposes.
First, recent reports about the state of the Glay Dungeon needed to be investigated thoroughly.
Second, and most importantly, was the family’s holy relic prophecy.
A member of the legendary Heroes would appear at the border, and they needed to find and recruit them if possible.
Her second brother and the head guard were in town looking for clues about the legend, while Banner and Grandpa Frank were scouting the dungeon under the guise of accompanying her on a trip.
She understood it all; she just didn't point it out.
That abnormal vibration just now…
To her special perception, it didn't feel like a normal earthquake. It felt as if something had been unsealed.
Could it be a clue related to the prophecy?
Right then—
Crack, crack, crack…
It started as sporadic, faint sounds, but quickly merged into a chorus coming from all directions deep within the fog.
The sound of dense, hard objects rubbing and colliding against each other was enough to make one's skin crawl.
The fog seemed to be stirred by an invisible force, churning violently.
Immediately after, within the sight of Anna and the guards, all the undead wandering in the marsh stopped their aimless movements.
They all turned their “heads” in unison toward the same direction.
The soulfire flickering in their eye sockets or chests suddenly became bright and frantic at the same moment.
A sense of restlessness spread among the undead.
Then, they began to move.
Slowly at first, then rapidly gaining speed.
The sound of grinding bones, splashing mud, and low moans blended together as they surged toward a single target.
“Look! Anna! Grandpa Frank!”
Amelia was the first to shout. She wasn't afraid; instead, her violet eyes sparkled with excitement.
She pointed at the spectacular flow of undead. “They’re all running! How strange. This definitely isn't normal!”
“Let’s go see! Maybe some treasure has appeared!”
Anna’s expression turned grave, and she instinctively took half a step forward.
She shielded Amelia’s front-left side. “Miss, this is very wrong! A large-scale movement of undead means a powerful entity might have awakened ahead, or a high-mana conflict has broken out!”
“We should stay away, or at least wait for Young Master Banner to regroup!”
“Wait for Banner?”
Amelia’s face was filled with disappointment.
Then her eyes lit up, and she began to deduce like a detective. “Anna, do you think it’s possible that Banner caused this?”
“He loves fighting so much. Maybe he ran into something big and is having a blast, and all these small fry are running over to watch the show? Or…”
Her eyes darted around, and she lowered her voice with mysterious expectation. “Could this be the work of the great treasure we’re looking for? Grandpa Frank, did you sense anything?”
Amelia intentionally emphasized her words, hinting at the true reason they were there.
Frank, atop the giant crocodile, finally opened his eyes slowly.
A very faint golden light flashed briefly in those seemingly clouded old eyes.
He looked toward the direction the undead flood was surging and sensed in silence for a moment.
“Ahead… powerful energy is indeed converging and colliding.”
His aged voice carried a hint of gravity. “Young Master Banner… is likely heading that way as well.”
He looked at Amelia, who was watching him with those clear, inquisitive violet eyes.
“It wouldn't hurt to go and see.”
Frank finally made a decision. “But we must not be reckless. With a movement of undead on this scale, the danger in the central area may far exceed the norm.”
“Great! Let’s go see if Banner is the one making trouble. Maybe we can help, or… pick up some good stuff!”
Amelia wore a cheerful smile, looking like a lively young girl who couldn't wait to see the commotion and find her brother.
In her special vision, the colors of energy in the direction the undead were surging were clashing chaotically and intensely.
There was indeed a familiar and vigorous combat radiance moving within it.
But besides that, she saw something else.
A light with a strange quality. What could that be?
Curiosity tickled the depths of her heart.
The group changed direction.
Under the careful lead of the three elite guards and the protection of Frank’s invisible aura, they quickly approached the direction the undead were swarming.
...
Bai Xuan leaned against the stone pillar and rested for a considerable amount of time.
His physical fatigue was slowly receding, but the mental tension and the shadows left by the series of fierce battles still hung over his heart.
When he emerged from the entrance of the hidden space, the world outside had changed.
Beneath his feet was uneven ground paved with cracked stone slabs, with various plants and moss growing haphazardly in the gaps.
Before him lay the sight of an open altar ruin.
A massive square base covered in blurred carvings lay half-collapsed.
Several thick stone pillars had fallen and shattered, scattered around the base.
Of note were the figures moving slowly among the ruins.
They wore rusted, tattered metal armor and held equally rusted longswords or broken shields.
Pale green flames flickered beneath their hollow helmets, and a faint clicking sound could be heard with every step they took.
Bai Xuan focused his mind and looked at the nearest one.
【Altar Guard Lv.4】
【Status: Wandering】
【Health: 560/560】
【Mana: 40/40】
Another Lv.4.
Bai Xuan calculated in his mind.
His status had only just begun to recover, and his supplies were running low. A direct confrontation would be too costly.
He observed the surroundings. Although the ruin area was open, there wasn't just one path.
The tall crumbling walls created many visual blind spots. If he was careful enough, he might be able to bypass them.
He lowered his body, using the fallen pillars and mounds of earth as cover, slowly moving along the edge of the ruins.
The guards' patrol routes seemed to follow a fixed range. He waited patiently for a gap, inching toward the outer perimeter.
Just as he was about to reach the edge of the ruins and prepare to step outside, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Back in the sealing chamber, hadn't he discovered those treasures among the ruins?
In an ancient place like this, perhaps…
Almost instinctively, he stopped and leaned against a large broken stone.
Then, he concentrated and slowly spread his perception across the entire altar ruin.
Most of it was worthless rubble and rotten wood.
But just as he was about to finish his search, a prompt popped up in the corner of his eye.
He immediately locked onto that direction.
Information flooded his mind:
【Soul-Patterned Ring: The ring body is forged from Pure Spirit Silver. Enchanted with an undead repulsion effect; when the wearer approaches low-level undead, the soul patterns automatically activate, forming a barrier to repel them. Provides minor mental protection. Formerly reserved for the royalty of the Glayde Empire. The craftsmanship for soul-pattern enchanting was lost with the fall of the empire, making it highly valuable for historical and magical craft collection.】
Bai Xuan didn't even look at the specific enchantment effects; instead, his attention was entirely on the final sentence.
The phrase “highly valuable for collection” made his breathing quicken.
This meant a large sum of money—perhaps even enough to pay off his debt!
Not to mention, it was a practical magical item in its own right.
Risk and reward swayed on the scales.
His mana was less than half recovered, and his mind was still weary.
Was it worth the risk?
He looked at the tempting location in the distance, then at the Altar Guards wandering nearby.
Greed finally outweighed caution.
“I’m going for it!” he told himself.
The target was toward the inner side of the ruins, where there was a particularly thick square stone pillar base with its upper half missing.
The trouble was that an Altar Guard happened to be walking back and forth nearby.
Bai Xuan didn't rush into action; he waited in the shadows.
He had hoped to wait for the guard to wander away so he could slip in, grab the item, and leave.
But as time ticked by, the result was different from what Bai Xuan expected.
The guard wasn't wandering randomly.
It and the guard on the other side of the ruins seemed to be performing a simple shift change.
Their routes followed several obvious debris landmarks, forming an irregular figure-eight.
And the intersection of the two eights was right near that stone pillar base.
Every time they crossed paths at this intersection, they would then continue along their respective routes.
“Like clockwork…” Bai Xuan mused.
This meant it would be difficult to find a completely empty window.
He had to quickly finish the fight and grab the item before the other guard circled back.
He continued to wait.
His mana was slowly recovering, and his focus was sharp.
Once, twice… he silently calculated the guards' timing and rhythm.
Now! Just as the new guard had come to a halt at the intersection, Bai Xuan lunged from his hiding spot!
He was light on his feet, quickly rushing behind the guard.
The target guard seemed to sense something and had just started to turn its helmet when Bai Xuan was already upon it!
His iron rod, carrying a long-awaited 【Redemption Strike】, swung down heavily, slamming into the most vulnerable gap between the guard’s helmet and shoulder plate!
Thud! Crack!
The heavy dull sound was accompanied by the sound of shattering bone.
The guard’s tall frame was knocked backward, its skeletal structure rattling violently.
Bai Xuan showed no mercy. Taking advantage of its loss of balance, he repeatedly smashed his iron rod into the inner joints of its armor.
After a few heavy blows, the flames in the guard’s eyes went out, and it collapsed into a heap of smoldering rusted armor and dry bones.
【Exp +13, Pleasure +9】
Without pausing for breath, Bai Xuan immediately lunged toward the stone pillar base.
That was where the information had originated.
He crouched down and cleared away the debris.
Finally, at the base where the pillar met the ground, he found a man-made notch, its inner walls covered in fine energy-conducting patterns.
A ring was embedded inside.
The ring itself was a pure, bright silver, its surface engraved with complex and difficult-to-understand inscriptions.
A warm, milky-white crystal was set into the face of the ring, perfectly aligned with the energy convergence point of the patterns within the notch, emitting a steady glow.
Bai Xuan reached out to pry it out, only to find the ring seemed fused with the stone notch.
He applied more strength and could feel a faint force of energy suction resisting him.
The crystal on the ring flickered rapidly several times.
“Mine now!” Bai Xuan pried it up with a forceful yank.
Rate on N.U.
