NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78 Underground Cavern
"It's weird... Why are there no magic cores within these stupid stones?"
Viviana cleaved the granite blocks open, seemingly searching for something.
Upon inquiring, Tyler discovered that magical beasts typically possess magic cores, akin to their hearts. These cores are valuable and can be used to create potions or equipment.
Tyler surmised that the Granite Golems might be summoned creatures and shared this information with Viviana.
Upon hearing this, Viviana furrowed her brows, her expression fraught with anxiety.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.
To Tyler's astonishment, the earth beneath him and Viviana was instantly enveloped in a crimson light, and a three-second countdown appeared.
Without a moment's hesitation, Tyler dashed towards Elle, who stood at the edge of the red light, and pushed her out of the way. The ground exploded, and Tyler, unable to escape in time, helplessly plummeted downward...
·
When Tyler awoke, he found himself lying in an underground cavern. The entrance above was sealed by a jumble of stones, presumably from where he had fallen. He immediately examined his body, surprised to find he had only sustained minor injuries.
(How could I have suffered so little from such a fall?)
Tyler sat up and saw Viviana standing not far away, using a luminous magic stone to explore their surroundings. He realized that she must have saved him.
However, he found it odd that someone as skilled as Viviana would also fall.
"My Lord, did you save me?"
"You're awake. It's not quite that I saved you; the earth split was targeting me. I apologize for putting you in danger."
Viviana's politeness and humility struck Tyler. Such a kind-hearted noble must be unacquainted with society's harsh realities.
"How could I ever blame you, my lady! I am grateful for your life-saving aid!"
Tyler thanked Viviana, and together they began to explore the cavern. As they did, Tyler assessed his status info: his life energy was stable, and he had sufficient endurance and magical energy.
Viviana was unscathed, though her magical energy was slightly depleted. However, someone from a prominent family like hers would surely carry some magical potions, right?
━━━━━━━━━
Tyler
Life Energy: 31/40
Endurance: 29/42
Magic Energy: 160/190
━━━━━━━━━
━━━━━━━━━
Viviana Scarlet
Life Energy: 3210/3210
Endurance: 2003/2315
Magic Energy: 670/3170
━━━━━━━━━
Following Viviana, Tyler noticed various creatures, such as toads, cave salamanders, and long-antennaed jumping spiders, scurrying away from the light of the magic stone.
(The presence of these animals means there must be a passage to the outside world.)
The existence of these creatures reassured Tyler. If they were trapped in an enclosed cave, escape would be difficult.
As the tension in his nerves subsided, he recalled the sight of the ground collapsing, and the appearance of the red-light countdown. It seemed that the earth splitting was not a natural phenomenon, but rather the work of someone with malicious intent.
So far, the landslides and ground fissures were likely orchestrated by the same individual.
Moreover, Viviana had explicitly stated, "The earth split was targeting me. I apologize for putting you in danger."
This implied that she, too, had sensed the attack was from an enemy.
Tyler wanted to discuss the situation with Viviana, but he had to be careful not to reveal his abilities in front of a powerful individual.
(For now, I will take it one step at a time.)
"My lady, I believe we can follow the tracks of these small animals to find a way out of here."
After some exploration, Viviana had yet to find anything of note. Tyler timely offered his suggestion, which was consistent with his role as a hunter.
Viviana nodded and allowed Tyler to take the lead.
She initially assumed that upon descending into the underground cavern, they would be immediately ambushed by their enemies. However, strangely enough, nearly ten minutes had passed without incident.
(Strange... Why do I feel like my magic has diminished somewhat?)
While walking, Viviana once again sensed her magic energy depleting. Ever since entering the Sandrift Gorge, she had been experiencing this sensation from time to time.
Even though she had been exceedingly prudent with her magic usage, she now felt that only about one-fifth of her reserves remained.
If they encountered a formidable enemy now, then...
"My lady, there's a tunnel here that leads outside! I can faintly feel a breeze blowing in!"
The hunter, whose name Viviana didn't know, brought some good news to her at this moment. Unfortunately, the tunnel's diameter was only large enough for a mole, preventing both of them from passing through.
It was then that what Viviana had been worrying about occurred.
Four Granite Golems emerged from an unknown location, trapping Viviana and the hunter against the stone wall.
(So you plan to reveal yourselves only after my magic is entirely drained...)
Viviana shielded the hunter behind her, drew her sword, and faced the four Granite Golems without any trace of fear.
"Hunter, hide behind me. I will protect you."
Viviana's words instilled a sense of security in Tyler. However, given the current situation, he had to remind Viviana.
"My lady! I think the enemy's objective might be to deplete your magic. You...!"
"I know, I was thinking the same."
Viviana dashed forward, determined not to let the Granite Golems advance any further within the narrow cavern.
She skillfully executed a sweeping strike with her Floating Crimson Sword, which was imbued with divine radiance. The blade effortlessly severed the legs of the foremost Granite Golem, causing it to obstruct the path of its companions.
Then, like a butterfly, Viviana gracefully flitted past the Granite Golems and approached the enemies behind them.
With a sudden burst of speed akin to a honeybee, she unleashed a flurry of swift slashes mixed with thrusts, each strike precisely targeting their weak points or joint areas.
In the blink of an eye, she effortlessly dismembered the Granite Golems' heads, arms, and legs, rendering them true blockheads.
Tyler observed from behind, learning much. Viviana's fighting style was highly efficient, a skill surely honed on the battlefield.
(The Floating Crimson Sword is wrapped in holy luminescence. It must be a continuous weapon enhancement skill...)
In the end, Viviana had only expended 60 points of magic to render the four Granite Golems immobile. Tyler silently admired Viviana's battle acumen, as she had indeed not allowed these summoned creatures to consume too much of her magic.
"Summoner of these blockheads, hear me well."
Viviana stepped on the head of a Granite Golem, attempting to call out the hidden enemy.
"Your stone puppets can't deplete me. If you have the guts, come out and fight me face-to-face."
Alas, her words were rather naive, and it was clear she had not researched how to provoke enemies effectively.
Tyler chuckled and stepped forward, indicating that Viviana should let him handle this.
"My lady, let me take care of this crude task."
Tyler sat on a Granite Golem's head, cleared his throat, and began to demonstrate his basic skills as a veteran player of the Ancestral Zone.
"Hey, summoner of these blockheads, are you still hiding back there? You're a putrescence mass, a walking vomit. You are a spineless little worm deserving nothing but the profoundest contempt."