Mage Legend

The howling wind blew past Zilvra's ears, her silver-white hair floating with it. She stared intently at the space beneath her feet, constantly twisting her body to avoid the obstacles around her.

A few hanging baskets, ropes, and bridges for passage obstructed Zilvra's path forward, but they also provided supports to slow her descent. By repeatedly hitting these protruding platforms and with the aid of her floating ability, this rapid descent seemed thrilling yet safe.

A sudden pull threw Zilvra toward a wall, where there happened to be a vacant space. The dwarf Morgan stood on a platform, waving at her. It was obvious that the invisible Lynch had just used a spell on her, indicating where she needed to stop.

"That was really dangerous, I thought I was going to end up as a dwarf pancake!" Morgan complained, glancing inside the platform, leading Zilvra deeper until they could see the mage's silhouette. He whispered, "Seeing Lynch means we're already within the range of that damned invisibility spell."

The mage said, "Landing directly at the bottom is too dangerous, it's better to start exploring from here. Besides, right below our platform, there is a building with Snake-man style architecture, maybe we can find something inside."

Without any rest, the three of them were on the move again, eager to complete this journey. The dwarf Morgan usually appeared clumsy, his bulky waist made it impossible for him to move like an elf. But surprisingly, in environments like a mine pit, he could nimbly leap around the piles of stones without any hindrance. This might be the so-called racial nature.

The dwarves and Snake-men dug down together, building many stone caves for resting along the way. Many natural rock crevices were chiseled open to place the stones excavated. The additional products were transported to the uppermost Dwarf Kingdom to be polished into statues or architectural components.

Lynch carefully walked on the rubble, trying not to make any sound. Here, even the slightest clang could eventually become a roar, causing unnecessary trouble. The mage supported himself with a powerful wand, also using it to maintain the invisibility barrier spell. Zilvra gently supported Lynch, as she did in the Underdark.

The passage took several turns, then began to descend. It sloped downward for a long time before leveling out again. And now, it was no longer of dwarf architectural style. The cylindrical tunnel walls were bare, the ground covered with a layer of fine sand, with wavy patterns appearing on it. Lynch thought of the Snake-man caves he had seen in the Underworld, it was the same form. Except for the absence of a sticky coating here, everything looked so familiar.

Morgan frowned as he observed the surroundings, an unusual look of disgust in his eyes. He gently tapped the handle of his warhammer with his fingers and then went to a corner where wicker baskets were piled up.

In the Underworld, there was no wood, but extensive root systems of plants could be found, often hanging down from the shallow cave ceiling, forming a forest underground. Besides, the dwarves would collect some plants from the outside as raw material. Other races mostly could only gather these rhizomes to weave into small baskets to hold items.

"Damn, it's all stinky inside!" Morgan quickly ran back: "I don't know what food they're eating, but the place is filled with a putrid smell. I really don't know how those scaly monsters' noses and tongues can stand it!"

Besides patting the dwarf on the shoulder in consolation, Lynch, the mage, couldn't be of much help. Although there were some records about Snake-men in the library, they mostly pertain to ancient history. As for what Snake-men eat, their living habits, which gods they worship, and how they form societies, only vague texts exist. Mages don't care about other creatures unless they wielded magical power. As a marginal race on the Anriel Continent, the Snake-men have long been forgotten by others.

"Everyone stop, don't move, there's someone coming ahead!" Lynch halted his companions' steps, hiding the two of them in a recess at the bend of the circular tunnel. Four points of green light floated over; a closer look revealed they were the eyes of two Snake-men.