NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164_2
But even so, it took them a whole week, as the last dozen meters or so cost them three days to finally dig through.
In those last few days, they were practically digging ice with small spoons.
This week of excavation, even with their physiques, left their hands covered in blisters.
They had truly experienced what it felt like to be miners.
Fortunately, however, their efforts were not in vain. Just as their pickaxes were severely worn, they reached their destination.
The Coldness emanating from below was palpably, bitingly intense.
Yet, the ice surface beneath their feet showed no obvious peculiarities.
Of course, that was only to the naked eye.
Chadite knelt, padding herself with thick clothing, and touched the ice surface beneath their feet with both hands.
The ice surface below was so cold that without the padding, her hands could very well suffer frostbite.
Silver ripples continuously transmitted downwards, probing the environment below.
Due to the Treasure's activation and the so-called attacks, the Energy below was unusually chaotic, interfering with Chadite's probe.
Previously, she could only detect a distinct cavity here, as the boundary between ice and earth was quite clear.
Now that they were directly above it, they could investigate more meticulously.
"That's right, it's beneath our feet; this is the location of the entrance," Chadite said, using her pickaxe to draw a one-and-a-half-meter circle in their midst.
The incision mark disappeared in a little over ten seconds.
Chadite continued, "There's still a thick layer of ice here, about 20 meters deep. Twenty meters below that, there's a hollow layer, devoid of ice, but filled with Energy."
That was their final destination for this trip; they still needed to dig down another 20 meters.
This was no easy task.
The deeper they went, the closer they got to the Treasure's location, and one could only imagine how much harder the ice would become.
Looking at the spot Chadite had marked, Alka stood up after resting for a while. Gripping his pickaxe with both hands, he infused it heavily with Magic Power and struck down fiercely.
There was a crisp sound, but the effect was disappointing.
It only created a small dent, sending a few ice chips flying.
The hardness of the ice below had increased again, once more exceeding what the tool in his hand could excavate.
Seeing this, Jason, standing nearby, sighed helplessly.
Although it was expected, what they dreaded most had still come to pass.
These 20 meters feel so far, Alka thought helplessly, then tossed the pickaxe in his hand to the side. The further down we go, the crazier the hardness will get. Even a magic Ice Axe would struggle to do much better.
I knew it wouldn't be this easy.
This is such a hassle.
Honestly, I'd rather face a few powerful monsters guarding the Treasure. Even a puzzle would be fine!
Alka would rather solve puzzles and battle monsters than face such an absurd blockade. This doesn't fit a Treasure Hunter's MO at all. The thing blocking us is so damn simple and unadorned. To think I'd be stumped by the hardness of ice one day. Great, just what we needed to train our patience.
Unconsciously, he began to organize the known information in his mind, searching for a better solution.
First, it was clear he couldn't go down himself. Going down would guarantee he'd be attacked, possibly even risking his life.
Going down to deactivate the Ancient Guard was a task only Chadite and the others—those without the Treasure—could undertake.
And from the task's Difficulty, it was clear the Ancient Guard wouldn't attack anyone not carrying the Treasure.
Otherwise, the Difficulty rating would have been marked with several Spirals.
If they actually managed to break through to the cavern below, the first obstacle would likely be the biting Coldness emanating from the Treasure in its activated state.
If they could endure this frigid Coldness and deactivate the Ancient Guard, the Treasure's activated state would subside.
That would be a great success.
It sounds simple, but the ice leading down has already stopped us, Alka mused.
Thinking of this, Alka couldn't help but turn to look at Lucilia, who was sliding around on the ice.
What if we just dig a tunnel narrow enough for Lucilia to pass through? Would that be easier?
Let Lucilia deactivate the Ancient Guard.
That seems doable, as long as we prepare protective measures for Lucilia to ensure her safety.
With this in mind, Alka decided they should first try to dig a small tunnel downward to get a look at the situation below.
If the situation looked promising, he would have Lucilia go through this tunnel to the bottom to deactivate the Ancient Guard.
"Let's dig a small tunnel, 20 centimeters wide should do. First, let's see what the situation is at the very bottom."
Hearing Alka's suggestion, the others turned their heads to look at him.
Although they didn't understand his reasoning, since Akka had spoken, they had to give it a try.
After all, they didn't have any better ideas right now.
They could only take it one step at a time.
Flames began to gush from Alka's palm, burning at the spot Chadite had marked.
After applying flames for the better part of a day and resting for a good while, he finally managed to melt a pit 10 centimeters deep.
So much for that. It looked like even digging a 20-centimeter-wide hole would be a challenge.
"If it only needs to be 20 centimeters, let me try," Julia suddenly spoke, Magic Power surging from her. A halo appeared behind her as three liquid ribbons flew out.