NOVEL NEXT Chapter 164_3
What should she do?
Under her control, the liquid on the three ribbons gained a metallic sheen. They then merged, forming a cone that pressed against the pit Alka had just burned with flames. Spinning wildly, it transformed into a tiny drill.
The drill's friction against the icy surface produced a piercing sound, sending ice shards flying wildly in all directions.
It was effective.
The small drill formed by the ribbons was far more powerful than they had expected.
It drilled smoothly downward; though progress was slow, it visibly deepened with each rotation.
「Two days passed like this.」
They took several breaks. Julia wiped the sweat from her forehead; although Meditation during the breaks restored her physical strength and Magic Power, constantly maintaining control left her mentally exhausted.
"Almost there, get ready," she said.
As she finished speaking, the three combined ribbons suddenly met no resistance and plunged downward.
This meant they had drilled through, creating a tunnel.
A surge of Energy erupted from the tunnel.
The ribbons were immediately scattered by the impact, and the group, huddled together, stumbled backward.
Gray Energy and pale blue Ice Energy continuously poured from the narrow tunnel, only about twenty centimeters wide.
Biting Coldness gushed out frantically.
The surrounding area visibly began to freeze again.
Alka felt the surging gray Energy continuously impact his body.
It attacked only him; these energies passed through Chadite and the others without causing any harm.
Only Alka was pushed back, his limbs growing numb.
He hurriedly stretched out his hands. Magic Power surged out, forming a Shield of flowing water.
However, in the biting Coldness, it immediately turned to Frost, becoming an ice Shield.
This unexpectedly enhanced his defenses, blocking the gray Energy that surged toward him.
Silver ripples spread continuously from Chadite's feet, conjuring layers of Holy Light flames that cleared the surrounding Coldness.
Otherwise, the pit would freeze over again, and all their effort would have been wasted.
The torrent of Energy was so intense that the twenty-centimeter-wide tunnel mouth was constantly blasted clear, preventing it from freezing over.
This torrent of accumulated Energy surged for about ten minutes before finally subsiding, having completely vented through the tunnel.
The surging Energy caused a blizzard to rage outside, forcing Pororo, who was on watch, to huddle into a ball to withstand the violent snowstorm.
Only then did Alka weakly sit down on the ice.
That gray Energy that just surged out... it must be the attack Energy from the Ancient Guard, he thought. The target was very clear: me. Just as the information said, it targets the one who possesses the Treasure.
Once the raging Energy subsided, the others immediately gathered by Alka's side to check on him.
Alka waved his hand, indicating he was fine. "I'm alright," he said, "just a bit exhausted."
"Why did that Energy specifically attack you?" Chadite couldn't help but ask.
They had all seen it: the gray Energy passed through them harmlessly, yet it struck Alka like a heavy hammer.
Moreover, even Energy streams initially distant or merely passing by would inexplicably curve to strike Alka if they came too close.
It was as if he were a magnet for the assault.
Alka shook his head helplessly.
"I don't know either," he replied. "Maybe there's some difference in the abilities or Energy signatures down there, or perhaps something about my constitution attracts it, and that's why I was attacked."
「After resting for a while, Alka managed to recover slightly.」
The group approached the edge of the pit.
Chadite once again extended her silver ripple downward. Her probing was more detailed this time, as the disruptive Energy in the cavern below had significantly diminished following the violent surge.
"The cavity below seems to be some kind of ruin," Chadite reported. "There are two high-Energy objects in a standoff. One of them should be the Treasure the Church mentioned; it emits a very distinct Coldness."
She continued, "Beside it, something is attacking the Treasure. It's a large, four-legged sphere, about three meters in size."
Hearing Chadite's words, two cards appeared in Alka's hand, labeled '1' and '2'.
Alka tossed Card 2 down into the pit.
As the card fell, it transformed into a Mirror, a thin thread still connecting it to Alka's hand.
Card 1 in Alka's hand also transformed into a Mirror, this one displaying the image captured by the second Mirror below.
Initially, however, they could only discern a blue mass of Energy and a gray beam of light.
The rest of the area was very dim and unclear.
Although the two confronting objects emitted light, it was too concentrated to illuminate the surroundings.
Alka controlled his lantern, making it float down to provide illumination.
Only then did the Mirror in their hands reveal the scene below.
Everyone gathered to look at the image.
Alka used the thread to slowly rotate the suspended Mirror Surface, attempting to get a complete view of the environment below.
The area below clearly contained ruins. Though dilapidated, they were unmistakably artificial.
Or perhaps, built by other intelligent creatures.
The blue Energy mass floated above a skeleton. The true form of the Ancient Guard was finally revealed:
It was a heavy sphere with a severely damaged side. The damage was so extensive that its internal structure was exposed, revealing a prominently glowing component within.
At the sphere's front was a small indentation from which the gray Energy was being emitted.
The sphere currently rested tilted against the ruins, supported by two thick, mechanical cylindrical legs. Its other two legs were completely destroyed, forcing it to lean against the ruins for balance.
As everyone observed the image in the Mirror, Alka began to explain all the information he possessed, relating it to the scene before them.