The ancient mage-emperors obviously did not know how to effectively suppress the First Born, because they were all defeated. The First Born was forced to fall asleep under the influence of the safety device, and they had not really found a way to kill this primal creature. Therefore, after the First Born fell asleep, the suppressive measures they took were basically a gamble: each mage-emperor chose a different form of sealing in the hopes that they would work.
The mountainous barriers of Dragonspine Ridge and the lifeless rock monsters were proven to be ineffective, while the Giant Tree of Life was said to have withered. Now, the only seemingly functional and powerful seal was the Volcano of Dusk.
The volcano was pressing against the First Born. The werewolf mage-emperor, Sanur created under the volcano a web of magma flow and columns, so that they criss-crossed around the First Born's organs like nails. The deep underground world here was far more complicated than the one in Beinz. The cracks and magma lakes formed a fragile but stable equilibrium, and as soon as the First born woke up, it would trigger the elemental flames in the Volcano of Dusk. The area would collapse and the First Born would fall into the magma deep in the mantle.
However, Sanur did not try to use this method to kill the sleeping First Born. He knew that merely pushing the monster into the magma was not enough to kill it. Instead, this would only lead to an early awakening. Therefore, Hao Ren speculated that the suppressions used beneath the Volcano of Dusk were just stopgap measures. The mage-emperor was expecting his "allies from the stars", who were destined to never come.
Hao Ren decided to go into the First Born's sleeping chamber after collecting the tissue samples and signal frequencies from the Divine Sarcophagus. The area ahead was a place that the average person could absolutely not venture into. Even holding the amulet of the Church, he or she may still be affected by the First Born's illusion at any time. So this time, he only brought Vivian, Ophra, and Cardinal Orben with him. Everyone else stayed behind in the cavern.
Becky had wanted to follow: her professional habits as a mercenary made her feel that she ought to go deeper. Additionally, her mental strength was no less stronger than a high-level knight or ascetic, who could move freely in deep caverns. However, Hao Ren did not think it necessary to bring too many people along, so he let her and Lily stay back.
The four of them got into the sleeping chambers of one of the First Born's sarcomas through a large crack in the rock barrier. They then groped themselves forward in the cavern system, which extended in all directions. The environment in the deep caverns was several times worse than the outside. The high heat was unbearable and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. They were very close to the magma column. Also, from time to time, there were some strange sounds, and some chaotic visions in their mind. This was the First Born sleep-talking, and people who stepped into it would be involuntarily affected.
"This guy looks more 'mature' than the one in Dragonspine Ridge. Perhaps he is approaching 'adulthood'," said Hao Ren. "I remember that the interference of the First Born in Dragonspine Ridge wasn't this strong, which I'd only heard it occasionally."
Ophra nodded. "Rumour has it that the evil spirits of the magic emperors are underneath Volcano of Dusk. Soldiers in the Limestone Fortress often heard a strange sound from deep underground, but they did not know it was from the First Born."
After a long while, a huge underground rift appeared before them.
This black rift stretched out far on both sides beyond their sight. The spot where they were standing was right in the middle of the rift. On the cliffs of the rift, giant tentacles criss-crossed the gap like bridges while down at the bottom of the rift, dark red magma was flowing slowly, and there was even a magma waterfall at a few hundred meters from the exit of the cavern, forming a fiery pillar of fire. The red light emanating from the magma was illuminating the hellish underground world. Hao Ren looked up and could only see a faint shadow: it was the roof woven by more tentacles, holding the rock layer above it.
The air was filled with an unbearable smell, and every breath felt as if their lungs were burning. Vivian summoned a frosty barrier and barely blocked out the bad air around them. She then released a small bat. The little bat circled a few times near the opposite cliff, and when it came back, it was almost like a dried meat.
Vivian snapped the bat back into her body and frowned. "There is no way ahead. Only one tentacle connects to the opposite ramp, like a bridge, but the path is very bad and the tentacle is a bit too thin…" she said.
"This is a place full of maliciousness," Cardinal Orben took a deep breath as the runes on his skin glittered. "The air is filled with hostility."
"There is no need to go any deeper. This is roughly the core area." Hao Ren shook his head and released the MDT. "How's the structure scanning?"
"Completed," the MDT projected a complex scan of the subterranean world, showing an ellipsoidal region of lava, rift, tentacles, caverns, and weird mass of biological tissue which wove together like a twisted nightmare. "We'd better go back and find a better solution."
Hao Ren sighed. "Let's get the hell out of here."
The expedition group returned to the Limestone Fortress and then teleported directly back to the royal city.
They did not go to the giant tree of life, because the situation of the giant tree of life was not complicated, and it was much easier to resolve than Volcano of Dusk. Moreover, in Hao Ren's action plan, as long as he could deal with the First Born beneath the volcano, the underground cavern beneath the giant tree of life was not going to be a problem.
Of course, Hao Ren had still asked for some information from Ophra. It was a map the monks of Disciples of Glory had drawn after spending two months exploring the underground beneath the giant tree of life, and historical documents about the giant tree. No matter these stuff were useful or not, they could never have too much information.
Several other officers and cardinals had returned to their respective work. They each needed to find their own boss, and Ophra and Hao Ren had also returned to Becky's manor. The female marshal looked a bit worried, though. "How should I report it?"
"Let the king be assured. I have an idea," Hao Ren said with confidence. "In fact, I had several plans in mind when I was in the caverns... But all plans have a certain risk. The situation in Volcano of Dusk is very complex, I have to prevent the magma from breaking out."
"We'll go back and study it. We'll come back immediately as soon as there's a solution. The next time we come back, the problem of the First Born on this planet should be solved completely," said Lily, sounding like an expert. "Anyway, I'm sure landlord will have his way. He is a high-tech guy."
"You're leaving now?" Ophra looked at them then Becky. "Is she staying back?"
"She could not leave the manor estate here," Hao Ren shrugged. "But it doesn't make a difference for us as we can travel through space and time just like running out to buy some groceries across the street. When we're not around, please look after Becky. Well, you know this girl has a little brain—"
Before he could finish speaking, Becky shot him a glare while Lily who was next to him immediately made a threatening growl. Hao Ren looked at Lily with a forced smile. "I'm not talking about you…"
Lily gritted her teeth. "But I know you're going to use me as an example! I know you too well—a cracked bell can never sound well…"
Everyone was quiet. Vivian patted Lily's shoulder. "Now how do you sound?"
Lily had not got the drift. "Arf?"
Hao Ren pinched Lily's ear as he smiled looking at Ophra. "About the cult; I need you to keep an eye on them. I heard that there's still no lead to them?"
"They're a loose sect, and it's very likely it's a cult made up of a dozen small gangs," said Ophra, shaking her head. "We only know they are still active in certain areas, but we've not been able to catch anyone."
"Take some of them alive," Hao Ren nodded. "I want to study the gigantic brain which they've summoned."
"And remembering to pass the letter to the pope and the king," Vivian reminded Ophra. "It contains the truth that we've mastered about the First Born ending the world for which the magic emperors have been the scapegoat for ten thousand years. Now you guys should right the wrong. No matter whether those bigwigs believe it or not, the magic emperors are indeed innocent."
Ophra nodded slightly. "Understood."
Ophra left subtly before Hao Ren sent her off, leaving Hao Ren to bid farewell to Becky. The mercenary girl was still very reluctant to give up her friends at this time. After all, they had lived together for so long. Even mercenaries had feelings. "You must come to see me often, even if after the problem of the First Born is solved. From now on, please bring me along when you're going somewhere exciting. I still wish to sit in your spaceship going for adventure. Oh, please don't forget to bring me some potato chips and Coke the next time you come...."
Hao Ren looked interestingly at the rare expression of the maiden. "If you couldn't bear to see us go, why not go with us back to the earth?"
Becky jumped a metre back, clinging to the door pillar and said, "Drive safe. I'll rather stay as a parvenu here."
Hao Ren: "….."
After they left Becky's manor, Vivian asked, "Are we going directly from Alamanda to Andrea Castle? Taking the spaceship or teleporting?"
"No. There's still one thing left," Hao Ren looked up slightly at the sky. "a ruin we have yet seen."
The ancient mage-emperors obviously did not know how to effectively suppress the First Born, because they were all defeated. The First Born was forced to fall asleep under the influence of the safety device, and they had not really found a way to kill this primal creature. Therefore, after the First Born fell asleep, the suppressive measures they took were basically a gamble: each mage-emperor chose a different form of sealing in the hopes that they would work.
The mountainous barriers of Dragonspine Ridge and the lifeless rock monsters were proven to be ineffective, while the Giant Tree of Life was said to have withered. Now, the only seemingly functional and powerful seal was the Volcano of Dusk.
The volcano was pressing against the First Born. The werewolf mage-emperor, Sanur created under the volcano a web of magma flow and columns, so that they criss-crossed around the First Born's organs like nails. The deep underground world here was far more complicated than the one in Beinz. The cracks and magma lakes formed a fragile but stable equilibrium, and as soon as the First born woke up, it would trigger the elemental flames in the Volcano of Dusk. The area would collapse and the First Born would fall into the magma deep in the mantle.
However, Sanur did not try to use this method to kill the sleeping First Born. He knew that merely pushing the monster into the magma was not enough to kill it. Instead, this would only lead to an early awakening. Therefore, Hao Ren speculated that the suppressions used beneath the Volcano of Dusk were just stopgap measures. The mage-emperor was expecting his "allies from the stars", who were destined to never come.
Hao Ren decided to go into the First Born's sleeping chamber after collecting the tissue samples and signal frequencies from the Divine Sarcophagus. The area ahead was a place that the average person could absolutely not venture into. Even holding the amulet of the Church, he or she may still be affected by the First Born's illusion at any time. So this time, he only brought Vivian, Ophra, and Cardinal Orben with him. Everyone else stayed behind in the cavern.
Becky had wanted to follow: her professional habits as a mercenary made her feel that she ought to go deeper. Additionally, her mental strength was no less stronger than a high-level knight or ascetic, who could move freely in deep caverns. However, Hao Ren did not think it necessary to bring too many people along, so he let her and Lily stay back.
The four of them got into the sleeping chambers of one of the First Born's sarcomas through a large crack in the rock barrier. They then groped themselves forward in the cavern system, which extended in all directions. The environment in the deep caverns was several times worse than the outside. The high heat was unbearable and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. They were very close to the magma column. Also, from time to time, there were some strange sounds, and some chaotic visions in their mind. This was the First Born sleep-talking, and people who stepped into it would be involuntarily affected.
"This guy looks more 'mature' than the one in Dragonspine Ridge. Perhaps he is approaching 'adulthood'," said Hao Ren. "I remember that the interference of the First Born in Dragonspine Ridge wasn't this strong, which I'd only heard it occasionally."
Ophra nodded. "Rumour has it that the evil spirits of the magic emperors are underneath Volcano of Dusk. Soldiers in the Limestone Fortress often heard a strange sound from deep underground, but they did not know it was from the First Born."
After a long while, a huge underground rift appeared before them.
This black rift stretched out far on both sides beyond their sight. The spot where they were standing was right in the middle of the rift. On the cliffs of the rift, giant tentacles criss-crossed the gap like bridges while down at the bottom of the rift, dark red magma was flowing slowly, and there was even a magma waterfall at a few hundred meters from the exit of the cavern, forming a fiery pillar of fire. The red light emanating from the magma was illuminating the hellish underground world. Hao Ren looked up and could only see a faint shadow: it was the roof woven by more tentacles, holding the rock layer above it.
The air was filled with an unbearable smell, and every breath felt as if their lungs were burning. Vivian summoned a frosty barrier and barely blocked out the bad air around them. She then released a small bat. The little bat circled a few times near the opposite cliff, and when it came back, it was almost like a dried meat.
Vivian snapped the bat back into her body and frowned. "There is no way ahead. Only one tentacle connects to the opposite ramp, like a bridge, but the path is very bad and the tentacle is a bit too thin…" she said.
"This is a place full of maliciousness," Cardinal Orben took a deep breath as the runes on his skin glittered. "The air is filled with hostility."
"There is no need to go any deeper. This is roughly the core area." Hao Ren shook his head and released the MDT. "How's the structure scanning?"
"Completed," the MDT projected a complex scan of the subterranean world, showing an ellipsoidal region of lava, rift, tentacles, caverns, and weird mass of biological tissue which wove together like a twisted nightmare. "We'd better go back and find a better solution."
Hao Ren sighed. "Let's get the hell out of here."
The expedition group returned to the Limestone Fortress and then teleported directly back to the royal city.
They did not go to the giant tree of life, because the situation of the giant tree of life was not complicated, and it was much easier to resolve than Volcano of Dusk. Moreover, in Hao Ren's action plan, as long as he could deal with the First Born beneath the volcano, the underground cavern beneath the giant tree of life was not going to be a problem.
Of course, Hao Ren had still asked for some information from Ophra. It was a map the monks of Disciples of Glory had drawn after spending two months exploring the underground beneath the giant tree of life, and historical documents about the giant tree. No matter these stuff were useful or not, they could never have too much information.
Several other officers and cardinals had returned to their respective work. They each needed to find their own boss, and Ophra and Hao Ren had also returned to Becky's manor. The female marshal looked a bit worried, though. "How should I report it?"
"Let the king be assured. I have an idea," Hao Ren said with confidence. "In fact, I had several plans in mind when I was in the caverns... But all plans have a certain risk. The situation in Volcano of Dusk is very complex, I have to prevent the magma from breaking out."
"We'll go back and study it. We'll come back immediately as soon as there's a solution. The next time we come back, the problem of the First Born on this planet should be solved completely," said Lily, sounding like an expert. "Anyway, I'm sure landlord will have his way. He is a high-tech guy."
"You're leaving now?" Ophra looked at them then Becky. "Is she staying back?"
"She could not leave the manor estate here," Hao Ren shrugged. "But it doesn't make a difference for us as we can travel through space and time just like running out to buy some groceries across the street. When we're not around, please look after Becky. Well, you know this girl has a little brain—"
Before he could finish speaking, Becky shot him a glare while Lily who was next to him immediately made a threatening growl. Hao Ren looked at Lily with a forced smile. "I'm not talking about you…"
Lily gritted her teeth. "But I know you're going to use me as an example! I know you too well—a cracked bell can never sound well…"
Everyone was quiet. Vivian patted Lily's shoulder. "Now how do you sound?"
Lily had not got the drift. "Arf?"
Hao Ren pinched Lily's ear as he smiled looking at Ophra. "About the cult; I need you to keep an eye on them. I heard that there's still no lead to them?"
"They're a loose sect, and it's very likely it's a cult made up of a dozen small gangs," said Ophra, shaking her head. "We only know they are still active in certain areas, but we've not been able to catch anyone."
"Take some of them alive," Hao Ren nodded. "I want to study the gigantic brain which they've summoned."
"And remembering to pass the letter to the pope and the king," Vivian reminded Ophra. "It contains the truth that we've mastered about the First Born ending the world for which the magic emperors have been the scapegoat for ten thousand years. Now you guys should right the wrong. No matter whether those bigwigs believe it or not, the magic emperors are indeed innocent."
Ophra nodded slightly. "Understood."
Ophra left subtly before Hao Ren sent her off, leaving Hao Ren to bid farewell to Becky. The mercenary girl was still very reluctant to give up her friends at this time. After all, they had lived together for so long. Even mercenaries had feelings. "You must come to see me often, even if after the problem of the First Born is solved. From now on, please bring me along when you're going somewhere exciting. I still wish to sit in your spaceship going for adventure. Oh, please don't forget to bring me some potato chips and Coke the next time you come...."
Hao Ren looked interestingly at the rare expression of the maiden. "If you couldn't bear to see us go, why not go with us back to the earth?"
Becky jumped a metre back, clinging to the door pillar and said, "Drive safe. I'll rather stay as a parvenu here."
Hao Ren: "….."
After they left Becky's manor, Vivian asked, "Are we going directly from Alamanda to Andrea Castle? Taking the spaceship or teleporting?"
"No. There's still one thing left," Hao Ren looked up slightly at the sky. "a ruin we have yet seen."
