Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After years of investigation in the Plane of Dreams, Hao Ren had developed some habits. One of them was never overlooking any clues that may seem to be a coincidence. At the same time, he did not treat the clues as evidence straightaway. Hao Ren had found that the date of the energy burst was also the day that Lockmarton died. But it did not mean that there was a connection between the two. The universe was so vast that coincidences were not impossible.
The concurrence simply attracted Hao Ren’s attention.
“Is there any problem?” Becky asked when she saw the changes in expression on Hao Ren’s face.
“It may be a coincidence,” Hao Ren said. “The time when the energy burst happened in the Gloom Mountains was the day we opened the prison in Collow.”
Earlier, Hao Ren had shared his adventures in Collow with Becky, who now knew about Lockmarton.
“It may be just a coincidence,” Vivian’s brows knit together. “But what happened in the Gloom Mountains is still hard to ignore, especially while we are preparing to arrange a group of survivors to cross the Wall of Reality. This incident is disturbing. There are many relics of the ancient Magic Empire, and those people who we are bringing in are the survivor of the Magic Empire too. Maybe there is some connection here.”
“Now everyone in Holletta is also the survivor of Magic Empire.” Lily disagreed with Vivian. “They have no problem living here. Why would those return from Earth have a problem?”
“In any case, I think we should go to the Gloom Mountains to check it out,” said Hao Ren. “I’m interested in the ancient Magic Empire. It would greatly help my research if they left behind any research materials and records about the goddess.”
“I can answer you now,” Ophra said. “The palace might be leading the investigation of the Gloom Mountains, but adventurers, mercenaries, and experienced nobles frequently visited the ruins. It’s not really a restricted area. Though the investigation team has blocked off several areas with the most frequent energy burst, I think you can go there if you want.”
Ophra let out a subtle smile. “Many people would also like to see you there.”
Hao Ren had once saved Holletta from total destruction, removed the First Born from inside the planet, and saved the kingdom from the battleship of the guardian giant. The civilians might not know about the details, but the upper echelon of the kingdom knew how capable this group of ‘world saviors’ was. Many people in the kingdom would be more than happy if Hao Ren could take a look in the Gloom Mountains.
Like Ophra said, the palace had immediately granted Hao Ren the permission to go to the Gloom Mountains.
But Becky had a little complaint. “I simply don’t have time to watch the movies, play the games, read the novels, and even drink the wine!” But when the day of departure came, Becky still insisted on coming along. Hao Ren asked, “Have you not just return from the Gloom Mountains?”
“I haven’t had an adventure with you for a long time,” Becky said matter-of-coursely. “I couldn’t wait to join you guys especially after seeing you guys boasted about your adventures in the text messages.”
It was quite a funny excuse, but Hao Ren still took the female mercenary along. He knew Becky too well; she was not someone who could sit still. After living life as a noble for two years, the female mercenary began to feel restless and joined the Knights. Becky was still a mercenary at heart although she had become a noble.
With Marshal Ophra’s help, Becky easily adjusted her schedule in the Knights. Two days later, The four of them had arrived at the Gloom Mountains in the southeast of the kingdom.
The Gloom Mountains was at the border of Holletta. On the other side of the mountain was the kingdom of the mountain spirits. This mountain range that stretched to the southern hills might not as big as Dragonspine Ridge, but it was a natural barrier and treasure house that isolated the threats from the other side, including of the mountain elves and orcs, and the source of the best quality potions and magical minerals for the southeast of the kingdom. These resources from the safer areas at the foothills were more than enough to feed hundreds of thousands of people.
Generally, the Gloom Mountains, as the Hollettans called it, did not cover the whole mountain range but rather a part if the middle section. This section included three peaks, a large number of rugged mountains, and the dense jungle and unexplored zone in between the hills. This area was the most dangerous part of and having the most treasures in the Gloom Mountains. Many of the ruins and relics of the ancient Magic Empire were still quietly buried deep in the mountains. Some adventurers said that the energy tower in the hills was still producing precious solidified magic crystals and elemental crystal nucleus. These were the treasures that people would die. But hidden behind this wealth was a horrible danger. The legacy of the magic empire that was powerful, mysterious, and without the control of its master for thousands of years. Any ruins and relics found in the Gloom Mountains had the protection of security mechanisms that would indiscriminately attack any intruders. Every year, at least two-digit deaths were recorded in the register of the mercenary guild. The name of the dead mercenaries would be marked with a black box around it.
Mercenaries and independent adventurers who died on the adventure would be identified by the black boxes and struck off the list in the second year.
This was the information that Ophra handed over to Hao Ren before departure while Becky told of the stories about mercenaries and adventurers on the way to the Gloom Mountains.
With this fragmented knowledge, Hao Ren looked at the Gloom Mountains, which like its name suggested, it was dark. As if there was the influence of the unique soil or ancient magic energy, the vegetation in the area was luxuriant. The abundantly grown was a type of trees called Shadow Fir, which coated the mountains in a dark color with their dark-green leaves. Even in the exposed areas, the bare rocks were gray, seemingly blending with the dark clouds that hovered over the mountains all year long. It was a gloomy sight.
Still some distance from the Gloom Mountains, the MDT had sent a telemetry report of the energy in the area. “Over 30 active energy spots are detected, and hundreds of suspicious reactions in a dormant state distributed all over the Gloom Mountains. There was a strong feedback ripple when I scanned the three peaks. I suspect that the three peaks have been artificially modified as the rock composition is very different from that of nature.”
“It’s a place where ‘treasure’ abounds!” Hao Ren could not help but sigh. He told his team of the findings.
“In ancient times, the Gloom Mountains used to be the border and buffer zone of several magic empires,” Becky explained. She learned this information when accepting the assignment in the Gloom Mountains. “Most of the legends are inaccurate, but they point out that the ancient magic empire has a series of joint research facilities in this mountain range. At that time, the magic empire was in its heyday, the mortals had reached an unprecedented height in their search for the truth of the world and finally came to a bottleneck. So they began to join forces to study some of the more terrible and powerful forces. The Gloom Mountains was one of their biggest test sites. Do you see the glimmer in the sky? The gleam cut off a section, including the three peaks, from the entire mountain range. You can see it from afar. The gleam is an ancient energy barrier called the Lorissian Wall. Many scholars in the kingdom believe that this barrier was released by a runaway ancient elven ruin in the mountains, Lorrissa was the elven magic emperor’s name. You can imagine how strong the magic empire of that time was.”
Hao Ren looked up at the sky and saw the glimmer that Becky mentioned. It was a light behind the clouds, and seemingly a sun in the dusk hiding behind the clouds.
Hao Ren could hardly imagine that the gleam was the energy barrier that shielded the mountains, and had been there since 10,000 years ago blocking the free energy in the Gloom Mountains.
“The testing ground of an ancient magic empire,” Vivian said. “We had overlooked such an important place.”
“We didn’t come this far back then. The secrets that the First Born and the guardian giant revealed had shifted the attention of everyone. We were occupied in figuring out whether there were still remnants of the First Born and the guardian giant deep inside the planet.” eldest sons and guardian giants in the planet.”
Becky also shook his head. “Not only this but more importantly, even if there were the ruins of the ancient magic empire, it would be difficult for you to find anything useful. The magic emperors of that year were mere mortals. The things that they created were just of stones and metals. After 10,000 years of weathering, what would there be left? What is left in the mountains is only wandering energy without a master, ruins that are completely weathered, and the rumored ‘ancient treasures.’
The female mercenary forced a smile. “I almost fell for it when I was still a mercenary. But when I came here on assignment the last time, what I saw was… tsk tsk.
