Chapter 509: Bloodstones (1/2)
”Did you guys got everything that you need?” Raven asked the people behind him before the stepped out of the gate. All of them nodded to answer him. ”Alright, let's get this over with.”
As soon as he said this, him, Michelle, Franklin, Pyra, Nelson, Jonathan and Jason all walked out of the huge gates and ventured out to the Devil's Cradle.
Today is the scheduled they agreed upon to do the next Unit Expedition. They made sure to pick up another mission before they left so that the trip won't be in vain. Since the month is nearly over, they decided to have all remaining members to form a group and finish the mission as soon as possible.
As the Captain/Leader of Unit-17, Jason has the responsibility to come back and fetch missions with high rewards by the 1st of next month. Therefore he needed to make sure to hurry up and finish this expedition as fast as they could.
The mission they registered was to mine a certain type of mineral which is called 'Bloodstones'. These minerals could be found underground once they reached the 1000 mile depth towards the Devil Emperor's Pagoda. The challenging part of this is that, there are little to no clues on where these minerals are present due to the influence of repulsive will. Which means that they could only try their luck and dig until they encounter one.
Their task is to bring back at least five shards of Bloodstones. The rewards will vary according to the size of Bloodstones they brought back. Minimum is 1000 Unit Merit Points and it can go up to 100,000 Unit Merit Point with a few additional benefits.
Before they left, Raven took it to himself to know what uses does the Bloodstones have. He went to the nearest library and discovered what he wanted to know.
Bloodstones are a unique mineral which could be find in places filled with death and decay. The more concentrated these foul influences are, the more likelihood of a Bloodstone appearing. In a way, Bloodstones speaks for itself. It is a solidified blood but not just any blood. In order for a Bloodstone to form, it requires blood essences from 9 different sources. Additionally, it needs time. Bloodstones shards that could fit onto one's palm is at least a decade old. A chunk, which is at least as large as a rock is at least 100 years old. And a slab which is the size of a boulder needs 1000 years.
Of course the more nourishment it receives the faster it grows, and it just so happens that placed filled with death and decay are its favorites, the more potent energies it absorbs the faster it will grow.
The uses of Bloodstones are not plenty according to the list he saw but every single one was important, specially for the sect.
After sharing this knowledge to the team, they formulated a plan of action. Since there's no need for them to hunt, it would be best to avoid contact as much as possible. That being said, it doesn't mean that they're going to shy away from battle. The weaker one's still needs experience and avoiding battle is the direct opposite of doing that. Of course, that's if they encounter something they could handle. If they ever met something dangerous, then a tactical retreat is a valid option.
***
Having experienced the repulsive aura of the Devil's Cradle before, the team didn't have any problems dealing with it any longer. They guarded their will and stuck close to each other as they moved forward, this helped them have a tighter guard and help them cover each other's backs.
They moved forward while restraining their auras since they didn't want to be mobbed. As usual, those who had spying techniques were located at the sides as they moved forward with care.
Thanks to his recent experiences, Raven's ocular technique - Crystal Sky Eyes, had evolved even further. The thick and dark fog present all over Devil's Cradle had lost its effectiveness and no longer hinders his vision.
Raven could see everything within 100 miles around him in a crystal clear perspective. Still, he didn't tell anyone in the event that they might get suspicious of him but still, it felt good to him to be no longer hindered by poor visibility.
”If we move in this pace, we will eventually arrive at the 1000 mile depth by evening - well, it's not like there's day and night here, only gloom but you guys get the point.” Jason stated with a low voice, ”Just as well, we're not really in a hurry. Additionally, that's also the time where we camp out. Hopefully we won't get delayed by Devils.”
”Then don't freaking jinx us dude.” Franklin replied while looking around him.
”I know, I know…” Jason pouted as he continued walking forward.
The rest remained silent and kept their guard up. Raven on the other hand looked relaxed. His unimpeded vision was really doing wonders right now.