Chapter 332: “Im Your Grandfather!” “No-!” (2/2)

Eleena found it all hard to believe.

“You are my only heir and would one day inherit everything I have. That is why I wouldn’t deceive you.” The old man’s eyes were still fixed on Eleena, his smile now finally becoming more natural. “Back in my youth, I had inadvertently stumbled into a high elf ruin, and partially activated it and receive some extent of clearance… it was one reason for the smooth development of Crookes in her early days.”

Even though the old man had been a stranger minutes ago and it was weird for him to spill out his secrets, he didn’t have much timethere were too many things to teach his heir in his remaining moments, and if she didn’t work with him, the progress may not be ideal.

That was why he set the bait with ‘high elven ruins’ and ‘clearance’ from the get go. Eleena had already shown that she was notch more mature than children of the same age, and she surely would be maturity if that maturity was genuine.

As for her trial, in which she would take her own precautions against entrusting her property to unscrupulous elements, that could entirely be included in her instruction.

That said, testing an heir on the first meeting was folly. They wouldn’t be tested if the trial was too easy, and they would certainly fail if it was too difficult-finding them in the first place was meaningless.

Therefore, instead of picking an heir through first impressions, it was better to interact and learn about the other person, and only judge if they were suitable later.

“High elven ruins? Where?”

And just as the old man expected, Eleena’s eyes were sparkling when she heard him.

cause

That being said, he would never have imagined that Eleena was happy only because she had gained a clue for the prerequisite quest to an event…

“I could tell you that it’s beneath Crookes, but that wouldn’t mean a thing. You alone would never reach it.” The old man said self-assuredly. “Or are you going to dig a hole down there?”

***

Yes.

Aside from making management over wanderers who came to Mount Meredith for crystal washing, the more important reason for the founding of Crookes was to cover up the high elf ruins.

With the city being built directly over the ruins, Tyler would be able to use the excuse of ‘no excavation in the city’ to justly and honorably prevent all miners from digging any tunnels to it.

“These two are named Beerus and Whis. Both of them are golems (automatons, but the old man couldn’t tell the difference) I found in the high elven ruins, and they would be at your side from now on, helping me to instruct—”

Before the old man could finish, a violent rumble echoed from outside the building, and even the floor was shaking.

It seems that the Tunnel Eye Serpent was closing in on Crookes.

“It’s almost time… I don’t know how that idiot Crookes got his hands on that thing, but since it’s now in range, this is it.” The old man sneered, and turned towards the two automatons.

“Energize the Pyrocrystal Cannon. Blow that thing into pieces!” He commanded. The two automatons nodded at the order and quickly left.

However, just when the old man turned back to Eleena, a figure suddenly slipped inside from a window.

The old man looked in that direction to find that it was one of his gardeners. “Did anyone allow you to come in? Get out!” He shouted angrily.

Even so, the gardener wasn’t at all concerned with his rage.

He was actually smiling sinisterly.

Beside him, Eleena thought about it for a moment before showing a look of understanding“It’s a swampman.” She warned the old man calling himself her grandfather.

Its identity exposed by Eleena, the gardener’s body hence slowly melted into a puddle of black mud, and reassembled into a black human figure between breaths.

“You’ve actually come to die…” The old man snorted coldly and drew out his walking stick.

However, the cold sweat over his brow only showed that he was not actually calm inwardly.

He may have technique, but he was old and weak. While he could use his clearance to summon other things from the elven ruins to come to his head, would he really last until then?

But in the split second that the swampman surged as a tidal mud towards the two of them and as the old man face went pale, Eleena lifted her tiny hand, directly materializing a flashing sacred spear. It pierced the swampman in the head in one swift stroke, instantly emptying its HP Bar. The old man gaped at the holy light radiating from the young girl’s body, and was left speechless just then.

“Becoming mayor sounds good, but I prefer freedom and going on adventures with everyone,” Eleena said solemnly then. “So, Grandfather, forgive me for not going along with your wish.”

With those words, she left the room, intent on fighting the Tunnel Eye Serpent with the other Players.