Chapter 515 (1/2)
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, they would hear strange sounds, and see chaotic visions in their minds. This was the First Born sleep-talking, and those who stepped into its viccinity 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 the interference of the First Born in Dragonspine Ridge not being this strong. I only heard it occasionally.”
Ophra nodded. “Rumor has it that the evil spirits of the mage-emperors are underneath the Volcano of Dusk. Soldiers in Limestone Fortress often heard strange sounds coming from deep underground, but they didn’t know they were from the First Born.”
After a long while, a huge underground rift appeared before them.
This black rift stretched out far to both sides beyond their eyes could see. The spot where they were standing on was right in the middle of the rift. Clinging on to the cliffs of the rift, giant tentacles criss-crossed the gap like bridges, while down at the bottom of the rift, dark red magma flowed slowly. There was even a magma waterfall a few hundred meters away from the cavern’s exit and it formed a fiery pillar of fire. The red light emanating from the magma illuminated the hellish underground world. Hao Ren looked up and could only see a faint shadow: it was the roof, which was woven with 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 on fire. Vivian summoned a frosty barrier and barely blocked out the bad air around them. She then released a small bat. The little bat circled around the opposite cliff a few times, and when it came back, it was almost dehydrated like 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 pretty much the core area.” Hao Ren shook his head and released the MDT. “How’s the scan of the structure coming along?”
“It’s completed.” The MDT projected a complex scan of the subterranean world, showing an ellipsoidal region of lava, rifts, tentacles, caverns, and a weird mass of biological tissue, which was woven together like a twisted nightmare. “We better go back and find a better solution.”
Hao Ren sighed. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
The expedition group returned to Limestone Fortress and teleported back to the Royal City.
They did not go to the Giant Tree of Life, because the situation there was not complicated, and it was much easier to resolve than the one in the 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 still had to ask Ophra for some information. This was regarding a map that the ascetics of the Disciples of Glory had drawn after spending two months exploring the underground system beneath the Giant Tree of Life, and some historical documents about the Giant Tree. It did not matter if these things were useful or not, they could never have too much information.