In fact, the ancient ruins in Gwen's memory was not far from where the team camped. It was located on the north side of the Gloom Mountains. Most of it was hidden in the mountains, and part of the structure was exposed between the mountain walls. In theory, as long as one looked up at the Gloom Mountains in the distance, one could see part of the structure of the ancient ruins between the rock walls hundreds of meters above the ground.
However, the long passage of time had obliterated the traces of civilization. A large number of vines and mountain vegetation covered the rock walls, covering the ancient ruins layer by layer. Coupled with the collapse of the ruins itself and the accumulation of soil and stones in the mountains, the exposed structure of the mountain was now difficult to observe. Standing at the camp and looking at the mountain, even a hunter with good eyesight would find it difficult to spot the abnormalities between the rocks and vines.
After arranging the matters regarding the camp, Gawain and his group of four set off for the mountains. A mere ten years would not cause the natural landscape to change. With the help of the satellite image from ten years ago in his mind, as well as the mountain path in his memory, Gawain and his group found the way up the mountain very smoothly.
Amber looked a little worried. "I say … you're going to the Gloom Mountains to dig for treasures. There are only four of us. Don't you think it's a little difficult?"
Gwen glanced at the half-elf and asked, "What do you think?"
Amber gestured. "No matter what, we'll need at least a few hundred people to protect us along the way, a dozen or so Master Rangers and Druids to hold the line, a knight to clear the path in front, a mage to hold the fort behind, and a powerful Master Thief like me to be in charge of sneaking in and picking locks. Isn't this the standard setup for treasure hunting in the mountains?"
"Standard my ass!" Gwen had thought that Amber had some good ideas, but it turned out to be nonsense. "Which treasure hunting team is configured according to the standard of a regular army? And it's easy for you to say. You're going to organize a team like this for me? "
"Well, I'm exaggerating, but this is the Gloom Mountains! The Gloom Mountains! " Amber waved his arms exaggeratedly. "Legend has it that there's a demon lord living every 800 meters! You're going to take three people into the mountains, and one of them can only use fireballs … "
"Believe it or not, I can beat you down without using fireballs!" Rebecca was enraged. She raised her staff and pointed it at Amber. "I'll show you how powerful Cecil's women are!"
Gwen stopped his great-granddaughter from the N + 1 floor and looked at Amber helplessly. "Sooner or later, you'll die because of your mouth. And where did you hear that there's a Demon Lord every 800 meters in the Gloom Mountain Range? These were just ignorant villagers trying to scare children, okay? If there were that many Demon Lords, they would have swept through the Ansu long ago. "
As he spoke, he raised his head and looked at the winding mountain path in front of him.
"The Gloom Mountains are indeed a dangerous place, but most people exaggerate the danger too much. In fact, during the time of the Kingdom of Gondor, this mountain range was just one of the ordinary mountains in the north. It was known as the North and South Mountain Range of Loren. At that time, the Gloom Mountains were not dark at all. Instead, it was known as the 'Mountains of Gold' because of its rich resources and a variety of minerals. Unfortunately, when the Demonic Tide broke out, the Gloom Mountains happened to face the place where the elemental storm was the strongest. The entire southern foot of the mountain range was eroded by the elements and formed the terrifying Black Forest. This mountain range gradually became known as the Gloom Mountains. "
Gwen said what he knew. Some of it came from the memory in his mind, and some of it was the knowledge he had recently crammed.
"The Black Forest on the opposite side of the mountain is indeed dangerous, but it is located on the south side of the mountain range. This mountain range is a natural barrier that almost cuts off the aura from the Gondor wasteland that permeates through the great wall. Most of the mutated monsters living in the Black Forest rely on the chaotic magic energy to survive, so they will not leave the Black Forest at all, let alone cross the ridge and come to the north of the mountain range where they can suffocate. So the north side of the Gloom Mountains is actually quite safe. "
The route that Gawain had chosen was not covered by much vegetation, but from time to time, he would see some overgrown trees and vines blocking the way. These stubborn plants in the Gloom Mountain Range were more or less affected by the breath of the wasteland. It was a trace of the 'Wind of Elements' (the 'Wind of Impurity' that Viscount Andrew spoke of) that drifted in from the south every year. Under the influence of the chaotic Elemental Power, the plants appeared twisted and abnormally thick, looking rather ferocious and frightening.
But Gwen knew very well that these things were not a threat at all except for their appearance. They were just "strong" plants. Those nobles who wandered in the forest on the north side of the Gloom Mountains and bragged that they had experienced the Black Forest were all exaggerating the danger of this land. They had no idea what the real Black Forest was like.
The reason why he could confirm that the pollution in the north side of the Gloom Mountains had subsided was not because of the memories in his mind or the information he had gathered, but because of the satellite view from ten years ago.
As long as he compared the satellite view with the data in his memory, it was easy to determine that this place was actually a safe zone.
"People's fear of this place actually stems from two reasons. The first is the fear of the Gondor wasteland. Although the sentinel towers and the Great Wall built by the elves have sealed off most of the Gondor wasteland, the magic barrier can only block out 70 to 80 percent of the chaotic energy. The corruption that seeps out of the Gondor wasteland every year is the biggest threat at the borders of the four kingdoms. Even now that the aftermath of the demonic tide has subsided, the fear and pressure that the border people have accumulated for generations will not dissipate so quickly. The horror stories in the border area have been passed down for 700 years and have long become a part of the traditional culture," Gwen said casually as he chopped the plants along the way. "The second … is the fear of the unknown."
"The unknown?" Amber asked with a frown.
"Yes, the unknown. How long has it been since the Ansu Kingdom stopped the development in the south? "
It was Rebecca who answered. "If we count from the time the order was signed, more than 200 years. If we count from the time all the settlements were withdrawn, it's 100 years."
"Yes, at least 100 years. For 100 years, this place has been listed as a forbidden place. Except for those 'adventurers' who go back and brag to others, no one dares to come close to this place. So no one knows what this place is like. They can only understand this place from the horror stories that have been passed down for generations and the stories that the adventurers made up. How can they not be afraid? "
After listening to Gwen's explanation, Amber finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew … So the horror stories in the Gloom Mountains are all lies, and we are actually safe here?"
Gwen thought for a moment and suddenly put on a scary face as he approached the half-elf lady. "Actually, I lied to you. This place is gloomy and dangerous, and there is a demon lord living every 800 meters."
Amber: "… Ahhhhhh!!"
"You're a master bandit, aren't you ashamed?" Gwen smiled with satisfaction. He patted Rebecca's head and pointed to a fallen tree trunk not far away. "Your Fireball spell can be used. Blow that thing up. If I remember correctly, it's right in front. "
Rebecca had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She immediately nodded happily. She raised her wand and a head-sized fireball flew straight ahead.
Hao Ren felt that the girl's summoning speed was faster than before.
* Boom! *
After a loud bang, the fireball exploded. The rotten and fragile tree trunk was blown apart in the middle. It lost its balance and rolled down the hill. The road ahead suddenly opened up.
An open space hidden in the mountains appeared in front of everyone.
This open space seemed to have been deliberately flattened by someone. The rocks were cut into an incredibly neat shape. Between the rocks, ancient arches and collapsed walls could be seen. They seemed to have merged with the mountain and were "embedded" between the huge rocks and cliffs. It even gave an illusion that there was once a magnificent fortress here that was swallowed up by the surrounding rocks.
But in fact, this ancient ruin was built inside the mountain. About two-thirds of its structure was hidden behind the stone wall.
Whether it was Amber, who had been scared all the way, Rebecca, who had been listening carefully to the ancestor's lecture, or Byron and Knight, who were on high alert, when they saw the ancient ruin hidden in the mountain, they could not help but widen their eyes.
They looked at the incredible ancient ruin in amazement.
Gwen's eyes wandered around and suddenly stopped next to a collapsed pile of rubble.
He came to the pile of rubble. There was a black object stuck in the rubble. It was almost impossible to see its original shape. After carefully examining it for a long time, he realized that it was a badly rusted broken sword.
And on the ground next to the pile of rubble, there was a line of carvings. The carvings were so deep that even after 700 years of weathering, it was still clear: 16th Squadron, where Cole lay.
Rebecca's voice came from behind. "What … is this?"
"When the team crossed the Whitewater River, they encountered pursuers. 16th Squadron was in charge of bringing up the rear, but no one survived," Gwen said slowly. "It should be the last surviving soldiers who retreated to this place when there was no hope of breaking out. Unfortunately … at that time, the demonic tide was raging, and the whole Gloom Mountain Range was shrouded in the power of decay. In my lifetime, we were not able to recapture this area. When the demonic tide subsided, no one remembered this place … "
Byron and Knight unsheathed their swords, pressed them against their chests, and bowed to the simple grave.
The soldiers buried here still had a grave, but the soldiers who built the grave and left the carvings were nowhere to be found.
Gwen was silent for a moment in front of the grave. He then picked up a piece of rubble and put it on top of the pile of rubble. "Don't worry, everyone survived."
At this moment, he wished he was saying this as Gwen Cecil, and not as Gwen the time traveler.
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