What should I prepare for?
Bart Wendell looked up at the giant canopy that covered the sky and the countless vines and pillars that hung down from the canopy. This' plant ', which could almost be described as a mythical creation, was far beyond his experience and knowledge. Even in the ancient books of the Everything-Endgame, there was no description of it …
No, it was not completely absent. He remembered that in some religious books passed down from the ancient Druil Church in the library of the Everything-Endgame, something similar was described: In the depths of the divine kingdom that mortals could not reach, the ancient God of Nature, Amoun the Giant Deer, lived under a giant tree called 'Samsara'. The giant tree covered the sky and the sun, and on its canopy was a city called 'Life'. Its roots were buried deep in the ground, entangling a tomb called 'Death'.
Could this giant tree be a by-product of the artificial gods that the Everything-Endgame forcibly created?
There was nothing to prepare for such a thing.
Just relax, write a decent will, and eat a delicious meal. If he was still the Wolf General, he could say a few impassioned words. Unfortunately, he was now a prisoner, so words were unnecessary.
He lowered his head and said, "It's ready."
Gwen nodded and gestured to the soldiers beside him. Soon, someone brought the necessary equipment.
Although Bart was an ex-cultist who needed to atone for his crimes, and although his mission was similar to that of a suicide squad member, Gwen did not bring him here to vent his anger or to punish him. This mission really required a priest like Bart who understood the situation. Pitman could not do it. He had left the Dark Cult for more than a decade, and many of the settings in this underground palace had been changed. But Bart could. He knew the structure below and knew how to disarm the latest magic gears and traps in the underground palace.
In any case, regardless of his identity as a cultist, Bard Wendell was still quite valuable to Gawain. Gawain did not wish to simply lose Bard in this exploration mission. If possible, Gawain still hoped that Bard could come back alive. For this reason, Gawain ordered his men to prepare a full set of equipment to assist Bard in completing the mission.
The soldiers brought in a large box, which contained a set of light armor for the Iron Rangers. This was currently the most suitable armor for special missions in Cecil's magical set. At the same time, it had the best defensive and auxiliary performance. In addition, there were pre-packaged emergency potions, additional shields, and defensive weapons.
Considering that Bart was not familiar with the operation of the magical equipment, Gwen chose things that could be operated automatically or were particularly easy to operate. Even the sword was a traditional steel enchanted weapon. He believed that these things were enough. After all, aside from equipment, Bard himself was a powerful Extraordinary. He had the ability to protect himself to a certain extent.
Bard immediately understood Gawain's meaning when he looked at the equipment that had a unique style but was of excellent workmanship.
"I don't know if you have taken the initiative to atone for your sins with your death. I don't care either. But at least this time, you have to come back alive." Gwen nodded slightly to Bart. "These things can provide you with the greatest protection. Try them on first. I'll tell you the details later."
With the help of the two soldiers, Bart quickly put on the full set of equipment. He stretched his arms and legs and was satisfied with the light and comfortable black armor. He also felt that the armor had a variety of elemental protection and physique enhancement effects. Then he picked up the short sword and a dagger and casually waved them a few times. They were not divine weapons, but they were precious enchanted equipment. And they were particularly comfortable to use. They must have been carefully selected.
This mission seemed to be very important.
After Bart got used to the equipment, Gwen pointed to a strange-looking metal device on the ground. "You have to bring this with you. It won't leave your body for the whole journey."
Bart glanced at it and found that it was a magic device about the size of a human head with a triangular base inlaid with crystals. There was also a buckle on the base, which seemed to be able to be hung on the buckle on the chest of his armor. He picked it up and weighed it. Although it was not very heavy, it would definitely affect his agility to a certain extent.
"What is this?" Bard asked curiously. Since he did not know what this thing was for, he only felt that it would affect his movements. But since Gawain specifically asked him to bring it along, it seemed that this thing had a necessary function. He knew that he was not in a position to be picky, but at least he wanted to know what was hanging on his body. Even if it was a self-destructing device used to blow up some underground facility, he wanted to know.
After all, Cecil's people were best at blowing up all kinds of things. Last time, the despicable Knight threw a metal box at him and almost killed him …
"It's a communication device that can synchronize what you see to the surface." Gwen did not know what Bart was muttering in his heart. He casually explained and ordered someone to activate the magic network terminal placed not far away. "Wear this, we can confirm your surroundings."
The magic device not far away was activated. Bart was surprised to find that the device on his chest was also emitting a shimmer. Then he noticed that the device not far away had an image in front of him. This magical thing reminded him of the magic projections floating on the street.
Is it similar technology?
"It will probably affect your movements a little, but this is the most advanced and miniaturized equipment available. Plus, you're a Transcendent, so you should be able to overcome this inconvenience," Gawain continued. "Its effective range should be enough for you to complete your mission. But considering that the underground situation is complicated and may affect the signal, you have to be extra careful when you move. We will inform you when the signal is seriously affected, or if you notice that the crystal has gone out, immediately return to a position where you can maintain communication. We will then arrange the follow-up. "
Bart listened carefully to every word Gwen said. Before the operation began, every order from the other party would affect his chances of survival. And he also knew that this incredible magic device, apart from communication, was more important to allow the people on the surface to confirm the real situation below without relying on him to describe it in words after he returned.
As a prisoner under observation and a sinful cultist, his words were not yet trustworthy. Cecil's people trusted their magical technology more.
Bart accepted these facts calmly. This was the necessary means and price to prove himself.
"I understand." He nodded hard.
"Very well, then let's go." Gwen nodded slightly. "Be careful and come back safely."
Come back safely …
In this brief moment, Bart was suddenly a little stunned. He blinked, and his yellowed memories suddenly began to flip. In the depths of the memories that were buried by his muddle-headed and gloomy life, he remembered the last warm afternoon in his mind. He was dressed in martial attire, riding on a horse, his daughter reluctantly tugging at his clothes, his father standing by the roadside, and the last words he heard from his family to him seemed to be these few words …
Now, he was no longer qualified to face any of his old friends.
Bart turned around and stepped toward the triangular gap that was emitting a dim fluorescent light. His figure gradually disappeared into the darkness.
Gwen withdrew his gaze and looked at the open space next to a large root on the left. In the open space, a metal pedestal supported a slightly rotating glowing crystal suspended in the air. Abundant magic was steadily being released, lighting up the nearby magic crystal lamps and also activating the magic network terminal on the open space.
It was a high-power magic obelisk, which maintained the magic supply of the trunk of the "Thorin Tree" and was also the signal center of the communication device that Bart carried. In the following operation, the situation in the root area of the "Thorin Tree" would be transmitted back through the crystal.
Not far away, the soldier in charge of monitoring the magic network terminal reported loudly, "There's a picture, Your Majesty."
"Let's go and wait." Gwen nodded and said to Amber and Pitman beside him, "Bart should be moving around down there for a long time."
…
The dark, deep, and winding road seemed to lead to an endless abyss.
Some kind of glowing moss clung to the surface of the nearby vines and roots, creating a limited amount of light. This faint light was not enough to illuminate the road. Instead, it made the road more dangerous. So after moving forward for a while, Bart turned on the lighting device that he carried with him.
Cecil's magical technology is indeed very convenient — he could not help but think.
The road was not easy to walk on. Although in theory there should be a wide ramp here, the collapse and the destruction of the man-made god had caused the structure of the underground palace near the surface to collapse completely. The collapsed soil layer formed a steep slope. But fortunately, the roots of unknown origin covered the slope with a relatively smooth "road". So, it was not a problem to move forward normally.
Bart carefully chose the direction to move forward along the "road" formed by the roots, and with the guidance of the broken stairs and corridors around him, he moved forward little by little into the depths of the ancient underground palace.
He was familiar with this place, but like almost every member of the Apocalypse cult, he did not know who built this ancient underground palace.
Yes, although this was the lair of the Apocalypse, it had existed long before the Dark Druil took over.
The Endgame Association had only rebuilt the stairs and corridors connecting the top floor to the surface to make it easier for the members to enter and exit secretly. However, the palace in the depths of the underground canyon ….. With the Endgame Association's engineering ability, it was impossible to build it.
The palace might even be older than the Kingdom of Ansu, perhaps dating back to the era of the Kingdom of Gondor.
Or … even older.
Following the path in his memory, Bard carefully walked deeper into the palace. He passed through the large ramp in the upper area, the broken assembly hall, and the twisted and broken corridors. Further ahead was the original structure of the underground palace.
The crooked walls extended into his sight, and there were half-destroyed Mana Net units on the walls. In the distance, there seemed to be remnants of a magic crystal lamp still operating, emitting a flickering light. These modern creations from "Cecil's technology" appeared in the dark lair of the Apocalypse, and the lair itself was built on an even more ancient and mysterious ruin. All of this made Bart feel a sense of intersecting time and space. He shook his head, carefully avoided some slippery vines, and moved forward in the corridor occupied by the roots and moss of the giant trees.
At the same time, he raised his vigilance and paid attention to his mental state at all times.
In the depths of the underground palace, there was a strange power called "God's Lingering Voice" by the preachers. It might be the corruption of reality caused by the Dark Druil's research on forbidden knowledge, or it might be the original power of the underground palace. The deeper he went, the more obvious the influence of this strange power became. Those with weak minds would hallucinate in the middle level and be instilled with terrifying and distorted knowledge. And in the deeper levels, even their flesh and limbs might mutate. It was strange and difficult to guard against.
Although this power was theoretically suppressed to the lowest level, and there were no signs of it actively seeping out for many years, who knew if the ancient ruin's restrictions were still effective after such a huge change. Bart wasn't afraid of death, but he didn't come here just to die.
He came to the meeting hall.
This was the place where the clerics of the church discussed matters. At the same time, this hall and the area on the same level as the hall were the places he visited most often as a mid-level cleric.
He vaguely heard some voices. It sounded like someone was whispering, but when he focused his attention, there was only a tangle of roots in the direction of the voice.
The "communication device" in front of his chest was operating. The runes and crystals emitted a faint light. Bart fumbled around and found a "button" on the surface of the device. Following the method taught by the soldiers before he set off, he pressed the button and said in a low voice, "This is the meeting hall. I'm not too familiar with any further down. Do I continue going down?"
There was no response from the communication device, only a hollow and low whistle.
On the surface, Gwen, Amber, and the others stood beside the magic network terminal. The terminal was projecting a holographic image of the depths of the underground palace.
In the light of the illumination device, the environment in front of Bart was clearly visible.
The image had not changed for several minutes, but Bart's faint breathing was still normal, which meant that he was still alive.
Amber scratched her head and looked puzzled. "Why is he standing there motionless?"
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