The ancient mage-emperors obviously did not know how to effectively suppress the First Born, because until they were defeated and the First Born was forced to sleep under the effect of the safety device, they had not really found a way to kill this primordial creature. Therefore, after the First Born fell asleep, the suppression measures they took were basically based on luck: each mage-emperor chose a different form of seal, hoping that they would work.
The mountain barrier of Dragonspine Ridge and the lifeless rock giants had proved ineffective, and the Giant Tree of Life was said to have withered long ago. Now the only seal that seemed to be functioning normally and seemed to be powerful was the Volcano of Dusk.
The volcano was pressing down on the First Born. The werewolf witch king, Sanur, had created an inescapable net of lava rivers and magma pillars under the volcano, making them crisscrossed around the organs of the First Born like steel nails. The world deep underground here was far more complicated than the underground of Beinz. Deep rock cracks and magma lakes formed a fragile but stable balance. As soon as the First Born woke up, it would trigger the elemental flames on the Volcano of Dusk, and then the whole area would collapse, and the First Born would be pushed into the magma deep in the mantle.
However, Sanur did not try to kill the sleeping First Born directly in this way, indicating that he knew very well that pushing into the magma was not enough to kill the monster, which would only cause it to wake up early. So Hao Ren guessed that the suppression measures under the Volcano of Dusk were just a thing to buy time, and the mage-emperor was counting on the "Stellaris Allies" who were destined to never come.
After collecting the tissue samples and signal frequencies in the Divine Sarcophagus, Hao Ren decided to go deep into the place where the First Born was sleeping to see the situation. Going further was a territory that ordinary people absolutely could not set foot in. Even with the amulet of the church, they could be affected by the First Born's dream at any time, so this time he only brought Vivian, Ophra and Cardinal Orben. The others stayed in the cavern on standby.
Her professional habits as a mercenary made her feel that she should go deeper, and her mental strength was no less than that of a high-grade knight or a monk, so she could move freely in the deep cavern. But Hao Ren felt that there was no need to bring too many people, so he let her stay with Lily and the others.
The four of them entered the secret chamber of one of the First Borns through a large crack in the rock barrier, and then groped their way through the cave system. The environment of the deep cavern was several times harsher than the outside. There was unbearable heat here, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. It was obvious that they were very close to the magma pillar. Walking in this place, one would hear some strange sounds from time to time, and some chaotic images would appear in one's mind. This was the First Born talking in its sleep, and those who stepped into it could not help but be affected.
"This guy seems to be more 'mature' than the one in Dragonspine Ridge. Perhaps it is close to 'adulthood'," Hao Ren judged. "I remember that the First Born in Dragonspine Ridge is not as strong as this one. I only hear its voice occasionally."
Ophra nodded. "For a long time, there has been a rumor that the evil spirit of the mage-emperor is sleeping in the Volcano of Dusk. The soldiers of Limestone Fortress often hear strange sounds coming from the depths of the ground in their dreams, but they didn't expect it to be caused by the activities of the First Born."
After a long time, a huge underground rift appeared in front of the four of them.
This black rift extended to both sides as far as the eye could see, and the exit of the cave where Hao Ren and the others were was in the middle of the rift. Between the cliffs of the rift, there were huge tentacles crossing like bridges, and under the rift, there was dark red magma flowing slowly. A few hundred meters away from the exit of the cave, there was even a magma waterfall falling from the sky, forming a blazing pillar of fire. The red light emitted by the magma illuminated the hellish underground world. Hao Ren looked up and could only see a hazy shadow: it was a roof intertwined with more tentacles, holding up the rock layer above.
The air was filled with an unbearable smell, and every breath was hot as if it was about to ignite the internal organs. Vivian summoned a frosty breath to barely resist the bad air around them, and then released a little bat. The little bat circled a few times near the opposite cliff, and when it flew back, its body had withered like dried meat.
Vivian put the little bat back into her body and frowned. "There's no road ahead. There's only a tentacle that connects to a ramp on the opposite side like a bridge. But it's not easy to walk, and the tentacle is a bit thin."
"This is a malicious place," Cardinal Orben took a deep breath, the runes on his skin glowing. "The air is filled with hostility."
"There's no need to go further, this is probably the core area," Hao Ren shook his head and released the MDT. "How's the scan of the structure?"
"It's complete," the MDT projected a complex scan of the underground world, showing an ellipsoidal area intertwined with lava, rifts, tentacles, caves, and weird large pieces of biological tissue. It was as twisted and grotesque as a nightmare. "We'd better go back and think of a safe plan of action."
Hao Ren sighed. "Let's go."
The inspection team returned to the Limestone Fortress, and then directly teleported back to the Royal City.
They did not go to the Giant Tree of Life, because the situation of the Giant Tree of Life was not complicated, and much easier to solve than the Volcano of Dusk. And in one of Hao Ren's action plans, as long as they could solve the First Born under the Volcano of Dusk, the cave under the Giant Tree of Life would not be a problem at all.
Of course, Hao Ren still got some information from Ophra for reference, it was the structure map of the Giant Tree of Life that the monks of the Disciples of Glory had explored in the past two months, and the historical documents about the giant tree. Whether it was useful or not... one could never have too much information.
The other accompanying ministers and bishops returned to their respective places, they each had something to report to their boss, while Ophra and Hao Ren returned to Becky's manor. The marshal looked a little worried. "How should I report?"
"Let the King rest assured, I have a way," Hao Ren said confidently. "In fact, I have a few plans in the cave... but any plan has a certain risk. The situation in the Volcano of Dusk is very complicated, I have to prevent the magma from erupting."
"Let's go back and study it, and come back as soon as we have the results. The next time we come back, the problem of the First Born on this planet should be completely solved." Lily also looked like an expert next to Hao Ren. "Anyway, Mr. Landlord must have a way. He's very high-tech."
"You're leaving now?" Ophra glanced at the group, and her eyes finally fell on Becky. "She's staying?"
"She can't bear to leave the manor here," Hao Ren shrugged. "But for us, traveling through time and space is not much different from going out to buy soy sauce. Anyway, when we're not here, please take care of Becky. You know this girl is a little... "
Before he could finish his words, Becky glared at him, and Lily immediately straightened her tail and made a threatening sound from her throat. Hao Ren looked at Lily, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "I'm not talking about you this time..."
Lily bared her teeth. "But I know your next sentence will be using me as an example! Who doesn't know that a dog's mouth can't spit out ivory... "
There was a sudden silence. Vivian patted Lily on the shoulder. "You finally spit out ivory."
Lily did not react. "Woof?"
Hao Ren pinched Lily's ear and looked at Ophra with a smile. "About the cult, please help keep an eye on it. I heard that you haven't found any clues about them yet? "
"They are a loose cult, most likely a patchwork of a dozen small gangs," Ophra shook her head. "We can only confirm that they are still active in some areas, but we haven't been able to catch them."
"When you find them, keep them alive for me," Hao Ren nodded. "I want to study the giant brain they summoned."
"Also, remember to pass that letter to the pope and the king," Vivian reminded. "In it is the real reason why the First Born destroyed the world. The mage emperors have been the scapegoat for 10,000 years. Now you can think of a way to clear their name. Whether the bigwigs believe it or not, the mage emperors are indeed innocent. "
Ophra nodded slightly. "I understand."
Ophra cleverly left before Hao Ren and the rest could see her off, leaving Hao Ren and the rest to say goodbye to Becky. The mercenary maiden was still a little reluctant to leave her friends. After all, they had lived together for so long. Even a greedy mercenary had feelings. "You guys have to come and see me often, even after the First Born has been dealt with. Also, if there's anything exciting in the future, bring me along. I still want to go on an adventure in a spaceship! And the next time you come, bring me some chips and coke... "
Hao Ren looked at the girl who rarely showed such a look, and suddenly felt it was very interesting. "Since you are so reluctant, just come back to Earth with us."
Becky jumped back more than a meter, hugging the door pillar and not letting go. "Be careful on the way. Have a safe trip. I'll see you later. I'd rather be a tycoon here."
Hao Ren was speechless.
After they left Becky's manor, Vivian asked, "Are we going to return to Andrea Castle directly from the Alamanda portal? Take the spaceship or teleport? "
"No, there is one more thing," Hao Ren looked up at the sky slightly. "There is a more important ruin that we haven't seen."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
