Chapter 76: . Fortress Ruins

The next morning, the air was particularly humid and cold.
There is no sunlight in the deep underground cave. Rhea relies on the precise biological clock of the mercenary to successfully get rid of the entanglement of trivial dreams. She glanced at her side, and the Great Swordsman was no longer visible. The intermittent sound of pots and bowls from outside the tent proved his whereabouts. Rhea is actually very satisfied with this companion who has been together for many days but still hasn't said a few words. Not only is she powerful, faithful and reliable, but she also has top-notch culinary skills--except for being a little bit stupid, she is impeccable. .
The teenagers were still snoring in their warm bags. Today's task was difficult. She didn't want to disturb people's dreams. She stood up quietly, opened the thick curtain and walked to the waterway. In the dim light, you can still see the small footprints of countless black shadows passing by last night. She stared at the fuzzy mark for a long time before squatting down to wash in silence.
As the smell of rice from the chariot grew stronger and stronger, the two little slackers were finally hooked out of the tent. At breakfast, the tempting food almost made people forget the "incidental encounter" last night. Gloria swallowed slowly but unambiguously ate up the 9-inch wide omelet and lean meat sandwich in her hand. Yuno poured a glass of fresh juice from the sealed silver jug ​​of the drink, and savored slowly. .
Rhea had eaten the pancakes a long time ago, was holding the juice and sipping lightly, taking advantage of this time to talk about the action plan: "The chariot can't drive into the secret road, so you can only stay here first. After eating, take the time to pack your things. Today is just a preliminary survey. I came back here to camp at night. The situation in the fortress is unknown. For safety, I can only eat dry food for lunch..." She tilted her head to Gloria, who had already pouted her mouth, and her expression was flat. There is no compromise.
"In addition, about the suspected monster cub..." She stopped suddenly, turned the rim of the cup as if she was pondering, and the girl couldn't help but interject: "Don't worry, don't worry, just leave it to the big guy. , Where do you want this lady to go to battle in person, hum! Come on, big guy, drink more and eat more, you can work hard when your stomach is full!"
She cocked her nose and just finished speaking, and eagerly added food to the swordsman next to her, with a heartfelt expression of being kind to you, Emmon would not refuse to open her mouth and eat without any disgust, let The little doctor on the other side really wanted to shake his head.
However, with the influence of many years of table manners, he managed to suffocate his face and sternly suggested to the female archer: "Sister Rhea, I still remember the passages of the fortress. If there is anything I need to do, you can just ask. "
"I see." Rhea sensed that he was gradually overcoming the fear in his heart, nodded in relief, and then took a look at the hopeless mischief over there, sighed and put the water glass back on the tray, got up and packed his luggage.
She didn't need many tools. In addition to the essential binoculars, portable lights, and maps, she also took a few flash bombs and sonic bombs. These engineering products can often play wonders when encountering certain monsters.
All the dry food and drinking water along the way were handed over to Eamon. Yuno just sorted out his small medicine chest and brought a revolver around his waist just in case. Gloria was pacing and thinking about it, got into the car and turned around for a long time. When she came out, she changed into a gray camouflage uniform with a heavy sniper rifle above her head. It feels so heroic.
Everything was prepared, and the giant scorpion chariot was turned into an iron-like defensive form. They once again opened the secret passage entrance, led by Rhea, followed one by one, and proceeded cautiously.
The elliptical tunnel was filled with light dust everywhere. As soon as people walked, they drifted into the dull air. If you were not careful, you would have to choke a few mouthfuls. With the glow of the glowstone above the head, the footprints of everyone walking are clearly visible, and it can be seen that there are no monsters here, and everyone relaxes a lot. The team moved forward almost silently, crossing the low slope, climbing up the winding stone ladder, and turning a few narrow corners, only to find that the road ahead was completely blocked by gravel and bricks.
"It's weird, how could it collapse here..." Yuno stepped forward and tapped on the gravel barrier that didn't know how thick it was. He turned around and asked everyone, "Try to see if you can make an opening from the side? "
Everyone unanimously cast their gazes on the heavy assassin—Emon the Great Swordsman. Under the gaze of a few bright eyes, he drew the great sword from under the tarpaulin rucksack, staring dumbly at the jagged stone wall, testing着hack out. The red light flashed, and the narrow cracks in the rock wall were black. Rhea took the lamp and took a photo, and found that the inner rock formations were all made of indestructible black rocks.
"Have you arrived at the fortress?" She immediately guessed the reason, and cast her eyes to Yuno for confirmation. This kind of super rock, which is famous for its solidity, is probably only in the Arcadina Fortress, which is the gateway to the country, so spare no effort. Used locally.
"The front is the exit. Go up a spiral staircase and you will reach the underground storage room of the fortress." Yuno glanced in through the fluorescence and nodded slightly.
"There are all black rocks inside...Even if you put explosives in it, it's useless, do you want us to wear it off little by little..." Gloria bulged into a bun with a small face, and subconsciously touched it in her pocket. Touched, only to remember that I came out without a bomb.
She had no choice but to turn her head back to Eamon for help, but found that the other party was tilting her head and backing backwards, straight back to the corner, and then dashed forward a few steps, and the big sword swept back and forth on the rock formation above her head. Next, it broke open a hole like a rotten hole.
"Haha, there really is you, big man! It turns out that the top is empty, which made this lady worry for a long time!" The girl quickly drilled under the hole, patted the engineering mirror on her forehead, and two white lights entered the hole. A curved rock top is illuminated.
"I'll go up and see first." Rhea created an ice ladder under the cave and got in first. The two teenagers followed suit. Eamon glanced at the gravel wall and then glanced behind him. , I calmly stepped on the ice ladder and flew into the cave easily.
The cave on the upper part of the secret road looks almost circular, the stone walls are smooth, the height is less than three meters, and the width is only one meter away, and the two people standing side by side are too crowded. Everyone took a look around with the light of the engineering mirror, and there was no reflection in the deep cave. It was even more gloomy and quiet than the lowest cave, and there was a faint smell that could not be dissipated.
How could there be such a slender cave under the fortress? Rhea thought about Yuno’s answer. She was a little confused at this moment. She frowned and raised the fluorescent light, and then looked to her side carefully, only to find circles of very shallow thread marks on the gray-black rock wall. , His complexion suddenly tightened.
"Could this be... the tunnel drilled by the ground-falling dragon?" She had only heard of the rumored King of the Underworld. She had never seen it with her own eyes. She could only look at the more experienced Eamon and nodded silently at the other party. After that, he immediately pulled out the longbow and tightened his body, fully guarded.
"Falling Dragon!? No, luck is so good, no no, so bad..." Gloria whispered in surprise, but after seeing the female archer's dark complexion, she immediately changed her mouth and lowered her head to mutter. , "Are you right? Few people have seen Ground Dragon with their own eyes!"
Yuno had absolutely no idea of ​​what they were talking about, "Grounding Dragon", and he was at a loss.
Rhea pondered and looked at the team before and after, feeling a little unsure, looking at Eamon's cold face that has remained unchanged for many years, thinking of the two young people in the team with insufficient combat effectiveness, and did not know what to do for a while.
"It's okay." The Great Swordsman seemed to see her hesitation, and said indifferently, without paying attention to the monster that hadn't met. He stretched his hand across the rock wall and smelled the remaining fishy smell, as if confirming something, he turned and stood in front of Yuno and stretched out his hand to signal.
"Mr. J, what are you?" The little doctor looked at the big hand lying flat on his chest at a loss. He still hasn't figured out what happened. Fortunately, the clever female craftsman helped him. Solved.
"Ah, I got it! The big guy must want that stinky mushroom! Hmm...If you use this to deal with the Ground Dragon, it might be effective..." The girl nodded seriously, "But then again, Ground Dragon... Does it have a nose?" She stared at the swordsman and asked, but the other party didn't respond at all, still staring at Yuno without moving.
The little doctor hurriedly opened the medicine box and took out the medicine bottle wrapped in layers of thick cloth. Because the rotten smell of stinky mushrooms is really unbearable, he deliberately installed a sealed leather bag, which was tightly wrapped in gauze to prevent the bottle from breaking. It really took a little effort to open it.
He was about to find a living mouth to untie the gauze, but Emon took it, and raised his head to sniff the smell of the breeze. He drew a sword with one hand to make a gap on the top of the hole. Without saying anything, it was just a light drill. Went in.
"Quickly follow." Rhea knocked on the heads of the two dumbfounded teenagers, closed their long bows, and sent them up one by one.
The next level is the same narrow cave. It seems that the underground of this fortress has been regarded as a safe place by the legendary monsters. After so many years, I am afraid that this place has been hollowed out a long time ago, but I don’t know whether those monsters are hiding now. where.
With this kind of anxiety, everyone did not dare to speak out, and followed Eamon all the way carefully. He would stop and smell the smell from time to time, sometimes turning back and forth, just to find the right feeling, he would use his sword to cut open the passage to the upper or lower level without any muddling. I don’t know if the stinky mushrooms that haven’t been taken out have played a role. Although they can often hear the rumbling and trembling sounds like a railcar running over them, they really didn’t. Even one side of encountering that monster is incredibly lucky.
The team just walked and stopped like this, but there was no danger. The initial trembling was gone for a long time, and then it was almost numb. Only knowing that mechanically following the footsteps of the swordsman, Gloria even kept yawning. , A very boring look. Fortunately, this underground corridor-like maze is not too deep. As Eamon swung his last sword to split the top of the rock, a faint dim light immediately shone into the cave, refreshing everyone.
"Go up, go up!" The girl sprinted onto the shoulder of the big man, patted her hands that were not dusted with dust, and then looked back at the passageway and muttered again, "It's coming out, Miss Ben Never enter the cave again, it will be suffocated!"
Her complaint received a lot of sympathy from her companions, and everyone turned dizzy. It was a long sigh of relief when she saw the end, and she hurriedly supported each other to drill a gap.
The outside of the cave is still gray, covered with broken stones and bricks everywhere, showing the desolation and desolation that cannot be erased, and occasionally a few columns of different lengths are stubbornly supported between the rubble, like a lonely watchman. From a distance, you can see the almost intact majestic city wall, stretching out a semicircle in the field of vision, and it seems that they have indeed successfully reached the inside of the fortress.
"Acadina..." Rhea looked around, mixed emotions flashing in her eyes. When she was a child, her father had to stay here all year round because of the outbreak of war, but he never brought her here, leaving her with a double contradiction of desire and disgust for this fortress. And now she finally stood here, but unfortunately, her father is no longer there...
This strong sense of loss caused her to lose consciousness for a few seconds, and then immediately took it back under almost harsh self-discipline habits. She tightened the hands of the two teenagers and led them to hide behind a broken wall on the side, carefully Check the surrounding situation.
It's really quiet here-it seems that you can't even hear the sound of the wind. Her sharp needle-pointed sight swept through all the shadows in the rubble. The world was covered with lifelessness, and only their own heartbeat and breathing were still conveying life. .
"Let’s split up. I’m going to re-draw the map here to compare with the big guy..." Gloria had turned off the lights of the engineering glasses long ago and took out a small alloy paint from her pocket. Measuring the board, he gestured to the female archer.
"Okay, be careful. Yuno and I have a look around for any clues." Since there was no threatening existence for the time being, she agreed to Gloria's proposal and watched the two companions leave behind the wall. Looking at the dilapidated ruins around him, he murmured with emotion, "Unexpectedly, only eight years later, the original invincible fortress became like this...Have you seen that catastrophe? Really has such a terrible destructive power?"
"I don't know if that counts as a catastrophe..." The little doctor frowned and recalled the past, with doubts. "I just rushed to the periphery of the airship platform, and saw a golden light gushing out in front of it, not an ordinary light. , It’s more like owning an entity that is constantly changing and expanding, and then I discovered..."
He lost the courage to speak again, and after a few seconds pause, he reluctantly continued: "When I woke up again, I was already in the desert far away from the fortress. Later, I heard people say that the entire fortress was darkened. A restricted area shrouded in mist."
"...In that case, let's take a look at the airship platform first." Rhea always felt that this place was weird and didn't want to delay time. She took Yuno through the broken wall and followed the direction indicated on the map. Walk to the former site of the airship platform. However, before they had gone far, the road ahead was blocked by a huge wall made of black stone fragments. Both ends of the black wall were connected to the rugged high cliffs, as if an irregular chip was embedded in the stone.
"Hey, this is the tower of the headquarters? How did it look like this..." Yuno was speechless. How could he forget this magnificent Blackstone fortress, which was still intact at the time. He and that friend were caught Being locked in this castle that was harder and stronger than steel, he had no choice but to find the secret passage by any means. Unexpectedly, he came here again, and it was completely destroyed.
Rhea raised her head and roughly estimated the height of the giant wall, fearing that it would not be less than a hundred meters. She could climb over with the help of her body type and ice, but if Yuno is added, I’m afraid she can only build a long one. The ice bridge is over, but using divine power on a large scale in this unknown fortress ruin will not only cause huge waste due to the suppression of divine power by the Dark Swamp, it is also a bit risky.
"See if there is a way to go around." She glanced at the little doctor who was still in shock, and pulled him to go, but heard hurried footsteps in the distance.
"Look, look, sister Rhea, look!" Gloria stumbled and ran over, grinning wildly, her hands folded in front of her chest as if there was something hidden. She screamed hurriedly all the way, completely forgetting that she was still in the center of the monster's lair, and she was so scared that Rhea hurried forward and covered her mouth.
"Dead girl, don't die!" There was almost a fire in her eyes, and she threw a horror on the girl's forehead, and then glared at the big swordsman who followed but stood by, full of reproach.
"Hey, show you something good!" The girl was not angry at all, spread out her closed palm like a treasure, and there was a very soft black ball on her palm.
Rhea was so angry with her hippie smile that she knew nothing wrong, she grabbed the black ball and squeezed it in her hand. She realized that the thing was alive, and she would twist her body to resist her. palm.
"It actually moves!? Is this also a kind of monster?" Yuno also leaned in curiously, not daring to get too close, standing a step away and staring at the soft ball up and down.
"Any living thing in the dark swamp is inseparable from those monsters..." The female archer coldly looked at the black ball in her hands that was struggling more and more, and used her divine power to freeze it, and she just put it into her bag, suddenly I feel that countless black spots are moving in the distance. She immediately looked up vigilantly, and suddenly there were countless black soft popping up from nowhere, densely clustered, slowly approaching the black stone wall.
"Go back!" She hurriedly called out the alarm, and protected the two teenagers back a few steps against the wall before drew out her longbow and tentatively shot an arrow forward.
The fierce Frostbolt pierced a row of black into black light like a string of lines, smashing the dry and unstoppable, but the light did not leave as fast as the monsters shot before, but hovered around and gradually solidified. , Turned into black again, and joined the mighty army.
"Tsk..." Seeing that the black ball couldn't be killed, she instantly changed the method, did not hesitate to spend a lot of divine power to build an arc-shaped ice wall in front, and then whispered to Emmon who was drawing the sword. Go and see if there are other channels."
The Great Swordsman stood silent for a moment, seeming to hesitate, but in the end he accepted the instruction and left quickly with his toes. The black ball army also rushed forward in silence, gradually piled higher and higher outside the ice wall, forcing Rhea to follow and build it, and in the end it turned into a half-round ball with three people inside. Due to the natural suppression of the divine power of the Dark Swamp, the entire ice wall is constantly melting. Countless black ball monsters spread over the surface of the ice, rolling and squeezing back and forth in the melted ice water, and the ice cover quickly appeared on the ice. Grid-like pressure patterns of different sizes appeared, and the situation quickly fell into a critical state!
Gloria was completely relieved of her excitement at this time, holding on to the little doctor who was equally nervous and pale, staring at the black ball all over the sky, and still muttering in her mouth: "What strange thing Well, I would not pick it up if I knew it, so why chase after others..."
Keep chasing... Rhea heard this complaint flashing in his brain, took out the black ball that was frozen in the bag, and manipulated the divine power to open a small hole in the top of his head, and turned his body into ice. Flicked his hand and threw it out.
The black ball monster that was less than the size of a fist quickly fell into its congener group in the focused eyes of a few people. After a few seconds, the tide-like monster army slowly climbed down the ice wall, and disappeared into the distance without any sound. The place is still hazy in the mist.