Above The Sky
Chapter 241 - 241 229 The Stones of the Ruins Speak 23

241: Chapter 229: The Stones of the Ruins Speak (2/3) 241: Chapter 229: The Stones of the Ruins Speak (2/3) “It’s kind of like pudding?”

After stopping the bleeding from the wound on his wrist, Ian picked up the lump of Golden Blood Jelly with interest, feeling its bouncy texture akin to a stress ball, “No, it’s much sturdier than pudding.

It’s a material with high tenacity composed mostly of Earth Essence.”

Shifting his gaze, Ian looked toward the Amber Crystal Core on the other side.

Amber Crystal is the essence of the essence of Swamp Crocodragon and also a ‘solid structure’ that cannot be completely transformed even by the method of Blood Refinement.

At the same time, it is also the raw material needed for the self-repair of the Ancient Dragon Heart Core.

Of course, it cannot be fully repaired, but at least a part of the structure can be fixed.

And the Golden Blood Jelly contains most of the essence of the Demi-Magic Potion materials from Swamp Crocodragon.

It is a lump of ‘Alchemy Matrix’ that has already been processed.

Even though it cannot act as a ‘main material’ because the Amber Crystal has not fused into it, as a supplementary material, the refined jelly is exceptional.

Ian could clearly weigh his priorities.

Repairing the Ancient Dragon Heart Core was far more crucial than a main material of the Second Energy Level.

Furthermore, if he truly wished to advance to become a Rock Cast Knight, he definitely needed to complete the ‘fourth Sublimation Organ’ as a Sand Armor Apprentice.

Conveniently, the Golden Blood Jelly, as the essence of the Origin Structure that hardens the Swamp Crocodragon’s body and controls the mud and sand shields, seemed to be just the right Demi-Magic Potion material for the fourth organ of the Sand Armor Apprentice.

Opening his mouth, Ian directly swallowed the Amber Crystal Core and Golden Blood Jelly into his stomach and stored them in his ‘second stomach.’

It felt a bit like swallowing a piece of iron but on the whole, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

The Ancient Dragon Heart Core would slowly draw from the structure of the Amber Crystal Core in his second stomach to self-repair, requiring no effort from Ian.

And as for the Golden Blood Jelly, it could last a long time without Ian stimulating the muscular stomach…

or rather, as a Sublimator of the same attribute, Ian’s body was naturally the best preservation cabinet for Earth Essence materials.

Plus, the significant amount of Earth Essence he had absorbed through Blood Refinement…

After digesting silently for a while and opening his eyes again, Ian was brimming with vitality.

“Although I will need to replenish some water and salts later, for at least a day, I won’t need to eat any other food and can maintain my strength at its peak.”

Having absorbed the value that needed to be absorbed and stored what needed to be stored from the Brain Marrow Crystal of the Swamp Crocodragon, Ian had disposed of one of the most valuable spoils of war on his person and converted it into his own strength.

He picked up his longsword and stood up.

Then, stimulating Foresight View and the Silver Chip, he searched for ‘signs of life.’

In truth, there were no actual signs of life, just various minute features related to life activities deduced from the Origin Substance Reaction and the Silver Chip analyzing the flow of the air around him.

Soon, Ian noticed something, “There’s a slight sound fluctuation to the right, it could be water movement, or it might be the echo of distant voices in conversation.”

“Let’s get closer to take a look.”

Hiding his presence, Ian silently walked in the direction from which the sound was emanating.

The long corridor was secluded with many junctions and rooms.

Following the guidance of the Silver Chip, Ian headed straight towards the origin of the sound without being misled or sidetracked.

After some time, he saw a group of figures in the distance.

“Oh?”

Adjusting his focus slightly, Ian fixed his gaze and looked ahead.

Dozens of people, clad in various colored clothes and appearing to be just ordinary sailors and merchants, were exploring down the wide cavern passage in an extremely orderly fashion.

A few took point, a few oversaw the flanks, and a few kept watch on the rear; in the middle, a group carrying alchemical firearms and shields, all trained operatives, guarded the researchers and Sublimators in the center of the team so tightly that not even air could pass through, their firepower always aimed at several areas of great risk.

Although they looked well-trained, even better equipped than Harrison Port’s guard squad, their clothing was indeed that of ordinary merchants and fishermen.

If they hadn’t drawn their weapons, donned armored clothing, picked up shields, and rifles, they would truly look like ordinary people.

Even an average person would see them as armed merchants from Whale Song Cliff—suspect, yes, but not inexplicable.

However, Ian saw through their identities at a glance by the style of firearms they carried.

“People from Fiery Flame Land?”

A huge question arose in his mind, Ian furrowed his brows, his expression serious, “Why are they here?”

“Even the exploration team and the rescue team organized by Viscount Grant haven’t entered yet, how did they start exploring already?”

Could it be…

that this team had always been hidden in the surrounding waters, observing the battle between Patrick, Viscount Grant, and the Natives, and then got swept into the suddenly opened ruins’ gate?

But that didn’t seem right either.

They were too well equipped, yet their numbers were few—if they were aiming to help the Natives rob Harrison Port, doubling their numbers would hardly be enough, and if it were a mission to infiltrate and assist in training the Natives, the number of operatives was excessive, and the equipment too professional, obviously overkill.

“It seems…

like they knew about the ruins from the very beginning.”

“If it was the Great Shaman who told them, coming for the Native Holy Land, that would make sense,” he mused with great doubt, and activated his Silent Voice Ring.

Although the inscriptions within his Silent Voice Ring were somewhat unstable and probably couldn’t be used many more times, now was the moment for it to serve its purpose.

Completely muting all of his sounds, Ian stealthily followed the team.

And with a Silver Chip, he eavesdropped on the conversations within the opposing team.

…

To the eyes of the special forces battalion commander on the southeastern front of Fiery Flame Land, this deep underground cavern was eerily silent.

As a former elite scout accustomed to lurking in darkness and forests, he did not like this kind of strange silence, which reminded the commander of the time he served in Abassalom’s Second Royal Legion, exterminating those Shadowleaf Demon Forms bathed in bloodshed.

Those Alien Forms that could disguise themselves as trees only needed to slide their leaf blades gently when a soldier passed by to sever the head of a well-trained soldier, causing blood to spill amidst treew and shrubs.

To eradicate that particular nest of Magical Beasts, the Second Royal Legion and several allied legions lost nearly half their numbers, not to mention the servant army.

After that, the mention of forests changed the color of soldiers’ faces across all nations of Abassalom, with some retired veterans developing mental illnesses, no longer able to stand the sight of tree branches swaying in the wind, occasionally lashing out in a fit of madness, raising their swords against children playing around trees.

The battalion commander survived that war and did not fall ill.

But he still disliked this peculiar silence because the most lethal dangers lurk soundlessly in the shadows, like blades hidden among the leaves, ready to decapitate him at any moment.

Just like now.

A constant sensation of being watched pricked at his nerves.