Chapter 128: Target, The Secret Realm's Core

The next morning, the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds, gilding the snow-covered land in a coat of pale gold.

The entire elven encampment was already in motion, humming with the precise, disciplined energy of a war machine preparing to strike.

Elaniel had changed back into her silver soft armor, its plates and links masterfully crafted to outline her graceful curves. The complex silver of her crown caught the morning light, casting sharp, cold glints that seemed to banish any lingering warmth. The playful, mature woman from the previous night had vanished without a trace, leaving only the majestic Elf Monarch in her place.

Eldara, too, had retreated behind her customary mask of glacial composure. However, whenever Celeste’s gaze happened to drift her way, the captain of the Silent Watch Knights would subconsciously straighten her back even further, her head snapping resolutely to face anywhere else. It was as if she was using every cell in her body to resist the memory of last night’s events.

Celeste chuckled internally. ‘Looks like the stoic captain is more than a little self-conscious about her freshly-baked “pink-haired dark history.”‘

After a simple breakfast, Elaniel gathered everyone.

“The Royal Mage Corps has locked onto the source of the spatial fluctuations.” Her Majesty the Queen’s expression was solemn as she unfurled a shimmering magic map. A single, flashing red dot pulsed ominously upon it, clearly marking the target location. “It is located on the mountainside, just north of the Frost Trail—an area buried by snow and rock.”

Every eye in the command tent was instantly captivated by that pulsating red dot. The secret realm’s core, hidden for so long, was finally about to reveal its true form.

Celeste’s mind raced, connecting the dots. ‘If the intel is right, the core is inside the mountain that got buried by the avalanche. And the Queen said the spatial fluctuations only stabilized after the avalanche…’Her eye twitched.’This means… my “Boom Boom Bakudan” not only yeeted the Troll leader into oblivion but also incidentally blasted this secret realm core into revealing its location?’A corner of her mouth twitched.’Holy shit, is the effect of a +1 to Luck really this broken?!’

“All troops, hear my command!” Elaniel’s voice was cold and majestic, cutting through the morning air. “Our target is the Frost Trail. Move out!”

The massive elven army surged forward like a tide. With a clear objective, their marching speed was astonishing. The elite Elven Rangers moved across the knee-deep snow as if it were flat ground, and the force soon arrived at its destination.

It was a steep cliff face, a sheer wall of white covered in thick, compacted snow. There was nothing else to see.

“Your Majesty, the snowpack is too thick. Conventional excavation methods will likely take a great deal of time,” the commanding general, Baroque, stepped forward to report.

“Unnecessary.” Elaniel shook her head.

At her gesture, several archmages from the Royal Mage Corps council stepped forward. They were clad in deep blue robes embroidered with silver constellations, holding staves of various complex shapes, their expressions utterly serious.

The lead archmage, an old elf with a long, white beard, took a step forward and tapped his staff lightly against the frozen ground. Ancient, obscure Elven incantations flowed from his lips, the words themselves seeming to vibrate with power.

The very elements in the air seemed to go berserk, gathering around his staff in a visible, cyan vortex of raw power.

“Whispers of the Wind, heed my call! Stir the dust and disperse the veil!”

A cyan torrent of air gushed from the tip of his staff, swelling as it met the wind. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a gigantic tornado that connected the earth to the heavens. Yet, for all its size, the tornado possessed no violent, destructive force. It moved like an invisible and nimble giant’s hand, precisely stroking the cliff face in the target area.

The thick snow was stripped away layer by layer, torn from the rock and rolled into the sky. It formed a roaring, white snow-dragon that finally crashed into a distant valley with a dull, thunderous boom.

“That efficiency… is better than a whole damn construction crew,” Selene muttered, her jaw practically on the floor.

Celeste’s heart gave a little jump. ‘Is this the power of a top-tier mage? A single area-of-effect spell, and the control is that precise. If I used the Venti trial card, could I even hope to achieve such delicate manipulation?’

Under the joint casting of the archmages, the snow on the entire cliff face was cleared away in less than fifteen minutes.

A pitch-black, gaping cave, seven or eight meters high, now stood revealed before them. The space around the cave’s entrance seemed to shimmer and distort like a heat haze on water, and a strange, unsettling aura permeated the air.

“This is the place.” Elaniel’s gaze grew grave. “The spatial fluctuations are abnormally strong. And… I can feel a massive amount of life energy imprisoned within.”

‘Life energy?’ A thought flashed through Celeste’s mind. It seemed this secret realm’s core wasn’t going to be another undead creature.

“Your Majesty, this life energy… it bears a resemblance to the aura of our people’s Tree of Life,” Eldara stepped forward, her scarlet eyes fixed on the cave entrance, her voice laced with vigilance. “But mixed within it… is a twisted and grotesque quality.”

“Your perception is sharp, as always,” Elaniel nodded. “This aura is like a polluted source of life. Or rather, its very essence has been forcibly twisted by some malevolent power.”

She turned her gaze to Eldara and issued a command. “Eldara, lead the Silent Watch Knights inside first and scout the situation. Be careful. Report any abnormalities immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Eldara accepted the order without hesitation. She turned and gave a silent command to the dozens of knights behind her, all clad in heavy black armor and wielding massive runic greatswords. Like ghosts melting into the shadows, they stepped into the pitch-black cave without a sound, their figures quickly swallowed by the darkness.

“Miss Celeste, you and your companions should follow me inside as well,” Elaniel said, turning to Celeste’s group. “You possess a different insight into the powers of this world. Perhaps you can provide some assistance.”

Celeste nodded. It was their job to identify the secret realm core, after all. Besides, traveling with Her Majesty the Queen was a massive boost to their safety.

“Let’s go, sisters! Adventure time!” Selene clenched her fists, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Su Wan and Xia Lian were also ready, their expressions a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

Celeste walked in the center of their small group, glancing at the formidable elven guards surrounding them. The Silent Watch Knights led the way, the Royal Mage Corps brought up the rear, elite rangers guarded the flanks, and the Queen herself commanded from the center. This formation was more than enough to handle any emergency.

She found herself looking forward to it. The last secret realm core was a Necromancer far too beautiful to be undead. What kind of bizarre entity would they find this time?

Inside the cave, it was another world entirely.

They found themselves in a deep, continuously descending passage. The rock walls on both sides were slick with moss that emitted a faint, fluorescent light, casting mottled, eerie shadows that danced and writhed. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, mixed with a cloying, fishy sweetness that seemed to originate from rotting flesh. It made one’s breathing feel heavy and labored.

“Watch your step,” Elaniel reminded them softly. Her voice stirred a brief echo in the passage before being swiftly swallowed by the boundless darkness.

The Moon Language Sacred Canon in Celeste’s hand emitted a soft, pure white light, becoming the most stable light source in the middle of the formation. She noticed deep scratch marks appearing occasionally on the rock walls. They didn’t look like the claw marks of any known beast, but more like some kind of crudely carved, primitive runes.

“These marks… are they claws?” Selene asked in a low voice.

“Uncertain,” an Elven Ranger walking ahead replied, his voice a low whisper. “The traces are very new, but the structure is strange. They don’t resemble any creature we know.”

The passage continued to extend downward. The deeper they went, the more intense that fishy, sweet smell became, making one’s chest feel tight. The surrounding fluorescent moss also grew sparse, and the light grew dimmer.

Elaniel waved her hand. Several elven mages immediately stepped forward, orbs of light blooming at the tips of their staves to dispel the encroaching darkness ahead.

The Silent Watch Knights had long since disappeared from their line of sight. They possessed a natural affinity for darkness, and their speed of movement far outstripped that of the main force.

“Captain Eldara and the others are moving so fast. Should we try to catch up?” Selene asked, a little worried.

“No need.” Elaniel shook her head, her tone firm. “The Silent Watch has its own unique methods for scouting. We will maintain our vigilance and advance steadily.”

After walking for some time, Celeste felt the space ahead suddenly open up.

A subtle shuffling sound reached them from the depths of the darkness. It was the sound of something heavy being dragged across the rough ground.

“Movement ahead!” an Elven Ranger hissed, his bow already raised in warning.

The entire column halted instantly. The elven knights quickly formed a semicircular defensive formation, their shields braced against each other, long spears protruding from the gaps and pointing directly into the darkness. The sound of bowstrings being drawn taut was exceptionally harsh in the suffocating silence.

Selene immediately planted her Favonius Greatsword into the ground, a solid shield for her sister and the others behind her. Frost began to curl around Su Wan’s fingertips. Xia Lian took a half-step back, her entire body seeming to blend into the shadows of the rock wall.

Celeste tightened her grip on her staff, her mental energy highly concentrated, ready to activate a character card at a moment’s notice.

The fishy, sweet air seemed to have solidified.

That shuffling, rustling sound did not stop. Instead, it drew closer and closer. It was a heavy, sticky, wet sound, as if some giant, soft-bodied creature was dragging its immense form forward, crawling out of the abyss bit by bit.

‘You’ve gotta be kidding me,’Celeste complained wildly in her head.’Are we really doing the classic horror movie trope? Seriously?”Is it a giant worm? A Slime Demon King? Please, for the love of god, don’t let it be the kind of thing that makes you lose SAN points just by looking at it. That’ll totally ruin my appetite for barbecue tonight!’

Rustle… scrape… rustle…

The sound stopped abruptly, about twenty meters in front of them.

A deathly silence enveloped the cavern.

Fine beads of sweat began to seep from the foreheads of even the most elite elven knights in the formation.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]