Chapter 387 - 329: Intelligence Threshold 2

Chapter 387: Chapter 329: Intelligence Threshold 2

Demons like the Demonized Forest Ape don’t just choose any random place for their habitat; the surrounding area is usually rich in resources.

And Magic Plants were, without a doubt, their favorite.

With Hill scouting, the squad found the Demonized Forest Apes’ habitat quickly and without much trouble.

It was an aerial camp built among several ancient trees.

Scattered among the lush canopies, more than ten meters off the ground, were a few simple wooden huts.

’Those must be the Demon Apes’ nests.’

Sniffing the air carefully, they found that, sure enough, a fresh, plant-like fragrance was mixed into the damp, stuffy air.

The scent was quite peculiar; smelling it made one feel full of Power.

The group’s eyes quickly locked onto the source of the fragrance.

Wrapped around the trunk of the thickest ancient tree were coils of pale green vines.

They were completely different from ordinary dark green vines. These ones pulsed with a rhythmic, soft fluorescent light from within.

"Found it...!"

Zelir quickly identified the type of Magic Plant—a Tiger Vine.

It was a rare and precious Magic Plant, containing a unique essence that could greatly enhance a creature’s muscle strength and explosive power.

If used as the primary ingredient, it could be used in Refining the Giant Strength Potion, which granted a massive boost to Power for a short time!

"This is a Magic Plant too?" Marcus asked, looking at the coiled vine in surprise.

"Yes, and it’s quite valuable."

Zelir dismounted his Land Bird and walked over to the vine to observe it closely. "A Tiger Vine of this length... it’s worth at least a hundred Gold Coins."

"When I have the time, I should get myself an illustrated guide to Magic Plants..." Gray grumbled.

He was starting to suspect he had missed many similar opportunities to get rich on his previous adventures.

After carefully harvesting the entire Tiger Vine from the tree trunk, they found it was over five meters long.

There were even bite marks at the tip.

"No wonder those three Monster Strength Silver Apes had such immense strength..."

Zelir shook his head, coiled the Tiger Vine neatly, and placed it in his Storage Pouch.

After looting the Demonized Forest Apes’ nest, the squad set out once more.

This time, they encountered no further incidents along the way.

Riding the Land Birds, they traveled with great efficiency.

They soon followed their previous route and returned to the Central Courtyard Garden, a place filled with deathly silence and decay.

The same gray-white buildings, half-buried in the soil, stood there silently, like a cluster of tombstones.

However, it was obvious that the place had seen some recent "human activity."

In the lee of some ruined walls, there were ashes left behind by extinguished campfires.

There was also discarded junk and some small paths trodden into the ground.

Undoubtedly, these were left by Adventurers who had passed through.

Inside the Central Courtyard Garden, the large fields of Corpse Flowers were still there.

Only...

Compared to the eerie scene from their last visit, the vast Corpse Flower Field looked much more wilted now.

The flesh-colored stems, which had once stood tall and straight, now drooped listlessly.

The blood-red veins on their petals had faded considerably.

Even the tiny, twisted human faces in the center of the pistils wore sorrowful expressions.

’I wonder if it’s because the Thorny Giant Beast was killed...’

After all, according to their previous investigation, all the nutrients absorbed by these Corpse Flower Fields had been used to nurture that Thorny Giant Beast.

The squad didn’t linger. They continued forward, crossing the entire Central Courtyard Garden with practiced ease.

After leaving the Central Courtyard Garden, the squad arrived at the area behind it.

The remains of the Thorny Giant Beast had been picked through, its scattered pieces strewn across the open ground in front of the Temple.

The squad entered the Temple and passed through the curtain of light on the second floor.

BZZZ...

The faint resonance faded away.

The scene before them came back into focus.

The second level of the ruins materialized.

It was the same endless range of towering mountains.

However, it was now nearly evening.

The sun had half-sunk behind the western mountains.

The brilliant sunset had already lost its most vibrant orange hues, leaving only a dim, tranquil yellow across the sky.

Compared to the last time the squad had entered the second level, there were a few changes.

"Am I... Am I seeing things?"

Gray rubbed his eyes hard. "Is that a camp?"

Zelir also raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Not far from the curtain of light, on the edge of a wide, flat cliff, a large area had been temporarily enclosed by a wooden fence.

Dozens of tents were pitched inside in a scattered but orderly fashion.

Several blazing campfires were already lit within the camp.

In the firelight, the figures of many Adventurers could be seen.

They were sitting around resting, some wiping their weapons, others sorting through the day’s loot.

There were also some temporary, Simple facilities.

Things like a small Blacksmith Shop, a supply point selling Basic materials, and even a tent with a medical symbol were already taking shape.

Although it was a far cry from the fully-equipped underground hall at the entrance to the first level, it was enough to meet the basic needs of most Adventurers.

The sounds of hearty laughter and boasting drifted over on the mountain wind.

"The Adventurer’s Association is really efficient..." Marcus couldn’t help but remark, looking at the scene before him.

Next to the camp was a stable, where a dozen packhorses and Land Birds were tied up.

Beside the stable were mountain-like piles of fodder and supplies.

It seemed the Association had used them to transport all the materials needed to establish this forward camp.

The squad rode their Land Birds into the temporary camp.

At the gate in the fence, two guards wearing the Adventurer’s Association’s standard-issue Leather Armor approached them.

They sized up the Marcus Squad, their tone polite enough.

"Folks, resting inside is free. Just find an empty spot to pitch your own camp, and don’t cause any trouble."

"But these Land Birds have to be tied up at the stable. The daily fee for their care is one Silver Coin."

"Alright."

The squad members all dismounted crisply and handed the reins to a few other people who came forward to lead the birds away.

As they entered the camp, some furtive glances were cast in Zelir’s group’s direction.

When they realized this was an Elite Adventurer Squad with four Middle Level Professionals, including a Mage...

...the meaning in those gazes instantly shifted to one of distant respect.

’Can’t afford to mess with them...’

Ignoring the attention, Zelir and his companions walked straight through the noisy center of the camp and chose a quieter spot near the cliff’s edge.

They had traveled for so long and had just fought an unexpected battle.

It was time to get some proper rest and recover their Physical Strength.

’We’ll set out to explore tomorrow!’

They pitched their tents and arranged a pile of firewood.

Zelir snapped his fingers.

SNAP!

At his will, a flame leaped out of thin air and lit the campfire.

The orange-yellow light dispersed the gathering darkness and chill of the night.

Creating fire from nothing—this small, ever-present convenience made Zelir appreciate the effortless elegance of being a Mage even more.

They were getting a little tired of eating roasted leg meat all the time.

So, Zelir decided to cook it differently.

He set up a rack over the campfire and filled a pot with fresh water using his Water Ball Skill.

Then, he added the thawed and diced Minotaur Leg Meat, dried wild mushrooms, salt, and pepper.

After putting everything together, Zelir still felt like something was missing.

Suddenly, he slapped his forehead in a moment of realization.

He then took out some carrots, gave them a quick rinse, and tossed them into the pot after dicing them.

"Isn’t that the food we prepared for the Land Birds?" Valles asked in surprise, wiping his bow off to the side.

"It’s fine, we can eat it too." Zelir didn’t mind at all.

With the carrots, the beef stew was finally complete.

BUBBLE, BUBBLE...

As the water temperature rose, the stew in the pot began to roll and boil.

Shiny, orange-yellow bubbles slowly swelled and then burst with a soft POP.

The delicious beef, savory mushrooms, peppery seasoning, and the fresh sweetness of the carrots...

...all the ingredients blended together perfectly in the simmering stew.