Chapter 254 - 114: The "Arrogant and Domineering" Lynch Blackwood

Chapter 254: Chapter 114: The "Arrogant and Domineering" Lynch Blackwood

...

"Shut it down. Dismantle the core."

With no time to think, Lynch practically roared the command.

Though Jinke and Sea Song, who had long since become skilled hands at this, didn’t understand what was happening, they could tell from Lynch’s tone that it was urgent.

They immediately cut the Magic Power supply and shut down the Teleportation Gate. Jinke, with extreme efficiency, dismantled the stone disc’s core once again.

The entire sequence of actions was practiced and fluid, like flowing water.

The shimmering, mirror-like surface vanished in an instant.

At the same time, the gaze cast by that mysterious existence was abruptly cut off, and the terrifying sense of crisis filling Lynch’s mind suddenly disappeared.

"Whew!~"

Lynch let out a heavy breath. His heart was still pounding wildly in his chest, and his entire back had become soaked in sweat without him even realizing it.

’That gaze... what was it?’

’A guardian slumbering in the depths of the ruins? A defense mechanism left behind by the Ancient Elves? Or... some kind of terrifying entity that was buried along with the ruins but never truly died?’

For a moment, Lynch’s thoughts were a tangled mess, and he couldn’t form a clear conclusion.

However, judging solely by the intensity of its pressure and the level of threat, the feeling that gaze gave him was on par with none other than the Demon Refining Lord, Ragnarash.

Of course, the entity’s true power was probably less than that of the Demon Refining Lord. After all, Ragnarash had only appeared as a projection that day. But even so, this was likely not something he could handle in his current state.

"Phew..."

Lynch let out another breath and thought to himself.

’I’ll have to put a stop to exploring the ruins for a while.’

"Lynch, are you all right?" Avril hurried over, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"I’m fine, I’m fine." Lynch took the handkerchief, gave his face a couple of quick wipes, and casually stuffed it back into her hand. "Avril, thank you for your hard work. You should go get some rest."

"Oh..." This time, Avril was obedient. She took the handkerchief and hurried away, her face flushed red.

Lynch then turned and instructed, "Jinke, Sea Song, dismantle the entire Teleportation Gate Array and store it separately from the core. Those Magic Energy Crystal Stones still have some residual energy. Be careful and store them properly; we can use them again."

"Yes, my Lord!"

Jinke and Sea Song immediately got to work.

The Teleportation Gate had been designed with disassembly and maintenance in mind. It was assembled from several modules, so taking it apart was not difficult.

Working together, the two of them quickly broke the gate down into more than a dozen modules and a pile of structural components, which they moved to different storerooms to be sealed away.

After dealing with these matters, Lynch’s gaze finally fell upon the mountain-like "trash heap" on the ground.

’These are the spoils of war that Bone Valor earned through countless sacrifices.’

At this thought, Lynch cast the Skeleton Summoning Skill once more, pulling Bone Valor from the Netherworld again.

"Hah... Bone Valor, seeing you’re all right, I can finally relax." Lynch patted its shoulder blade. "You worked hard this time."

The Soul Fire in Bone Valor’s eye sockets flickered twice. It seemed very happy to be praised by its master.

Lynch, meanwhile, crouched down and began to sift through the pile of junk.

It was filled with all sorts of metal fragments: broken weapon shards, decayed Magic Staffs, dull Gemstones, and various grimy pieces of jewelry...

After all, even Magic Equipment would lose its Magic Power and become mundane after being eroded by several thousand years of time.

But Aus, his eyes glinting with excitement, drew near with great interest.

"My Lord, let me take a look."

He picked up a metal fragment engraved with intricate vine patterns, then pulled a seemingly ordinary piece of wood from the junk pile and sniffed it.

"This is... Star Patterned Silver. Though its Magic Power has dissipated, the material itself is still very valuable. And this wood... If I’m not mistaken, it should be ’Moonlight Fir,’ cultivated by the Ancient Elves. Even after several millennia, the wood is still tough. It’s an excellent material for making high-grade Magic Bows."

As Aus sorted through the pile, he described the items to Lynch as if listing his own family treasures, displaying a surprising knowledge of antique appraisal.

Lynch raised an eyebrow. "You know about this stuff?"

Aus gave a wry smile and said helplessly, "When I was a child in the palace, my mother was not favored by the emperor, and I was just an overlooked, idle Prince. My tutor, the court scholar Lord Keynes, was a knowledgeable but rigid old man. Besides teaching me statecraft and governance, he also forced me to learn a whole mess of miscellaneous subjects—history, geography, antique appraisal, art history..."

"Back then, I just found it annoying. Now that I think about it, it’s all proven to be useful."

He rummaged through the junk pile again, pulling out a silver brooch carved with the profile of an Elf’s face. He then picked up a pottery shard with a spiral pattern and examined it closely for a moment.

"My Lord, based on the artistic style and decorative characteristics of these items, they are likely relics from the late period of the Ancient Elf era. If we date them by cross-referencing historical records and art history, they’re probably from... somewhere between thirty-eight hundred and forty-six hundred years ago."

Unable to resist, Lynch leaned in for a closer look, his face full of curiosity.

Seeing Lynch’s interest, Aus grew even more enthusiastic. "Look at the Elf’s face on this brooch. The lines are carved to appear more melancholic and weathered, and the clothing patterns are more intricate and ornate. This is a typical characteristic of the Ancient Elf civilization after it reached its peak and began to decline."

"And the spiral pattern on this piece of pottery was a symbol of the ’Circle of Life’ in early Elven art. But in the later period, the spirals became distorted, with many sharp angles added, reflecting the anxiety and unease of Elven society at the time..."